[Schraubstock]

... is this so hard to get ?

Yep, nonsense is always very hard to understand.

[Uluru]

The problem with this ad is K-S1 plus Sigma lenses — not quite a pair together.
Sigma lenses are bigger than Pentax counterparts, and on a very small DSLR like K-S1 .. uh, they don't look good.
I have no idea why K-S1 was made for if not for smaller lenses.

An ad with K-S1 and a plastic fantastic DA35/2.4 or DA50/18 would be much smarter.
And then an ad with K-3 plus this Sigma lens, yes.

[clackers]

The problem with this ad is K-S1 plus Sigma lenses — not quite a pair together.

If you're an Aussie, Uluru, you'd know CRK are the importers of both, so they can use their negotiating power to effectively get Sigma to contribute financially to a full-page ad for Pentax.

[PJ1]

If you're an Aussie, Uluru, you'd know CRK are the importers of both, so they can use their negotiating power to effectively get Sigma to contribute financially to a full-page ad for Pentax.

Spot on again, Clackers! If Ricoh or Sigma are unhappy it is up to them to show their displeasure. If four successful companies (not to forget Tamrac and Sansisk) are cooperating in this ad, they must have their ideas on marketing and they can't all be wrong. The constant "nay-saying" of some people is just too silly. I'm outta this thread!

[hks_kansei]

An ad with K-S1 and a plastic fantastic DA35/2.4 or DA50/18 would be much smarter.
And then an ad with K-3 plus this Sigma lens, yes.

I think the aim is that (from my experience anyway) the people who are looking to buy a $999 ready-to-go package are generally looking for an allrounder upgrade to an SLR from whatever they've used previously.

To a lot of new camera buyers, a fixed focal length lens would be a deal breaker, no matter what the camera looks like with it attached.
Remember that a fairly large number of people buying their first SLR camera will use the 18-50 kit lens alone, and be perfectly happy, and most I've spoken to have then wanted more zoom (which is where things like the 18-250 comes in)


Basically, the way I see it is that CRK are marketing this package as a "my first DSLR" offering.
I wouldn't be surprised if it is aimed more at the paper's readers buying the package for their kids rather than themselves.

For a new/young user the package works well, ready to use, very broad zoom range (no need to spend more money on lenses), and a few gimmicky bits like the LEDs to make it stand out a bit.

[Schraubstock]

... get Sigma to contribute financially to a full-page ad for Pentax

... and it can only be in the interest to Pentax owners to reverse the lack of Sigma's willingness to make more K-mount lenses. On the one hand people complain there are not enough Sigma K-mount lenses and then they complain when an ad appears with Pentax giving Sigma a leg up. Logical and strategic thinking, it seems, is hard for some people.

[thibs]

Yep, nonsense is always very hard to understand.

It is no nonsense it is marketing 101.
First they lose a sale.
Second, don't ask Pentx buyers do buy Pentax lenses if the first they get in a kit is a Sigma. Ouch.

I don't care about Sigma lenses themselves. They have their use and I have some, and I appreciate them. but from Ricoh's perspective, this is stupid.

[clackers]

I it is marketing 101.
First they lose a sale.

Sigma are not Canon or Nikon, they are partners in the Pentax ecosystem in a way we wish was still true of Tokina, Zeiss, and maybe even Tamron.

My suspicion is their money made possible an ad that Ricoh here could not afford.

[thibs]

Sigma are not Canon or Nikon, they are partners in the Pentax ecosystem in a way we wish was still true of Tokina, Zeiss, and maybe even Tamron.

My suspicion is their money made possible an ad that Ricoh here could not afford.

They indeed are partners (well, they most probably are, at the very least, Pentax needs Sigma) but this is, IMO, way over what Ricoh should allow.
Again, this is from Ricoh pov. As for Sigma, good for them, really.
And as for Aussies, I'm really not in a position to tell.

[wizofoz]

... but a K-S1 value package in 'The Weekend Australian'? Bit like marketing margin loans in the Daily Worker, nevertheless it's good to see the 'No marketing' campaign is behind them.

my vote for 'quote of the year!'

[c.a.m]

Perhaps it's actually an advert for Sigma... with a Pentax camera attached.

[Na Horuk]

And selling it with Sigma kit lens, really? Marketing idiots still didn't get it right 'down' there.

Yeah, this caught my eye. But it shows exactly what the target of this marketing campaign is. The idea is to get new people into the system, casual shooters, who want a super zoom lens and a cute camera. Will they all upgrade to higher tier lenses and cameras? Maybe not, but they still bring in revenue, brand recognizability, and some might buy more stuff. This ad shouldn't be compared to an ad in a location where Pentax is already strong. Keep in mind that "down under" Pentax is not very well known, and hopefully campaigns like this will help

An ad with K-S1 and a plastic fantastic DA35/2.4 or DA50/18 would be much smarter.

Not necessarily. While that would be a great bundle for photographers, it is not what a new, casual shooter wants. A lot of people still look at number of MP and the size of zoom range as a determining factor on "how good a camera is". Telling a friend about MTF scores is pointless - but tell them the camera has "6x zoom!" and they will be impressed.. So this ad is not for you, not for most of us, but it is still useful. And it also shows new users that Pentax cameras have many lenses available, from Pentax brand to Sigma.

[normhead]

You really have to wonder, how is it possible that the distributor can even be sure he can get enough of these lenses to make this ad worthwhile. My guess is he got a great price on a bundle of soon to be discontinued lenses that Sigma couldn't sell. It's not exactly a secret that neither Sigma nor Tamron right now can sell enough lenses in Pentax mount to keep making them.

[hks_kansei]

You really have to wonder, how is it possible that the distributor can even be sure he can get enough of these lenses to make this ad worthwhile. My guess is he got a great price on a bundle of soon to be discontinued lenses that Sigma couldn't sell. It's not exactly a secret that neither Sigma nor Tamron right now can sell enough lenses in Pentax mount to keep making them.

I do recall seeing on the retailer's ebay store that the Sigma lens offered has been popping up for sale fairly often. (well, a Sigma 18-250 anyway, i can't tell the difference between all the letter acronyms they add)
I wouldn't be surprised if they have overstocked themselves with it and are using this as an opportunity to move some stock.

[rawr]

One has to remember that neither Sigma or Ricoh's photo division (ie Pentax) have a separate presence in Australia. Their local presence is all under the one roof of the local distributor CRK.

So any talk of Sigma or Pentax or any other brand contributing financially to the ad, or losing some sort of brand identity by having their stuff jumbled together in a camera bundle, is misreading the local situation. It's not the same as the USA, where Sigma Corporation and Ricoh have their own subsidiaries directly managing things.

In Australia, for instance, both the .com.au Pentax and Sigma websites are run directly by CRK, and sell directly via CRK. That is not the case in the USA.