Originally posted by Fluegel Not so strange as only 2-3 percent of camera users own a Pentax camera.
Something must have gone wrong with the transition from film cameras to digital bodies.
Pentax was one of the great makers of cameras and lenses.
This could start an entirely new thread. I think it was a combination of many things.
Before the digital transition, Kodak was constantly developing new technologies and formats to make the mass market bigger, from 126 to 110 film cartridges to disk film and then the APS system. Kodak had the money and resources to develop digital imaging and as Nikon was #1 in film SLRs, Kodak used Nikon bodies with the earliest DSLRs.
1994 Kodak DCS420 (in a Nikon body)
1998 Kodak DCS520 (in a Canon body)
1999 Nikon D1 (first Nikon non-Kodak DSLR)
2000 Canon D30 (first Canon non-Kodak DSLR)
2000 Fujifilm S1 (in a Nikon body)
2003 Pentax *ist D
2006 Sony Alpha A100
Kodak had all the technology and patents in the beginning and they realized the prices were going to be for pros at first, so they went to the pros first. Pentax, Minolta, and Olympus didn't really have a solid pro following like Nikon or Canon, so they had to do their own thing. Sony was more into audio and video, so they were behind as well for pro level DSLRs. Canon and Sony also grew with sales for video broadcasting with networks.
Pentax was heavy into government and educational institution sales in the film era. When film declined, Pentax did not have the resources to transition quickly enough to keep those contracts.
But if we aren't looking at solely the economics and brand recognition, I'd say Pentax continues to be one of the great makers of cameras. The K1-II, the 645Z, and in a price comparison with Canikony, Pentax APS-C DSLRs are better featured.
Last edited by Alex645; 05-13-2020 at 06:47 PM.