[Fotus Tuus]

Yes. A formerly interesting and sometimes amusing thread has been hijacked by people apparently only interested in post count. That is what the rumor section is for. Light shed. Bye.

Oh, man, and I thought that this is a thread for free people who are interested in Pentax and sometimes like to joke This is not this thread?

[house]

I've not reported Pentax film slr sightings. They are less rare than the dslr ones in these parts. Will try to remember reporting.

[-JW-]

I travelled around the world for 11 months in 2018-2019, including Japan.
I don't think I've seen more than 1, maybe 2, other pentax users per month.

Out of those, only 1 had a K1 and this was another pentaxforum member whom I met on purpose.
I don't specifically remember seeing K3's or KP's either, from what I remember most of them were older models.

Apart from the forum member, none of them seemed interested in pointing out that they had a Pentax too, if they even paid attention to my camera at all.
Most of the time the other pentax shooters seemed to be amateurs of older age, that stuck to the camera (and kitlens) they bought years ago.

Sounds worse than I would like it to sound. I really enjoyed travelling with my K3 though and had several encounters where canikony shooters were interested/surprised to know what camera I was using.

Between two photography courses/workshops I've recently attended, I'm the only Pentax user out of about 20 people.
Some of them got increasingly interested in my camera after seeing the results, all the features that it has and ergonomics (K3-II and K1-II).

[Mikesul]

Thanks for your report -JW-, dark as it seems. Activity on the forum indicates that there are lots of younger users and lots of modern equipment. Maybe tourist locations don't draw many serious Pentax users.

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Last edited by Mikesul; 12-28-2019 at 06:18 PM.

[MikeyBugs95]

Well starting in 23 days, I'll be retaking a photography class just for the fun of it (I passed it the first time with a B+ ). I suspect that I'll be the only student with a Pentax, the only student with more than 2 lenses, and the only student who will be bringing most of their smaller lenses to the class.

[Mikesul]

Good for you! Showing the flag may bring some recruits.

[totsmuyco]

I wish Pentax will have more ads published in the web. Something that we can be tagged and share in social media. I'm sure in that little way we can bring in more young apprentices to the Jedi Pentaxian clan. Use the force Ricoh!!!

[pts1958]

The new APS-C have to be very interesting very modern and not expansive ! And Pentax will continue to live.

[Fotus Tuus]

I wish Pentax will have more ads published in the web. Something that we can be tagged and share in social media. I'm sure in that little way we can bring in more young apprentices to the Jedi Pentaxian clan. Use the force Ricoh!!!

I think you're right. Is it possible that the one who can make great cameras can't advertise well? Is it possible that this principle is also the other way round? Isn't it quite easy to find confirmation of this thesis by looking at other companies in the DSLR field?

[Alex645]

I think you're right. Is it possible that the one who can make great cameras can't advertise well? Is it possible that this principle is also the other way round? Isn't it quite easy to find confirmation of this thesis by looking at other companies in the DSLR field?

I think there is a balance between spending money on marketing which drives up costs but helps sales vs. keeping costs down but trusting marketing to word of mouth and loyalty. I rarely see Costco or Amazon marketing outside of their own venues, but on the other hand we are bombarded by mediocre products and service ads because without them, they wouldn't exist.

With that said, marketing does work. When I was an adjunct prof at Art Center(Europe) College of Design, I once joined hundreds of Communication Design majors to a theatre showing an hour worth of ads. The audience was told to please applause loudly to their favorite commercials and to boo or jeer at the worst. Really beautiful artistic and innovative ads were loved and boring unoriginal commercials were booed.

After the showing, the head of the agency revealed that the most successful ads were the ones the students hated and the worst ads were the ones they loved. His message to the up and coming advertising workforce was that they had to create a message that worked for the masses, not the elite.

The most recent example of this was the initial release video for the Nikon Df.

You Tube

You Tube

Although I think it's overpriced, I like the video and I love the concept of what Nikon did. The Df is easily one of the most hated DSLRs made. One person's ceiling is another person's floor!

IF Ricoh had a strategy, my best guess is that they are relying on social media to get the word out. Here's a YouTube video that's gotten nearly 200k views:

You Tube

You Tube

[Lhorn]

Saw a young guy in the Grand Tetons National Park shooting with a film camera. Got closer and asked him about it. None other than the venerable K1000 and me with my ME Super.

[Fotus Tuus]

I think there is a balance between spending money on marketing which drives up costs but helps sales vs. keeping costs down but trusting marketing to word of mouth and loyalty. I rarely see Costco or Amazon marketing outside of their own venues, but on the other hand we are bombarded by mediocre products and service ads because without them, they wouldn't exist.

With that said, marketing does work. When I was an adjunct prof at Art Center(Europe) College of Design, I once joined hundreds of Communication Design majors to a theatre showing an hour worth of ads. The audience was told to please applause loudly to their favorite commercials and to boo or jeer at the worst. Really beautiful artistic and innovative ads were loved and boring unoriginal commercials were booed.

After the showing, the head of the agency revealed that the most successful ads were the ones the students hated and the worst ads were the ones they loved. His message to the up and coming advertising workforce was that they had to create a message that worked for the masses, not the elite.

The most recent example of this was the initial release video for the Nikon Df.
?Inspiration on Contact ? Nikon Df? ??? - YouTube
Although I think it's overpriced, I like the video and I love the concept of what Nikon did. The Df is easily one of the most hated DSLRs made. One person's ceiling is another person's floor!

IF Ricoh had a strategy, my best guess is that they are relying on social media to get the word out. Here's a YouTube video that's gotten nearly 200k views:
Pentax K1000 - Best Intro to Shooting Film - YouTube

What you write is very interesting, thank you for that. I think you presented very accurate examples of unsuccessful advertising 1: Nikon - the camera was shown as a mysterious, unusual tool, but it was not quite clear what it was used for, because the advertisement did not show us the effects of its use (that is, no photos were taken of it camera) and effective advertising: 2) Pentax - the camera has been shown as a simple tool used to obtain photos that record beautiful moments of life (which we were shown in this advertisement).
I don't know much about marketing, but maybe you know: why NIKON enthusiasts aren't rare, and we, Pentaxians, are so rare: 1) Ricoh is too economical to advertise Pentax? 2) Pentax cameras are not good enough to be bestsellers?
3) Is producing photos just an unprofitable hobby for Ricoh?
4) Are we not that rare?

[Alex645]

I don't know much about marketing, but maybe you know: why NIKON enthusiasts aren't rare, and we, Pentaxians, are so rare: 1) Ricoh is too economical to advertise Pentax? 2) Pentax cameras are not good enough to be bestsellers?
3) Is producing photos just an unprofitable hobby for Ricoh?
4) Are we not that rare?

To respond based on having had a career as a pro photographer and now as a photo teacher: I think Pentaxians are more enthusiastic than Nikonians, but more shoot Nikons going back to the Nikon F film days and their products made in conjunction with Kodak in the early DSLR models. Canon and Nikon offered pro products with trickle down models for amateurs. Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax were unable to offer enough of a system to entice pros to switch. I probably wouldn't have gone to two systems if Nikon offered a medium format, but they didn't and that's when I started shooting Pentax professionally.

1) I think Ricoh CAN afford advertising, but they just don't think it's worth the expense.

2) What makes a best seller? Costco this Christmas (and many others) were selling the Nikon D3500 with a two kit zooms, case, and memory card for $399. The last hot Pentax was the K-50 and it sold well because it was under $500 and sold at Costco.com. But entry level users don't understand the value of weather sealing, pentaprism, and dual control wheels, but they do see the faster AF, lightweight, and better video. Canon and Nikon are big enough that they can sell entry level cameras at or below cost. Keep in mind that bestsellers are not always best quality.

3) Ricoh would not have bought Pentax if they thought it would unprofitable. Hoya sold it because they could make more money selling it than keeping it. The worst thing that could happen to Pentax is if Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc, saw them as competition and they buy Pentax so they can eliminate the competition.

4) Pharmaceuticals define the terms for side effects as such:
Uncommon means between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 100 – ie 0.1% to 1%
Rare means between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 1,000 people – ie 0.01% to 0.1%
Very rare is less than 1 in 10,000 – ie less than 0.01%

Pentax is uncommon; not rare. But the side effect is that we are addicting. Take two Pentaxes and a glass of water; it will be fine in the morning

[clickclick]

I can't think of coming across another person on the street shooting with a Pentax. Certainly have had the conversation with many people who shot Pentax film cameras though.

[Fotus Tuus]

To respond based on having had a career as a pro photographer and now as a photo teacher: I think Pentaxians are more enthusiastic than Nikonians, but more shoot Nikons going back to the Nikon F film days and their products made in conjunction with Kodak in the early DSLR models. Canon and Nikon offered pro products with trickle down models for amateurs. Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax were unable to offer enough of a system to entice pros to switch. I probably wouldn't have gone to two systems if Nikon offered a medium format, but they didn't and that's when I started shooting Pentax professionally.

1) I think Ricoh CAN afford advertising, but they just don't think it's worth the expense.

2) What makes a best seller? Costco this Christmas (and many others) were selling the Nikon D3500 with a two kit zooms, case, and memory card for $399. The last hot Pentax was the K-50 and it sold well because it was under $500 and sold at Costco.com. But entry level users don't understand the value of weather sealing, pentaprism, and dual control wheels, but they do see the faster AF, lightweight, and better video. Canon and Nikon are big enough that they can sell entry level cameras at or below cost. Keep in mind that bestsellers are not always best quality.

3) Ricoh would not have bought Pentax if they thought it would unprofitable. Hoya sold it because they could make more money selling it than keeping it. The worst thing that could happen to Pentax is if Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc, saw them as competition and they buy Pentax so they can eliminate the competition.

4) Pharmaceuticals define the terms for side effects as such:
Uncommon means between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 100 – ie 0.1% to 1%
Rare means between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 1,000 people – ie 0.01% to 0.1%
Very rare is less than 1 in 10,000 – ie less than 0.01%

Pentax is uncommon; not rare. But the side effect is that we are addicting. Take two Pentaxes and a glass of water; it will be fine in the morning

I thought so too Thanks! Regards!