[MarkJerling]

My wife ran a 100km ultra marathon recently. This event started at 01h00 and finished the afternoon.

The organisers had drink stations at varying intervals but it was OK to have your own support crew too. With the race starting at 01h00, the official photographers were still in bed so I had the first part of the race to myself as far as photo coverage went.

By early afternoon, I bumped into first one, at one drink station and then another at another drink station. The first one knew what a Pentax was but had never seen one in the flesh. I handed her my K-1 and she was really impressed.

By the second-to-last drink station, the weather had packed in and it was raining. (It dripped on and off throughout the day) There I encountered a second official photographer who had his expensive Canon wrapped in layers of plastic bags.
He was quite surprised when he saw me with my K-1 out in the rain, no plastic bags. He'd also never seen a K-1 although he did know about the Pentax brand.

I do often wonder how many more Pentax cameras would be in use if Pentax did just a little bit of marketing to show off what their products can do. These photogs both did not even realise that Pentax still existed. Pretty sad really.

[EDstrg87]

My wife ran a 100km ultra marathon recently. This event started at 01h00 and finished the afternoon.

The organisers had drink stations at varying intervals but it was OK to have your own support crew too. With the race starting at 01h00, the official photographers were still in bed so I had the first part of the race to myself as far as photo coverage went.

By early afternoon, I bumped into first one, at one drink station and then another at another drink station. The first one knew what a Pentax was but had never seen one in the flesh. I handed her my K-1 and she was really impressed.

By the second-to-last drink station, the weather had packed in and it was raining. (It dripped on and off throughout the day) There I encountered a second official photographer who had his expensive Canon wrapped in layers of plastic bags.
He was quite surprised when he saw me with my K-1 out in the rain, no plastic bags. He'd also never seen a K-1 although he did know about the Pentax brand.

I do often wonder how many more Pentax cameras would be in use if Pentax did just a little bit of marketing to show off what their products can do. These photogs both did not even realise that Pentax still existed. Pretty sad really.

well..you can't sell something if no one knows what you're selling..

Same experience to me with a photo marathon in Florence: we were only 3 pentaxian under the rain and the rest of cameras wrapped in plastic or with umbrellas

[biz-engineer]

me with my K-1 out in the rain

That how my K1 gets cleaned once in a while.

These photogs both did not even realise that Pentax still existed. Pretty sad really.

That, I'm not sure. Yes, lots of people don't know the Pentax brand. Although there is still a lot of K mount legacy from the past, I guess that's how Ricoh still have a market, and I believe the market for Pentax is a bit larger than what we think. I almost always see a user of Pentax camera in good photography locations , most of them still using models such as K10, K20, K200, K7, K5, K30, K-S2, K70.. and they are not necessarily visible online or in the market for the new camera (not yet). I've never seen anyone with a Kp, and maybe I saw two K1 users. Double guessing, the number of users of old Pentax models is probably five to ten time more than users of Pentax camera released under Ricoh ownership.

---------- Post added 01-10-19 at 12:56 ----------

Personally, I have some doubts about how Ricoh handles Pentax. There was more interesting development of the apsc lines, especially apsc lenses such as the limited familly under Hoya. I don't see much lens development under Ricoh at the moment. Beside having good IQ, the DA limited are a pleasure to own, I don't see that happening in the Pentax FF department, except offering FA Ltd from 20 years ago.

[bdery]

well..you can't sell something if no one knows what you're selling..

The ball is in Pentax's camp. They could have someone at each of these events, taking pictures in the rain, smiling and being available for other people to talk to. They could have people at each Color Me Rad race. Every color race. Etc. It's not like their ideal customer type is so hard to define, after all.

[dbs]

Hi Mark
Pentax has been 'oh I thought they are dead" to people for 30 yrs
Marketing is there downfall
They just have had 'bad timing' for 40 yrs
Its even lucky for them that we are even here

Dave

[texandrews]

I do often wonder how many more Pentax cameras would be in use if Pentax did just a little bit of marketing to show off what their products can do. These photogs both did not even realise that Pentax still existed. Pretty sad really.

I wonder this also. Congrats to your wife, btw, but that's kind of scary....

[MarkJerling]

That how my K1 gets cleaned once in a while.


That, I'm not sure. Yes, lots of people don't know the Pentax brand. Although there is still a lot of K mount legacy from the past, I guess that's how Ricoh still have a market, and I believe the market for Pentax is a bit larger than what we think. I almost always see a user of Pentax camera in good photography locations , most of them still using models such as K10, K20, K200, K7, K5, K30, K-S2, K70.. and they are not necessarily visible online or in the market for the new camera (not yet). I've never seen anyone with a Kp, and maybe I saw two K1 users. Double guessing, the number of users of old Pentax models is probably five to ten time more than users of Pentax camera released under Ricoh ownership.

---------- Post added 01-10-19 at 12:56 ----------

Personally, I have some doubts about how Ricoh handles Pentax. There was more interesting development of the apsc lines, especially apsc lenses such as the limited familly under Hoya. I don't see much lens development under Ricoh at the moment. Beside having good IQ, the DA limited are a pleasure to own, I don't see that happening in the Pentax FF department, except offering FA Ltd from 20 years ago.

I suspect there's more brand recognition in other markets, like Japan. But here, you have to work pretty hard to find a Pentax. Very few camera stores stock Pentax and the local importer / agent is practically useless.

[MarkJerling]

I wonder this also. Congrats to your wife, btw, but that's kind of scary....

Thank you. I'll see if I can get her to agree for me to post a photo!

[lesmore49]

I have a K1, K5, K10D and over the years other photographers...mostly of the Canikon persuasion.... have been impressed with the robust build and image quality of my Pentax equipment.

However I do realize that I'm in the minority,,,and even moreso with my newly acquired Ricoh GR ll.

I hope that Ricoh continues to crank out their excellent, but little known camera equipment.

On a sort of a side note, I'm surprised so far with what seems to me to be a lack of hoopla and new product introduction.... during this, the year of Pentax's 100th anniversary.

However having said that, I'm more than happy with my Pentax/Ricoh products...both newer and going back all the way to 1968...a year before Pentax's 50th anniversary. In '68 I bought my first Pentax camera, an S1a, that still goes strong today, along with it's Takumar 'normal' 50mm lens that came with it.

I guess currently that's the Pentax way...only a select few know and use Pentax and I'm happy to be one of the select. Being a Pentaxian is like being in a rather exclusive club, I imagine...in fact I think I feel just a bit of smugness ..coming on.

[bdery]

I have a K1, K5, K10D and over the years other photographers...mostly of the Canikon persuasion.... have been impressed with the robust build and image quality of my Pentax equipment.

Marketing is key. Just look at how Fuji made a comeback despite inferior products.

However I do realize that I'm in the minority,,,and even moreso with my newly acquired Ricoh GR ll.

The GR III has been among the best-selling products in many parts of the world for many months.

[EDstrg87]

Marketing is key. Just look at how Fuji made a comeback despite inferior products.

I consider fuji the "pentax of mirrorless cameras" for some reasons: lack of the biggest third party manufacturers, good quality lenses and cameras, innovation and not so low prices. The biggest difference is marketing! Here in Italy is difficult to see pentax in stores and there's no ricoh social media, while fuji is everywhere.

[bdery]

good quality lenses and cameras

That's one area where marketing succeeded with Fuji : based on independent testing, heir lenses are of lower quality than what you'd expect. They have to rely heavily on corrections via software.

[EDstrg87]

That's one area where marketing succeeded with Fuji : based on independent testing, heir lenses are of lower quality than what you'd expect. They have to rely heavily on corrections via software.

i had the chance to try them and i found quite good.. maybe more the zooms than the prime lenses

[Snapppy]

I wouldn't have known Pentax still existed were not for an Uncle who praised them and funded my first DSLR, a Pentax K200D which sucked me in. I was all about Canon before. Even switched to Canon for a little bit later, and even though it was a great camera, I had to go back. On paper it was better, in practice it wasn't a good fit for me. One of those subjective things.

I mostly get people who know they still exist, but without any reason or examples are convinced they are awful cameras. Like, strongly feel that way. Haha. I just kind of nod my head, explain my reasons, admit shortcomings (which like I said they don't even know), show my pictures which sort of stops them short and they just end with, "well the professionals don't use them, I use what the professionals use."

A'ight.

[csa]

Mark, Congratulations to your wife for running this race, and Congrats to you, for showing what a Pentax is capable of!