[Jeff Lopez]

My daughter has just gone from a phone to a large, heavy SLR. One of my (several) SFX bodies and a couple of lenses. Film is making a comeback it seems - lots of her student friends are shooting film now. There's no telling what the future holds.

Gift your child with a home lab kit or else it will get expensive!

[MarkJerling]

Gift your child with a home lab kit or else it will get expensive!

Funny you should mention that. I've recently acquired some development canisters and a few other needed bits so soon, I should be able to develop for her.

[reh321]

Focusing on being the best in it's category has gotten Pentax recognition, they should build on that. Best MF, best FF, hopefully soon best ASP-C. And stop there! Be great, not semi-good for everyone.

I don't know what you are complaining about. The three cameras released most recently by Pentax are a step in the right direction, for example. Although I wish it used a different aperture control mechanism, the K-70 will become an outstanding lead-in product over time. It and the KP are going exactly where the brand needs to be going in lower-priced APS-C cameras - providing really good images at what had been really high ISO levels. Every January, users show up on photography sites like this asking "How do a take pictures of my child/grandchild participating in indoor sports" ... and the person slinks away quietly when all the talk is of $2000+ constant f/2.8 telephoto lenses. In the future, that person will be told s/he can use the telephoto lens s/he already has; s/he simply needs to purchase a newer body - moving forward now with something in the cards eventually anyway - which can deliver high ISO values gracefully - and Pentax is already there!!

[reh321]

I don't know what you are complaining about. The three cameras released most recently by Pentax are a step in the right direction, for example. Although I wish it used a different aperture control mechanism, the K-70 will become an outstanding lead-in product over time. It and the KP are going exactly where the brand needs to be going in lower-priced APS-C cameras - providing really good images at what had been really high ISO levels. Every January, users show up on photography sites like this asking "How do a take pictures of my child/grandchild participating in indoor sports" ... and the person slinks away quietly when all the talk is of $2000+ constant f/2.8 telephoto lenses. In the future, that person will be told s/he can use the telephoto lens s/he already has; s/he simply needs to purchase a newer body - moving forward now with something in the cards eventually anyway - which can deliver high ISO values gracefully - and Pentax is already there!!

It seemed dumb to edit my comments two days later, so here is an addendum. Even after release of the mighty Nikon D850, the K-1 currently ranks fourth in what DxoMark calls their "Sports" ranking, This name seems to be misleading to most here - this ranking has nothing to do with AF or fps; instead this is the highest ISO setting where the camera produces that the DxOMark folk consider to be acceptable images, taking Dynamic Range, Color Depth, and noise into account. Thus all current Pentax products seem to be aimed at producing good images under the trying condition of low light. Personally, I think it is good that they seem to be aiming the entire product line down this path, because I believe that is where the future is.

[OoKU]

update FY2018/03 2nd Quarter Report
Financial Results:FY2018/03 | Global | Ricoh

[Mistral75]

Other
Sales in the Other segment increased by 11.8% to ¥98.4 billion as compared to the previous corresponding period. Though income and profit
in optical equipment business mainly increased, it was offset by the decrease in income and profit in the camera business due to the decrease
in amounts of sales of digital cameras. As a result, operating profit in the Other segment decreased by 59.2% as compared to the previous
corresponding period, to ¥2.1 billion.

See also Financial Announcement | Global | Ricoh

in particular page 10 of http://www.ricoh.com/IR/data/pre/pdf/h30q2_1.pdf

[Kunzite]

I don't expect any increase in sales of digital camera until new products are released.

[beholder3]

Some interesting bits:

1. Cameras are part of the "Smart Vision" subset, which decreased from 13,8 to 9,6 (= -4,2) sales or -30%. ("decrease in income and profit in the camera business due to the decrease in amounts of sales of digital cameras").
2. The sales drop of cameras by -4,2 compared to the total of 98,4 is only -4,2% though. So if they actually attribute an overall profit decrease of -59,2% to a sales decline of -4,2% then the Ricoh smart vision (cameras) subset must be extremely profitable, since obviously every unit sold less hits their profits so badly.
   1. This is good news in so far as a profitable business will likely be kept alive even if small.
   2. It also sheds light on the assumption that camera bodies do not make the money but lenses would. lens lineup was not reduced but body lineup was. So bodies do provide a lot of profitability.
3. Its the first acknowledgment of a "reduction of lineup" we see. So yes, probably they will not have 3 tiers of APSC cameras any longer.
4. Their full year forecasts for the regions for the segment "others" shows a very clear focus on Asian markets. They expect an overall +13,5% growth of sales with +16,8% in Japan and +15,6% in "Other" (I assume this is Asia), while Americas is projected at -43,9% and EMEA at -9,4%.

[rangercarp]

Its the first acknowledgment of a "reduction of lineup" we see. So yes, probably they will not have 3 tiers of APSC cameras any longer.

This could refer to a temporary reduction of line up, or it could be referring to the elimination of point and shoot cameras (which has been an ongoing process).

---------- Post added 10-31-17 at 12:20 PM ----------

Or it could be just as you suggest...

[Kunzite]

Which DSLR was discontinued? Just asking
(and don't say: the Silver K-1, twice )

[mee]

This also happens when you don't have updated or new lenses (for K-1) or cameras (K-3 II successor) on the market at the time that your buyers are enthused and looking to buy...



Especially the silence between lens releases squandered a sizable chunk of the enthusiasm in the market (esp out side of current Pentax owners) for the K-1 it seems.. that will have to be built slowly now.. opportunity lost due to poor timing.


They either wait indefinitely for the products to be fully baked... make due with what is available... or jump ship for another brand that can meet their needs.


You can dismiss this as doom and gloom, but the reality is there.. K-1 had the market's ear when it was released. I saw great interest in non-Pentax circles. But their delay has closed them for some in the threads I've observed. And that mistake is on Ricoh.


I definitely don't expect the wide system choices that they touted just a couple of years ago anymore.. expect fewer options but, of those left, more quality.. in a few years the D-FA lineup should be nice. Will take time since it seems they didn't start these projects too much before the K-1 launch.

[rangercarp]

Especially the silence between lens releases squandered a sizable chunk of the enthusiasm in the market (esp out side of current Pentax owners) for the K-1 it seems.. that will have to be built slowly now.. opportunity lost due to poor timing.

The fact that the price has not been lowered is a good indicator that the K-1 is still selling well. But not having lenses ready to go is certainly reducing sales of those note yet released lenses. You cannot buy what is not offered for sale.

[mee]

The fact that the price has not been lowered is a good indicator that the K-1 is still selling well. But not having lenses ready to go is certainly reducing sales of those note yet released lenses. You cannot buy what is not offered for sale.

Hmm maybe, but I don't think it is though.. they seemed to have planned to have the K-1 out for years so selling or not I don't think they'd lower the price. They only do that when the camera is set to be replaced.


What they did was increased the price by 100 dollars, then threw in a 200 dollar battery grip. So the bundle price is 100 less but still 100 more if you just wanted the body.


I think more so they are just committed to being a smaller selling brand... less risk having a full gamut of options out, safer to have a few but then higher end products.

[Rondec]

I think we can safely say that the K-1 is selling the number that they want and turning the amount of profit that they want. If they wanted to sell more, they could lower their prices a little, but they seem to be fine with current sales. More than that it is hard to say.

[mee]

I think we can safely say that the K-1 is selling the number that they want and turning the amount of profit that they want. If they wanted to sell more, they could lower their prices a little, but they seem to be fine with current sales. More than that it is hard to say.

But I really don't think we can say that.. one can assume that, sure. But to say that it is safe to definitively state they are selling to what they want is not something I'm willing to claim. I can be satisfied with 1 cookie but if I can have 2 cookies all the better (cookies are better in pairs anyways). But I'm not willing to lower my dietary habits to accommodate that.. maybe Ricoh isn't willing to lower their price to accommodate more sales. Instead they bundle in hopes that provides more value to the consumer while not having to directly lower price.


The goal is to keep the price up.. there is a mental factor of pricing too cheaply and being regarded as having poorly made products. Plus they might just not want to take the hit on price reduction yet.


I remember the K-3 had some price reduction but largely they just bundled all kinds of junk with them when discontinued.. so I think the era of big price jumps is over and the new scheme is to simply bundle.