[mattdm]

Ah, you asked the twenty thousand dollar question. We have asked Pentax Japan about this data for years, but they have never given it up. The "official" response is that we do not test, nor recommend using any other flash on the SLR bodies besides Pentax flashes. The engineers feel that giving away this information is somehow an endorsement of using third party flash units.

We don't answer this question because we can't get the information from Japan.

I don't mean this in a disparaging way, but it strongly reinforces the notion that Pentax USA isn't really "core" Pentax, but rather an almost-third-party importer and marketer. That is, all of the engineering, design, and deep technical knowledge is in Pentax Japan, and comes here in a one-way flow. Marketing decisions and judgments about how many white K2000s will sell in this country are made here, but what to make and how to make it seems to come from Japan.

You said before that this wasn't a fair characterization, but it continues to seem to match reality very well -- and it seems like being straightforward about that makes it easier to appreciate Pentax USA, not harder.

[CaymanImaging]

JC, how does this new move affect the Pentax Professional Program??? Are we still first in line to get our stuff fixed???

[JCPentax]

Actually, you did answer the question just now. In the past this question has been largely ignored. Would my old Honeywell Strobonar be considered a 3rd party flash? Also, is there anything to the rumor that Amazon.com is the U.S. distributor for Pentax?

Absolutely not. They sell our product, and do a very fine job of that, but that is the extent of "distribution".

[JCPentax]

JC, how does this new move affect the Pentax Professional Program??? Are we still first in line to get our stuff fixed???

This program remains the same.

[wlachan]

Having Pentax US hand off thier repair work to another company means they spend less time fixing broken cameras and more time designing more solid products. ;-)

I doubt Pentax USA had much to do with the actual product designs.

[brecklundin]

Since I manage Product Marketing and Support for Pentax, I feel like I am in the best position to address this transition.

First, Pentax has outsourced our Repair Service for about eight years now.

We looked at our current repair processes and the cost involved and elected to make a change in service providers. The transition will allow us to provide a high level of service in a more cost effective manner.

As far as the service provider, CRIS has been a trusted Pentax Authorized Warranty Service center for a number of years. They have participated in every repair training seminar that our previous service provider had, so the level of repair skill is equivalent.

Additionally, CRIS has a "A" ranking with the Better Business Bureau. This is extremely difficult to attain unless you offer the best possible service.

CRIS also agreed to maintain the same repair pricing as Pentax previously had. There is no change in costs to have a camera repaired.

Finally, the person at CRIS responsible for Pentax is a former Pentax employee. He worked for a number of years in the Pentax Customer Service Department and also was a Product Manager for Pentax during the *ist years. He is passionate about Pentax and about offering the best level of service.

We are very excited about this transition and feel it will allow Pentax to provide a higher level of service to Pentaxians in the U.S.

I can only repeat my previous comment that I have had NOTHING BUT GREAT experiences with C.R.I.S. in getting gear serviced. Of course it was only a couple lenses but each time I called to inquire about them, the person I spoke with was beyind helpful, friendly and able to find my details even though I had no idea what the service/support ID was in either instance as the len had been forwarded to them by Sigma Service in NY. Also the lenses were completely serviced, including calibration checking and adjustments even though that was not the problem. It was nice they took the time to actually make sure nothing was out of whack due to the repair work.

Absolutely not. They sell our product, and do a very fine job of that, but that is the extent of "distribution".

THANKS for someone finally confirming this info...but why use quotes around distribution? Are you intending to represent the phrase "wholesale distribution"?

....{snip}....and I would rather give honest facts.

ummmm...as opposed to dishonest facts? Were you a speech writter/fact checker for "the Schrub" or maybe even James Danforth Quayle? hehehehehe....:::::RUNNNNSSSSSS....away....:::::
Sorry I could not help myself on that one...JUST TEASING...

[tvfd911]

I try to avoid BS. BS is very transparent to some people, and I would rather give honest facts.

John, I wasn't accusing you of actually feeding us BS as you seem very reliable and honest.

After being burned in the past by taking what other people said for granted, I tend to err on the safe side and add some sort of a note that my statement is reliant on my source of information being true. In my old job, the clients I worked with would attempt to take me/us to the cleaners on such technicalities.

As I said, I trust what you say that CRIS is reputable and I'm happy that Pentax is looking out for the most cost effective way to keep its customers satisfied. Considering it appears CRIS has been in quite a bit of training for a while now, it will probably be a fairly seamless transition from one vendor to another. These things happen at corporate levels all the time and the end consumer seldom notices it. Internal headaches as new people learn who is who and company processes, well that can be a different story.

[GLXLR]

And I was just about to send my lens to the Pentax repair center to get it fixed...
I tried contacting CRIS via e-mail, but no response yet... I am not happy so far.

[brecklundin]

GLXR,

With my Sigma's I always just sent them in with the online form filled out and any needed examples of the issue. But they do answer their phone and were always helpful.

Not sure how Pentax works in this area though, only passing along how they handle Sigma service.

[MrApollinax]

And I was just about to send my lens to the Pentax repair center to get it fixed...
I tried contacting CRIS via e-mail, but no response yet... I am not happy so far.

I would think you would still need to call Pentax Customer Service/Support to get the process started. It would make more sense to me that Pentax would process the repair order and have you send it to one of the CRIS centers. Otherwise you would contact an authorized repair facility and handle it directly with them and not deal with Pentax USA directly.

[JCPentax]

And I was just about to send my lens to the Pentax repair center to get it fixed...
I tried contacting CRIS via e-mail, but no response yet... I am not happy so far.

I think you are jumping to conclusions. We never said to contact CRIS directly for Pentax repairs. We are simply partnering with them to provide the repairs. If you need Pentax support, you still contact Pentax.

[brecklundin]

I think you are jumping to conclusions. We never said to contact CRIS directly for Pentax repairs. We are simply partnering with them to provide the repairs. If you need Pentax support, you still contact Pentax.

is that not misinterpretation or a misunderstanding rather than jumping to conclusions? Other companies who use them for gear service have you contact them or just send them the gear. So, thanks for bothering to clarify this issue.

BTW, what is up with the Pentax USA...either use is being tracked via some 3rd party metrics gathering company or some sort of unsafe scripting is going on, or the info is incomplete as many of the tabs or links on the site fail to provide anything other than an error for ANY of the browsers on my system...Opera, IE8(Compatibility or regular mode), FF3.x, Chrome vwhatever-the-heck-it-is...

I use a rather extensive HOSTS file so it is possible if these links, especially the tabs to various info for your products, if any of them are redirecting via a 3rd party Pentax is doing disservice to us customers...

Here are the error messages:

Webpage error details

User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; GTB6; Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1) ; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.648; .NET CLR 3.5.21022; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Timestamp: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 23:42:52 UTC


Message: '_gat' is undefined
Line: 63
Char: 1
Code: 0
URI: PENTAX K-7 Digital SLR - Official PENTAX Imaging Web Site


Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
Line: 296
Char: 1
Code: 0
URI: PENTAX K-7 Digital SLR - Official PENTAX Imaging Web Site


Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
Line: 296
Char: 1
Code: 0
URI: PENTAX K-7 Digital SLR - Official PENTAX Imaging Web Site


Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
Line: 296
Char: 1
Code: 0
URI: PENTAX K-7 Digital SLR - Official PENTAX Imaging Web Site

And further peeking at the code shows the site is at least routing through doubleclick which I have completely blocked as my details are none of anyone's business.

I would add that I have zero prolems using the Pentax Japan site...perhaps the privacy laws are stronger in Japan?

[GLXLR]

I think you are jumping to conclusions. We never said to contact CRIS directly for Pentax repairs. We are simply partnering with them to provide the repairs. If you need Pentax support, you still contact Pentax.

I just e-mailed them and they told me to send it in to them.
I am still very VERY confused.
So should i still send my package to Pentax Service Department 12061 Pejon Street?

[Class A]

Since I manage Product Marketing and Support for Pentax, ...

May I use this opportunity to ask you whether anyone at Pentax (in any country) monitors our "Dear Pentax" thread in which we make suggestions for improvement?

I think the thread has value even if Pentax isn't watching it but it would be very interesting to learn whether the postings may potentially influence what Pentax is doing.

[penolta]

I think you are jumping to conclusions. We never said to contact CRIS directly for Pentax repairs. We are simply partnering with them to provide the repairs. If you need Pentax support, you still contact Pentax.

FYI I was browsing the Pentax support section of their website and reading the various faq postings and found an instruction that products needing servicing in or out of warranty should be sent directly to CRIS in Arizona with proof of purchase, documentation of extended warranty (if any), etc.

On another matter, last night I submitted a post containing a complaint about Pentax's failure to advertise its products, in a thread that was closed shortly afterwards due to an unrelated squabble between members, so I cannot edit it. I was pleased to see that on the back cover of the new Popular Photography issue that arrived in today's mail is a full page advertisement for the K7 - never before have I gotten such quick results!