[Kunzite]

In the software industry there's a thing known as "the mythical man-month". It says that adding people to a running project would not proportionally decrease the development time, but it could actually result in delays. Because not only would the new people be unfamiliar with the project and not really productive, they will also disrupt the experienced people (e.g. by needing training, constant interruptions)

We're talking about new ownership, merging with a different organization (Ricoh's own camera division), restructuring and reevaluating everything, formulating plans, adding resources - a lot of work to be done, besides working on the K-3; lots of disruptions. I'm not surprised at all there were delays.

[Kunzite]

I'm not presupposing anything, just using common sense where others typically misuse fanboyish zeal.

Am I supposed to believe what you're saying is "common sense", and everything contrary "fanboyish zeal"?

Your "common sense" blatantly contradicts what the source is saying. For example, the 645DII - it's completion is not postponed. Instead, the project was changed some time ago which is the reason why it wasn't launched until now; but "Now the camera is being finalized". You can't both finalize and postpone a project, at the same time - that is common sense.

And your attempt at making it a "confession" - a disclosure of sins...

[Barry Pearson]

Yes! Great news!

Coming year will be great for pentax-ricohnians. I'll begin it on my side with that K-3 and Will wait for that new 2.8 zoom to go with it.

If my K-3 lives up to specifications and reasonable expectations, it will overcome most of the problems that I have had with my K-5IIs this year. (I like the K-5IIs, and don't regret upgrading from my K-5, but I'm pushing it a bit harder than it is really capable of). I expect to have lots more keepers, both in the studio and outdoors at airshows and motor sports, with the K-3 next year, than I did with the K-5IIs this year.

A bonus will be more lenses from the roadmap - there are at least 2 or 3 things there that I want.

This time next year I will probably be seeking a camera to overcome the problems I will have over the next year, as I push harder than this year. I might even buy earlier if there is a new model that will offer advantages in some situations. But I think my K-3 will mean that I won't have to ogle models from other companies! I can wait to see if Ricoh/Pentax have a viable strategy and the intent to implement it.

[Barry Pearson]

In the software industry there's a thing known as "the mythical man-month". It says that adding people to a running project would not proportionally decrease the development time, but it could actually result in delays. Because not only would the new people be unfamiliar with the project and not really productive, they will also disrupt the experienced people (e.g. by needing training, constant interruptions)

We're talking about new ownership, merging with a different organization (Ricoh's own camera division), restructuring and reevaluating everything, formulating plans, adding resources - a lot of work to be done, besides working on the K-3; lots of disruptions. I'm not surprised at all there were delays.

Yes. My career was in the computer industry, and the company I worked for was taken over a couple of times. Some key people ended up in other companies. Even with the best will in the world, it is hard not to lose a year on the earlier plan.

What I want to see now is organisational stability, and a series of plausible launches, (they don't all have to be spectacular), which will show that Ricoh-Pentax now has its act together and intends to continue to build their range and feature-level.

The lost time can't be recovered. What matters is what happens in future.

[Rondec]

You are missing the point. The situation is as it is, and users cannot change it. We are just analysing it and putting in perspective with other companies; only like that any assertion makes sense.

And that is why your assertion does not make sense because you, like some posters here, deny such a perspective and only observe it from the Ricoh's perspective, even denying that users exist and have a valid opinion. If you or Ricoh believe that in 21st century they can do anything and disregard users, then please think again.

The whole point in this analysis was that what sudden confession by Russians revealed: the reason people are complaining about Pentax being late is Ricoh itself, and their very late approval of the new development and new plans. They indeed came last of the entire imaging industry to decide what to do next, and started working on it. Frankly, no one was expecting that treatment from them.

Now its too late to do anything about it, but it shows how they were, and still are hiding the truth and buying time to cover an obvious neglect of their duties as a brand steward.

If I have any anger, it is purely at Hoya, for leaving the cupboard so bare. I don't blame Ricoh for taking time after an acquisition to combine forces with their own camera division, and then figure out a plan that would allow them to begin to build a base of users. I suppose Ricoh could have released a full frame camera last year, but there were two things missing: a sold core of APS-C cameras and the R and D necessary to launch a full frame camera that wouldn't flop. People would not tolerate the same 11 point auto focus in a full frame model, nor would they tolerate a lot of the other features missing that are present in cameras like the D800.

A launch of a full frame camera in June of next year is what I was expecting and it does seem on track.

It is never too late to do the "right" thing. There are plenty of users who would move from Nikon/Canon if the camera was right. The market isn't truly static, otherwise it would be fruitless for Sony to release a mirrorless full frame camera. It is more important to get a product right (or almost right) from day 1, than to just get it out the door. Look at Nikon's D600 to D610 debacle. As far as I can tell, the D610s are just fixed D600s. Yet, Nikon lost a lot of money on warranty work and ill-will through the process. Ricoh doesn't have good will to burn at this point and they need to get each step right in order for the final line up to make sense.

[bvg]

1. FF will be next year. Not later than Photokina 2014. Maybe, on spring or summer, 2014.

To be precise, that is a personal opinion of the Russian representative, no info from the company.

[ogl]

To be precise, that is a personal opinion of the Russian representative, no info from the company.

Yes. I can't argue with you. But... It's official thread with questions and answers started by Pentax Ricoh.

---

Last edited by ogl; 10-26-2013 at 06:34 AM.

[Kunzite]

A personal opinion, but substantiated by point #2

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

Frankly, the pessimism here is overwhelming. Ricoh has the dubious honor to have the worst whining customers of any brand. Who needs enemies when you can have Pentaxians? I'm sick and tired to read about what Ricoh does wrong every time another brand brings out a new camera.

Oh, I dunno - I read the Nikon forums too, and they have some very whiney customers.

On the subject of timescales and delays, if I remember correctly, one of the Ricoh top execs admitted that integrating the Pentax and Ricoh R&D departments had been harder than they thought it would be. That probably meant that projects couldn't get off the ground as quickly as Ricoh would have liked.

[repaap]

I hope lot f improvements on my K-7, and I think that I'll get them. You are looking for improvements over K-5II...I think that there will be some too. Big hopes for focuspoints and that new RGB sensor. It makes sense that it will get more keepers.finger crossed. And this system in future will be even better no doubt on that. They can tweak it and use all that new extra computing power. Obiously you are more expert on that field than me as non tech. Person, but I can still count 1+1...

I have also lot to get from roadmap, now and we will have to see what more!

If my K-3 lives up to specifications and reasonable expectations, it will overcome most of the problems that I have had with my K-5IIs this year. (I like the K-5IIs, and don't regret upgrading from my K-5, but I'm pushing it a bit harder than it is really capable of). I expect to have lots more keepers, both in the studio and outdoors at airshows and motor sports, with the K-3 next year, than I did with the K-5IIs this year.

A bonus will be more lenses from the roadmap - there are at least 2 or 3 things there that I want.

This time next year I will probably be seeking a camera to overcome the problems I will have over the next year, as I push harder than this year. I might even buy earlier if there is a new model that will offer advantages in some situations. But I think my K-3 will mean that I won't have to ogle models from other companies! I can wait to see if Ricoh/Pentax have a viable strategy and the intent to implement it.

[HYS]

Very odd post. But very odd!
Have Pentax moved in Russia?
The Russian office is more informed than the Japaneses one?

[repaap]

We have had some similar wild dogs at here too, they go between bordes of russia and finland (east of Finlad) and those can be really mean things. They attac anything at sight, and carry rabies ect. They will be hunted down soon after they come near cityes. I see no problem in this.

That's a delicate subject, you have to live here to understand; people - even 4 years old children - were killed by those stray dogs, many others were attacked and bitten - it's that bad, and getting worse.
And you're using this to get to Ricoh Imaging? That's low...

[solar1]

Pentax-Ricoh Russia Answers: FF and Ricoh future

Pay attention! It's personal opinion of the Russian representative.



Pentax-Ricoh Russia Answers: FF and Ricoh future

Pay attention! It's personal opinion of the Russian representative.


all done without mirrors

[Kunzite]

Wrong, not everything in there is "personal opinion". A representative of that level is definitely informed - up to a point - about things that will happen in the near future, because they have to be ready when things are happening.

Very odd post. But very odd!
Have Pentax moved in Russia?
The Russian office is more informed than the Japaneses one?

Do you think that's all that Ricoh Imaging Japan, those who are working on the products, knows? How did they do the K-3, with their eyes tied?

[normhead]

I'm guessing for a lot of folks, the only thing that counts is what's on the company web page. Where as any industrial spy knows, one employee who's willing to run off at the mouth is worth more than a million corporate announcements. People are seriously misguided about where the juicy tid bits are going to come from.