As Ned has stated, there really is no need for a FF camera.
For the majority of people, APS-C sensors will suffice for all applications.

Pentax would do well to address its practical 'deficiencies' (compared to the competition) of low light AF speed, high ISO performance and perhaps even continuous shooting and writing speed.

But in the end, Pentax should keep its identity as a niche company for photographic purists who go against the grain and stand out because of their photographic skills rather than boast about the advancement of their gear's technology.

Such I think is a greater legacy and promotion of the brand "Pentax" than trying hard to win over those who've been sold out for Canon/Nikon.

It makes sense to manufacture and sell FF camera if there are enough consumers out there to buy it at the price Pentax wants to sell it at. It will be dumb not to sell it. I agree that most of us don't need FF with what we do, but then again we all drive cars that can go three or four times the speed limit, and I wonder why.

[dopeytree]

No offense, but I can't imagine anyone but a confirmed Pentax geek taking the time to read these ads. Just because they stroke the egos of folks such as ourselves does not mean that they will attract people from outside the fold.

Rob

That's exactly my point! These adds don't attract new buyers

[dankoBanana]

That's exactly my point! These adds don't attract new buyers

also agreed

i really liked the "Just hold a Pentax. In the rain." idea

[Philippos]

And they should also embrace ideas like this from our fellow member PentaxPoke.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/31970-pentax-k10d-space.html

[dankoBanana]

And they should also embrace ideas like this from our fellow member PentaxPoke.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/31970-pentax-k10d-space.html

yup... i really think it could be a great marketing campaign...
"Just hold a Pentax. In the rain."
"Just hold a Pentax. In space."
"Just hold a Pentax. In the mudd."
and so on....

[ecoronin]

I think they should target the wider outdoorsy type not veryone in this category is over 40. Infact a lot are much younger and I would like to see pentax DO something! instead of evoking emotion attacthments with just current users they need to figure a way to evoke these with a wider audience. Otherwise how will you ever catch someone that would otherwise buy a nikon, canon, olympus, sony, panasonic blah blah...

I can't seem to attach items at the moment.. will attach the pentaxian add later

I love hiking and biking, and would love to have a camera that matches my needs thats afordable weather sealed and build like a brick, I want to get into enviromental photograhy. Im 22

I think if they want to be outdoors brad they should put some money in being green for thier marketing and put some money into wildlife refuge. I think that would be a good start

[*isteve]

I love hiking and biking, and would love to have a camera that matches my needs thats afordable weather sealed and build like a brick, I want to get into enviromental photograhy. Im 22

I think if they want to be outdoors brad they should put some money in being green for thier marketing and put some money into wildlife refuge. I think that would be a good start

I think you may be on to something. However, there is a danger of being typecast as a wildlife camera, whereas its really a "wilderness" camera.

I also think that they could get sponsorship not just from photographers, but also from more well known experts on travel, adventure sports, explorers etc.

Sponsoring a major annual photography prize for travel photography would raise their profile a lot too, and would play out well both for the specialist (645D) and adventurer (K7). "

The "Planet Pentax Prize".... / The "Planet Pentax" Travel Photographer of the Year... etc.

Of course any camera can be used, but the winner gets free Pentax gear along with the prize money...

Sometimes this is quite cheap advertising...

They could even go into a sponsorship deal with the Lonely Planet or some other travel publisher, sponsor a climb up K7, you name it....

---

Last edited by *isteve; 05-05-2009 at 06:15 AM.

[lc_toronto]

The first computer I bought with my hard-won student money was an Amiga. (A few years after buying a programmable HP calculator.) The Amigas were ahead of their time and very intelligently designed, e.g. separate dedicated processors for graphics (and for i/o too if memory serves). And the first D-SLR I've bought is my month-old K20. Along the same lines, the software best company I've worked for, going back a few years, is Sybase: another company with excellent products that has been the number 3 or, more recently, number 4 player in their market (serious database management software) - and their marketing was always lacking, to put it kindly.

When I became seriously aware of Pentax, a couple of months ago, I had a sense of deja-vu with Sybase: while working for them I met close to 2000 Sybase users in training and all but about 2 who had recently switched over from Oracle loved the technology (the Oracle guys were grumbling but I had a sense they'd come to prefer Sybase after getting over the change.) Yet, the vast majority of people I've spoken too over the years have not heard of this company.

A successful campaign would make Pentax a household name even among people who don't know about cameras. They would now think of it as the camera chosen by discerning buyers, and when it was time to buy a camera it would be high on to-investigate list. I like the ideas above: let's see more of images such as David Hip'n'Brilliant Bowie and Soccer-Mom-Who-Gets-It with the letters PENTAX in their hands.

From a potential customer point of view, they need to just get the stuff out there. Yesterday was the big annual sale for what is suppose one of the better local camera shops here in San Diego. We went down - the SO wanted a backpack type bag for her Canon and the "Deathstar" lens she bought for it. I went along to grab some ilford film and to look at the Pentax digital bodies in person since they are suppose to be a Pentax Dealer.

There were factory reps there for the big sale from tons of companies - a lady from Tamrac spent a good 20-25 minutes with my fiance helping her try her camera in multiple bags to find the right one. The whole counter was full of people crowded around the Nikon rep as he gave his pitch (reminded me of the snake oil guy you see portrayed in the old westerns), another crowded counter for the Tamron guy. There were other counters not so crowded, but reps were there - Sony, Canon, etc...

In the whole place there was a case with a few models of Pentax binoculars and another case that had a couple of Pentax Optio point and shoot cameras - not a Pentax DSLR in sight - no promo material, no posters, nothing - very discouraging. As a customer in the market for a DSLR - It makes me wonder what the Pentax folks are thinking and hesitate on a big purchase because I don't want to drop money on a new Pentax body and have it be orphaned like an Amiga computer in a year or two...

Since I mentioned Amiga Computers - Pentax marketing reminds me of Commodore's marketing when they started making Amiga computers (laugh if you must - they were actually great computers ahead of their time)...

[HermanLee]

Just go to his blog. He lists a contact address. I am not at liberty to give out his e-mail address. Sorry.

Ben

Well, I could not find his contact address in his blog.
Anyway, I just posted my comment there in his new blog about Outdoor Magazine.
Hopefully, he'll notice that.:ugh:

[lesmore49]

I believe Pentax has to go after the youth market. Canon does a good job having one of the 'girl' singers, currently in vogue with the young shooting pictures on stage, with her little Chihuahua, etc.

These ads make me want to gag...but then they're not aimed at me...an old curmudgeon in his 6th decade.

I recall Pontiac...back when they were successful in the '50's and '60's. S.E. Knudsen the General manager decided to change the Pontiac into a sports, high performance car...reasoning that you can always sell an old man a young man's car...but you can't sell a young man an old man's car. Cars like the first GTO, the first Firebird, wide track performance came out and Pontiac went from about # 8 to a consistent # 3 in sales.

The idea is to curry customers among the youth...they are the future of the company...any company. I'm 60 now...but I bought my first Pentax SLR when I was around 19 years old and guess what...I stuck with the brand (just bought a KM last month, bought a K10D in Nov. /07) because back in the '60's and '70's Pentax was exciting, the price was reasonable and the cameras/ lenses were excellent...still the case...but who knows.

Pentax always used to have the Inside cover space of Popular and Modern Photography mags...the favoured spot for advertising on any magazine.

It's expensive...but...

The KM is the perfect product for young people coming out of a point and shoot...light weight, interchangeable lens...better pictures than the Canon G10 and just a bit bigger and heavier. Gets you into the system. I bought one as a carry around, but then I heard the new 60 years of age is the old 20.

Maybe advertise this camera in youth magazines.

I do like what Pentax is doing on the internet, only I don't see much of it. Maybe they could advertise the KM or K2000 in webs or Facebook...both my 21 year old daughter and 19 year old son patronize this chat site and they both have Canon Point and shoots...convert them...

[asw66]

... I have been struck by the immense passion of Pentaxians. So there's your slogan and your differentiating factor: sure, the other guys make good cameras, but Pentax has that "X factor' that makes people become utterly devoted to the brand.

The slogan:

Pentax: Capture the passion

Flesh that out with a range of concise, appealing profiles of a wide range of Pentax users: the wilderness photographer, the fashionista (Hi Benji!), the old pro, the soccer mom, the college student. Each came to Pentax for a different reason, yet found a similar passion when they discovered that "different" is not just interesting, it's often better.

[mysterick]

I see a grandfather, an old Pentaxian type, (grandpa music in the background) in a scene with his teenaged +/- grandson/daughter. He is giving his old Pentax camera bag full of goodies to the kid. The youth is being very tentative and uninterested. Then the bag is opened, the music goes current, and the kid pulls out the K-7 and some lenses, etc. Ends with a gazillion shots that the youngster is taking. Everyone is happy; including Pentax. "A gift for a new generation." simple, but...oh well.

[Donald]

it's just too funny, Pentax executive-san reading these, scratching off his idea list, crazy, dumb, tried it, suggested it and fired him.

Or who knows, based on their prowess maybe executive-san is gleefully preparing presentation "Soccu Momu".

Being slightly more positive, if I were tasked with building a brand, indeed I'd be looking at some techniques like CocaCola or Sony are using, and fer godsakes I'd be mining PentaxPhotoGallery for opportunity (after a complete redesign of that visual and navigational piece of shit).

Also, the good looking bald guy stressed a brand, not features. "Hold it in the rain" is a feature, "soccer mom" is a customer; neither are a brand.

[benjikan]

Brand Awareness>Brand Confidence>Brand Adoption=Brand Stickiness.

[Class A]

Pentax logo shot. Fade in underwriting:
Weatherproofing. Standard. On Pentax.

I saw that ad in my mind. Brilliant.