[Lurch]

I know we've all read a heap of threads right here on Pentax and their marketing etc.
However, bare with me for a sec.

I'm a bit of a magazine whore. Regardless of the hobby (and regardless of whats on the net) I always sus out a few different magazines and make a habit of reading them. (BTW, if anyone has any suggestions...?)
So this evening I popped down to the local newsagent and picked up a copy of Photo Review Australia which on the front cover mentioned an article on prime lenses. Oh! I though - Prime Lenses, the home of Pentax.
Not one. Not a single Pentax prime lens.
Hang on a sec... haven't (since, well, the beginning of time) Pentax been renowned for their primes? Dont we all here spend (too much) time (and money) searching out these lenses, finding the gems that lurk around.
Now I'm not going to try and guess the whys and wherefores of how they choose the lenses they reviewed. However assuming for a sec they did the usual job of sending out a note to suppliers saying 'Hey, we're doing a review, send us some lenses', then what were either Pentax or the Oz supplier C.R. Kennedy thinking?

I guess I'm just getting a little sick of walking into any shop and finding gear for Canikon left, right, and centre. Yet nothing, nada, zip for Pentax.
Ironically in the same magazine they published a breakdown of the market share in Oz for 2010. Pentax had.... wait for it..... 1.5%. 1.5% !!!
I just keep wondering if we're missing out somehow because Pentax/Hoya's (what would seem) complete disinterest in our market....

/end rant.

[Ash]

I don't think it's Pentax's responsibility, nor is it within Pentax's ability, to get their lenses to be featured on any magazine review article. Magazine ads are another story, and I've seen Pentax all over magazines in this regard in the past 18 months.

Secondly, with a niche market, of course they are going to have a smaller share. I'm certain that the company directors aren't hell bent on trying to win over a sizeable chunk of the Canikon share. They've got a different corporate raison d'etre, and as such will disappoint clientelle not in sync with this company stance. My 2c worth...

[Kim C]

When you consider how many 35mm film brands there were and how many now, Pentax are not doing that bad! Pentax tried to break back into the pro 35mm market with the LX and failed.

It's not that they're not trying, it's that they can't buck market trends and forces

Kim

[cmohr]

Do you have an iphone or a Nokia???? Mac or a PC?? Most Folks today are driven by what they see in popular culture. As with the Magazines, due to the internet , they more than ever have to have stories that will appeal to the masses, rather than the nesh, if most out there are Nikocans, they will publish stories directed towards the greatest possible audience simply to ensure sale of their publication. Those guys writing the articals know full well the stunning range of Pentax prime glass on offer. As annoying as it is that we Pentaxians dont get as much exposure in the mags, don't take it as a slur against Pentax, or its suppliers.

[stevbike]

I think that the Pentax users are a loyal group. Given the fact that the newest D-slr cameras will work with most of there older lenses gives them a leg up over the other brands. The other companies are trying to offer the same backwards compatiblity to to a limited degree. I think that Pentax has a small solid base of customers to keep them going for some time.

I just enjoy using my Pentax K-m and would go out of the way to find its replacement that will be needed at some point, regardless the amount of ads in publications.

[mdbrown]

Breaking the stranglehold that Nikon and Canon have on the DSLR market is no easy thing. Having a superior product guarantees nothing... witness the Commodore Amiga or the Sony Betamax or, arguably, the Apple Macintosh. Your argument is based on two assumptions. Assumption 1 is that the magazine contacted Pentax and/or their distributor. Assumption 2 is that the magazine was interested in determining the best prime lenses overall.

Assumption 1 kinda fits in with assumption 2. Who says the magazine gives a flying rats behind on who makes the best prime lenses? More likely, they were concerned with who makes good prime lenses for Nikon and Canon. Between the two they own approx. 80% of the dslr market. If I'm distributing a magazine I most certainly want to cater to 80% of the market.

I don't think Pentax is going away anytime soon... but I also don't think they stand a prayer of a chance of breaking the Canon/Nikon duopoly. If anyone has a shot it's probably Sony.

[hcarvalhoalves]

Sorry for the off-topic, but I'm a pedant:

I'm certain that the company directors aren't hell bent on trying to win over a sizeable chunk of the Canikon share. They've got a different corporate raison d'etat (...)

It's said raison d'être (reason to exist).

Now back on topic:

The magazine editors and 95% of their readers are only concerned with Canon and Nikon, 4% with Sony, and maybe 1% shared amongst Pentax, Leica, Olympus, Fuji... As good as everybody's products can be, once you have a brand name "stick" to the market it turns into a standard.

[slip]

unfortunately around our area a lot of pentax equipment, including the k5, is special order.... we have less pentax equipment in store now then when I bought the k10 around 3 years ago.
have to travel 2 hours just to put the k5 in my hand.....

cheers

[cats_five]

So did you email or write to the magazine asking why no non-Nikon, non-Canon lenses?

[RobA_Oz]

I don't think magazine editors are generally as knowledgable or as principled as they used to be, in many areas, and neither are their bosses in the companies that run them. Objectivity is not a tradeable currency as far as much of the publishing industry goes, and they are run by market status and advertising revenue as much as anything. If you occupy a large segment, you get consideration - too bad if you're not in the mainstream. There are exceptions, of course, but they're in the niche areas. Read Noam Chomsky if you want detail.
The potential saviour for the non-mainstream is the Internet, which is capable of providing information, rather than just content (for which, read "that which fills the space between the advertisements") and which can deliver it to the discerning reader. As much as I love hoarding old books and magazines, the world's changing - magazines will degenerate to the supermarket or hairdresser pulp level - and it will take more money than Rupert Murdoch or Conde Naste has to bend it to their purpose. Get yourself an iPad or other tablet of choice and just ignore the newsstands - they'll eventually go away, anyway.

[Lowell Goudge]

I think there is another force working here

Lately, when I read an article, Any article I find that either the writer or editor has inserted a market leader ( photoshop or lightroom and canon or nikon) into the article as if the shot or process was dependent on those makers. One article implied that you HAD to have photoshop to crop an image, other articles say the photographer used his nikon xxxxxxx lens as opposed to , for example just saying macro 100mm lens

It adds nothing technically to the article other than provide advertising. I have to question whether writers are paid for the number of times a brand is mentioned.

[wizofoz]

Lurch, I too am a magazine whore-der (specially photo-mags) and have the same edition of Photo-review on my desk. I had the same reaction to the 'prime lens' article...Huh-? No Pentax lenses. I just sent an email to the author of the article -

'Good Morning Margaret.

I have recently purchased a copy of your excellent magazine, mainly with a view to reading your article ‘Do you need a prime lens?’. Imagine my surprise when not one word of your article is directed to the one camera brand for whom prime lenses is their niche focus. Of course I’m referring to the Pentax line of FA and DA and prime lenses.

Would you care to take the time to explain to me why the decision was taken to include ‘Olympus’, Sony’, ‘Sigma’, and ‘Tamron’ lenses in the article, along with the ubiquitous Canikon range, but yet, not even a mention of the Pentax range? It seems like a curious oversight to me. Does it have anything to do with advertising budgets?

*Disclosure – I am a Pentax shooter, but other than that I have no connection with Pentax or their Australian distributors.

Kind Regards'


I await a reply...

This is not the worst of the total 'dissing' of Pentax though. I nearly choked on my cuppa when I read one review that rated the K-5 as a 6/10 and in the very same edition of the (cant remember which) mag rated the D7K as a 9/10!

In other words the Nikon was rated as 50% better than the Pentax....I wonder what drugs these guys are on and where I can get hold of some....

[Lurch]

All points taken from above - especially the ones mentioning the magazines target audience.
Perhaps there is room in the magazine market for a mag for purely Pentax/Olympus/etc - we could call it 'Guerilla Photographer' - hehe

Given all that tho, I'm still very interested in the reply from the magazine...

[wizofoz]

Well blow me down... a prompt and gracious reply from Margaret.

Hello, Wayne
I'm not sure why I omitted to include Pentax lenses in my lists but it could be because I almost never get to review Pentax lenses, whereas I am often offered Sigma lenses, which come from the same distributor. I have lots of information and product images of lenses from Sigma, Olympus, Tamron, Canon and Nikon (which I review from time to time), but almost none on Pentax lenses. There's no image library for them, either locally or overseas, so it's a hassle to get product shots.
All our buyer's guides (including this Insider) are prepared close to the magazine's deadlines to ensure the information is as up to date as possible. Any delays in sourcing information and/or product shots from suppliers can mean certain products aren't included.
As you will know from reading our reviews, I am generally very impressed with the Pentax cameras I see; most recent models have been nominated as Editor's Choices. I am in no way influenced by advertising support, as you can see from the number of Panasonic and Sony reviews I do despite no support for either our magazine or website from either company. I'm prepared to spend the time to provide our readers with the information they need to make wise purchases.
I will endeavour to improve my access to Pentax lenses when I speak with the people from C.R. Kennedy's towards the end of this month. Aside from that, my apologies for my omissions; I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again.


I've replied, offering her access to my FA and DA lens collection for review if it helps, and also suggesting that if product shots are hard to come by, I'm sure this forum would be more than willing and capable to supply some.

[Lurch]

Very, very cool - well done man!