[clackers]

Like the linear programming questions from school maths there will be a selling price and sales volume that maximises profit. The trick is to find it. Presumably one way to find it is to start high and lower the price over time.

Yep, that's certainly visible in Pentax products, this price/demand curve is a standard thing.

They launch at prices that ordinary customers won't pay. But there is a group, the early adopters, who just want them and can\will pay an elevated price.

Over time, their dollars make possible a return to a lower stable price that more customers can afford.

Later on it makes sense to have a limited time slash in price, like Cyber Monday, where you do aim for volume. I suspect the discount comes mainly from the retailer/importer, not the manufacturer, but per se there's no reason a manufacturer couldn't do a similar arrangement.

[redrockcoulee]

It's not that hard once you give up on your mental sanity

And ond gives up more mental stability as dogs ir cats get older and older. It used to take uscabout half an hour to walk our 15 year old dog around the block, 29 minutes for three sides and a munute for the other sidecand to thec treat cabinet.

Maybe that explains my mental problems with staying on this forum knowing full well i am unlikely to buy a new camera or be able to use the new lenses in my K5iis. I just hope that Pentax does not go the way of my beoved SAAB or my Hasselblad 500 CM.

---------- Post added 10-24-21 at 07:30 PM ----------

Wow.

Four days and twelve pages back I made a sarcastic comment about the comment made by the OP and woke up a dormant thread.

Look at what I have done.

Shame on me.


Anyway.

I bought a Ricoh XR2S film camera about 40 years ago, new. I wanted a Pentax, but thought the comparable Pentax model then was too much money for my post college early working days.

Since then I have bought five more cameras, on used, a Cambo 4x5, the others all Pentax, and all new. It started with my change from film to digital, with the lowly *ist DL. I wanted to continue using my K mount film lenses, and that little camera provided the means. At the time I thought it was a lot of money, but rationalized that I wouldn't be spending lots of money on film and processing anymore.

I quickly outgrew the *ist DL, and graduated to a K10D, again thinking it was a lot of money.

A few years later I moved to a K5IIs, and once more the cost seemed to be a lot.

Then the K-1 came along, and although I really wanted a full frame camera to used my legacy film lenses on, the cost was too high. So just as I did with the previous two cameras, I waited until the camera was discontinued and picked it up at a deeply discounted price, although I still think it was too much.

I doubt I will ever buy another camera, new or used. So my support of the caretakers of the Pentax brand is over.

But I do hope that enough people wake up and realize that a cell phone camera can never replace the image quality of a real camera, and the brand can survive.

Because of loving using my Hasselblad, large formatand pinholes i have always thoughr the K5iis would be sufficient for me went full frame wirh a MX.

I do not think you were off the mark in your posts, you offered a different perspective from the buy it cause its shiny and new group

[Rondec]

I don't think any company needs to, or plans to in future, Reh.

Sony, don't. Leica don't. Hassy don't. Canon and Nikon don't want to. The model of offering $10 shirts on a rack outside a boutique clothing shop in order that masses of customers will then come inside has not worked for any camera company in the period 2012-2021.

That's not to say that cheap cameras aren't great for students and beginner photographers - they are. And Pentax offered great features in entry level models.

But cheap cameras are terrible for camera manufacturers. It's just economics.

If Pentax were to start reselling the K-5, they might have to at $1000!

It's nothing to do with what's inside the box, it's everything to do with lifting prices to compensate for plunging volumes - to stay solvent.

I still think it makes sense for Pentax to sell a camera in the 700 to 750 range. Personally I don't think that is "cheap," but more like a mid level. The Canon XSI and Nikon 3000 series were around 500 and really were cheap cameras. At the same time, I don't think you are going to get a K-3 III in a K-70 body for 750 for that price. Probably just a K-70 with an updated sensor and K-3/K-P auto focus system.

[Kunzite]

The village idiot celebrates the launch of the D FA 21 Limited with a "Is Pentax dead?" video.
Not much to see there, except perhaps for "journalists" allegedly saying Pentax is not popular enough so they're now targeting Nikon.
Says a lot about the "quality" of these people.

[BigMackCam]

The village idiot celebrates the launch of the D FA 21 Limited with a "Is Pentax dead?" video.
Not much to see there, except perhaps for "journalists" allegedly saying Pentax is not popular enough so they're now targeting Nikon.
Says a lot about the "quality" of these people.

Thanks for watching it for us. That kind of personal sacrifice deserves acknowledgement

[Kunzite]

Thanks for watching it for us. That kind of personal sacrifice deserves acknowledgement

I stopped about halfway so I wouldn't suffer permanent brain damage

[Kunzite]

And then, there's this - Matt Bishop on loosely the same subject:

You Tube

You Tube

No inside info though, just some common sense.

[Broadside]

Has nobody designed a T-shirt with Pentax standing over Amateur Photographer's grave?

[boriscleto]

They were. When I bought my first 35mm SLR in the mid-80's the way I saw it was : Leica and Contax were in a special top class of theri own (price-wise at least), then there was the "Big 5" of Canon, Pentax, Minolta, Olympus and Nikon, all at the same level and each with at least some professional aspirations, On the edge of things, Yashica was the budget Contax and I think Mamiya 35mm was still around but I never saw any.

Then came a second division of Cosina, Konica, Ricoh, and maybe some others, which seemed to me to be the cheaper plastic equivalents of the Big 5 (until the Big 5 went plastic too). High street chain store Dixons bought the "Miranda" brand and started selling budget plastic kit with that name (loads of it on UK Ebay today). .

The Mamiya Z series, released between 1980 and 1982, was the end of the road for Mamiya 35mm SLRs. They gave up in the mid-80s along with Fuji and Konica.

[reh321]

I still think it makes sense for Pentax to sell a camera in the 700 to 750 range. Personally I don't think that is "cheap," but more like a mid level. The Canon XSI and Nikon 3000 series were around 500 and really were cheap cameras. At the same time, I don't think you are going to get a K-3 III in a K-70 body for 750 for that price. Probably just a K-70 with an updated sensor and K-3/K-P auto focus system.

The purpose of an updated K-70 would be in introducing people to the best of Pentax.
Using KP focusing would not do that.
Charging a tad more at the beginning and including K-3iii focusing would do that.
They have already done the engineering and developed the firmware and have already sold the K-3iii bodies to pay for it.
The charge would be only for the materials.
You’ll notice that I have not included the K-3iii’s prism nor it’s chassis nor it’s aperture control;
none of those is needed to get a taste of how Pentax performs; the K-70 already gives a taste of how the K-70 differs from MILC -
any prism plus routine ‘supporting cast’ cast does that.

[Danas_Anis]

Just dropping in, didn't read all the comments just a few, but honestly, Pentax is more silent than any cemetery I have been to. No wonder people get an impression that Pentax is nearly being gone. Even Nikon is trying to show they are okay by making some teasers, Fuji also, they do some rumors etc. I no longer am tracking other brands, as I am a happy Sony shooter, but I still hear about other brands, Pentax on the other hand... If I ever see it mentioned every two or so years, I fear to hear Pentax is out of business. And usually am relieved to hear some hints on possible new lens or something. It would help if Pentax Ricoh would be less secretive and do some more marketing things to give some excitement, it seems like even spy agencies are less secretive than Pentax is lol.

Hopefully Pentax is doing ok, miss being a Pentaxian.

[Pål Jensen]

Just dropping in, didn't read all the comments just a few, but honestly, Pentax is more silent than any cemetery I have been to. No wonder people get an impression that Pentax is nearly being gone. Even Nikon is trying to show they are okay by making some teasers, Fuji also, they do some rumors etc. I no longer am tracking other brands, as I am a happy Sony shooter, but I still hear about other brands, Pentax on the other hand... If I ever see it mentioned every two or so years, I fear to hear Pentax is out of business. And usually am relieved to hear some hints on possible new lens or something. It would help if Pentax Ricoh would be less secretive and do some more marketing things to give some excitement, it seems like even spy agencies are less secretive than Pentax is lol.

Hopefully Pentax is doing ok, miss being a Pentaxian.

You cannot have done your homework. Lens teasers are announced years in advance on the roadmap. Rumors are everywhere. Most products are shown as prototypes long in advance; eg the K-3III, 16-50/2,8 and the 21/2.4 Limited.
I don't understand how someone can come to the conclusion that a company releasing three high-end products in a few months is about to give up....

[c.a.m]

Hopefully Pentax is doing ok,

I'd say that the brand is doing fine, judging from the new products they have released over the past several years.

miss being a Pentaxian.

There's a light left on at the porch. Always welcome to come home!

Just dropping in, didn't read all the comments just a few, but honestly, Pentax is more silent than any cemetery I have been to. No wonder people get an impression that Pentax is nearly being gone. Even Nikon is trying to show they are okay by making some teasers, Fuji also, they do some rumors etc. I no longer am tracking other brands, as I am a happy Sony shooter, but I still hear about other brands, Pentax on the other hand... If I ever see it mentioned every two or so years, I fear to hear Pentax is out of business. And usually am relieved to hear some hints on possible new lens or something. It would help if Pentax Ricoh would be less secretive and do some more marketing things to give some excitement, it seems like even spy agencies are less secretive than Pentax is lol.

There is no scarcity of information on Pentax.


Ricoh Imaging presented an interesting series of "Product Stories" and videos over many months leading to the K-3 Mark III.
Product stories of new PENTAX K-3 Mark III, APS-C flagship model | RICOH IMAGING

Recent issue of Outdoor Photographer:
K-3 Mark III featured in Outdoor Photographer magazine, September 2021 - PentaxForums.com

DPReview reports routinely on new Pentax products, for example, the new HD D-FA 21mm f/2.4: https://www.dpreview.com/news/6862160963/ricoh-announces-new-1-400-21mm-f2-4...ted-dc-wr-lens

And a very interesting story on its development and optical design: https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/limited_lens/interview/



K-3 Mark III: Plenty of items on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pentax+k-3+mark+iii

RICOH IMAGING - YouTube

Plenty of online reviews, for example: Pentax K-3 Mark III Review: An Excellent, Expensive DSLR | PetaPixel

https://www.popphoto.com/reviews/pentax-k3-review/

New 16-50mm PLM: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pentax+16-50mm+plm

Pentax Star series Special Site (read and drool): STAR SERIES LINEUP | PENTAX STAR LENS | RICOH IMAGING

Pentax Limited Lenses Special Site (more read and drool): PENTAX Limited Lens Special Site | RICOH IMAGING

HD PENTAX FA-Limited Series - perfecting the tradition of SLR photography

Best cameras around $2000 in 2021: Digital Photography Review

Finally, anyone who is interested in Pentax, a trove of information is available right here at the world's most comprehensive site for Pentax -- Pentax Forums!


In case you're wondering about the vision for Pentax: https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/brand/pentax/vision/

and,

You Tube

You Tube

- Craig

[BigMackCam]

Just dropping in, didn't read all the comments just a few, but honestly, Pentax is more silent than any cemetery I have been to.

Ricoh Imaging has been this way for years, at least in terms of communication (or lack thereof). But there have been videos, micro-sites and press articles in recent months - you just have to dig around, as Ricoh tends not to shout about them. Most important of all, they've released some great new products, with more in the pipeline. They've been pretty busy

Hopefully Pentax is doing ok, miss being a Pentaxian.

There's a light left on at the porch. Always welcome to come home!

A light on at the porch, and the pool party is in full swing. Come on in, the water's lovely

[normhead]

I'd say that the brand is doing fine, judging from the new products they have released over the past several years.



There's a light left on at the porch. Always welcome to come home!




There is no scarcity of information on Pentax.


Ricoh Imaging presented an interesting series of "Product Stories" and videos over many months leading to the K-3 Mark III.
Product stories of new PENTAX K-3 Mark III, APS-C flagship model | RICOH IMAGING

Recent issue of Outdoor Photographer:
K-3 Mark III featured in Outdoor Photographer magazine, September 2021 - PentaxForums.com

DPReview reports on new Pentax products, for example, the new HD D-FA 21mm f/2.4: Ricoh announces new $1,400 21mm F2.4 ED Limited DC WR lens, set for November release: Digital Photography Review

And a very interesting story on its development and optical design: Development Story | PENTAX Limited Lens Special site | PENTAX Limited Lens | RICOH IMAGING



K-3 Mark III: Plenty of items on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pentax+k-3+mark+iii

RICOH IMAGING - YouTube

Plenty of online reviews, for example: Pentax K-3 Mark III Review: An Excellent, Expensive DSLR | PetaPixel

https://www.popphoto.com/reviews/pentax-k3-review/

New 16-50mm PLM: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pentax+16-50mm+plm

Pentax Star series Special Site (read and drool): STAR SERIES LINEUP | PENTAX STAR LENS | RICOH IMAGING

Pentax Limited Lenses Special Site (more read and drool): PENTAX Limited Lens Special Site | RICOH IMAGING

HD PENTAX FA-Limited Series - perfecting the tradition of SLR photography

Best cameras around $2000 in 2021: Digital Photography Review


In case you're wondering about the vision for Pentax: PENTAX PRINCIPLES | brand | RICOH IMAGING

and,


THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF PENTAX --- Five principles that express the philosophy of PENTAX. --- - YouTube

- Craig

Thanks for the effort.