[RobA_Oz]

Three years and three months down the track, and we’ve had one new body and (I think) four new lenses, plus four refreshed lenses since that prediction. Someone, presumably a subscriber, should remind them of that.

[Serkevan]

Three years and three months down the track, and we’ve had one new body and (I think) four new lenses, plus four refreshed lenses since that prediction. Someone, presumably a subscriber, should remind them of that.

If memory serves, we've had the DA*11-18, DFA* 50, DFA* 85, DA*16-50 and now the DFA 21 Limited. Plus, of course, the rebadge of the Tamron 70-210/4. So even a touch more!

[RobA_Oz]

If memory serves, we've had the DA*11-18, DFA* 50, DFA* 85, DA*16-50 and now the DFA 21 Limited. Plus, of course, the rebadge of the Tamron 70-210/4. So even a touch more!

Yes, I’d forgotten the two DA lenses, thank you.

[ffking]

Three years and three months down the track, and we’ve had one new body and (I think) four new lenses, plus four refreshed lenses since that prediction. Someone, presumably a subscriber, should remind them of that.

All irrelevant - Pentax is DOOMED

[Lord Lucan]

Is Amateur Photographer still well respected? They got that prediction wrong at least. At one time I did buy AP occasionally as something to read on a train journey, but a lot of the reviews back then were of P&S cameras, and the technical articles repeated themselves after a while. I think I outgrew it, and for me it was superceded by more specialised mags like Outdoor Photographer, Professional Photo, Black and White Magazine etc . I guess all paper mags are now shadows of their former selves, I've not bought one for years.

When Canikony shooters call Pentax "old-school", perhaps it's not because they think Pentax doesn't exist, but that it is the brand that didn't jump on the mirrorless new school.

I was lurking on another forum where Sonyites and Canonites were slogging it out, and the former were calling Canon "old-school". among other things

[Rondec]

Print media in general is in trouble. I still get a daily newspaper, but I'm sure the circulation is a fraction of what it was twenty or thirty years ago. Magazines are worse. Figuring out the whole online thing is hard.

That said, I think the easiest way to increase circulation is to try to have inflammatory articles. These aren't focused on the big players because you don't want to push away Canon/Nikon/Sony users, but pick Olympus or Pentax and predict their demise and maybe you have something that will sell a few more copies this issue. I think Ricoh decided awhile ago that they like making SLRs and as long as imaging breaks even they'll continue doing it. It actually feels a little more stable than a company like Nikon, where imaging is a large part of what the company does and it has to make money for the company to generate a profit.

[reh321]

Yes. as far as I understand, the KP uses the same stepper motor used by the K-7/5/3 family.
I seriously considered a used K-7/5/3 before they lowered the price of the KP - and I could afford it - on Black Friday.
The K-70 hasn't had nearly the raft of complaints that the K-30 did, but as far as we know, they are random .... so I could never recommend a K-70 .... but I do recommend a used K-7/5/3.

I have kind of changed my thinking during the life of this thread. The KP is still my “primary” camera - I have benefitted from the graceful ‘high ISO’ performance - but I do still use my K-30 …. with old film lenses.
I am still leery of the K-70, but I am less opposed to it - it seems to have survived the test of time. The is no reason to not purchase a K-70, if one recognizes that the solenoid may fail, and one is comfortable with using old film lenses, especially if one is comfortable with manually focusing them. After all, Takumars are reasonably ‘affordable’ these days.

[BigMackCam]

I went into a local newsagents that I was passing the other day whilst running a couple of errands in town. I thought I might see what sort of articles Amateur Photographer is running these days, and was quite prepared to buy a copy (something I haven't done in years) just out of curiosity - but I couldn't find it on the shelves. I asked the shop owner, and he said they receive it from the publishers along with a whole bunch of other titles, but send it straight back as no-one ever buys it

[StiffLegged]

… I think Ricoh decided awhile ago that they like making SLRs and as long as imaging breaks even they'll continue doing it. It actually feels a little more stable than a company like Nikon, where imaging is a large part of what the company does and it has to make money for the company to generate a profit.

What exactly is the point of all that effort for a business to break even? To work hard, develop new lines, all for no return? Companies exist to make money, rarely for any other purpose. Breaking even is a warning to do better because next year you might lose money.

Sheesh!

[Rondec]

What exactly is the point of all that effort for a business to break even? To work hard, develop new lines, all for no return? Companies exist to make money, rarely for any other purpose. Breaking even is a warning to do better because next year you might lose money.

Sheesh!

Ricoh is a big company. They aren't Canon big, but they are decent sized and they have a history of making ILCs. They also seem to have a commitment to the K mount. Maybe this leads to diversification. Maybe it helps with development of other niche cameras like the Z cameras and the GR series.

Obviously in the long run the goal is to make money, but they seem comfortable to invest money without a big return on the investment, at least in the short term.

Japanese companies do seem a little more able to play long games rather than just short term returns. In addition, they seem to value brands with long history, like Pentax.

[boriscleto]

All irrelevant - Pentax is DOOMED

That's PentaxIsDooomed™

[Lord Lucan]

These aren't focused on the big players because you don't want to push away Canon/Nikon/Sony users, but pick Olympus or Pentax and predict their demise

Or they don't want to push away their big advertisers.

As it happens, Olympus, the camera division of the larger company, did go bust and were sold (or given away, or bought away, who knows?) to JIP. Did AP predict that back then?

[Rondec]

Or they don't want to push away their big advertisers.

As it happens, Olympus, the camera division of the larger company, did go bust and were sold (or given away, or bought away, who knows?) to JIP. Did AP predict that back then?

The thing about Olympus was that they were part of a company that was making good money due to its medical division, but where the imaging division had lost a large amount of money over the last ten years. From a company standpoint, Olympus could have continued to run a losing division for many more years, but changes in their board made this increasing untenable. I think a lot of people thought that Olympus probably was committed to making cameras, even if they always lost money on them -- maybe a bit like Sigma. I doubt that Sigma makes much money on their cameras, but they are unlikely to stop making those bodies or to release all of their lenses in their Sigma lens mount, even if it is even smaller percent of the market than the K mount has.

This could happen with any company. Sony could have board members show up who push Sony to spin off their imaging division. As long as the division is making money, it is unlikely to happen.

[ffking]

they receive it from the publishers along with a whole bunch of other titles, but send it straight back as no-one ever buys it

That's actually a shame for a mag that's been around nearly 140 years - they probably have a lot of online subscribers, but I think it's lost a lot of its character - my first published picture was in AP so I have a certain fondness for it, so I hope it keeps a print edition, even though it's tough to sell now - seeing stuff published online isn't the same

[normhead]

What exactly is the point of all that effort for a business to break even? To work hard, develop new lines, all for no return? Companies exist to make money, rarely for any other purpose. Breaking even is a warning to do better because next year you might lose money.

Who said Pentax isn't making money?