Originally posted by Kevinsb What I found a bit disappointing is the statement" how is Pentax still in business" and that coming from a camera store ? lost a bit of respect for them. Take everything seen on youtube with a grain of salt !!
In general, Pentaxians are independent thinkers. So we would take this video with a shaker of salt.
But the future of the brand is with the youth market. Many of us have probably had a non-Pentax camera or system and then for reasons why Pentax is special, we now are Pentaxians. But from my experience, most folks are not independent thinkers, and they start with one brand and end with one brand, unless that brand no longer exists.
Having a popular and respected youtube channel, sponsored by a camera store, repeating "how is Pentax still in business?", with the implication it shouldn't be, is largely ignored by Pentaxians because we hear it all the time. But for all the students and parents and enthusiasts who are "doing their research" to make "an informed decision", the "don't get me wrong, we love Pentax" followed by "how is Pentax still in business" = fear, confusion, let's eliminate Pentax from the short list.
Last night, I was talking to someone that I would consider fairly intelligent, but he praised and admired Ken Rockwell as if his web site was the go to answer for all photo gear. Everyone can have their opinions, but once you become an icon, your opinions are often taken as fact or truth by a lot of gullible or naive viewers.
And on top of this, I live in Hawaii, 2500 miles from the nearest land mass. We have no authorized (or unauthorized) Ricoh/Pentax dealers. There is one store that is authorized for nearly every brand except Pentax. The owner tells me the red tape and delays with Ricoh is unlike any other brand he's dealt with, but he's still trying to bring in Pentax (so my hundreds of students can have a third option). So watching this retailer in Calgary half jokingly bash a brand they are authorized to carry, while we in Hawaii, the closest to the Pentax motherland haven't been able to sell their products, puts salt in the wound.