[biz-engineer]

Holy cow, in which parallel universe's press release did they read that???

Pentax closing doors? It gets worse at each additional translation. The last translation has nothing to do with the original press release.

[Kunzite]

It gets worse at each additional translation. The last translation has nothing to do with the original press release.

These clueless guys are saying Ricoh Imaging will close down the factories and make cameras in workshops... ('atelier')

To get it so wrong takes talent.

[Nakedgun]

What is ABF?
What camera models were there?

Aperture Block Failure - K-30, K-50, mainly, K-70 to some degree.

[Jean Poitiers]

Seems LeMonde doesn't read it :

Les usines des fabricants d'appareils photo Ricoh et Pentax vont fermer

Thanks, just read this ... I plan to stop by at my local B&M store to see what info (if any) they might share.

Pentax has had a strong, dedicated following in France for quite a while. A friend of my mine just bought a K-1ii, and I may give him a few goodies, on verra.

[Mistral75]

Seems LeMonde doesn't read it :

Les usines des fabricants d'appareils photo Ricoh et Pentax vont fermer

The title is misleading, to say the least. The article itself is OK.

[Moby Grape]

An interesting announcement has appeared on the RICOH IMAGING website today, which outlines a shift in their marketing strategy towards digital. To be honest, this is likely to be a bigger deal in Japan, where Ricoh still has some retail presence. I think Ricoh's absence at CP+ might be part of this.

Here it is in Japanese. I'm not sure if an English version will follow.
??????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????RICOH IMAGING

I'm posting an online translation here, using DeepL. I think there will still be plenty of scope for disagreement about what it means!

---------------

Ricoh Imaging Corporation (President and CEO: Noboru Akahane) is pleased to announce that it will renew the manufacturing and sales structure of its digital camera business in Japan on April 1, 2022. We will establish a new business structure to further enhance the value of the two brands, PENTAX and GR, and to further sharpen and deepen the appeal of the two brands through direct connections with customers using "digital" methods and "studio-style" manufacturing.

Message from Noboru Akahane, President and Representative Director
Up until now, we have conducted our business while sensing the strong feelings of our customers toward the PENTAX and GR brands. While we would like to respond to their wishes as much as possible, we feel that the conventional way of doing business, which is based on mass production and mass sales, is becoming unfriendly to the recent changes in the market environment.
However, the activities of people taking pictures, sharing them and enjoying them are rather unstoppable. We will continue to respond to the diversified needs of our customers and challenge new paths together with them.
Ricoh Imaging will take on "two challenges".

(1) To be close to our customers by making full use of "digital" methods.
(2) Realize "studio-like" manufacturing
Going beyond the conventional wisdom, we believe in our customers' strong desire for both PENTAX and GR brands, and we will develop as a manufacturer that works together and creates together.



＜Specific initiatives for the "Two Challenges

1. Strengthen relationships with customers using "digital" methods and "studio-style" manufacturing
(Deliver what you want to the people who want it. Enhance user communication.)

We will further strengthen online and offline contact points between Ricoh Imaging and its customers, and build a co-creation community where each customer is connected and mutual communication is activated.
In addition, we will expand opportunities for customers throughout Japan to experience a wide range of PENTAX/GR cameras and products.

The PENTAX brand
PENTAX has gained the support of customers mainly through its SLR cameras. PENTAX has been gaining support from customers mainly through its SLR cameras, and we will expand the range of customization to further reflect customers' requests and provide studio value. We will also build a system that allows us to work together with our customers from the product planning stage through communication via online fan meetings.

GR Brand
GR is committed to the concept of "the most powerful snapshot shooter" and pursues the universal value of snapshots. The GR brand will pursue the universal value of snapshots by focusing on the concept of "the most powerful snapshot shooter. In order to connect directly with customers and create a snapshot culture, we will focus on activating fan communities through social media and interaction through offline events to strengthen two-way relationships.

2. Shift to "digital" sales methods and "studio-style" production
(Strengthen Ricoh Imaging Stores, open directly managed malls in major marketplaces)

We will shift from a sales method mainly based on a distribution network via dealers to sales via the Internet to improve the efficiency of business operations. In addition to our own direct EC sales sites, we will open directly managed malls in major marketplaces to expand opportunities and venues for direct connection between Ricoh Imaging and customers.
In addition, by utilizing digital sales methods, we will be able to understand market demand in more detail and achieve optimal production that differs from the conventional model of mass production and mass sales. At the same time, through direct contact with customers, we will reflect their voices in our manufacturing more than ever before, aiming to provide products that are more attractive to customers.

Strengthening the Ricoh Imaging Store (direct EC sales site)
As the brand value of PENTAX and GR deepens, we will enhance the independent content of each site and use it as a place for interactive communication with customers.

Opening directly managed malls in major marketplaces
We will open directly managed malls for both Pentax and GR in major marketplaces on the Internet. By doing so, we will increase the number of points of contact with customers and expand opportunities for customer purchases and communication.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

This is concerning to my way of thinking. Mass production LOWERS costs. If what Ricoh is saying is that they will no longer mass produce, then I would have to believe costs for new items will be considerably higher.

Already Pentax in some categories is priced too high. The K-3iii is a superior camera, but the price point assures that it loses to other brands.

[MMVIII]

Sounds like steak house grill: they cook the steak and veggies on the grill plate in front of you. In the future, you go to Pentax workshop in Tokyo, they give a menu, you tick boxes for what you want in the camera and they build it in front of you, that's cool.
Take a queuing ticket (like for McDonald burger), look at Ricoh camera option menu. I want oak wooden grip, 10 frame per second, 169 AF points (they can add AF points on demand), gun metal finish, integrated L bracket with four ways moveable screen for landscape, and I want auto-focus perfectly calibrated for the DFA 85 1.4 wide open and DFA24-70, check mark all boxes in the camera feature selection menu sheet, hand over the sheet at the camera making workshop counter. Get to the lounge bar and sofa, grap a coffee and cookies watching a Pentax history video while all Ricoh employees move in all directions to assemble the camera for you. When the camera is finished and calibrated , they engrave your name under the bottom plate and they ring the bell to signal that your camera is ready to be picked up, gold plated "AOC PASSED" sticker on the front . Camera ready to go, still warm out of the assembly line, like a freshly assembled burger. Wow , that's cool.

P.S. seriously, that's almost how I ordered my race bike online. The bike company has an online configurator, measure body size as they describe, enter the numbers in the configuration, automatically selects a frame set with various weights and prices, then select the model of derailleur, the number of gears, select wheels and tyres, handle bar, colors, then visualize a 3D model of your bike as it will look like assembled as well as simulated price. If you don't like the 3D model look or the price, back to the configurator and change parts of the bike. If the 3D model and price are satisfactory, confirm and place the order. Complete bike delivered at your door with mounting instructions.

I mean, it somehow is a genius move. How could someone write a negative review about a camera he configured himself...

[VSTAR]

I am excited to see that this discussion was put into the heading under Pentax News & Rumors…after reading about this topic in PF and DP …I have no idea what exactly the NEWS from Ricoh Japan really means and the RUMORS are so many I cannot keep up with them. Gould be really interesting when we actually know what Ricoh really means by their announcement. Now if someone can explain if the announcement was simply lost in translation (Bill Murray where are u!) or was it deliberately vague???

[Ronald Oakes]

What is ABF?
What camera models were there?

ABF...Apeture Block Failure.
Plagued my first K30 , then back to back KS2 models that were just out of warranty period.
We didn't even know what the cause was when it started , but now can fix our own with the proper white solenoid.
Pentax was absolute zero help , and to this day is still mute about the situation.

[bobbotron]

Early in this thread, someone mentioned perhaps this is the beginning of custom ordered bodies. If so, I'm all for it! If I could order up something like a K3mkiii with $200 of extra buffer... sign me up.

[Fila]

ABF...Apeture Block Failure.
Plagued my first K30 , then back to back KS2 models that were just out of warranty period.
We didn't even know what the cause was when it started , but now can fix our own with the proper white solenoid.
Pentax was absolute zero help , and to this day is still mute about the situation.

Somehow I didn't remember the term ABF, or is lack of sleep, but I can understand your situation completely, I own K-50 that failed in warranty period, got fixed and then failed again at 30000 shutter count. Therefore I am looking at KP and K3III...

[jpzk]

I just looked at the original Japanese in more detail, and I think the "studio-style" phrase is probably better translated as "workshop-like manufacturing", which means not using mass production techniques and making things in a smaller-scale way, but with more care.

In a sense, this sounds like the way Pentax has been making Limited Lenses for years, and the way they make the J-Limited models. It does seem to imply they might need a different kind of manufacturing facility, with differently skilled workers. Also that they might be able to customize products more easily.

I guess it could mean costs increase, but it's interesting that there has been a significant price cut on their 70-200/2.8 lens in the last few days, which has got a bit of attention. I don't think they are about to go full Leica on us.

Leica-style? With the associated costs?

[zapp]

Businesses is difficult these days, supply troubles, low sales for camera gear in general… stay digitally connected, build small batches = ltd products. Could be good or bad news. Canon also announced trouble closing a factory in China. Times are really tough.

[TheLastMan]

/
I would be fine if Pentax sold a camera like a GR, K-3, etc. with the same form factor every time (like a Sony A6XXX) but with different specs as options.
Full frame or APS-C.
Flip down screen, side hinge screen, flip up screen, no flip screen.
Pop-up flash, no pop-up flash.
GPS ... interchangeable grips ... choose your kit lens ... FPS ... buffer size.

I think people are getting over excited by the idea of customers speccing their cameras from some kind of menu. This isn't going to happen folks!

All that this announcement is telling us is that manufacturing is going to be scaled back to much lower volumes, and largely to order or in small batches.

It no longer makes sense for them to have a production line going - they simply don't sell enough product. The cameras will be the same, maybe some colour variations or engraving etc, but nothing that involves significant design changes. Imagine the challenge and cost of redesigning the K-3 III so that you could decide whether or not to have a flippy screen - while still retaining full physical integrity, including weather sealing!

You could design a completely new camera that did have the modularity to enable swapping components, but that is huge challenge and if sales are as low as is implied in this announcement then I doubt they will want to invest. They would have to be totally convinced that the camera would have a market, and it would inevitably be incredibly expensive!

Part of the reason Leicas are so expensive is that they have to spread development costs over a much smaller production run. If it costs you $50 million to design and tool up for a completely new model like the K-3 III, and you only sell 100,000, then that is $500 per camera in development costs alone! It is also why new versions of the Leica rangefinder M series are just minor tweaks to the existing design.

I am sure it is also why the K-3 III is so expensive compared to the Nikon D500 to which it is often compared. The Nikon was released in 2016, six years ago. It will have sold in much higher volumes than Pentax could ever imagine and has long since recouped its development costs. It was the last APS-C camera that Nikon produced that could compete in the same market segment as the Pentax. The last competitive APS-C DSLR Canon produced was the 90D released in 2019, however that was an upgraded version of the 80D that was released in 2016 that shared virtually the same body, AF system, viewfinder and controls with just a new sensor and better live view - so much less of an upgrade than K-3 II to K-3 III.

I bet if either company were to release a completely new APS-C DSLR model into the current market, particularly if they add IBIS to try and match the K3 specs, it would cost at least as much, and probably more! But they are not stupid, the market is not there any longer.

I am beginning to wonder if Pentax / Ricoh will ever make enough profits from ILC sales to justify developing a new model, or even a significant upgrade to the existing ones. I think Pentax's future is the same as Leicas; a niche brand producing minor upgrades to old designs.

I do hope I am wrong!

[mattt]

Do you think maybe they will 'workshop' some L-brackets for us since no one else is willing to do one up for the K3 iii...... Asking for a friend.