[MilamBardo]

That's annoying. I have four months in a charity calendar, all autumn/winter. I could have chucked one in. I would still be without a navy blue KP but it would have been nice to dream, for a little while

I'm only dreaming too. Maybe too much though!

[photogem]

Problem is their Europe HQ are right here (near, i mean in really close suburbs) of Paris, France. (20min drive from my home and studio in Paris, 10km away).

Ricoh Imaging Europe has a pretty big and nice building, and, as stated on linkedin, +500 employees here.

Misleading number:
Ricoh Europe has +500 employees there.
Ricoh Imaging Europe just 31!

Paris was, is, and always will be a capital city for photography with worldwide impact.
This must also be one of the many reasons why the company's headquarters for Europe is here.

No, the headquarters were in London but since Brexit it couldn't be anymore of course.

But Ricoh cut down anyway, there is no more real Ricoh Imaging anymore in Switzerland, although Switzerland has a strong Pentax community.
This is particular strange because CH does not belong to the EU. Just that it is much more easy for Suisse citiziens to buy abroad, often no VAT nor
customs.

So why Parisian pros suffer from the lack of support or bad support for their Ricoh Imaging gear it's a bit strange, isn't it?

It can't be that its only Parisian pros but if, then French Pros.
Possibly because the headquartes in Rungis are overloaded suffering French characteristics such as "vive la France".
I love France, I love Paris, I lived few years in France but there was one attitude I really disliked: Even being able to speak English they often just made not the effort to speak English with foreigners who had real difficulties with the French language.
It took me quite some time to learn that they aren't rude towards foreigners but they were rude between themselves.
Huge difference to be in a French restaurant with (rude) French waiters or English waiters. Just that the French were used to "their style".

I think this is linked with French education, schools etc. It was the schools which made us move out of France, I was not willing to have my kids suffer what reminded me of ancient Prussian military methods.

[phat_bog]

Misleading number:
Ricoh Europe has +500 employees there.
Ricoh Imaging Europe just 31!



No, the headquarters were in London but since Brexit it couldn't be anymore of course.

But Ricoh cut down anyway, there is no more real Ricoh Imaging anymore in Switzerland, although Switzerland has a strong Pentax community.
This is particular strange because CH does not belong to the EU. Just that it is much more easy for Suisse citiziens to buy abroad, often no VAT nor
customs.



It can't be that its only Parisian pros but if, then French Pros.
Possibly because the headquartes in Rungis are overloaded suffering French characteristics such as "vive la France".
I love France, I love Paris, I lived few years in France but there was one attitude I really disliked: Even being able to speak English they often just made not the effort to speak English with foreigners who had real difficulties with the French language.
It took me quite some time to learn that they aren't rude towards foreigners but they were rude between themselves.
Huge difference to be in a French restaurant with (rude) French waiters or English waiters. Just that the French were used to "their style".

I think this is linked with French education, schools etc. It was the schools which made us move out of France, I was not willing to have my kids suffer what reminded me of ancient Prussian military methods.

Mea culpa, went too fast into misleading Linkedin information, there are 2 company profiles R I Europe. One stating +500 employees, the other R I Europe LTD with 55 registered employees.

////

So it must me somewhere 50+ for Ricoh Imaging Europe

Apologies , a bit late to correct the 1st post.
////

Also, maybe, but I don't know if the employees working for Ricoh industrial printers or screens that i met while going to 2 tech events in the past years work there too, but they seemed very very nice, capable and pros.

At that time i thought of buying a Latex printer from them for the company but i revised as the projects finally didn't seem to be worth it. Although they have great printers (check out Ricoh L5100 series, outstanding stuff, pricey enough)

On the other hand,I totally understand what you're talking about.
it's been 25 years I live in Paris,but not continuously as i moved around in other european countries for work for different periods but it's been my HQ.
I don't sympathize either with a sort of "superiority" many french citizens show and feel around citizens born in other countries living on "their" soil. It's the main reason i never asked for french citizenship, and still don't, although i could obtain it easily and could've obtained it easily 20 years ago.
But anyway, in photo industry & business, photo people and art people, the french are almost all different from the "superior" french beings.

and usually in scientific related areas or research, or culture related areas, same case too.

[tim60]

Today I was out running and saw a man with a recently acquired Spotmatic. Talked to him for a while. Suggested that if he wants other lenses buy the Takumar series and if he wants a digital buy Pentax because it was designed to use the Takumars.

[Alex645]

This semester, my students are using the following DSLR or mirrorless makes:
Canon, 32
Nikon, 12
Pentax 2 (K70)
Sony, Olympus, Lumix, 1

In my film class, the following SLR makes:
Pentax, 5 (four K1000, Honeywell Spotmatic F)
Nikon, 2
Konica, Olympus, Minolta, Canon, 1

[Photos-by-Chas]

This semester, my students are using the following DSLR or mirrorless makes:
Canon, 28
Nikon, 12
Pentax (K70), Sony, Olympus, Lumix, 1

Think quality over quantity.

[Alex645]

Think quality over quantity.

That's true, but I also know if it's a new Pentax, I as the teacher was Ricoh's marketing and it worked to help sell Pentax at roughly a 1:43 ratio.

[Rivieralad]

New to the forum so late to this party.

In 15 years of shooting Pentax digital I have seen the occasional Pentax out there in the wild but not that many.

I have had and overheard some interesting conversations.

Out late one afternoon, Pentax Q in hand with K to Q adapter and DA70 Ltd fitted, went of in search of deer in a nearby plantation. Met another couple there and as soon as she saw the camera and the brand it was “Wow, that’s small is it a compact?” and was absolutely stunned when I swapped the lens over. Conversation ensued with much explanation of the camera, lenses, etc. Turns out she still hade her old K1000 at home gathering dust but only used her phone for pictures as she thought a DSLR would be too expensive as it would require new lenses…based on buying a Canon or Nikon. They went off with plans to look at the Pentax cameras and re-using some of her old lenses!

It seems some people aren’t aware of backwards comparability of Pentax cameras with old lenses or the range of cameras available, new or used.

[Mooncatt]

I finally saw my first Pentax in the wild (other than mine, of course). Went to a secluded spot tonight for a shoot at a frozen waterfall. Not only was this the first time I met other photographers there at random, but one of them was shooting a K1. They were doing some light painting and I got to introduce them to steel wool photography, so was a great session for several reasons.

[eddie1960]

I see Pentax shooters occasionally here in toronto. Usually film shooters though. Ran into a young guy doing night shots with a KM and a 50 1.4 on the street the other day . he said it was his first time using that one. he usually shoots medium format film

---------- Post added 8th Feb 2022 at 10:24 ----------

This semester, my students are using the following DSLR or mirrorless makes:
Canon, 32
Nikon, 12
Pentax 2 (K70)
Sony, Olympus, Lumix, 1

In my film class, the following SLR makes:
Pentax, 5 (four K1000, Honeywell Spotmatic F)
Nikon, 2
Konica, Olympus, Minolta, Canon, 1

wow, not a single fuji? I see a lot of fuji here in Toronto, more than I do Pentax Olympus or Lumix combined (at least in digital), I also see more sony thank Nikon now which is a little sad. Canon is still the most popular but it is waning Sony share is chipping away at Canikon I think largely due to them being so late to the mirrorless game. where I see can ikon disappearing is on the beginner and intermediate end. still lots of enthusiasts and pros who have big lens investments. that said I know more pros who shoot fuji and sony now than i do people shooting canon and nikon (Fuji GFX has captured a segment of the market I come across a lot, and the Xpro models- i know one person who bought 2 xpro 3 specifically for a follow up film project for the NFB of Canada

[Alex645]

wow, not a single fuji?

For a variety of reasons, I encourage DSLRs over mirrorless, but for whatever reason, the most common mirrorless have been Sony with Lumix or Olympus on occasion.

I do have a Fujifilm Instax that is a fun instant camera and they now have the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay Hybrid Instant Camera which is pretty amazing so you only print shots you want to and can wireless have the camera print out digital shots from other cameras.

[Serkevan]

For a variety of reasons, I encourage DSLRs over mirrorless, but for whatever reason, the most common mirrorless have been Sony with Lumix or Olympus on occasion.

It's hard to beat the A6000 when it's been semi-permanently on sale for about 400€ (at least in this part of the world).

[eddie1960]

It's hard to beat the A6000 when it's been semi-permanently on sale for about 400€ (at least in this part of the world).

a friend of mine has 4, one he left alone, 2 different IR conversions, and monochrome conversion. and they pay his bills quite well

[LeChefRouge]

I started a new job recently where I am running a newly renoy dining facility. So all of the regional corporate people were out to assist with the opening. Turns out the regional marketing director. We got to chat about it for a bit and he mentioned he had never met a Pentaxian in real life

[steamloco76]

I was at a local US Army Corps of Engineers dam on Monday to try and photograph some of the bald eagles nesting in the area. All the other folks trying to photograph the eagles were using Canon DSLRs except for a guy with a Sony mirrorless. One Canon guy asked what I was using. After my reply “Pentax KP, 300mm f4 and 1.4X extender”. he said “Digital” me “Yes”. him “I didn’t think Pentax made digital cameras. I like My Canon 6Ds”.. End of conversation.