Originally posted by BROO I guess I am talking less about the brand strategy and more about our individual strategy to create good images.
Yes, I know, and I already said that I'm in agreement with you as far as our individual strategies are concerned.
Originally posted by BROO If others want to buy a DPR recommendation then good for them.
Yes, but if everyone buys something else, it is bad for us.
Ricoh will not maintain the Pentax brand for just a few customers.
Originally posted by BROO I really don't think they need to produce many more lenses.
Well, there are a number of people who actually would like to use lenses that don't exist right now (wide-angle primes are often mentioned), plus it hurts the brand (and hence ultimately its users) if websites like DPReview keep harping on the fact that the "
lens selection is limited". The latter observation is not an incentive for a potential customer to commit to a Pentax system.
Originally posted by BROO I do believe that soon enough the technology within cameras that are two or three generations behind the leaders will be more than sufficient for most photographers.
Be that as it may, many people will go with the latest and greatest or follow the recommendation of a "leading website". The few who think for themselves will not be enough to sustain the brand. There is a reason why companies compete with respect to specifications and why they spend considerable money on advertising. Having a product that is "
more than sufficient" is not enough, particularly not in a dramatically shrinking market. Note that @Mistral75 pointed out that the Pentax customer base is "ageing". That's my perception as well and if the customer base is not replenished at a sufficient rate with younger customers, the brand has a problem.
Originally posted by BROO So instead of moaning about some reviews, we should just get on and use these strengths to our advantage by taking good photos.
It's not an "either or" decision.
I, for one, make images with my Pentax gear on a pretty regular basis. That doesn't stop me from being concerned with how the Pentax brand is perceived by potential customers visiting DPReview, not receiving the information they should get.
If websites make customers buy Pentax products
- it helps Ricoh to invest more into R&D.
- it helps us by allowing more products to be released more frequently and with better technology.
- it helps increasing the odds that we'll be able to buy Pentax products for a long time to come.
- it creates more happy photographers, as they get to enjoy Pentax products as much as we do.
So what's not to like about websites giving Pentax a fair deal?