[lesmore49]

Thanks for that clarification...

---------- Post added 12th Apr 2017 at 01:15 PM ----------



"High value-adding product" could simply mean that there'll be an emphasis on the K-1 and 645 lines to provide a good return on investment. The pricing of lenses for those models supports that possibility.

I hope you're right Rob.

[mee]

"High value-adding product" could simply mean that there'll be an emphasis on the K-1 and 645 lines to provide a good return on investment. The pricing of lenses for those models supports that possibility.

Yes I think that is precisely what that statement means. But when it shows up on PF, PhotoRumors, and the like so word gets around that is not true and it causes these untrue things to slowly become true.

The worst one is the PhotoRumors site owner.. in the comments he claims he is still unsure of Pentax (even after the refutation by Ricoh proper) and refers to Samsung as his reason. That kind of irresponsible reporting/commenting can fold companies if it gets in enough people's ears. It is already a fairly shaky market on the whole.

Look at how the word of D-FAs being Tamron rebadges got around.. Now I see unknowing people stating ALL Pentax D-FAs are Tamron rebadges. The truth is NONE of them are pure rebadges.... even though a mere TWO of them share the optical formula and drive system (and could be argued as rebadges). Damage is already done, because now those posts are out there. People read them, assume them true, and the false information perpetuates.

Hopefully this will blow over soon. But the work just got a little more tougher for Ricoh as a result of this incorrect 'article.'

[HopelessTogger]

Concentrate on one APS-C, one full frame and one 645z model only.

Sony have said the future is in the high end enthusiast market, no entry or mid range cameras.

Pentax' problem is the cost of new high end lens development and return on investment as I see it. Too much catching up to do in a shrinking market with already very low market share.

[bobmaxja]

Everybody will leave the low end , make sense , 99% of people are using phone camera and that not realy changing in the future.
Now the 1$ is really crowded and everybody annonced they will go high end; Sony dit it 2015, Canon just annonced that teh camera business is shrinking and moving resource to highher end application.
The f low end DSLR , P&S , Mirrorless will be gone soon or some business will be pick-up by Chinese company.
Some peoples still believe that phone user will move to DSLR or mirrorless, look around you, how many 40 and under are you seing with a camera!!! The answer is there. No new customer , just the old gang.

[mee]

Pentax' problem is the cost of new high end lens development and return on investment as I see it. Too much catching up to do in a shrinking market with already very low market share.

I think so too.. and that is not a pessimistic view. Just an honest real life one. The market is in decline currently. They were 'last' on the market with a Full frame.

I think they'd do better to just license more 3rd party honestly! It would be quicker and (potentially) cheaper than going through R&D on their own. Maybe keep the 50 and the 85 as Pentax * designs.. but the 35 and the ultrawide are not.

I'd be OK with the Tamron SP 70-300 optics coming over our way too. That seems to be a decent walk around telephoto zoom.

That gets them on track with a lot more obvious holes in the lineup filled.. and 'fast.'

I have no idea what it costs to license a lens design though... so this thought could be entirely faulty.

[pakinjapan]

This is official: Ricoh scales down Pentax.

????????????????????????????? (in Japanese)

Ricoh is planning to narrow down Pentax lineups, Yamashita CEO says.

according to the given link

製品機種の縮小を検討している

That's rather a positive move to me. [consider how bad it sounded like from the very fist news I read.]

last words, one thing I notice, it has been no update on Ricoh's social media and web site both english and japanese yet! unless I miss it.

信頼構築していく

if you will build trust, please don't let news get out bit by bit and let people speculate things. take control of your news and make it official on your website at less.

[beachgardener]

Concentrate on one APS-C, one full frame and one 645z model only.

yes fully agree there, and make good products that last

[lightbox]

I take it as a good sign for K-mount that Ricoh followed up the K-1 with another impressive camera, the KP, and in doing so also established a new baseline price point. That's courageous and will be a true sign of Ricoh having moved up-market if the market bears this change.

It's do or die now, and I think they made the right choice to preserve product image and their place in the shrinking market. It's also a vote of confidence in their own product, I think.

[mee]

Some peoples still believe that phone user will move to DSLR or mirrorless, look around you, how many 40 and under are you seing with a camera!!! The answer is there. No new customer , just the old gang.

90% of the people I see with actual dedicated cameras are 40 and under actually.

Lots of momtogs, budding portrait and wedding photogs, and a few hobbyists.. so the use I see is much more dedicated to pros and wannabe pros.

Most 40 and over I see are not into photography and will whip out their smartphone to take a photo.


That said, whenever I walk around with my DSLR, people are suspicious. I think, in general, many people think you're either a member of the press/newspaper or a pervert terrorist spy looking to inflitrate the motherland.

I've had a middle aged woman yell at me from her pickup truck as she tore off that I shouldn't be in the park taking photos... (apparently there were children on the playground equipment.. I was photographing flowers at macro distance, not even facing the playground).

I've had a cop recently ask me 20 questions and tell me I was suspicious looking when I was at the community pool (that was entirely empty of swimmers) at the time. I was simply adjusting AF. Even after I kindly explained what I was doing, he still seemed unsure but did walk away.

I've had people honk and yell things at me as I walk down the sidewalk with my camera in hand.. minding my own business.. not shooting at the time. Just walking with a camera.

People are afraid of big cameras. Because they are not used to big cameras except in certain situations (studios and news events). At least in my area apparently.

[K David]

I would expect this is only for the PnS lines, but if the Pentax DSLRs disappear, I'm going to Sony.

[rgknief60]

People are afraid of big cameras. Because they are not used to big cameras except in certain situations (studios and news events). At least in my area apparently.

Which makes me wonder, "Who taught that fear/behavior?"

[cgchang]

90% of the people I see with actual dedicated cameras are 40 and under actually.

Lots of momtogs, budding portrait and wedding photogs, and a few hobbyists.. so the use I see is much more dedicated to pros and wannabe pros.

Most 40 and over I see are not into photography and will whip out their smartphone to take a photo.


That said, whenever I walk around with my DSLR, people are suspicious. I think, in general, many people think you're either a member of the press/newspaper or a pervert terrorist spy looking to inflitrate the motherland.

I've had a middle aged woman yell at me from her pickup truck as she tore off that I shouldn't be in the park taking photos... (apparently there were children on the playground equipment.. I was photographing flowers at macro distance, not even facing the playground).

I've had a cop recently ask me 20 questions and tell me I was suspicious looking when I was at the community pool (that was entirely empty of swimmers) at the time. I was simply adjusting AF. Even after I kindly explained what I was doing, he still seemed unsure but did walk away.

I've had people honk and yell things at me as I walk down the sidewalk with my camera in hand.. minding my own business.. not shooting at the time. Just walking with a camera.

People are afraid of big cameras. Because they are not used to big cameras except in certain situations (studios and news events). At least in my area apparently.

I'm always surprised that people freak out and call anyone with "big cameras" creeps or pervs invading their privacy, while it's small cameras and smartphones that are easily concealable and able to take pictures without you ever knowing. That's more invasive and creepy IMO.

[reh321]

That said, whenever I walk around with my DSLR, people are suspicious. I think, in general, many people think you're either a member of the press/newspaper or a pervert terrorist spy looking to inflitrate the motherland.

I've had a middle aged woman yell at me from her pickup truck as she tore off that I shouldn't be in the park taking photos... (apparently there were children on the playground equipment.. I was photographing flowers at macro distance, not even facing the playground).

I've had a cop recently ask me 20 questions and tell me I was suspicious looking when I was at the community pool (that was entirely empty of swimmers) at the time. I was simply adjusting AF. Even after I kindly explained what I was doing, he still seemed unsure but did walk away.

I've had people honk and yell things at me as I walk down the sidewalk with my camera in hand.. minding my own business.. not shooting at the time. Just walking with a camera.

People are afraid of big cameras. Because they are not used to big cameras except in certain situations (studios and news events). At least in my area apparently.

My current theory is that this reaction is to black "stealthy" T90-like cameras, which is why my K-30 is blue, and if I buy a K-70 or KP, I will buy the silver variant.

[biz-engineer]

Ricoh to get out of camera business? According to today's Nikkei, Japan's largest business newspaper, Ricoh is going to scale back camera business. It could get out of consumer camera business completely. ??????????????????????????????? (in Japanese) Sad news...

LOL, after all the backing up from PF... no no no Pentax isn't doomed, Pentax isn't doomed, don't go Canikon, Nikon is in trouble, total BS.

[quant2325]

1) Pentax is a pimple on the butt of Ricoh in terms of earnings. I guess it is profitable, but it doesn't add much to earnings.
2) Corporate decisions are made differently than you would think. Often times, a consulting firm is hired simply to take the risk of making a bad decision away from management (or so they think). So McKinsey or whoever will come up with a plan to bring back growth or whatever the BOD and top management is looking to do. It doesn't matter what happened or what was said yesterday. When a change is agreed upon then everything changes.
3) Ricoh would never walk away from Pentax since there is too much value in the brand. It could sell it off, but more likely it will admit defeat in the lower end of the consumer market (as it should) since the writing is on the wall with the improving smartphones. So, perhaps Ricoh makes the segment more profitable by sticking to the higher end cameras where there is greater margins. Perhaps it looks for a buyer for Pentax. Either way, Pentax will be around.
4) Uncertainly will certainly have an effect on camera sales. The big retailers will complain and Ricoh will eventually tell us what is going on in their minds.
5) One problem is that SONY announced it will now keep the best sensors for themselves. Ricoh will have a competitive issue since it needs SONY or some other sensor manufacturer to stay relevant.
6) For an amateur like me it doesn't really matter. If Ricoh leaves the business the top end stuff goes down in value. It is good enough now to last a lifetime for someone like me, so I could potentially upgrade for a lower out-of-pocket expense.
7) I really wish Ricoh would develop smartphone add-ons or something for the smartphone to click into. There is a kind of Moore's Law thing going on with the photo sensors inside of smartphones, and few traditional companies are making much of an effort to serve the consumer in that space.