Paperware AF360FGZ II

Clavius · 07-12-2013, 02:26 AM

Six months ago, the "new" AF360FGZ II was shown at Photokina. Wow, a 12 year old model revamped. But now there still has been no sign of it.

What's going on at Pentax? First they weren't able to make real new products, now it seems they are even having difficulties with the re-release of a 12 year old product.

Does anybody have any information on this?

gazonk · 07-12-2013, 03:04 AM

Originally posted by Clavius

Six months ago, the "new" AF360FGZ II was shown at Photokina. Wow, a 12 year old model revamped. But now there still has been no sign of it.

What's going on at Pentax? First they weren't able to make real new products, now it seems they are even having difficulties with the re-release of a 12 year old product.

Does anybody have any information on this?

Also waiting for the new lenses on the road map... maybe they'll all be announced with the presumed K-3 camera in a couple of months from now?

rawr · 07-12-2013, 05:51 AM

Not to mention the wait for the new Pentax tele-convertor...

**LaurenOE** · 07-12-2013, 05:59 AM

When I highlight these issues throughout my posts, folks accuse me of being a "gloomer", as a "doom and gloom" person. Hardly. I've been noticing problems since Ricoh took over.

I think Ricoh is having a very tough time integrating Pentax. Since the dawn of Pentax DSLRs, they've had a very efficient product line, and produced cameras based in production runs. The Optio lines were different from the DSLR cameras as they we more flexible.

I think Ricoh, while good in their other lines of businesses, is not doing well with Pentax.

Ricoh could also be too "hands-on" and are trying to touch all aspects of the Pentax pipeline and are causing delays because they are exerting control over processes they feel they need to control.

I think the term is "Micro-manage" and that usually causes engineers and other seasoned folks to get angry or find new employment.

As a Japanese company we will never know the internal struggles, but since Ricoh took over, all I have seen is the Hoya pipeline being squeezed to irrelevance.

Uluru · 07-12-2013, 06:29 AM

Sorry to disappoint your gloom; new 360 flash is ready and coming next month together with TC.

rawr · 07-12-2013, 06:35 AM

Originally posted by Uluru

new 360 flash is ready and coming next month together with TC.

And what else? Sounds like a big product launch is on the horizon.

Clavius · 07-12-2013, 06:40 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Uluru

Sorry to disappoint your gloom; new 360 flash is ready and coming next month together with TC.

Fantastic! ...But it's just hot air until there are any sources or at least an explanation.

**monochrome** · 07-12-2013, 07:16 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Clavius

Fantastic! ...But it's just hot air until there are any sources or at least an explanation.

Quiet before the Noise?

The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon.

By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name.

Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term.

Clavius · 07-12-2013, 07:25 AM

Originally posted by monochrome

Quiet before the Noise?

The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon.

By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name.

Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term.

That's some mighty positive thinking!

IchabodCrane · 07-12-2013, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by monochrome

Quiet before the Noise?

The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon.

By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name.

Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term.

Is that a prediction or your wish list?

glanglois · 07-12-2013, 07:49 AM

My turn to report the obvious: Pentax/Ricoh have made it very clear that they do not want to leak product announcements gradually over a period of months. Or even weeks, if things go well.

Monochrome's "Quiet before the Noise" comment makes sense. Can we be certain that it applies here? Please see the first sentence in this post.

Zygonyx · 07-12-2013, 08:15 AM

Not at all.
Uluru' he knows everything...

LamyTax · 07-12-2013, 08:17 AM

Originally posted by glanglois

My turn to report the obvious: Pentax/Ricoh have made it very clear that they do not want to leak product announcements gradually over a period of months. Or even weeks, if things go well.

Monochrome's "Quiet before the Noise" comment makes sense. Can we be certain that it applies here? Please see the first sentence in this post.

Some Pentaxians get very upset if Pentax doesn't release products acccording to what they feel is the right schedule

.

We just had a not so small release not that long ago

.

**LaurenOE** · 07-12-2013, 08:34 AM

Originally posted by monochrome

Quiet before the Noise?

The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon.

By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name.

Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term.

Incredibly positive vides! Thumbs up for sure, even if I disagree, I wish it were so!

Winder · 07-12-2013, 08:39 AM

Hey now! Pentax just rolled out a new name change. What more do you want. The summer interns who run the R&D department are probably swamped right now.

07-12-2013, 02:26 AM	#1
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Paperware AF360FGZ II Six months ago, the "new" AF360FGZ II was shown at Photokina. Wow, a 12 year old model revamped. But now there still has been no sign of it. What's going on at Pentax? First they weren't able to make real new products, now it seems they are even having difficulties with the re-release of a 12 year old product. Does anybody have any information on this?

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07-12-2013, 03:04 AM	#2
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Originally posted by Clavius Six months ago, the "new" AF360FGZ II was shown at Photokina. Wow, a 12 year old model revamped. But now there still has been no sign of it. What's going on at Pentax? First they weren't able to make real new products, now it seems they are even having difficulties with the re-release of a 12 year old product. Does anybody have any information on this? Also waiting for the new lenses on the road map... maybe they'll all be announced with the presumed K-3 camera in a couple of months from now?

07-12-2013, 05:51 AM	#3
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Not to mention the wait for the new Pentax tele-convertor...

07-12-2013, 05:59 AM	#4
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	When I highlight these issues throughout my posts, folks accuse me of being a "gloomer", as a "doom and gloom" person. Hardly. I've been noticing problems since Ricoh took over. I think Ricoh is having a very tough time integrating Pentax. Since the dawn of Pentax DSLRs, they've had a very efficient product line, and produced cameras based in production runs. The Optio lines were different from the DSLR cameras as they we more flexible. I think Ricoh, while good in their other lines of businesses, is not doing well with Pentax. Ricoh could also be too "hands-on" and are trying to touch all aspects of the Pentax pipeline and are causing delays because they are exerting control over processes they feel they need to control. I think the term is "Micro-manage" and that usually causes engineers and other seasoned folks to get angry or find new employment. As a Japanese company we will never know the internal struggles, but since Ricoh took over, all I have seen is the Hoya pipeline being squeezed to irrelevance.

07-12-2013, 06:29 AM	#5
Uluru Banned Join Date: May 2010 Location: Back to my Walkabout Creek Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,535	Sorry to disappoint your gloom; new 360 flash is ready and coming next month together with TC.

07-12-2013, 06:35 AM	#6
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by Uluru new 360 flash is ready and coming next month together with TC. And what else? Sounds like a big product launch is on the horizon.

07-12-2013, 06:40 AM - 1 Like	#7
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150 Original Poster	Originally posted by Uluru Sorry to disappoint your gloom; new 360 flash is ready and coming next month together with TC. Fantastic! ...But it's just hot air until there are any sources or at least an explanation.

07-12-2013, 07:16 AM - 1 Like	#8
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by Clavius Fantastic! ...But it's just hot air until there are any sources or at least an explanation. Quiet before the Noise? The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon. By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name. Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term.

07-12-2013, 07:25 AM	#9
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150 Original Poster	Originally posted by monochrome Quiet before the Noise? The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon. By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name. Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term. That's some mighty positive thinking!

07-12-2013, 07:48 AM	#10
IchabodCrane Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,728	Originally posted by monochrome Quiet before the Noise? The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon. By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name. Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term. Is that a prediction or your wish list?

07-12-2013, 07:49 AM	#11
glanglois Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Madison, Wis., USA Posts: 1,506	My turn to report the obvious: Pentax/Ricoh have made it very clear that they do not want to leak product announcements gradually over a period of months. Or even weeks, if things go well. Monochrome's "Quiet before the Noise" comment makes sense. Can we be certain that it applies here? Please see the first sentence in this post.

07-12-2013, 08:15 AM	#12
Zygonyx Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ile de France Posts: 4,033	Not at all. Uluru' he knows everything...

07-12-2013, 08:17 AM	#13
LamyTax Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 376	Originally posted by glanglois My turn to report the obvious: Pentax/Ricoh have made it very clear that they do not want to leak product announcements gradually over a period of months. Or even weeks, if things go well. Monochrome's "Quiet before the Noise" comment makes sense. Can we be certain that it applies here? Please see the first sentence in this post. Some Pentaxians get very upset if Pentax doesn't release products acccording to what they feel is the right schedule . We just had a not so small release not that long ago .

07-12-2013, 08:34 AM	#14
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	Originally posted by monochrome Quiet before the Noise? The vacuum of Pentax news feels to me as if they're preparing to "Shock and Awe" the market quite soon. By that I mean carpet bomb the market with new products, upgrades, surprises, changes, marketing, Distribution Agreements - everything a modern camera company should do - and force Pentax onto the front pages of DPR, Pop Photo, DPI and everywhere else, week after week after week. And keep doing that, year after year, product layer after product layer, until Pentax is once again a household name. Like maybe a "Third Camera Brand" in the intermediate term. Incredibly positive vides! Thumbs up for sure, even if I disagree, I wish it were so!

07-12-2013, 08:39 AM	#15
Winder Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 6,617	Hey now! Pentax just rolled out a new name change. What more do you want. The summer interns who run the R&D department are probably swamped right now.