[Larrymc]

I agree. It's about time we had a FUD section!

make it so.......Mr Sulu!

[larryaustin3]

True: if it wasn't for a few merchants, I don't know if I would keep Pentax kits. Adorama and B&H are godsends. KEH, Roberts and Samy's have been good as well for used or refurbished/used gear. What I can't fathom is, I have to travel over 80 miles to get to some of these stores to sample the cameras. Not one Photo store in the Philly area is an authorized seller. I mean at least try and market the Pentax K-70 at Best Buy to get some recognition. What's the worst thing that happens? You sell it elsewhere--have a 12 days of Xmas blow-out on your web site.

It seems that RICOH should pay Pentax Forums for all the marketing they manage to do inadvertently.

Without any marketing, some of the inadvertent marketing is negative. Without a presence in B&M stores or an ability to get cameras into the hands of customers, Pentax allows people like The Camera Store free reign to go on YouTube and say something like all the KP grips suck, and customers take their word for it.

[slartibartfast01]

I can't see Nikon or Tamron on the Exhibitor list either. I looked under cameras and lenses.

[Merv-O]

Without any marketing, some of the inadvertent marketing is negative. Without a presence in B&M stores or an ability to get cameras into the hands of customers, Pentax allows people like The Camera Store free reign to go on YouTube and say something like all the KP grips suck, and customers take their word for it.

It's an inertial problem. The Big Box stores don't want to stock products of low volume, RICOH does not seem that interested in promoting the Pentax brand and actually seems contented by the niche followers they maintain. DSLRs are not a growth industry regardless so the supply and demand are low. Honestly, my friend has a Nikon D800 and a woman comes up to him and says I bought my daughter one of those at Best Buy for $500 with 2 lenses!!! I scoffed because clearly his kit was in the !000's but Nikon's marketing has turned the brand into cheap mass market cameras. But guess what? that's where the growth and sales are. The Pentax Forum (and the other focused forums) are a virtual island. We discuss camera shake and Iso like people discuss sports. Most consumers don't care one iota about low light speed and moire'--they care about quality images in inexpensive cameras or they turn to their camera phones and post on Facebook.

The people here who are supporters, members, etc. live an esoteric photography life. The problem is as you het sucked into this paradigm, you start to believe that we are the paradigm. We are in fact the keepers of the "pure image flame" ("PIF"s)--those who look at this as art, science, technology, hobbies and fun....unfortunately, we don't buy enough in RICOH's global platform to make them want to market more. Perhaps they don't want to turn Pentax into a mass unit brand. Maybe the build quality we take for granted at our 'PIF' level is why RICOH is content to keep their prosumer niche and have word of mouth be their best advertisement.

[biz-engineer]

Pentax is dooomed!

[reh321]

It seems that RICOH should pay Pentax Forums for all the marketing they manage to do inadvertently.

Regrettably, there is a lot of negative "Pentax is doooooomed" type marketing here.

[biz-engineer]

No sign of Ricoh/Pentax at the UK's biggest camera fest.

Are you advertising the Pentax doom to make sure the price of your Pentax gear goes down in case you want to sell it in the market place? Do you think it will work? "Pentax is doomed, do you want to buy my gear for peanuts? "

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Last edited by biz-engineer; 02-06-2019 at 09:58 AM.

[Dartmoor Dave]

Pentax is dooomed!

The whole planet is doomed. But on a positive note, at least there will be a couple of million fully functional Spotmatics and K1000s floating around among the rubble.

[RJDavis-OK]

I occasionally run into another camera enthusiast when out. It’s amazing to me how many younger people have never heard of Pentax and most older people say they didn’t realize Pentax was still in business. I like to mention how Pentax uses IBIS which works with all lenses ever made and keeps cost down on new lenses. The look on their face is sometimes priceless when they realize the price they pay for each IS lens. I finish with Pentax is about serving their long time customer base.

[biz-engineer]

I like to mention how Pentax uses IBIS which works with all lenses ever made and keeps cost down on new lenses.

I believe the quality of advertising can make or breake a camera brand. For example, Pentax had IBIS for 20 years, and during this time, it was often pointed out that Canon optical stabilisation was better and the Pentax one wasn't as good. And now, in 2019, IBIS on the new mirrorless model is considered a NEW innovative feature... and most readers of those reviews truly believe IBIS is new. I just can't believe it! [ouuppps , I fell into the negative trap]

[steephill]

The UK distributer and service centre (Johnson Photopia) went bust last September so there is no-one to represent Ricoh-Pentax in the UK at the moment.

[Merv-O]

Regrettably, there is a lot of negative "Pentax is doooooomed" type marketing here.

I don't ascribe to that...I think it's certain small group of people who always want a new model every year. We've grown accustomed to this in many industries: new cars, computers, golf clubs, etc. Can something always be faster? sure....but many here at the Forum still shoot manually because they enjoy the craft of photography. The art of shooting the image is as important as the image itself....I love that about my fellow 'PIFs" (the Pure Image FlameKeepers)

[ne!]

Pentax had IBIS for 20 years, and during this time, it was often pointed out that Canon optical stabilisation was better and the Pentax one wasn't as good.

It's amazing really, I recently experienced a K10D from 2006 and as a regular K-1 user I am a bit shocked at how well SR worked 13 years ago!

And as was said, folks on the street are surprised to learn that Pentax is still in business (!) which is not surprising as we know their marketing (at least in the West) is all but non-existent, yet here we all are.

[Zygonyx]

Pentax is dooomed!

I' d rather say B....t marmelade is ripe.

[EFats]

B&Ms are dead, EFats, online's the way to go, as far as the new generation of consumers goes.

I'm like you, have an affection from my youth for shops, such as book and record stores, even videotape rental places, but that's all very yesterday.

Well I don't know, we have a rather large chain of shops here (they sell more than just cameras) and they have ramped up their advertising around town for their photographic services and gear. They've also just renovated the entire camera department as well (no space for Pentax in the new department). To be honest I've not really seen a decline in camera shops. Some shutdown but others take their place. In fact a massive one just opened up next to one of their competitors, but also, no section for Pentax/Ricoh.
Online-only works if people already know your brand, but with lack of marketing and no place to see one "by chance", you want to cater to only the narrow slice of people who remember Pentax from our youth?

Maybe we're getting a bit off-topic, but I think the lack of presence at the show isn't a one-off for Pentax/Richo, it's indicative of a bigger problem.