[dansamy]

It wouldn't bother me much because my first SLR was a Sears KSX, made by Ricoh. Sears sold a number of very high quality "consumer" cameras, and the best were made by Ricoh.

What has drawn me to buying and using Pentax digital equipment is the reverse-compatibility with the many PK lenses I already own. I have some, not a lot, of Canon and Fuji gear, but their new camera bodies aren't compatible with the older (Canon FD, M42) lens mount systems.

That brings up another point, in a way. Sears' house brands are all manufactured by major brands for Sears. They often have a feature or two not seen in the otherwise identical major brand model. Kenmore is a Sears brand. They've been made at times by Maytag, Whirlpool, Frigidaire & others. Yet, how many of the older generation would buy a Kenmore but shy away from a Whirlpool?

[woodywesty]

That brings up another point, in a way. Sears' house brands are all manufactured by major brands for Sears. They often have a feature or two not seen in the otherwise identical major brand model. Kenmore is a Sears brand. They've been made at times by Maytag, Whirlpool, Frigidaire & others. Yet, how many of the older generation would buy a Kenmore but shy away from a Whirlpool?

Interesting observation... almost none of the current appliances are made as well as they were 40 or 50 years ago. My 1971 Spotmatic and all the lenses still work fine and I suspect that with a cleaning that they would be good for another 40+ years. Wonder if there are any DSLR's and lenses made today that will last like that?

[dansamy]

Interesting observation... almost none of the current appliances are made as well as they were 40 or 50 years ago. My 1971 Spotmatic and all the lenses still work fine and I suspect that with a cleaning that they would be good for another 40+ years. Wonder if there are any DSLR's and lenses made today that will last like that?

Certainly not these plastic jobs. The plastic will stress & degrade over time & exposure.

[DeadJohn]

That brings up another point, in a way. Sears' house brands are all manufactured by major brands for Sears. They often have a feature or two not seen in the otherwise identical major brand model. Kenmore is a Sears brand. They've been made at times by Maytag, Whirlpool, Frigidaire & others. Yet, how many of the older generation would buy a Kenmore but shy away from a Whirlpool?

This rebadging is why I shy away from Sears. It becomes too difficult to estimate whether a "Kenmore" appliance will be trouble-free or constantly in need of repair. Too much risk of buying what used to be a solid product, but now it's made by a new low bidder with poor quality.

It's okay for cheap disposable electronics like an alarm clock. I won't risk it for appliances that should last 10+ years.

[dansamy]

Having worked for Sears parts for a long time, I remember most of the manufacturer codes embedded in the model numbers. So, I have that advantage if I find a major brand model, I can look at Kenmore to see if they have it & if it's a better featured or cheaper model.

[DeadJohn]

...Sears parts...

The Sears service center near me used to be great but went way downhill late 1990s. Not sure if it was a systemic issue or poor management at that one store. I think they stopped repairing locally and shipped everything out. They dropped a fairly new TV and offered only a $50 credit towards a new one; took a lot of fighting to get fair reimbursement for their error. Repairs took a long time. Items would come back from "repair" with the same or new problems.

I gave up on Sears and use a local chain, P.C. Richards, for most of my appliances.

[thibs]

In Europe (France?), Photoline were rebadged Sigmas?

[KevinE]

Would like to see Pentax name continue on DSLR's. There is trust in a brand name that takes time to build.