Originally posted by Winder Look around the industry. You don't grow market share (demand for your product) by doing next to nothing. Maybe in some markets Ricoh is actively marketing. France and Japan are both stronger.
Pentax has long been very Japan-centric in their approach to business, as far as I can tell. During Hoya's ownership an official speaking to financial types said something to the effect that he was simply not interested in the North American market, just not worth the trouble, if I recall correctly (can't find the reference).
Based on what we see here versus reports from users living in Japan, and based on a conversation I had with Jim Malcolm, I suspect RIAC is responsible for developing dealer relationships and marketing efforts all on their own dime. The other Japanese camera manufacturers seem to have a more global view of marketing their products.
After the US Pentax sales force was all but dismantled and dealers royally screwed in the mid-late 2000's it's going to take a while to recover, if it's possible at all.
Ricoh as a company has a much more global mindset than Pentax ever had, but I don't see much change yet in how the Pentax brand is supported in foreign markets. I hope to see a change as I think it's in Ricoh's best interests.