[Dan Rentea]

No kidding, what is this fascination with gear, buy camera and lens, use camera and lens. Everyone seems to think you are somehow better off if you know all the specs for every camera ever made. You don't, you just need to learn to use what you've got. These sites are for the most part a huge waste of time. Its OK to be interested, but, it's not really helping your photography.

People get bored quickly these days, especially the young generation. They like to be "connected" online more an more rather than spending quality time in the real world doing something else other than discuss about nonsense. We (not you and me in particular) got caught also from time to time to these discussions because that's the "magic" of the internet. I don't want to know all the specs from every camera, but I'm having lots of fun shooting with cameras from other brands and realise that there are few situations where camera counts if we talk to day by day photography. Sunday I will have the chance to shoot some portraits in the park with a Nikon D3300 (if it's not raining). I can't wait because as long as I know what I'm doing with my subject, with my lights and with my background, I can get the results I'm after. There will be some full frame shooters with me so the fun will be huge.

Those sites are useless for photographers and confusing for beginners.

[reh321]

People get bored quickly these days, especially the young generation. They like to be "connected" online more an more rather than spending quality time in the real world doing something else other than discuss about nonsense. We (not you and me in particular) got caught also from time to time to these discussions because that's the "magic" of the internet. I don't want to know all the specs from every camera, but I'm having lots of fun shooting with cameras from other brands and realise that there are few situations where camera counts if we talk to day by day photography. Sunday I will have the chance to shoot some portraits in the park with a Nikon D3300 (if it's not raining). I can't wait because as long as I know what I'm doing with my subject, with my lights and with my background, I can get the results I'm after. There will be some full frame shooters with me so the fun will be huge.

Those sites are useless for photographers and confusing for beginners.

This talk can be taken too far. I stumbled onto this site because I was researching cameras - my Canon Rebel had died; I had purchased another Rebel because I wasn't prepared for that so I had no information to use in making an informed choice. I didn't need to know how to take a good picture - I needed to know what Pentax sells, and how its products could meet my needs .... that basic technical info that people like to dismiss. If I had information then, I probably would have purchased a K-50 at my local Target, because they were selling them then, After doing the research, I was ready, fortunately because that second Rebel lasted just eighteen months ... but Target was no longer selling K-50's, so I ended up purchasing a K-30 from KEH.

There is much information here to inform someone who doesn't know ...but this place can be confusing .... so much negative talk from people who should be most enthused about these cameras.

[normhead]

This talk can be taken too far. I stumbled onto this site because I was researching cameras - my Canon Rebel had died; I had purchased another Rebel because I wasn't prepared for that so I had no information to use in making an informed choice. I didn't need to know how to take a good picture - I needed to know what Pentax sells, and how its products could meet my needs .... that basic technical info that people like to dismiss. If I had information then, I probably would have purchased a K-50 at my local Target, because they were selling them then, After doing the research, I was ready, fortunately because that second Rebel lasted just eighteen months ... but Target was no longer selling K-50's, so I ended up purchasing a K-30 from KEH.

There is much information here to inform someone who doesn't know ...but this place can be confusing .... so much negative talk from people who should be most enthused about these cameras.

I think what was being discussed is sites like DPR etc. This site is a specific forum that in many case helps people learn to use their gears dn solve problems they may be having with their gear. Although there are way to many negative posts, where people say things about the cameras and lenses that are more about their own lack of training as photographers or that they've bought gear that doesn't really suit their preferences. It is unfortunate that people don't have to demonstrate they know what they're talking about before they launch into these negative posts. But there simply is no practical way to make that happen.

As long as you discuss personal preference, there will always be disagreement. The problem is when soft information like personal presence is mistaken for hard information, actual technical facts. Or when frill features (for al but a few photographers) , like 20 FPS and 200 shot buffers are presented as essential (not preferred) features.

There are just way to many people who think if the camera doesn't work the way they want it to, it's the camera's fault. The reality is the camera is a hard wired tool with a specific design that's not going got change to work the way you want it to. You have to learn to get what you want out of it. The camera is not going to change for you. The photographer is the malleable part of the equation.

[RGlasel]

I needed to know what Pentax sells, and how its products could meet my needs .... that basic technical info that people like to dismiss

As long as PentaxForums makes the first page of search engine results, almost everyone in this situation will end up here. The initial impression of a first time visitor is not that Pentax owners are nervously waiting on the demise of the Pentax brand, the first impression is that this is a community effort of amateur camera owners, which is what a person in this situation is really looking for. You won't get a lot of pertinent information of the type you mention if you go to a Ricoh Imaging website and if you go to the more popular photography websites, you will have a very difficult time finding the same type of information in the middle of all the new product hype and bragging rights articles.

[RonHendriks1966]

It's getting confusing. Some say that they are doing ok(ish), some don't. Well, I hope Pentax to stay in business, no metter if they will be under Ricoh brand or under another player protection.

It looks like the current quarter sales will again be very low (maybe again like the same quarter last year a new low record of sales). Except for the K-1ii no new products. The K-1ii is a nice camera, but not different enough to switch for most users. We will know soon enough. Japanese company's are very different then in the West......So it is hard to understand what their goals are (short or long term).

[Dan Rentea]

It looks like the current quarter sales will again be very low (maybe again like the same quarter last year a new low record of sales). Except for the K-1ii no new products. The K-1ii is a nice camera, but not different enough to switch for most users. We will know soon enough. Japanese company's are very different then in the West......So it is hard to understand what their goals are (short or long term).

I have another question then: if Pentax is doomed, this means that Winter is coming for Pentax forums? The ones who are watching Games of Thrones knows what I'm talking about.

[RonHendriks1966]

I have another question then: if Pentax is doomed, this means that Winter is coming for Pentax forums? The ones who are watching Games of Thrones knows what I'm talking about.

You never know who the White Walkers are and where they are coming from......

[Alex645]

The earliest mention of the word DOOM dates back to the Bible, usually in reference to Judgment Day.

But I don't think there is any mention of either Ricoh or Pentax in the Bible. However in the Mayan Calendar, dated approximately 500 BC, the end of the calendar has been interpreted as "Doomsday" and that doomsday has something that could be interpreted to Pentax. However, doomsday should have been in 2012, so maybe this was a reference to Hoya owning Pentax???

[LensBeginner]

The earliest mention of the word DOOM dates back to the Bible, usually in reference to Judgment Day.

But I don't think there is any mention of either Ricoh or Pentax in the Bible. However in the Mayan Calendar, dated approximately 500 BC, the end of the calendar has been interpreted as "Doomsday" and that doomsday has something that could be interpreted to Pentax. However, doomsday should have been in 2012, so maybe this was a reference to Hoya owning Pentax???

Nah, can't you see he's hauling a view camera?

[solitudebound]

I have another question then: if Pentax is doomed, this means that Winter is coming for Pentax forums? The ones who are watching Games of Thrones knows what I'm talking about.

I doubt that pentaxforums would decay as quickly if much at all as other brand forums. Pentax users are kind of used to huge spans of time between new releases if they do actually occur and Pentax is built to last so there is something to say for being patient. There are many Star trek TOS forums and that's been over since what 1969?

[Kunzite]

Who invented the expression? I'm curious because I heard about "Pentax is doomed" mostly here, on Pentax forum. Being in trouble like Nikon was recently (maybe still is) is a completly different thing than being doomed. As long as a company doesn't lose money year after year for several years (if they resist few years), then is not doomed. Ricoh doesn't seem to lose money with Pentax. It's not gaining market share either. To me this expression is being use so much on this forum that at some point people will take it seriously (especially the new forum members) even if it is ment to be a joke, or sarcasm combined with a joke. And if I see this expression being used on social media, if I look at the profile of the person who used this expression, 90% of the time is a Pentaxian or an ex Pentaxian.

I first heard it (here) after some good years of hearing how Pentax is doomed for one reason or another. The constant negativity isn't really related to Pentax' performance.
Of course we're the one using it, it's an inside joke. It should be read with the eyes rolling

---------- Post added 15-06-18 at 11:04 PM ----------

You never know who the White Walkers are and where they are coming from......

But we know they must be close - there's this wight commenting on DPR...

[normhead]

I first heard it (here) after some good years of hearing how Pentax is doomed for one reason or another. The constant negativity isn't really related to Pentax' performance.
Of course we're the one using it, it's an inside joke. It should be read with the eyes rolling

---------- Post added 15-06-18 at 11:04 PM ----------


But we know they must be close - there's this wight commenting on DPR...

"pentax is doomed" is a contraction of some very long posts, written by users, most of whom left for other brands. None of them ever said when this doom would come to fruition, and none of them are around to take their lumps, but we have a new crew.

[mecrox]

You never know who the White Walkers are and where they are coming from......

Round here they tend to have been at the cider. It’s not hard to tell where they are coming from as mine host’s glass may still be in their hand but they usually have absolutely no idea where they are going to ...

[barondla]

Surprised a magazine would be so sloppy with their reporting.
Thanks,
barondla

[bhbrake]

I would bet half the users on here are somewhat like myself and get a certain amount of satisfaction from using a "doomed" brand just out of spite for smug elitists.