[stevebrot]

I don't feel that way Pioneer, to me it's more like the OP opened a thread with no particular purpose other than upsetting folks, and instead we're making light of it. I sure don't mean to include you in any collateral damage & sorry if you feel I for one am being mean. I'm not going to ambush anyone around here, my life's too short - and often a bit silly

What he said...

[mrNewt]

I won't buy a K-3 because I don't have 1000 posts yet... wait... is that too close to the topic!?

[lister6520]

I won't buy a K-3 because one is enough.

[THoog]

I won't buy a K-3 because I don't have 1000 posts yet... wait... is that too close to the topic!?

That rules me out, too. Darn! That's three reasons: more camera than I need, more camera than my skill level merits, and not enough posts.

(But that shutter sound, oooooooooh! )

[bossa]

People who don't accept the RICOH logo on back of the K-3 may as well not accept the camera per se because it's likely that camera would never have existed if Ricoh hadn't come to the party. I see them looking for brand recognition by doing this and it doesn't "feel" right to me either as it seems to be diluting the Pentax brand they were so interested in acquiring. Taking the traditional path (on the base plate) would have seemed a better choice IMO.

As an extreme case, just imagine every 3rd party parts manufacturer placing a prominent logo on every single component that goes into making everything we use.

[lister6520]

That rules me out, too. Darn! That's three reasons: more camera than I need, more camera than my skill level merits, and not enough posts.

(But that shutter sound, oooooooooh! )

Actually I find my self missing the reassuring ker-chunk of the K-30 and K-r. There are of course some very practical advantages to a quiet shutter.

[Merts]

People who don't accept the RICOH logo on back of the K-3 may as well not accept the camera per se because it's likely that camera would never have existed if Ricoh hadn't come to the party. I see them looking for brand recognition by doing this and it doesn't "feel" right to me either as it seems to be diluting the Pentax brand they were so interested in acquiring. Taking the traditional path (on the base plate) would have seemed a better choice IMO.

It's been covered before (done to death actually), but here is a brief synopsis regarding the branding of Pentax cameras.

Pentax is a brand name, not a company name. (Except for a brief period where it was part of the company name).

The brand has been owned by a few different companies. Ricoh is the current owner.

The original Pentax manufacturer Asahi Optical Company branded many of their cameras with Pentax on the prism housing and their company name on the rear. The ME Super for example has Asahi Optical Co clearly stamped into the memo holder on the back of the camera. My K2 also had Asahi Optical Co on the rear of the camera (and Asahi on the prism housing). Photos of both these cameras can be found way back on page 20 of this thread. The Spotmatic also had Asahi Optical Co clearly on the rear of the camera.

So the K3 branding is 'the traditional path' IMO.

[THoog]

Actually I find my self missing the reassuring ker-chunk of the K-30 and K-r. There are of course some very practical advantages to a quiet shutter.

Agreed on both counts - and my K-x is actually louder than my K-30. Still, I feel inhibited when the "K-30 sonic boom" echoes around the art museum gallery, and I start thinking about ears instead of eyes.

[Pioneer]

It's been covered before (done to death actually), but here is a brief synopsis regarding the branding of Pentax cameras.

Pentax is a brand name, not a company name. (Except for a brief period where it was part of the company name).

The brand has been owned by a few different companies. Ricoh is the current owner.

The original Pentax manufacturer Asahi Optical Company branded many of their cameras with Pentax on the prism housing and their company name on the rear. The ME Super for example has Asahi Optical Co clearly stamped into the memo holder on the back of the camera. My K2 also had Asahi Optical Co on the rear of the camera (and Asahi on the prism housing). Photos of both these cameras can be found way back on page 20 of this thread. The Spotmatic also had Asahi Optical Co clearly on the rear of the camera.

So the K3 branding is 'the traditional path' IMO.

Though you are technically right, what you have said is a bit misleading.

To start, Asahi Optical Company was Pentax. As time progressed the brand name became far more recognizable than the Company Name. So they changed it and became Pentax. During that period their name appeared in many locations on Pentax cameras including on the front, on the back and likely on the bottom.

Pentax then merged with Hoya, I think around 2006, who later purchased all of the Pentax stock and Pentax became a subsidiary of Hoya. The only location that I have ever found the name Hoya was on the tag located on the bottom plate of the camera though I certainly have not looked at every camera.

Pentax was then purchased from Hoya by Ricoh, which is where we are today. There was the original company and then two subsequent owners. Again, up until the K3, Ricoh had placed their name on the tag located on the baseplate.

I guess I am missing the "tradition" here.

Pentax cameras were sold by, and branded by, both Sears (as Tower) and by Honeywell (as Honeywell Pentax) during the early years when Pentax was trying to get a foothold in the US market. But Pentax was never owned by either of these companies.

[GeneV]

Adding to the other briliant and to the point answers... you can always carve one in it... they also come full framed...

And they are much quieter than the K-x or K-30.

Now carry on with on-topic discussion.

[bossa]

It's been covered before (done to death actually), but here is a brief synopsis regarding the branding of Pentax cameras.

Pentax is a brand name, not a company name. (Except for a brief period where it was part of the company name).

The brand has been owned by a few different companies. Ricoh is the current owner.

The original Pentax manufacturer Asahi Optical Company branded many of their cameras with Pentax on the prism housing and their company name on the rear. The ME Super for example has Asahi Optical Co clearly stamped into the memo holder on the back of the camera. My K2 also had Asahi Optical Co on the rear of the camera (and Asahi on the prism housing). Photos of both these cameras can be found way back on page 20 of this thread. The Spotmatic also had Asahi Optical Co clearly on the rear of the camera.

So the K3 branding is 'the traditional path' IMO.

Yes yes, I understand all of this but I am still entitled to my opinion.

The K-3 is NOT marketed as a Ricoh Pentax (like Asahi Pentax was) but is marketed as a Ricoh AND a Pentax. That's two different scenarios.

PS: This is the real reason people do not like the RICOH decal on the back. If it said "by RICOH" it might not feel so weird.

PS2: We all know the K-3 is really a Ricoh camera don't we?

[monochrome]

I won't buy a K-3 because I don't have 1000 posts yet... wait... is that too close to the topic!?

That's too close to BOTH topics. SO go make a sandwich and think about it

[Parallax]

SO go make a sandwich and think about it

A cheese sandwich.

[Merts]

I guess I am missing the "tradition" here.

You should look at the photos on page 20. It seems pretty obvious to me.

[goubejp]

I have bought my second K3 today :-D