[wizofoz]

At least in my part of the world we are not so rare any more. My closest camera shop now has a FULL complement of Pentax cameras including a huge array of Q's in various colour combinations.
Yesterday I went to the RAAF airshow commemerating 100 years of military avation in Australia and the number of Pentax cameras there was staggering. As usual for Pentaxians if you see another
Pentax you strike up a conversation with the owner, I spoke to 15 other Pentax users and there were far more that I missed. Sony and Olympus were extremely rare it was almost like it was Pentacanikon!
Of the people I spoke to one had a K3 and a K5, six more had K5's, two more had K3's, two Kx's, two Kr's, one K7 and a istDs. I had my K3 and K5IIs which with the others adds up to quite a haul of Pentaxes.
Glenn

Wow, thats quite a haul of Pentax's, and quite a haul fom Langwarrin to Pt Cook. I wish I had been there, at the worlds oldest Military airfield to celebrate the worlds 2nd oldest Airforce, it must have been quite day.

Can I ask, which camera shop has such a Pentax array? I may just have to pay them a visit?

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Last edited by wizofoz; 03-23-2014 at 02:09 PM.

[G and T]

Wow, thats quite a haul of Pentax's, and quite a haul fom Langwarrin to Pt Cook. I wish I had been here, at the worlds oldest Military airfield to celebrate the worlds 2nd oldest Airforce, it must have been quite day. Can I ask, which camera shop has such a Pentax array? I may just have to pay them a visit?

Thanks yes, it was a great day. Shooting close to 700 frames, it wasn't difficult with so many great and rare aircraft in the one place everything from a Bristol Boxkite to a Joint Strike Fighter.
Peninsula Cameras is the shop with the display of Pentaxes and the last time I was there they were taking some-ones passport photo with a K100D.
Glenn

[monochrome]

Does anyone know if there has ever been published a definitive history of Asahi Pentax? There must have been a Pentax super enthusiast or company insider in Japan who has written the book on the rise and fall of the company. I'd love to learn the detailed history and prominent personalities of the company. Anybody know??

There are a number of collected articles at the Asahi Optical Historical Club in Italy and all the work Fred Sherfy has done over the years if the internet is satisfactory. In the early 2000's there aws a lot more on the web but unfortunately some if not much of it has disappeared.

I once had several hundred links in a Firefox folder when the laptop crashed. That's how I discovered Windows NT loads the .pst file into RAM and it doesn't bcak up to a network drive.

[monochrome]

Does anyone know if there has ever been published a definitive history of Asahi Pentax? There must have been a Pentax super enthusiast or company insider in Japan who has written the book on the rise and fall of the company. I'd love to learn the detailed history and prominent personalities of the company. Anybody know??

There is a number of collected articles at the Asahi Optical Historical Club in Italy and all the work Fred Sherfy has done over the years and Paul Provencher's amazing screwmount website if the internet is satisfactory. There's also THIS website for the very earliest Asahi Cameras and lenses - much but not all is in English.

Though they all concentrate on the cameras and lenses (or oiher optics) there's often some corporate history woven in, especially at AOHC.

In the early 2000's there as a lot more on the web but unfortunately some if not much of it has disappeared. I once had several hundred links in a Firefox folder when the laptop crashed. That's how I discovered Windows NT loads the .pst file into RAM and it doesn't bcak up to a network drive.

[Stone G.]

At least in my part of the world we are not so rare any more.

Well, strange things are happening these days. There aren't too many physical camera stores left in Denmark , and those that are left mostly "play safe" with Canon and Nikon (or Nikon and Canon for a change). But yesterday I walked into a camera shop only ten minutes ride from where I live. They had a whole window section dedicated to Pentax cameras and I could ask for a K-3 - which I did, and which they had, and which I then bought.

They had several K-50, K-500 and lenses on display - and even some brochures (in English, though). Now that is / used to be very unsual - I should even say 'highly irregular' - here in DK, but even worse: The man who sold me my K-3 confided that A) he himself had a K-5, and B) that he had persuaded several CaNikon requesting customers to try a Pentax - with success (for Pentax) and happy buyers as a result.

Interestingly enough he told me that the K-50 was currently a real bestseller and that the K-5IIs had also sold very well in his shop.

Hmmmm, it seems that things ain't what they used to be?

[kadajawi]

Well, strange things are happening these days. There aren't too many physical camera stores left in Denmark , and those that are left mostly "play safe" with Canon and Nikon (or Nikon and Canon for a change). But yesterday I walked into a camera shop only ten minutes ride from where I live. They had a whole window section dedicated to Pentax cameras and I could ask for a K-3 - which I did, and which they had, and which I then bought.

They had several K-50, K-500 and lenses on display - and even some brochures (in English, though). Now that is / used to be very unsual - I should even say 'highly irregular' - here in DK, but even worse: The man who sold me my K-3 confided that A) he himself had a K-5, and B) that he had persuaded several CaNikon requesting customers to try a Pentax - with success (for Pentax) and happy buyers as a result.

Interestingly enough he told me that the K-50 was currently a real bestseller and that the K-5IIs had also sold very well in his shop.

Hmmmm, it seems that things ain't what they used to be?

Yeah. What Pentax really needs is to be in stores and to have a salesman getting people to try the camera. Pentax's main selling point (to me) is how they feel. They feel just right. But you need to touch them to find out. Maybe that is what Pentax should stress in ads.

[andre-mz5]

Pentax's main selling point (to me) is how they feel. They feel just right. But you need to touch them to find out. Maybe that is what Pentax should stess in ads.

Back in the old days one of their slogans was : Get the feel of a Pentax
Maybe the marketing department could start a new campaign using these words.

[Pat_H]

At least in my part of the world we are not so rare any more. My closest camera shop now has a FULL complement of Pentax cameras including a huge array of Q's in various colour combinations.
Yesterday I went to the RAAF airshow commemerating 100 years of military avation in Australia and the number of Pentax cameras there was staggering. As usual for Pentaxians if you see another
Pentax you strike up a conversation with the owner, I spoke to 15 other Pentax users and there were far more that I missed. Sony and Olympus were extremely rare it was almost like it was Pentacanikon!
Of the people I spoke to one had a K3 and a K5, six more had K5's, two more had K3's, two Kx's, two Kr's, one K7 and a istDs. I had my K3 and K5IIs which with the others adds up to quite a haul of Pentaxes.
Glenn

I wonder if that is due to Pentax's, or rather Ricoh's marketing focus on Asia? They seem to be comfortable really focusing their efforts on Asia, and I wonder if that spills over to Australia?

[OrchidJulie]

So a local camera club asked to schedule an outing to my workplace (the owners have an exotic tropical garden on the premises, very photogenic) yesterday. About 25 people, they said (in fact only 20 or so showed up). I spoke briefly with the liaison guy and we chatted for a few minutes about what areas were OK for them to wander in. "But," I said, "no Nikons allowed..." He thought I was serious, asked if Canons were OK... "Nope, none of them either..." Took him a minute to realize I was pulling his leg. So what IS allowed? "Pentax only", I told him. Then he laughed, and I was waiting for him to say, OK, so-and-so shoots Pentax.

But no, not a one in the group had Pentax gear. I think there was one Sony, but I didn't get to see more than three or four of the shooters, and all of those were Canikon. <sigh>

[chimpwithagun]

I was reading my old copy of the Amateur Photographer's Handbook the other day and in the "what camera should I buy" section it had a picture of a Pentax and said "Pentax is the most popular brand in the country". Things were different in the 35mm days.


I have never seen another person carrying a Pentax DSLR, but have run into a few carrying various 35mms. I have had many people comment "nice camera" and ask about it, some recognize the Pentax name and tell me some family story about the old Pentax their dad had.


If you're looking for recognition, Pentax will only give it to you in the form of nostalgia.


According to Instagram, tons of people use Pentax in Japan.

[dngr]

Almost ran into another pentax user today. Was walking through Stanley Park, had my K-50 out too, and just as I pass this asian fellow, I look down and notice PENTAX on the prism housing. The body looked kinda round so it was something the predated the K-30. Didn't see what glass he was using.

[TonyTurley]

One of my younger co-workers saw my K-30 sitting on my desk and asked about it. He said he'd been thinking of getting a good camera. I suggested he look at Pentax. He said he'd never heard of them. He even said the only cameras he knew of were Canon and Nikon. (sigh)

[chimpwithagun]

One of my younger co-workers saw my K-30 sitting on my desk and asked about it. He said he'd been thinking of getting a good camera. I suggested he look at Pentax. He said he'd never heard of them. He even said the only cameras he knew of were Canon and Nikon. (sigh)

This is something I've run into as well. Makes me wonder if Sigma, Hasselblad, Sony, or Fujifilm users feel the same pressure. Before I got my K-3 I was toying with the idea of getting a Nikon, I'm glad I didn't, but having that recognition is a strong force.


I've seen ads for jobs asking for specific cameras, no one ever lists Pentax as a possibility. It's all marketing, we should all write blogs about our Pentax gear, make youtube videos, etc. Let's bring Pentax into the public eye.


Digital Rev just blogged about this concept: http://www.digitalrev.com/article/what-your-camera-says-about/MjA2MDc2NTYz

[kadajawi]

This is something I've run into as well. Makes me wonder if Sigma, Hasselblad, Sony, or Fujifilm users feel the same pressure. Before I got my K-3 I was toying with the idea of getting a Nikon, I'm glad I didn't, but having that recognition is a strong force.


I've seen ads for jobs asking for specific cameras, no one ever lists Pentax as a possibility. It's all marketing, we should all write blogs about our Pentax gear, make youtube videos, etc. Let's bring Pentax into the public eye.


Digital Rev just blogged about this concept: What Your Camera Says about You

I agree with him. Mainly Pentax should focus on professional photographers again. Not necessarily full frame, but as a working photographer being able to do video is important, and Pentax doesn't get video, doesn't care about it. Which pretty much kills the brand.

I did not see ads for specific cameras yet, though some indicate that experience with medium format helps. What I do see is ads that ask for video skills, and even if the ad doesn't ask for it, the company may still want it.

[zekewhipper]

Makes me wonder if Sigma, Hasselblad, Sony, or Fujifilm users feel the same pressure.

Digital Rev just blogged about this concept: What Your Camera Says about You

Yes. Digitally, I shoot Pentax, Sony, Olympus, and Nikon depending on the situation. Imagine the dismay, but pride at the same time, when I was on my first photography club outing with two DSLRs and I was the only Pentax AND the only Olympus shooter there.