[Pat_H]

On rarity, I see quite a few questions of the "so what?" type. I.e., why does it matter?

Well, at some point market rarity equates with extinction. I think that is why it matters. In the back of our minds, I suspect a lot of us worry a bit that Pentax will go extinct, and at that point our camera familiarity and equipment starts heading for extinction. I have a Zeiss camera, for example (an old 35 mm). . . of what real value is that in a digital photography world?

On boosting their product, would it have hurt to have one Pentax in the recent National Geographic photography issue? A lot of us Pentaxians regard the Pentax as an all weather camera and yet, in a setting featuring outdoor photography, it was Canon who was advertising.

[grhazelton]

Quite a few of us, actually. Many users on this site are former and current owners of Ricoh film cameras and I think it is safe to say that most have fond memories associated with the brand. Ricoh was a camera company long before they branched into office machines.


Steve

My brother had a Ricoh Diacord TLR. Excellent lenses, auto film stop, and good handling courtesy of the innovative focus levers. Nice box! I remember wanting the rangefinder 35mm with innovative focus levers - again! - and the bottom film advance. The f1.9 model, please. Can't remember the model number.

[jva59]

On rarity, I see quite a few questions of the "so what?" type. I.e., why does it matter?

Well, at some point market rarity equates with extinction. I think that is why it matters. In the back of our minds, I suspect a lot of us worry a bit that Pentax will go extinct, and at that point our camera familiarity and equipment starts heading for extinction. I have a Zeiss camera, for example (an old 35 mm). . . of what real value is that in a digital photography world?

On boosting their product, would it have hurt to have one Pentax in the recent National Geographic photography issue? A lot of us Pentaxians regard the Pentax as an all weather camera and yet, in a setting featuring outdoor photography, it was Canon who was advertising.

Precisely!

[stevebrot]

On rarity, I see quite a few questions of the "so what?" type. I.e., why does it matter?

Well, at some point market rarity equates with extinction. I think that is why it matters. In the back of our minds, I suspect a lot of us worry a bit that Pentax will go extinct, and at that point our camera familiarity and equipment starts heading for extinction. I have a Zeiss camera, for example (an old 35 mm). . . of what real value is that in a digital photography world?

What model Zeiss? There are a few users on this site who shoot vintage gear that would consider your camera worthy of ownership and use.

On boosting their product, would it have hurt to have one Pentax in the recent National Geographic photography issue? A lot of us Pentaxians regard the Pentax as an all weather camera and yet, in a setting featuring outdoor photography, it was Canon who was advertising.

Good point. I was introduced to Pentax as a brand courtesy of the monthly ads in EVERY National Geographic during the 1960s. The only other brands that advertised there were Nikon and Hasselblad.

As for market rarity == extinction...

Much depends on the intent of the maker. Current model Leica and Hasselblad are a relative market rarity. The same is true of Mamiya medium format and Voigtlander rangefinder cameras. Even more rarified is the market for Alpa (and similar...LINK, very cool camera) as well as large format film*. The first two are expensive, the last two are moderately-priced and the last $$$. The makers of all of these camera brands are satisfied with a boutique-scoped market and moderate profits.

What does this say about Pentax? Might it be that the brand may be better off transformed into an ultra-quality, not-quite-cutting edge product with limited (as opposed to wide) consumer appeal?


Steve

* Yes, you can still buy large format film gear new. My recent purchase Chamonix 045N-2 is a good example. Hand made of teak, alloy, and carbon fiber, it was not cheap, but the competition can be VERY pricey.

[stevebrot]

Should not have provided that link to the Alpa Web site. Now I am having incredible gear desire with no hope of satisfaction...


Steve

[stevebrot]

My brother had a Ricoh Diacord TLR. Excellent lenses, auto film stop, and good handling courtesy of the innovative focus levers. Nice box! I remember wanting the rangefinder 35mm with innovative focus levers - again! - and the bottom film advance. The f1.9 model, please. Can't remember the model number.

Nesster (member on this site) has a Diacord that he has in active rotation with his other vintage cameras. It is one of his favorite TLRs. I know the rangefinder you are referring to, but cannot remember the model. There is a shop here in town that has one and I was very tempted to buy it except that I have too many cameras.

Edit: Ricoh 500? LINK. The lens is f/2.8, but it has the bottom film advance..ca 1957 and extremely well-made.

Edit #2: Found it! Ricoh 519 with Rikenon 45/1.9

Steve

(...might be tempted by a Ricoh 500G...very nice compact rangefinder cam...)

[tim60]

As for market rarity == extinction...

Much depends on the intent of the maker. Current model Leica and Hasselblad are a relative market rarity. The same is true of Mamiya medium format and Voigtlander rangefinder cameras. Even more rarified is the market for Alpa (and similar...LINK, very cool camera) as well as large format film*. The first two are expensive, the last two are moderately-priced and the last $$$. The makers of all of these camera brands are satisfied with a boutique-scoped market and moderate profits.

This is true if one looks at a product like the film camera.

But digital cameras are electronics products. The choice is for a maker to be big scale and able to get in on the OEM deals for components etc so that they have reasonable control of the technology they are incorporating OR to buy their inputs in the market of what manufacturers choose to make available for all comers.

For example, chip makers make some components only for contracted customers and some makers only sell components to OEM. Try buying one of their parts as a replacement if you get a failure in a product you bought - even the service shops cannot buy them!

So, for a maker of DSLR to be able to make high quality stuff with up to date specs, they need significant scale to afford to be in the club with the major component makers.

[g026r]

and god knows which Canikons, most without lens hoods!

I've noticed that: Canons and Nikons aplenty when I was out walking the waterfront yesterday, almost all without hoods. (And it was a very bright sunny day too.)

[stevebrot]

This is true if one looks at a product like the film camera.

All of the product lines I cited (with the exception of Voigtlander and large-format film*) include digital offerings. There is a whole other world of high end digital that is separate from the general consumer market.


Steve

*Excluding various scanning backs for view cameras $$$$

[grhazelton]

Nesster (member on this site) has a Diacord that he has in active rotation with his other vintage cameras. It is one of his favorite TLRs. I know the rangefinder you are referring to, but cannot remember the model. There is a shop here in town that has one and I was very tempted to buy it except that I have too many cameras.

Edit: Ricoh 500? LINK. The lens is f/2.8, but it has the bottom film advance..ca 1957 and extremely well-made.

Steve

(...might be tempted by a Ricoh 500G...very nice compact rangefinder cam...)

Too many cameras?? Nobody has too many cameras! At last that's my story and I'm sticking to it. As Mike at Wings Camera in Atlanta says, photography is a cheaper hobby than car collecting ... or having a mistress! And is a lot safer, too.

That's the Ricoh I was thinking of. I could swear I remembered a model with a f2 or f1.9 lens. Wishful thinking, I guess. It would be a wonderful item, though!

[BigDave]

I spent a wonderful day at the NY Botanical Gardens this past Saturday. They had an incredible presentation of Japanese Sculpted gardening (immitating flowers on cliffs, , flowers on bamboo bridges and other exhibits). Incredible stuff! The rose garden was awesome and still in bloom (no frost yet).

I saw many Canicons, one or two Sony and one other Pentax, a K-01, same as mine (my carry around camera)!

Regards,

[kadajawi]

Well, in that case... keep both badges. Front Pentax, back Ricoh. I can live with that, and Ricoh folks as well as Pentax folks will recognize the brand.

[Lucky-Luc]

Most people nowdays, buy publicity not quality. And like everyone is supposed to know, the photograph make the picture not the camera.

[stevebrot]

I could swear I remembered a model with a f2 or f1.9 lens.

You are correct. The model was 519 and the Rikenon 45/1.9 lens was supposed to be quite good. I amended my earlier post.


Steve

[Pepe Le Pew]

Had a great time at the 2nd Largest Oktoberfest..........

All I saw was nothing but Canikons