[barondla]

Don't understand why they would allow Hoya to destroy Pentax. Samsung has invested a fair amount into the K system. All their DSLRs, lenses and flash. Find it hard to believe they would just sit around and watch it go down the drain. Why wouldn't they buy Pentax if some one had too? They have plenty of money. Hoya can't be a match for them. Heck, they could buy both companies without noticing. Is this some super smart tactic on their part? I could see them buying Hoya to keep them off Pentax back.
thanks
barondla

[FotoPete]

I ask myself that question alot too being the owner of one of their cameras that somehow landed into Pentax territory.

I really hope that Samsung is stepping up their game in promoting their rebranded Pentax gear. North America after all is Pentax territory but I hope they are at least holding up in their respective regions.

I have some doubt though because so far, there has not been a grip for the GX10 owners and so far there's been no word on the SA* lenses. Firmware was slow to debut and it was just a minor SDHC compatibility upgrade which affects only a small number of users.

haha Barondla, I like your comment about Samsung just buying off Hoya to protect Pentax. Business politcs lol. Doesn't Hoya 'own' Tokina which is currently cooperating with Pentax? Anyhow, I agree the move is of some concern. Hopefully Pentax won't be tossed to the highest bidder if Hoya decides to take the MedTech and run.

I wonder whats Ricoh doing. Afterall they've been SLR partners with Pentax since the screwmount days up until the brith of the program cameras. (Pentax wouldn't licence their "A" tech and Ricoh had to make their own "P" lens or so I heard.)

[vinzer]

I wonder whats Ricoh doing. Afterall they've been SLR partners with Pentax since the screwmount days up until the brith of the program cameras. (Pentax wouldn't licence their "A" tech and Ricoh had to make their own "P" lens or so I heard.)

As far as I know, Ricoh is quite happy with selling their P&S digital cameras.

As for Samsung, maybe they're trying to wait and see what'll come out of this. Maybe they're looking if Hoya does manage to buy out Pentax. If Hoya does ditch the camera department of Pentax, Samsung could probably buy that for a much cheaper price than if they bought out Pentax as a whole. With that much lower cost comes the whole K-mount technology, and probably Pentax imaging division engineers as well.

If Pentax does manage to stave off Hoya, then it's business as usual for Samsung.

As much as I'd like to keep the Pentax name intact, if fate does not allow for it, I'm still just as happy to use Samsung stuff, as long as the heart of the system, as well as the engineers developing it, remain the same.

I would be greatly interested to see if Samsung does decide to manufacture their own sensors and have Pentax use them.

[jeffkrol]

Don't understand why they would allow Hoya to destroy Pentax. Samsung has invested a fair amount into the K system. All their DSLRs, lenses and flash. Find it hard to believe they would just sit around and watch it go down the drain. Why wouldn't they buy Pentax if some one had too? They have plenty of money. Hoya can't be a match for them. Heck, they could buy both companies without noticing. Is this some super smart tactic on their part? I could see them buying Hoya to keep them off Pentax back.
thanks
barondla

Samsung has ties to Corning glass and Schneider -Kresnach, so all they really need is body and mount. No med division, ceramics, endoscopes ect. If HOYA buys Pentax AND decides to jettison the camera "parts" for cash to make up for the sale, the price would be a lot cheaper (in theory) than Pentax as a whole. The Japanese aversion to being bought by "foreign" companies would probably not apply to divisions or parts, so it again would be easier for Samsung. Besides if you were Samsung and really wanted the K mount ect, wouldn't you lay low for now. not tip your hat so to speak.
Also if you read some of the official company press releases ther is a specific 3rd party w/ agreements w/ Pentax that have possibly also hindered this.
Last if HOYA has to pay top dollar (quite a bit more than the original offer as it is)
the sale of a few "extra parts" of Pentax would want to be done sooner than later.
Not getting involved at this point seems to be advantagous to Samsung .............at most they may be whispering to HOYA, I'll take that "stuff" you don't want, if the price is right

[Donald]

Whenever there is change in senior management companies always, often quickly, enact several restructuring steps: people and projects being cancelled are the most popular. In my experience history usually shows the quick restructuring steps to be vanity, power flexing, get noticed by the real investors.

[MikePerham]

Since hearing the news about corporate decisions being made by Pentax, how do we feel about these moves and are Pentax going to be a stronger more focused company as a result? I would really like to hear your impressions in regard to this event. We are the ears, eyes and pulse of the company and our feedback is important.

Thanks
Ben

I think Pentaxians would appreciate some clarification on what Pentax is proposing. I am committed to Pentax, I bought in to the K10D and have both new DA* lenses on pre-order with a substantial down payment already made.

I agree that it would be a shame to lose the 645D at this stage. It would be a flagship camera; however, one must wonder if they are not too late to market already. I know several pro photgraphers who shot 645 Pentax have moved to other brands with removable backs that would accept digital as well as film. But there must be a lot of 645 glass out there ...but one can only speculate on these things.

At the end of the day Pentax needs to make a statement as to what consumers can expect. I suppose that will have to wait till after the end of May, but after that deadline, they need to make a very clear statement of what they are planning.

Mike.

[Richard Day]

I think emotionally the loss of the 645D is a shame, but it must have absorbed a huge number of talented Pentax engineers who could have been working on SLRs. Plus, the 645D requires a new "system" since the old 645 lenses can no longer be manufactured - 645D was a "bet the house" move made for emotional reasons (Pentax is a MF company at heart).

Using the same engineers, resources and capital to make profitable DSLRs and quality lenses will net Pentax more income in the longer term since they have already committed most of the capital investment and new models will likely be based around some of the components already developed. For most inhabitants of this forum, more/better SLRs and lenses is a good thing.

Selling the HQ is a well known capital raising move - they will lease back some of the building I suspect, but raise huge capital in the meantime which will enable them to be in a position to buy back ALL their shares and hence resist a hostile takeover. It may also be a good long term strategy if worldwide property prices follow the US market and go into decline. it will also do wonders for their long term debt situation which will go down well with the banks

Overall I doubt they will pull out of compact cameras completely. They have focused on a small number of derivative models and their cost base much be quite low. They sell reasonably well in some markets and they have an opportunity to do a bit better.

However they have a whole raft of less profitable product lines including components where they are feeling the pinch in terms of downward price pressure and I guess they will pull out of that area.

Overall, the sadness I feel over the 645D is more emotional than logical. If it means the new DSLRs and lenses get more attention then my head is all for it. I always wondered if it was a bit of a white elephant anyway.

Steve, I think you've said it all.

The only addendum I can make is that while some lines may be unprofitable, they are useful as production space fillers when you have spare capacity. Unused capacity is even more expensive.

I'm sure that there is much more going on 'below the surface' to repair the incompatability between the current Pentax board and the lately departed members and their cohorts at Hoya and Sparx, who triggered all this brou-ha-ha in the first place.

[matix]

Steve, I think you've said it all.

The only addendum I can make is that while some lines may be unprofitable, they are useful as production space fillers when you have spare capacity. Unused capacity is even more expensive.

I'm sure that there is much more going on 'below the surface' to repair the incompatability between the current Pentax board and the lately departed members and their cohorts at Hoya and Sparx, who triggered all this brou-ha-ha in the first place.

Yes, I agree totally... with *Steve as well, I am not worried at all about all these rumours, in fact I feel much better now that I know they are regrouping to raise capital IMHO. My son is married to a Japanese girl, and has lived for years in Japan, and he says this happens often.

He said that he would not worry, and that no one knows even in Japan, but what he has been able to find out is less than what we know, but no one there is too worried, and guessing negatively is not constructive to anyone, wait until the word is out.

Just to emphasize my attitude to all this, I bought a 'Bigma' today... woohoo... looking forward to some fun with it, have to work on my left shoulder and biceps now.

Phil

[Pedro Ernesto Guerra Azevedo]

Wait that this novel finishes with happy end stops in the usuarios of products Pentax.

Japan's Pentax's FY net profit more than quadruples on camera sales

Japan's Pentax's FY net profit more than quadruples on camera sales - Forbes.com


Pedro Ernesto Guerra Azevedo
pedro.azevedo@iron.com.br
Santos - São Paulo - Brasil

[user440]

Any judgment we make at this point is probably premature and speculative. From someone that used to do some PR consulting, Pentax would be wise to release an announcement immediately to state their direction. Clearly these rumors are impacting their sales, they would be best served getting ahead of the problem.

[chedoy]

I think it's all to get more money out of Hoya. Their 770 yen per share offer is too low. Pentax was at that level before they unleashed the hot selling K-cameras ... although they were also at 400 yen per share last year too. Nut a lot of buyers jumped in at current high prices and they like what;s happening.

In the meantime, the camera divison if they can get the factory to deliver product will be the gem to keep or sell. On the other hand, if lens supply hasn't already been increased bu now, Pentax will lose its window of opportunity.

[celetron]

Any judgment we make at this point is probably premature and speculative. From someone that used to do some PR consulting, Pentax would be wise to release an announcement immediately to state their direction. Clearly these rumors are impacting their sales, they would be best served getting ahead of the problem.

AMEN !!!

Even I can understand that and I haven't study economics or something similar to do so. How come they cannot at HQs? Obviously shareholders pushing really hard but Pentax has no excuses for its remission whatsoever...


Christos

[GaryML]

Clearly these rumors are impacting their sales ....

DSLR sales are way up. Demand for interchangable SLR lenses outstrips supply. Profits are way up in the imaging division. So how, exactly, are sales being impacted?

And it appears that the sales of the Toyko headquarters is indeed a false rumor, if we can believe this news report:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-releases/6866-just-announced-...al-camera.html

And it does appear that the battle with SPARX is behind it all.

[benjikan]

Wait that this novel finishes with happy end stops in the usuarios of products Pentax.

Japan's Pentax's FY net profit more than quadruples on camera sales

Japan's Pentax's FY net profit more than quadruples on camera sales - Forbes.com


Pedro Ernesto Guerra Azevedo
pedro.azevedo@iron.com.br
Santos - São Paulo - Brasil

Hello Ernesto;

This is in my opinion the most telling indicator of what the bottom line is in regards to the financial health of Pentax. This speaks more loudly than all of the speculation put forth to date.

Ben