[benjikan]

I seriously do not understand why Ben was dismissed by this company. I regularly go to his site for seeing his new inspirations and trend of fashion. Normally I would not link his status to pentax as a brand.

I am even more impressed that Ben is still hanging around and using pentax product. He is a man that sticks to his belief and practice it as he says it.

Thanks...However, I was NEVER employed by Pentax. I am self employed as I have always been for the last 25+ years as a Pro. I was only sponsored by Pentax. They never acquired jobs for me. Being sponsored is NOT being employed.

None the less, thanks for the thoughtful words.

Ben

---

Last edited by benjikan; 08-17-2008 at 06:11 AM.

[Blue]

Ben,

I don't thin your "Rant" is irrational. Pentax needs to understand that their are a lot of Pentax people out there have stuck with their stuff over the years when most people thought they were "Defunct." Actually many people still do. In reality, if it weren't for their "cult following" they WOULD be defunct. Everyone on this board except a few like RH actually do more to promote Pentax than Pentax as a whole does. Period. Pentax needs to figure that out before they end up like Minolta.

Edit: While I'm not a 'professional" photographer, cameras are and have been a part of my professional toolbox for years.

[KA5TXL]

What a bunch of Turkey Lurkeys!!! You are all so blind that you cannot see. The threat is real; Pentax is dead. As soon as all you misguided people see this you will admit I am right. When benjikan gets his hands on this beauty, that's it. Maybe he won't read this post. Or maybe his agreement with Holga is long term, like until 2023 or something, maybe even 2034.

Maybe someone has been on the darkroom too long and the D76 fumes have gotten to him

[Pål Jensen]

This IS an irrationalSorry for this rant, but since Mr.Howard at Popular Photography complained about me to Pentax about alleged NDA postings on their forum, I am still not over the fact that Pentax could not stand up against their threats and dropped me for short term gains. :

Popular Photography? You should complain to Pentax about PopPhotos NDA break: they claim Pentax is about to unveil an FF camera...

[thibs]

Popular Photography? You should complain to Pentax about PopPhotos NDA break: they claim Pentax is about to unveil an FF camera...

LOL... the difference being that PopPhoto probably did non sign any NDA.
You are bound to NDA terms only if you signed it. Otherwise, you do want you want. It may not always be wise to say all you know, but you can if so you want.

Now, I dunno (obviously) what Ben signed, neither what Pentax will bring to the market so I can not have a definite take on all of this.

[Lance B]

This IS an irrational "Anger Rant" so forgive me for my excesses here...

As "Ned" does not wish to post directly and is using Lance as his spokesman, I would like to bring in my 2 cents worth here.

First of all, since I am no longer sponsored by Pentax, I find it ludicrous that for the reasons given to me for our parting of ways, i.e. "Sharing NDA info with the public at large" (which I never did in fact) that "Ned" has gone ahead and done that which I was accused of. Perhaps what he has stated is not an NDA issue, but nor was what I shared a breach of my NDA.

To be fair to Ned in this *particular* case, I don't think that what Ned said to me was in any way a NDA. Just his beliefs of where Hoya and Pentax are going and how good Hoya was for Pentax.

Also, *I* was the one who contacted Ned, and not the other way round, about a doom and gloom thread on DPR about Pentax's latest financial standings to which he replied with the aforementioned email. *I* asked him whether all or any of his email could be used on the forum to appease those that were spooked by the doom and gloom thread. So, Ned was not really using me as his spokesman, but moreso that I coerced him into allowing his email to be used.

Now that I have addressed that issue, here is what I have to say about Pentax. This is addressed directly to Ned. I have decided to stay with Pentax for now, as it has performed admirably in most applications and has done an astounding job specifically with the K20D's.

RH has never used his gear professionally as I have, therefore avoid his critiques like the plague. End of Story! I will be using the Pentax for the "Absolute" Vodka campaign if and when I get the go ahead. I will not allow Pentax France to announce this information for their Press Kit even though Pentax France has asked to be informed of my usage professionally of their products. I share info with them with the caveat that they cannot use info to promote their products. What bothers me profoundly is that Pentax are benefitting by my commendations of their products even though I am no longer sponsored by them.

Just to put things in another perspective. I chose Pentax. Pentax did not choose me. I will stay with Pentax as long as they produce products that I can use confidently and are at the cutting edge of the technologies available for my needs. When and if that ceases, I will change brands.

Sorry for this rant, but since Mr.Howard at Popular Photography complained about me to Pentax about alleged NDA postings on their forum, I am still not over the fact that Pentax could not stand up against their threats and dropped me for short term gains. I won't even go in to how many e-mails I have received from around the world from Ex Nikon and Canon users that changed their systems to Pentax because of my endorsements of their camera bodies etc. The value of that alone could buy scores of pages of advertising. I know the value of endorsements as our Ad Agency has a sector that specializes in Athlete endorsements. Believe me, what Nike or Fila pay for sponsorships dwarfs what Pentax offered me in our business relationship. If you have any doubts about the power of endorsements Ned, just do a Google search of my name in parenthesis "Benjamin Kanarek" and see what the response is!

Yes Ned...The Maverick in me is saying that I am still really pissed off...

Ben

If what you say above is true, then your rant is entirely justified in my opinion. You have been a great advocate for Pentax and you should be duly recognised.

I think Pentax have made an error here and it should be addressed.

All the best, Ben.

Lance B.

[Jonson PL]

Rice,

I wasn't willing to enter this kind of threads because honnestly I think they are just a big waste of time. But I gave you my word that I will bring down with arguments any blatant lie and/or spin you put on a Pentax related story. So, here it goes:

1) according to the bloomberg article: Bloomberg.com: Asia Hoya is making a better than estimated profit (arround 200M USD) as a group and Pentax has lost in the last quarter something like 365K USD (to put this in perspective it means 365 Pentax K20D bodies. RH, you wish that this is a loss in fact they break even after a period with heavy investments in developing the most new lenses and cameras in a year ever for the modern days at Pentax.
2) Hoya's shares "climbed the most in almost seven years following the results."
3) "camera business" could very well mean digicam business and if you were not that biased by the hate you have for Pentax you could take this into consideration. In fact I bet that they'll outsource p&s' and focus on DSLR gear (just to make you even bitter if this is possible) ;
4) I could tell you some subjective oppinions I have about how a merger really happens or when one company could see the results of such a kind of action but it would be useless.

I know that it really hurts you to see Pentax not being burried and I can only imagine the pain you'll feel in the next months/years as Canon will be losing 5-7% market share a year and others will progress (Nikon, Sony, Pentax).
We'll need you for fun in the next year or so.
BTW I must confess that seeing the Olympic Games this days the very image of those BLACK lenses (at least on par with white ones in numbers) makes me full of joy.

Be well,
Radu

Good points, always welcome to let some facts enter the rumour threads.

RH's obsession with Pentax is really amazing, talking about a love/hate relationship.
If one doesn't like something, I don't see the point in spending so much time on it ?!?

Actually I was just watching the TLOTR movies, and accidentally thought of Smeagul, whatdoyouknow

Richard had the funniest input regarding Mr. High on Rice :
A snippit out of RH life...: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review




On the whole issue of Benji, Pop photo and Pentax, I posted a reply in this thread :
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/25494-pentax-usa-hires...tml#post319527

[Wheatfield]

I also posted this on DPR:

A friend of mine in California, named Ned, has been corresponding with me via email and he talked about a camera company that he works for and it's future. I was surprised because it has many similarities to Pentax. Fancy that!

Here is an excerpt from his email to me:

"<snip>

Hoya is re-tooling the operations, changing our organization including the attitude and culture. We're focusing on dramatically improving our planning, time to market, and overall efficiencies.

<snip>


Best Regards,
Ned"

Rest well Pentax DSLR owners. :-)

Does this mean we get a 60-250 before the end of the decade?

[benjikan]

To be fair to Ned in this *particular* case, I don't think that what Ned said to me was in any way a NDA. Just his beliefs of where Hoya and Pentax are going and how good Hoya was for Pentax.

Also, *I* was the one who contacted Ned, and not the other way round, about a doom and gloom thread on DPR about Pentax's latest financial standings to which he replied with the aforementioned email. *I* asked him whether all or any of his email could be used on the forum to appease those that were spooked by the doom and gloom thread. So, Ned was not really using me as his spokesman, but moreso that I coerced him into allowing his email to be used.



If what you say above is true, then your rant is entirely justified in my opinion. You have been a great advocate for Pentax and you should be duly recognised.

I think Pentax have made an error here and it should be addressed.

All the best, Ben.

Lance B.

Totally true, as was transmitted to me via Pentax. Jack Howard complained to Pentax US and it went up the chain and eventually to the decision that was made.

Ben

[Gus]

Ben, when you announced you were ending your sponsorship agreement with Pentax I thought it was for some personal disagreements, I had no idea it would be over something of the sort (NDAs).

I know this is straying off-topic, but very interesting nonetheless. While I don't think Ned's email discloses much confidential, if anything of the kind, I firmly believe you have every right to feel the way you do about Pentax.

When I first learned about you leaving Pentax I thought "that's too bad, Pentax has lost a good soldier and talented, fervent promoter". Now I think it's plain stupid on Pentax's part to have you guys part ways over disclosure issues. Pentax should have seriously weighed the pros and cons of their decision instead of applying pure categorical thinking (assuming this was the case).

Your contributions in online forums and other media not only helped convert scores of other system users to Pentax, it's what's keeping many of us from switching over to the Nikon D700s and the sort. Oh well...

I personally think it's very gracious of you to stick around and still indirectly promote the brand in spite of yourself (like that 'bet on FF in September' thread), sounds to me like a love/hate relationship, am I right?

[benjikan]

Ben, when you announced you were ending your sponsorship agreement with Pentax I thought it was for some personal disagreements, I had no idea it would be over something of the sort (NDAs).

I know this is straying off-topic, but very interesting nonetheless. While I don't think Ned's email discloses much confidential, if anything of the kind, I firmly believe you have every right to feel the way you do about Pentax.

When I first learned about you leaving Pentax I thought "that's too bad, Pentax has lost a good soldier and talented, fervent promoter". Now I think it's plain stupid on Pentax's part to have you guys part ways over disclosure issues. Pentax should have seriously weighed the pros and cons of their decision instead of applying pure categorical thinking (assuming this was the case).

Your contributions in online forums and other media not only helped convert scores of other system users to Pentax, it's what's keeping many of us from switching over to the Nikon D700s and the sort. Oh well...

I personally think it's very gracious of you to stick around and still indirectly promote the brand in spite of yourself (like that 'bet on FF in September' thread), sounds to me like a love/hate relationship, am I right?

When I switched from Canon to Pentax it was for qualitative reasons and other assurances regarding new products in the future that I still cannot discuss here, as I am still bound by my NDA with Pentax France. I love Pentax glass and am quite confident that the future holds some rather pleasant surprises.

Ben

[WendyB]

When I switched from Canon to Pentax it was for qualitative reasons and other assurances regarding new products in the future that I still cannot discuss here, as I am still bound by my NDA with Pentax France. I love Pentax glass and am quite confident that the future holds some rather pleasant surprises.

Ben

Just out of curiosity. Have any of you clicked on the links at the bottom of Benjikan's posts to view his work? He "is" a very qualified and excellent "Professional" published Photographer. Just out of curiosity how many of you are?

As for other comments, Ben is spot on "I love Pentax glass and am quite confident that the future holds some rather pleasant surprises."

As far as the criticism within the forum of my personal posts. I will reveal links to my photographic work after the PHK645 FF is released this fall. Yes I am still considered a semi-pro/amature in the photography world because I have another full time profession.

But if any of you have purveyed a National Geographic, Audubon Magazine or a
Fauna & Flora Magazine you have witnessed my work.

Due to "NDA" "after the PHK645 FF" may not be quite correct, but very close.


Food for thought and speculation.


Wendy

PS, Ben sorry you missed my shoot in Paris, you would have seen something you have not held yet. The umbrellas were up and very hard to miss.

[tranq78]

Wendy! Welcome back.

[sharpshoota]

Just out of curiosity. Have any of you clicked on the links at the bottom of Benjikan's posts to view his work? He "is" a very qualified and excellent "Professional" published Photographer. Just out of curiosity how many of you are?

As for other comments, Ben is spot on "I love Pentax glass and am quite confident that the future holds some rather pleasant surprises."

As far as the criticism within the forum of my personal posts. I will reveal links to my photographic work after the PHK645 FF is released this fall. Yes I am still considered a semi-pro/amature in the photography world because I have another full time profession.

But if any of you have purveyed a National Geographic, Audubon Magazine or a
Fauna & Flora Magazine you have witnessed my work.

Due to "NDA" "after the PHK645 FF" may not be quite correct, but very close.


Food for thought and speculation.


Wendy

PS, Ben sorry you missed my shoot in Paris, you would have seen something you have not held yet. The umbrellas were up and very hard to miss.

Uh, are we supposed to bow down now? Who cares if you have pics in National Geographic? We know Ben is a pro. What's your point?

[KungPOW]

Just out of curiosity. Have any of you clicked on the links at the bottom of Benjikan's posts to view his work? He "is" a very qualified and excellent "Professional" published Photographer. Just out of curiosity how many of you are?

As for other comments, Ben is spot on "I love Pentax glass and am quite confident that the future holds some rather pleasant surprises."

As far as the criticism within the forum of my personal posts. I will reveal links to my photographic work after the PHK645 FF is released this fall. Yes I am still considered a semi-pro/amature in the photography world because I have another full time profession.

But if any of you have purveyed a National Geographic, Audubon Magazine or a
Fauna & Flora Magazine you have witnessed my work.

Due to "NDA" "after the PHK645 FF" may not be quite correct, but very close.


Food for thought and speculation.


Wendy

PS, Ben sorry you missed my shoot in Paris, you would have seen something you have not held yet. The umbrellas were up and very hard to miss.

Wendy,

I was not going to post anything. I was just going to let this go. But enough is enough. This post is insulting.

We all know Ben is a pro. His work is fantastic, and inspirational. Yes we know he is published. And yes, I expect most here have used the links back to his webpages. I've gone there. I've looked at his work, and it is how I know he is legit, and his word means something.

So what is with this statment?

"He "is" a very qualified and excellent "Professional" published Photographer. Just out of curiosity how many of you are?"

So, those of us that are amatures, or hobiests, should stay out of the "conversation for the pros"?! Get back to the childrens table? What is your point?

How about a photo from you? Post anything. I'm sure you can't post anything from the Paris Wildlife shoot with the "top secret 645D double frame hypervision Pentax K2D", but how about something from your past 30 years as a semi-pro wildlife photog? Heck, I've seen more photos from Rice High then I have from you. Why should we have to wait until after Photokina for anything from you? Another thing, What kind of wildlife photog uses umbellas? Other then to stay dry.

If you won't post a photo, how about a ref to the issue of National Geographic you are published in? No?

So until then we all get to wait with baited breath for the links to your work, but not until after photokina? I can hardly wait.

Do you understand my point? The other Pros post photos. This gives credibility to their comments. You post comments, and no photos. From you we get the promise of photos, but not now, be patient children.

I'm calling your bluff. Show us your cards.

Eric.