[cali92rs]

I find it kind of odd that they would wait to make this name change almost 2 years after taking over? Why not do it immediately? Maybe it is the boiling frog principle after all...

Regardless, anyone that says "this WILL happen" or "they ARE doing this" is delusional. No one here is sitting in their board meetings.
Will the user interface be similar to the GXR/GR or will it be similar to the K-5? That will show which path the company is taking.

Also, this color thing may be cute i guess, and the tiny Q models, but c'mon those are VERY Japan-centric. Moves like that hardly move the needle elsewhere.

[Traditional]

I might be naive, but I believe that a distinct advantage Pentax have, is all the weather sealed products with reasonable price tags. I don't think any competitor can match this. Why not build on that, and make a litte more expensive, weather sealed model, of basically every product that Pentax/Ricoh produces..? That's my humble suggestion.

[Kunzite]

Kunzite, all I'm seeying is doom and gloom for Pentax right now.

Yep, I figured that out long ago

Make that: Almost 2 years passed since Ricoh took over Pentax Imaging, and they couldn't even manage to do the least they could do: make a clear statement on the future of their new branch. Their actions speak louder then words though

Actually they did, but you didn't listened.

What have we seen from the new company?
- Colourful cameras.
- Colourful lenses.
- Plastic lenses.
- Re-iterations of old cameras and technology.

A new long lens.
A new high quality lens coating.
The first and only stabilized medium format solution, in a high quality lens.

On the other hand the real issues still aren't tended to:
- When was the new flash announced? 6 Months ago, but still nothing.
- What about the other flashes?
- Updating lens line up?
- When was the last time Pentax marketed some seriously attractive gear? Anything, a limited lens, a * grade lens, anything? They're only discontinueing serious gear, and not replacing them.

The new flash was definitely not announced. Showing a prototype is not the same as announcing a product.
The HD DA 560mm and the D FA645 90mm macro were announced last year. I'm not sure what they discontinued...

Their complete lack of interest in marketing serious photography tools, and their ever increasing amount of Walt Disney gear is their statement about the future of the brand. A big fat middlefinger towards the enthusiastic users that love the old Pentax high quality products.

You're so wrong I don't even think I should bother stating my disagreement.

Customer demand? Of all the demands their customers make, they chose THIS ONE to fullfill?!? That's the second big fat middle finger towards their enthusiast users.

And who are you to decide which customers should they listen to, and which should be ignored?
You can't even realize that restarting the production for the K-01 doesn't take the same effort as making brand new enthusiast-level products. Basically there's no R&D involved, so their engineers are surely working on other projects than the blue K-01.

By the way, that's your middle finger which you're constantly showing at Pentax.

[GibbyTheMole]

Their complete lack of interest in marketing serious photography tools, and their ever increasing amount of Walt Disney gear is their statement about the future of the brand. A big fat middlefinger towards the enthusiastic users that love the old Pentax high quality products.

I'm not at all concerned about a simple name change. The current company that owns Pentax is called Ricoh... the last one was Hoya... and the one before that, Asahi Optical. None of the parent companies was explicitly called "Pentax". Big deal.

But yeah, I do see your point. It doesn't seem like 2 years, but indeed, the folks at Ricoh have only done one thing in that time that briefly made it look like they were interested in moving the brand forward, and that was the K-30. Otherwise, meh... And the somewhat different (and in my opinion cool) K-30? They've redesigned it so it looks like every other camera and re-released it, as if it's a tacit admission they're not interested in any kind of move forward.

I love my Pentax gear, and I'm sticking with it because hey, it works... why not? But yeah... unless things change, the future looks decidedly blah.

[Frater]

I might be naive, but I believe that a distinct advantage Pentax have, is all the weather sealed products with reasonable price tags

Isn't it the other way round? The bodies which lead the sales rankings are predominantly lower-end DSLRs from CaNikonSony being rather cheaper than Pentax offerings.

In the enthusiast body segment, the Pentax prices are competitive, which is good; however, now that CaNikon departed with newer models with newer sensors (or do so shortly), Pentax is now in a defensive position. Which means, either to lower prices, or to come up with a great (still not expensive!) new body, or loose further market share, but only the the extent their current market share permits this third option, of course.

In the lens segment, after all the lens price uplifts since the Hoya era, Pentax has become just too expensive here. In another forum, a DSLR newbee asked for advice, what would be in favour for Pentax versus Nikon, given that he would get his desired lens setup cheaper when going for the Nikon option.

I couldn't believe, but this seems true nowadays. I checked for the DA 55-300, which I own. Nikon does a 55-300 as well, probably an optically superior lens (due to having two more lens elements), and it also has a shake reduction built-in, but regardless of these benefits, it's CHEAPER than the Pentax equivalent.

That's a problem, Ricoh! Please, do something about that. Because probably only 1 out of 100 DSLR joiners bother to ask for advice in pentax forums, the other 99 would simply go for the Nikon option straight-away, I bet. Ricoh should give this priority over their company naming cosmetics.

[monochrome]

I find it kind of odd that they would wait to make this name change almost 2 years after taking over? Why not do it immediately? Maybe it is the boiling frog principle after all...

Regardless, anyone that says "this WILL happen" or "they ARE doing this" is delusional. No one here is sitting in their board meetings.
Will the user interface be similar to the GXR/GR or will it be similar to the K-5? That will show which path the company is taking.

Also, this color thing may be cute i guess, and the tiny Q models, but c'mon those are VERY Japan-centric. Moves like that hardly move the needle elsewhere.

I might be naive, but I believe that a distinct advantage Pentax have, is all the weather sealed products with reasonable price tags. I don't think any competitor can match this. Why not build on that, and make a litte more expensive, weather sealed model, of basically every product that Pentax/Ricoh produces..? That's my humble suggestion.

I am constantly reminded that though America is the largest consumer market, we are no longer the only large consumer market (recent shares below) . Thirty years ago 70% of global consumption occured in the USA. Today less than 30% of global consumption occurs in the USA.

I suspect in great measure Pentax's recent problems stem from poor decisions at and the mishandling of the US Division. Without cash flow from the USA there's probably little else they can do short-term but serve the home market with colored cameras.

But I al;so suspect what we want doesn't matter to them as much as it once did.


% of World Consumption (HFCE)

1. USA - 29%
2. Japan - 8.5%
3. Germany - 5.6%
4. China - 5.3%
5. Italy - 4.5%
6. UK - 4.1%
7. Brazil - 3.6%
8. Spain - 2.8%
9. France - 2.4%
10. Canada - 2.6%

[boriscleto]

I couldn't believe, but this seems true nowadays. I checked for the DA 55-300, which I own. Nikon does a 55-300 as well, probably an optically superior lens (due to having two more lens elements), and it also has a shake reduction built-in, but regardless of these benefits, it's CHEAPER than the Pentax equivalent.

The Nikon 55-300 AF-S DX VR is $397 at Adorama, the same exact price as the DA 55-300...Adorama is selling it for $387 on Amazon. You can buy the grey market DA L from Adorama for $240.

[cali92rs]

I am constantly reminded that though America is the largest consumer market, we are no longer the only large consumer market (recent shares below) . Thirty years ago 70% of global consumption occured in the USA. Today less than 30% of global consumption occurs in the USA.

I suspect in great measure Pentax's recent problems stem from poor decisions at and the mishandling of the US Division. Without cash flow from the USA there's probably little else they can do short-term but serve the home market with colored cameras.

But I al;so suspect what we want doesn't matter to them as much as it once did.



% of World Consumption (HFCE)

1. USA - 29%
2. Japan - 8.5%
3. Germany - 5.6%
4. China - 5.3%
5. Italy - 4.5%
6. UK - 4.1%
7. Brazil - 3.6%
8. Spain - 2.8%
9. France - 2.4%
10. Canada - 2.6%

Why not make the new blue K-01 available outside of Japan?

[monochrome]

Why not make the new blue K-01 available outside of Japan?

I have no earthly idea.

I do know Pentax USA didn't order any K-01's for stock the last time and didn't even update their website until 2 weeks after the camera was shipping from B&H (I had mine before P-USA changed the website). All EU and Canada sites featured the K-01 day-of-announcement. I think Ned and John killed the K-01 beofre it was even announced (in addition to its handicaps, as have been so oft discussed here)..

I'd love to know just how much control Ricoh Imaging Japan has over Ricoh Imaging Americas (and the other distributors). I'm not so sure it is a given that Japan says jump and everyone asks, "Where to?"

[JimmyDranox]

By many years, the first consumer is Europe, followed By America, and Asia. In the last years, Asian market grew and take the second place. You can look at the figures published by CIPA.

CIPA:Digital Cameras

[Frater]

The Nikon 55-300 AF-S DX VR is $397 at Adorama, the same exact price as the DA 55-300...Adorama is selling it for $387 on Amazon. You can buy the grey market DA L from Adorama for $240.

You are right, so apparently the US' pricings differ from Europe's. I looked up the Euro price at Amazon, and also cross-checked their current UK Prices,
£187 - Nikon (you get 14 lens elements, and 'VR' shake reduction)
£269 - Pentax (you get 12 lens elements)

[boriscleto]

You are right, so apparently the US' pricings differ from Europe's. I looked up the Euro price at Amazon, and also cross-checked the current UK Prices,
£187 - Nikon
£269 - Pentax

Is Nikon running an instant rebate in Europe?

[Kunzite]

By many years, the first consumer is Europe, followed By America, and Asia. In the last years, Asian market grew and take the second place. You can look at the figures published by CIPA.

CIPA:Digital Cameras

monochrome was talking about countries, but IMO it makes sense to go with regions instead. Strategies are handled at a more general level.

Anyway, I'm not sure it was about "poor decisions at and the mishandling of the US Division", as much as Pentax Imaging (U.S.) having to meet Hoya's requirements. Cost cutting forced upon them (and on Pentax, from Hoya) would have this effect.

[Racer X 69]

Also, this color thing may be cute i guess, and the tiny Q models, but c'mon those are VERY Japan-centric. Moves like that hardly move the needle elsewhere.

It is kinda weird, isn't it?

[GibbyTheMole]

It is kinda weird, isn't it?

That thing is an abomination.