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01-18-2012, 11:59 AM   #16
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I've been thinking on this subject for a bit now as I'm interested in possibly getting more serious with photography, especially considering I've been traveling to so many amazing places lately. My concern is that I don't feel Pentax/Ricoh is reassuring us/me enough that there will be products coming that I will want/need. Feeling uncertain with $10K+ on the line isn't what I expect from a company like this.

If they want my money, they're going to have to actually do something to get me interested and it almost appears as though they're sitting on their hands. I know they aren't, but I feel they need to give their buyers something more, something worth waiting for or being excited about.

If Pentax/Ricoh doesn't give the gadget geek in me something to be excited about and worthy of following the K-5 within the next 6-10 months, I'm jumping ship. At the least I know that Canon/Nikon's futures are not uncertain and they are what everyone compares to. There's several things I love about Pentax, but there's more I'm loving about the other guys as time goes on...

01-18-2012, 12:09 PM   #17
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I think the new DSLRs from Pentax will be out in the Spring. I also think they will be much different from their predecessors.
01-18-2012, 12:55 PM   #18
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All true & no rant. IMHO, the K system is in chaos today. AF is way behind competitions. P-TTL is useless. SDM is unworthy. QC is unspeakable. The only thing that has been keeping the K system afloat, is LIMITED lenses which aren't all optically welcome either. You cannot rely on the cute factor forever. For Pentax to continue, their management need some serious shake up with competence engineers getting the jobs done. However, I am not seeing it happens from their recent interview which they felt the K system was well covered and will concentrate on the Q. From my consumer POV, they are way out of touch with reality (or just me).
01-18-2012, 01:14 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by wlachan Quote
The only thing that has been keeping the K system afloat, is LIMITED lenses
Perhaps for you personally, me, I disagree. I have no Limited lens nor any serious lust for any. The 15mm Ltd is the most desirable to me but I have a Sigma 10-20 that I absolutely love.

And to continue the blasphemy I'm not pineing for a new Pentax body either. My K-5 is an awesome camera as is and only a few months old. Would I like a FF? Sure. Would I like to pay for a FF, maybe not so much.

01-18-2012, 01:38 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by wlachan Quote
From my consumer POV, they are way out of touch with me.
Fixed your post for you.
01-18-2012, 01:53 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
Fixed your post for you.
Nice
01-18-2012, 02:09 PM - 2 Likes   #22
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Something I wish people would do before they come up with threads like this is a little research. It would probably put an end to most of these useless threads before they began.
For whatever reason, Pentax management let the company slide into chaos starting sometime in the 1990s (if not earlier), this culminating in a takeover by Hoya corporation.
Pentax was very slow to get into digital, with their first foray being a wildly expensive failure in 2001 that had the potential to sink the company, but they managed to pull out before that happened. At the same time, I suspect it screwed their cash flow, and it was two and a half year later that they managed to come up with a DSLR that was already way behind the curve.
Pentax has not had the resources to do more than what they have been doing. They were a cash poor, close to bankrupt company when digital came along, and the company that bought them put just enough into the camera division to keep it afloat and allow them to suck profits off the company.
Pentax going from a value brand to an expensive one was the result of Hoya's take over, but the fact that they were the value brand is also what had kept them technologically behind their competition, and is what put them in the position where it was be bought out or fade away altogether.
Anyone who knows anything is pretty excited with the Ricoh buy out of Pentax imaging. Ricoh bought in because they want what Pentax brings to the table, and they have an interest in making something from the brand, not just being a leech on it's neck, sucking the blood from it, and Ricoh has the resources available to do good things with the brand, which Hoya either didn't have or wasn't willing to invest.
The problems with the K5 are testament to Hoya trying to wring every last penny they could out of the brand with little concern for the customers of the brand.

01-18-2012, 02:57 PM   #23
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Good post Wheat. Pentax did well when they invested in a good body to then evolve over a few years, such as the AP,K,H / ME,MX etc. I understand that during the 90s they focused on medium format and did quite well but their 35mm lineup was their undoing. Too many mediocre models with the LX being too late in the game.

The k10d finally got them back in the game but in my opinion, Samsung set them back again. While the k20d and K7 are great cameras, they couldn't keep up with the advancements of the competition. The K5 is finally a good release but Hoya wouldn't provide the necessary funds to market it. Both Hoya and the teaming agreement with Samsung kept Pentax afloat but it did long term damage.

Time will tell but I think Ricoh is the best thing to happen to Pentax in a very long time.
01-18-2012, 03:19 PM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by SteveM Quote
While the k20d and K7 are great cameras, they couldn't keep up with the advancements of the competition.
I totally disagree with your pronouncements on the K20D. It had the best noise performance and the highest resolution of any APS-C when it was released (comparable models were 40D and D300). I had a friend with a Canon 40D and the IQ on that camera was crap in comparison. Focus was fast, but the K20D was fast enough for me and more accurate from anything I've seen. I remember reading review after review where the K20D was highly recommended, the most interesting to me was The Online Photographer, who praised the IQ lavishly. I wanted a K20D badly and everything I read was a green light. If I were to do it again, I'd still go with the K20 over the competition.

The competition improved by the time the K-7 was released (D300S and 50D), and the K-7 was a better body but the sensor was actually a step back vs the K20 in DR and high ISO noise, so that was a tough one for a lot of people to accept.
01-19-2012, 02:53 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
I remember reading review after review where the K20D was highly recommended, the most interesting to me was The Online Photographer, who praised the IQ lavishly. I wanted a K20D badly and everything I read was a green light. If I were to do it again, I'd still go with the K20 over the competition.
Very true. At that time I was using a Fuji bridgecamera (s9500) and I wanted to switch to DSLR. All brands were still open to me at that time. The extremely good review in almost all the magazines that I touched were the reason for me to go with the K20D.
01-19-2012, 07:20 AM   #26
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Pretty good assessment of the current situation.
However, not all the cards are on the table yet.
We shall see within 1-2mths what is coming out.

That saying, I do think there is a need to address the option of cheap f1.8 , f2 primes in the 24, 28, 50, 85mm ranges.
Its important to think of the options to those who are starting out.
01-19-2012, 12:07 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by pinholecam Quote
Its important to think of the options to those who are starting out.
Agree.
01-19-2012, 02:00 PM   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by wlachan Quote
All true & no rant. IMHO, the K system is in chaos today. AF is way behind competitions. P-TTL is useless. SDM is unworthy. QC is unspeakable.
Why are you here?
01-19-2012, 02:09 PM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by Clinton Quote
Why are you here?
Attack the person when one can't take criticisms? For your interest, most of my Pentax gears were purchased during the film era. I have kept an entry DSLR so that my lenses will function. I am eyeing what might come out of Pentax but my expectation is low based on history. Pentax can still thrive but not w/o addressing all their basic shortcomings.
01-19-2012, 02:15 PM   #30
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I readnthe first few posts and decided this is all a load of BS. The op is moaning about things he obviously never uses, has a minimalist kit at best, and is , in my opinion bitching for the sake of it. I.e a troll
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