[Rondec]

It is not a question of longevity, ease of use, or functionality. I believe that Pentax can make a go of it with a very small market share and with SLRs that aren't equivalent to top end MILCs with regard to performance (video, auto focus points, frame rate).

My only point is that the camera market is shrinking and the current hot tech is mirrorless related. As such SLR companies have challenges figuring out how to continue to remain relevant going forward. Pentax is apparently doing more boutique offerings as a partial answer. The clubhouse is probably another way of pushing the brand.

[Digitalis]

Pentax is apparently doing more boutique offerings as a partial answer

Pentax can do its own thing, the recent DFA21 certainly has turned heads in the studios where I work. But I have stated before: there is nothing standing in the way of Ricoh coming out with a mirrorless product based upon the K mount.

[Rondec]

Pentax can do its own thing, the recent DFA21 certainly has turned heads in the studios where I work. But I have stated before: there is nothing standing in the way of Ricoh coming out with a mirrorless product based upon the K mount.

The biggest challenge with such a product is figuring out a niche that has not already been targeted by one of the other MILC brands. The appeal would for a K mount mirrorless would be that Pentax faithful can use their existing K mount lenses with a camera outfitted with an EVF. Otherwise, not sure how appealing it would be.

(I'd buy one, but then again, I still shoot with a K-01 so I can't be the normal audience)...

[Digitalis]

I can't be the normal audience

Well it just so happens that lack of normality is a well known attribute among the Pentax demographic.

[house]

Well it just so happens that lack of normality is a well known attribute among the Pentax demographic.

Perhaps that's why they couldn't share a venue with the GR folks

[biz-engineer]

Perhaps that's why they couldn't share a venue with the GR folks

It's quite easy to work that one around. Just buy a defunct Pentax K30 on ebay for $15, and gain access to the Pentax club house and hide your GR in a back pocket

[biz-engineer]

The biggest challenge with such a product is figuring out a niche that has not already been targeted by one of the other MILC brands.

The DSLR market is not targeted by other MILC brands, leaving the entire DSLR market to Ricoh alone. All customers having issues with EVF (dizziness, headaches, eye discomfort) can potentially become Pentax customers.

[Paul the Sunman]

I am probably invested in Pentax for life, ... but I am still nervous that they have adopted this niche exclusively. I guess they simply don't have the resources to compete in mirrorless.

[biz-engineer]

Well it just so happens that lack of normality is a well known attribute among the Pentax demographic.

It would be a mistake for Ricoh to target the legacy Pentax user community, because the new target market for Pentax is now the market of photographers who dislike EVF. If the camera market contains 10% of people who dislike EVFs, that's also only 10% of Pentaxians who aren't supposed to switch to a mirrorless system. So, Ricoh right decision would be to redirect its marketing efforts toward the whole camera market and slowly leave the legacy Pentax user base behind. It has been a huge mistake to focus on Pentaxians during the mirrorless transition, and it would be an even bigger mistake to focus on Pentaxians in the future. What Ricoh's got to do is to make DSLR what appeal to the open market, keeping OVF as unique selling proposition. Somehow, unfortunately, if I look at the non-Pentax section, what I'm saying "Ricoh focus on Pentaxians" already happened in recent years, many Pentaxians didn't mind buying a mirrorless kit. That's the evidence that Ricoh must re-deploy in the whole market and leave the old Pentaxians market behind, if Ricoh want to survive.

---------- Post added 01-06-22 at 05:55 ----------

I am probably invested in Pentax for life, ...

Then Ricoh should put any effort on you, you aren't going to generate much sales because you already have almost everything you need. On the other hand, if another photographers isn't a Pentaxian and dislike EVF, we should get in touch with him and offer him the whole range of Pentax products, if convinced, he would buy a lot more than you would.

---------- Post added 01-06-22 at 05:56 ----------

I guess they simply don't have the resources to compete in mirrorless.

They (Ricoh) don't compete in mirrorless, they offer DSLR.

[Lord Lucan]

And in the future, what might change for Pentaxians is that they may have to wait one or two months to get their new Pentax camera after their order it online.

Pentax won't be able sell any cameras like that. Nikon might, and Canon/Sony don't need to as they are so big, but Pentax would only get away with it for lenses.

[ben-pentax]

Why? Waiting is a Pentaxian way of life.

[reh321]

It would be a mistake for Ricoh to target the legacy Pentax user community, because the new target market for Pentax is now the market of photographers who dislike EVF. If the camera market contains 10% of people who dislike EVFs, that's also only 10% of Pentaxians who aren't supposed to switch to a mirrorless system. So, Ricoh right decision would be to redirect its marketing efforts toward the whole camera market and slowly leave the legacy Pentax user base behind. It has been a huge mistake to focus on Pentaxians during the mirrorless transition, and it would be an even bigger mistake to focus on Pentaxians in the future. What Ricoh's got to do is to make DSLR what appeal to the open market, keeping OVF as unique selling proposition. Somehow, unfortunately, if I look at the non-Pentax section, what I'm saying "Ricoh focus on Pentaxians" already happened in recent years, many Pentaxians didn't mind buying a mirrorless kit. That's the evidence that Ricoh must re-deploy in the whole market and leave the old Pentaxians market behind, if Ricoh want to survive.[COLOR="Silver"]

Then Ricoh should put any effort on you, you aren't going to generate much sales because you already have almost everything you need. On the other hand, if another photographers isn't a Pentaxian and dislike EVF, we should get in touch with him and offer him the whole range of Pentax products, if convinced, he would buy a lot more than you would.

Pentax needs to find a niche that is large enough to support the company.
I need a viewfinder and am not affected by EVF, but I alone do not make a feasible market.

[Kunzite]

It would be a mistake for Ricoh to target the legacy Pentax user community, because the new target market for Pentax is now the market of photographers who dislike EVF. If the camera market contains 10% of people who dislike EVFs, that's also only 10% of Pentaxians who aren't supposed to switch to a mirrorless system.

That can't be right - those of us who most wanted EVFs jumped ship already (or added a mirrorless kit, but that's the same thing).
Distribution isn't uniform; we're choosing were we want to be.

[biz-engineer]

That can't be right - those of us who most wanted EVFs jumped ship already (or added a mirrorless kit, but that's the same thing).Distribution isn't uniform; we're choosing were we want to be.

No just you understood what I wrote. You and I have a Pentax K1. Another person bought a Sony MILC some years ago , but that person feel a lot of discomfort when looking into the EVF and is eventually looked at getting a DSLR for the OVF.

Which is the best strategy for Ricoh? Do you want Ricoh to try to sell us another Pentax K1 body, or to invite that person unhappy with EVF and offer to try a Pentax K1 a couple of DFA* lenses for 4 hours at the Pentax Club House?

No sure how many of us Pentaxians are going to buy three Pentax K1 cameras and three copies of DFA28-105, and a couple more DFA150450.

---------- Post added 01-06-22 at 19:42 ----------

I check out the lenses used for the photographs of the Pentax year book 2021. It's quite interesting, probably more than 80% of the lenses used at old lenses, there are also "old" Pentax cameras used, but much less compared to lenses. Most Pentax use lenses that are rather old, which means when Ricoh release a new Pentax lens, they sell into a fraction of the small Pentax user base, which is already small if we consider 5% market share. I feel the pain for Ricoh. I can imagine someone new to Pentax is like to generate more Pentax sales than someone who's already got a raft of Pentax lenses from 5, 10, 20 years ago.

[reh321]

No just you understood what I wrote. You and I have a Pentax K1. Another person bought a Sony MILC some years ago , but that person feel a lot of discomfort when looking into the EVF and is eventually looked at getting a DSLR for the OVF.

Which is the best strategy for Ricoh? Do you want Ricoh to try to sell us another Pentax K1 body, or to invite that person unhappy with EVF and offer to try a Pentax K1 a couple of DFA* lenses for 4 hours at the Pentax Club House?

No sure how many of us Pentaxians are going to buy three Pentax K1 cameras and three copies of DFA28-105, and a couple more DFA150450.

I check out the lenses used for the photographs of the Pentax year book 2021. It's quite interesting, probably more than 80% of the lenses used at old lenses, there are also "old" Pentax cameras used, but much less compared to lenses. Most Pentax use lenses that are rather old, which means when Ricoh release a new Pentax lens, they sell into a fraction of the small Pentax user base, which is already small if we consider 5% market share. I feel the pain for Ricoh. I can imagine someone new to Pentax is like to generate more Pentax sales than someone who's already got a raft of Pentax lenses from 5, 10, 20 years ago.

In designing the firmware for the K-3iii, Pentax has also shown their understanding of the wealth of the old lenses they have out there.