[monochrome]

Just sayin'

[OldNoob]

<- Because i don't have that much money.

i actually went through this stuff a while ago When Minolta was bought out by Konica, I was like OH MAN THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD!,,, but Sony steeped in and did Minolta right. Still it was sad to see the Minolta logo go away.
Just wish they would of kept a pentaprisim or pentamirror DSLR model in the lineup.

Wouldn't be surprised if at some point in the future, Sony took over Ricoh

[bxf]

...
I've got a sandwich waiting in the fridge. Turkey, I think. Not sure if there is cheese on it...

...
(The sandwich is just turkey, no cheese.)

If you wait long enough the two will become indistinguishable.

[THoog]

If you wait long enough the two will become indistinguishable.

Only if the sandwich is marked "CHEESE" on the back.

[jimr-pdx]

If you wait long enough the two will become indistinguishable.

Instead of cheese you might just add fuzzy pickles, they both work about the same...

[nicoprod]

I got turned down a couple of times by photography companies because I'm using Pentax. So I started my own business. I'm buying a K-3 this winter, no I'm buying two. The average client couldn't care less what you shoot with.

[Merts]

Wow! The difference is that Asahi as a manufacturer did not have separate camera line called Asahi cameras with a separate research and development team.
Asahi does not = Ricoh. I am not surprised at the lack of critical thinking here, but the level of denial is downright embarrassing.

*sigh* (again)

Whether Ricoh makes other cameras under their own name or not is irrelevant.
They do manufacture Pentax cameras, and them putting their name on them now is exactly the same as Asahi putting theirs on when they made them.
There are plenty of companies who manufacture similar products under different brands. General Motors for example.

Before you start criticising others for a lack of critical thinking you might like to demonstrate some yourself.

[TinaS]

I didn't plan to return to this thread after the first time; but against my better judgement, here I am. I can't resist inserting my 2 cents any longer --
LOL!! 😄
For what that's worth...

[RobA_Oz]

Wouldn't be surprised if at some point in the future, Sony took over Ricoh

I would be. Sony's been losing a heap of money on most of their product lines, at least until recently, over the past few years. When you look at how they've been spraying camera models all over the place, it's not hard to see why, regardless of how good each of them may have been. By the time you pay for R&D on each one, too many models competing with each other can finish up costing you a lot of profit, and it's profit that drives the business, not sales. Given that the North American financing subsidiary has been carrying the company recently, you'd think the shareholders might think about forcing a sale the other way, rather than acquiring another competing business to lose even more money.

[OldNoob]

I would be. Sony's been losing a heap of money on most of their product lines, at least until recently, over the past few years. When you look at how they've been spraying camera models all over the place, it's not hard to see why, regardless of how good each of them may have been. By the time you pay for R&D on each one, too many models competing with each other can finish up costing you a lot of profit, and it's profit that drives the business, not sales. Given that the North American financing subsidiary has been carrying the company recently, you'd think the shareholders might think about forcing a sale the other way, rather than acquiring another competing business to lose even more money.

And sometimes it all about a retiring CEO wanting a huge bundle in his pocket after he leaves. See (Piedmont/US Air)

[THoog]

Whether Ricoh makes other cameras under their own name or not is irrelevant.

I was thinking along those lines, but I guess the relevance depends on how you view the relative merit of the two camera brands. Some seem to feel that the Ricoh name would diminish the value of the Pentax brand, but to be brutally honest, the Pentax camera brand had become sickly enough to be the unwanted cast-off of a medical imaging business acquisition. Sure, Pentax means a lot to us, but extinction or assimilation were not far away - and it didn't sound like a lot of companies were interested in assimilating Pentax.

[Paul Hunt]

I simply have neither the time or inclination for hand-wringing and agonising over my camera's corporate identity.

Because of my (admitedly modest) investment in lenses, I'll most likely continue to buy Pentax - even if it ends up with Tampax stamped on the back - for as long as it survives as a brand and/or supports K mount.

[Merts]

I was thinking along those lines, but I guess the relevance depends on how you view the relative merit of the two camera brands. Some seem to feel that the Ricoh name would diminish the value of the Pentax brand, but to be brutally honest, the Pentax camera brand had become sickly enough to be the unwanted cast-off of a medical imaging business acquisition. Sure, Pentax means a lot to us, but extinction or assimilation were not far away - and it didn't sound like a lot of companies were interested in assimilating Pentax.

That's exactly my thinking. I'm rapt that a large successful company has taken on the brand, and I've been able to buy a very good camera which I can use my 1970s SMC50/1.2 on.

If future cameras have Ricoh or something else on the front of them rather than Pentax I will get over it. As many have commented though, it is unlikely that Ricoh will drop the Pentax name because it is a recognised brand and is probably worth a bit more than Ricoh is in camera circles.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Pentax tragic from way back. My first was a second hand K2 which I bought back in about 1983 (for $200 AUD including the above mentioned lens in as new condition). If the Pentax brand disappeared I would be disappointed, but I would get over it. As long as someone keeps supporting the Pentax K mount I will be happy.

[stevebrot]

I am not surprised at the lack of critical thinking here, but the level of denial is downright embarrassing.

Careful...I resemble that remark!

Seriously now, let me see...

• We have Ricoh brand by Ricoh Co., LTD. This includes the Caplio and G-series compact digital cameras.
• We also have Pentax brand by Ricoh Imaging Co., LTD. Included are the products from the former Hoya lines of Pentax-branded cameras and lenses.
• Finally we have Ricoh brand by Ricoh Imaging Co., LTD represented by the GR-series cameras. The GR cameras round out the offerings from Ricoh Imaging Co., LTD.

Have I missed anything? All of the above bear the Ricoh name. Some of the above also bear the Pentax name. Ricoh is (among other things) a camera company that acquired one of their competitors and has continued to manufacture that company's product under that name as well as their own. It happens all the time.

Does this create some sort of conflict of interest or moral inequity? Have laws been broken?

Is the balance of the universe in jeopardy!?


Steve

[stevebrot]

Just sayin'

I want the soothing syrup center!


Steve