[Daikokuya]

I don't know. I do know that back in the film days the Pentax 6 X 7 was highly regarded by professional photographers using medium format.

I used...still have...a Mamiya medium format film system...three Mamiya-Sekor lenses....one body. I used the Pentax 6 X 7 body (really liked the 90 mm F 2.8 leaf shutter lens...also the rosewood grip) occasionally and was very impressed with both the body and the lens quality and variety. The 6 X 7 was used by many studio photographers back then.

Could be that Ricoh is looking at returning to those medium format days...but with the digital 645.

Who knows at this point. We shall see , I suppose.

I still have a Pentax 67II with three 67 lenses and a Mamiya RZ67II with four lenses. Now, few people use them unfortunately. It could be a good time now to start the medium format photography because you can get amazing bodies and lenses with unbelievably cheap price.

[bossa]

Ok, fair enough...so when will they remove the Ricoh from the back of the K3?

Didn't they supply you with a sheet of sand paper for that?

[dansamy]

Didn't they supply you with a sheet of sand paper for that?

I thought they included a pre-cut strip of gaffer tape?

[interested_observer]

...
I love Pentax, and I hope the name does not go away. I am disappointed that these new WG's are branded Ricoh. If they could put "Pentax" on the lens however, it would make me feel a little better (for that matter I think it would be a good move to start putting "Pentax" on the lenses of the GR's).
...

Personally, I like the idea of putting Pentax on the lenses. Since Pentax started out as an optical house, they (Ricoh) could strengthen their branding with Pentax being aligned with optics. It is something....

[rbefly]

I think this latest note clarifies things. A company called Ricoh also owns a smaller company called Pentax. The Pentax brand, known throughout recent history for making fine optical instruments, mainly film/digital cameras and lenses, will become the high-end camera divison of Ricoh.
The smaller-sensor and P + S divison will consolidate as Ricoh-branded products, which may or may not, include products currently sold as Pentax.
The Pentax brand will include digital DSLR's in medium format, possibly full frame and (surely) APS-C. It is likely that the K-mount will serve both FF and crop-format DSLR's.
I believe that Ricoh has a right (and, possibly an obligation) to apply the parent company name on whichever products it chooses. If you buy a Buick, most of the badge markings will display the model or company name. On the driver-door kickplate, a small badge will indicate that this auto is a 'General Motors' product.
Generally speaking, the driver/operator would see this plate.
On the K-3, on the pentaprism, the traditional location for the camera brand, it says 'Pentax'.
Below the back screen, easily seen by the operator, it is marked 'Ricoh'.
Seems fair to me.
Ron

[bossa]

Personally, I like the idea of putting Pentax on the lenses. Since Pentax started out as an optical house, they (Ricoh) could strengthen their branding with Pentax being aligned with optics. It is something....

Don't give them any ideas.. that actually sounds like a bloody good one too.

[asahi man]

Interesting that Ricoh goes onto the category that is arguably getting swallowed by cell phones and Pentax goes on the category that has the most chance of survival.

Pentax&Tamron are not new in producing cell phonelenses
But Pentax is out of Business since years.

[DSims]

I mean you're exaggerating. I don't think "Pentax is now clearly in company with the most elite names in the business, which are above Canon and Nikon."

I don't think they're there in people's minds, but they are there in actuality, with actual product. So they have to get people to recognize this, and then reinforce the perception over the coming years.



Canon and Nikon deserve their spots, because they truly have product above what Pentax offers in K-mount (if only by virtue of offering Full Frame). And Phase One, Hasselblad, and Leica have product that's truly above Canon and Nikon.

But now that Pentax has a product that's clearly comparable to the P1, 'Blad, and potentially Leica offerings (assuming the lenses are comparable) and they're releasing it at the same time they deserve to be thought of in the same company - because they actually are.



Perhaps when they finally release the Full Frame (35mm) it will also bridge the disconnect in people's minds, because it will put them close to parity with Canon and Nikon here, and then the new 645D will put them clearly above.


The positioning of the current 645D is understandably fuzzy. It was released really late. It's seen as either a cheaper, inferior MF or an overpriced FF replacement that can't do High ISO.

Now it will seen as either a cheaper (but not inferior) MF or a highly capable FF upgrade.

[Canada_Rockies]

Frankly, I don't give a damn whose name is on the camera. It was Asahi Optical when I bought my first Pentax, with a nice Asahi Logo above the Pentax name. The K-3 has the Pentax on the front and the Ricoh on the back. Frankly, I don't see the fuss. If my K-mount stuff still fits, I'm happy.

[asahi man]

That´s all like the statement 2 years ago,when i ask Ricoh CEO and Pentax EU.
Big still K,small is Ricoh and i like it like this
Hope the Telezoom is comming up in Summer,latestly we have it here in September :-)
Best regards and good night

[ElJamoquio]

Next thing they need to embrace is to stop muffling like they did in the past, and always communicate as clearly as they did just now.
Thank you for insisting on this Adam. Well done.

I'm not trying to be the wet blanket here, but didn't Ricoh/Pentax at one point say that the WG's would continue to be Pentax? ...and that MAP wasn't really a price increase?

I like Pentax and what-not but everyone who's taking this as final should keep in mind... that nothing is ever final.

...But I will continue celebrating the 'Pentax' logo. I like Ricoh the company but it's a dumb name.

[dansamy]

I like Pentax and what-not but everyone who's taking this as final should keep in mind... that nothing is ever final.

True.dat!

[lesmore49]

I still have a Pentax 67II with three 67 lenses and a Mamiya RZ67II with four lenses. Now, few people use them unfortunately. It could be a good time now to start the medium format photography because you can get amazing bodies and lenses with unbelievably cheap price.

I have thought of buying an old Pentax 6 X 7 for my collection...also an old Nikon....F model.

[ChristianRock]

Next thing they need to embrace is to stop muffling like they did in the past, and always communicate as clearly as they did just now.
Thank you for insisting on this Adam. Well done.

I still don't get why this reiteration was even needed.

It's what they said 2 years ago. Pentax is for ILCs, Ricoh is for compacts.

What a storm in a teacup this has been...

[LFLee]

so far, I like what Ricoh brings to Pentax, the K3, especially the 645D II + lens, a commitment to that system.

But pricing of some new items are seriously out of their mind, e.g. the 20-40 ltd, the x1.4 converter.

The products that are reasonably priced at launch, IMO, is the K-3, 55-300 WR, and Ricoh GR.

... and I have yet to buy a thing from Ricoh since my K5IIs (Bought several film cameras though...).