Originally posted by Kunzite One recent concern was about the "Pentax team" taking over camera design. It was triggered by the same rumor we're discussing on this thread: "apparently Ricoh will cease all camera production and the GR line will be moved over to the Pentax brand" (from the OP).
Actually, this concern among existing Ricoh users about former Pentax people taking over has been going on much longer than that. I can absolutely understand where it comes from. Most Pentax lines have continued, and full frame added, but look what has happened to the Ricoh line.
PX (waterproof compact) - Discontinued and the Ricoh name placed on the WG series instead.
CX (consumer zoom compact) - Discontinued, with no replacement.
GX (enthusiast compact, EVF option) - Discontinued. There nearest thing to a successor was the MX-1, but that did not have the same controls or EVF option, and it was branded Pentax, with a rather kitschy retro design
GXR - Discontinued
GR - Continued and developed
G800 (extra rugged camera) - Continued, but hardly developed
It's not so much the name that's on the cameras; it's more that so many cameras with former Ricoh DNA have gone. If you liked Ricoh's prior philosophy of quality compacts that offered a bit more of an understated, serious approach at the consumer end, and an extensive levels of control at the enthusiast end, it's mostly gone now. Looking at recent history, it's easy to imagine a scenario of former Pentax management focusing almost exclusively on K-mount, to the detriment of everything else. I'm not saying it's that simple, but Ricoh fans have more reason to be disappointed than Pentaxians.