[mee]

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.

That is my thought too. Ones concern shouldn't be the guy with the 'big' camera on a tripod out in the open, away from other people.... the concern should be the guy with the smartphone concealed and walking around crowds or restrooms... or driving around with it in the car. But those are harder to spot.. and yet far more common. Easier to pick on the guy in the static spot minding his own business, trying to avoid people.

'True' photography is becoming a crime in the minds of many simply because of the false perception of it...

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Last edited by mee; 04-11-2017 at 09:31 PM.

[gm4life]

Well... They have no need for any P&S aside of Theta, GR and for Pentax keep the 645, K1, KP, K70 and the K3II along with the replacement and call it a day. I don't expect more than 5 Pentax branded cameras at one time including one MF, one FF and a few APS-C models. Given the prompt statement from Ricoh I am not getting the we are doomed attitude. More like we are focusing on profitable parts of the market like DFA * or DA * or DFA Limited or DA Limited lenses not inexpensive plastic fantastic 35mm or 50mm and KS2 type stuff.

Unless I read into it wrong... Face it making sub 1,000 USD dollar cameras is NOT where the market is hence the price of the K1 and KP.

[rawr]

We're entering a tough (comparative) year for US auto sales, so Ricoh could have timed this decision better

The thought had also occured to me that Ricoh's entry into "automotive cameras" could be a cover story for something else. Perhaps entry into another consumer market segment they don't want to alert competitors to.

Or they may be quietly planning entry into the profitable military market (noting for instance that a new tank design like that of the Russian T-14 Armata has literally dozens of video and other cameras mounted in the body, and all new military hardware world-wide is going down the same path).

Speculation is fun!

[biz-engineer]

When planning to stop activities , unless emergency, no company show signs of shutting down their business because that would create more financial trouble. Usually, companies keep running (employees not informed in advance) until decision is made. Only a limited selected number of directors are aware of the plan in order to prepare the supply chain, everyone else is keept running to avoid anticipated impact on business and loss of value. When the decision is taken, announcement is given to both the market (press announcement) and employees. Anyway, I always guessed something would be about to happen when Pentax product inventory been kept to extremely low levels in the recent year.

It's amazing what people imagine: sort of "Pentax is nothing for Ricoh, and the brand has so much value". That's far of how business decisions are made. Typically, value of the brand means nothing is management can't see a way to make it profitable, the value is zero. Every business manage it's portfolio of activities based on profitability. If a business is not profitable and if this business does not trigger sales of another profitable business, and it all options to turn the lousy business around have been tried or if management see a dead end in turning around the business, they'll stop operations.

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Last edited by biz-engineer; 04-11-2017 at 09:43 PM.

[mee]

Ok guys, when planning to stop activities , unless emergency, no company show signs of shutting down their business because that would create more financial trouble. Usually, companies keep running (employees not informed in advance) until decision is made. Only a limited selected number of directors are aware of the plan in order to prepare the supply chain, everyone else is keept running to avoid anticipated impact on business and loss of value. When the decision is taken, announcement is given to both the market (press announcement) and employees. Anyway, I always guessed something would be about to happen when Pentax product inventory been kept to extremely low levels in the recent year.

The initial article has already been defused.

And unnerving as it was, even if they hadn't responded, I'd still think the initial article somewhat unreliable just because Ricoh added more lenses to the roadmap. They didn't just put the 50 on there. They went the distance and added the 85 and, later, the telephoto zoom afterwards. No company I know of, that was planning a cut and run, has ever added MORE products to their roadmaps moments before splitting.

Usually they just get silent and give no news of any products.. new or planned.. until they've withered away.

[biz-engineer]

They went the distance and added the 85 and, later, the telephoto zoom afterwards. No company I know of, that was planning a cut and run, has ever added MORE products to their roadmaps moments before splitting.

Companies I know, including mine, always run business as usual until the business is sold, because until the business is collapsed or sold, it's essential to keep all employees motivated and to keep customers buying, because doing so keep the open option to sell the business at its best value to another company. Trust me, I've been involved in business restructuring (due diligence etc) more than once.

BTW, it's not a rumor, it's posted on Reuters, Nikkei announcement.

[MarkJerling]

My guess would be - they'll likely kill or reduce the point and shoot camera line. Lets face it - with mobile phones shooting pretty decent shots - the P&S market must be just about dead. The same does not apply to DSLRs. I don't know any photographers who have said - Right, I'm selling my DSLRs and will henceforth shoot with my phone.

[zapp]

Summary: Everything is possible. Only Ricoh can show signs of life and cut at some places.

[biz-engineer]

My guess would be - they'll likely kill or reduce the point and shoot camera line

Already done years ago ...

[Racer X 69]

今日の午後、リコー本体の新社長から中期の事業方針説明があるそうだ。そこで何らかの説明やq&a出てきて、正確な情報が分かるかと。前回のパナさんの記事でも、「事業部間の移管」を「事業部の解体」と、全く違う内容だったので、ともかく午後以降に出てくる正確な情報を待ちましょう

English please.

[biz-engineer]

Only Ricoh can show signs of life and cut at some places.

Joke: they gonna cut the Theta first because it's the least profitable line.
Or, let's think about it...what else could is be? Ah yes, I know, they gonna shutdown the Pentax binocular product line !
Unless they decide to shutdown the DA560 product line, and open a new AF Tracking division to beat Nikon.

[tvdtvdtvd]

Already done years ago ...

My initial thought too, but strictly speaking they only previously eliminated the Pentax compact cameras.
The Ricoh branded products still remain, (WG, Theta, GR).

[swanlefitte]

Update: Ricoh issued a statement denying the report, saying that they are focusing on expanding “high-value-added models”
Ricoh is considering to withdraw from the camera business | Pentax Rumors

[yucafrita]

according to the given link
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.
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.

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASDZ12H5M_S7A410C1EAF000/

Tanslated: Google Übersetzer

The personal camera business that develops under the "PENTAX" brand is "to consider reducing the product model" (Yamashita president).

Actually, I find this encouraging. Pentax will continue but focus on less but higher graded models at the same time on the market. Probably, as other stated, one high-end APS-C, one FF one MF, maybe Theta. As much as I'd liked K-mount mirrorless, I think this is gone, and Q is also history IMHO.

It would be interesting, though, to see if there remains an mid/entry model APS-C and what would it be.

[Racer X 69]

From the first article:

In America, Ricoh is laying off 1,000 workers as it restructures its sales network to reduce overlap with companies it has acquired. In Japan, the company plans to offer early retirement, including to employees who have stayed on past the usual retirement age.

I guess it isn't just aerospace that is hurting right now.

Boeing is going through a layoff period at the moment. Tens of thousands of workers will be impacted. The company has been offering voluntary layoffs and early retirements for a couple years now. The first of March management notified the Machinist's Union that War (layoff) Notices were forthcoming.