Originally posted by audiobomber Your pronouncement on sales is hard to believe. Where are the sales figures to back this up?
Originally posted by audiobomber You made a very specific claim about Pentax sales, which you made up on the spot. You have no idea what Pentax sales are under Ricoh, nor how they compare to Pentax sales under Hoya or previously under Pentax.
I have been tracking BCNRanking for Japanese sales for many years.
I can still remember the heyday of K10D/K100D when Pentax was a solid #3. Then it went through a low period of K20D/K200D, but follow ups like K-m, K-x were hits. There was frequently a Pentax model in the top 10 or close to top 10 in the weekly/monthly sales chart; and you could count on the yearly sales chart having at least one Pentax in the top 10.
But things are not pretty this year.
In the month of September, there were no Pentax model in the top 20; actually not even in the top 30.
The top selling Pentax was Q, would you believe it?..... at #39.
The top selling K-30 configuration was at #74, and this is frankly shocking for a model which was released in Japan just 3 months prior in June.
This is a position I would expect for a going-to-be-discontinued 2 year old camera, not a brand new 3 months old model!
And GXR is selling better than K-5; while both were outside the top 100.
And the Amazon best seller list, admittedly not the most accurate chart, do give us an indication that the dire situation is not limited to Japan.
So yeah, this is the lowest point in terms of sales since the release of K100D 6 years ago.
Quote: How was Photokina disappointing? The K-30 was released shortly before, and it is superior by far to anything in its price range. The K-5 II improves on an already good K-5.
But that's the problem. K-30 is a very good camera on paper, but it is not capturing the imagination of the public. Not sure what the main reason is, but it is not selling in Japan.
As you know from the interview, the domestic market is the most important market for Pentax.
Pentax really need a good selling model to get out of the current slump.
And after Photokina, I just can't see how things can turn around any time soon, hence my disappointments.
Quote: The purchase by Ricoh is an entirely different proposition, their expressed intention is to double the sales. To suggest they may dump the program in the foreseeable future is ridiculous, they're just getting started. When you look at the map showing where Pentax is not currently marketed, I expect that doubling the business is a realistic target. The main point is, Ricoh is in the camera business and wants to go deeper into the camera business, with Pentax is their vehicle. I have great optimism about this, and can't see any justification for sad sack posts like yours.
As a Pentax user myself, I wish you were right. I really do.
But we should also be aware of the reality facing Pentax right now. You may call it a "sad sack post", but I call it a reality check.
The sales figures are real.
Let's put it this way. Things cannot continue at current state. Pentax is a distant #6 at this point, they have very little presence in both the DSLR and the mirrorless market segments in terms of sales.
They really need a turn around, as Ricoh is running a business too. At this point, I can't see where this would come from; and I honestly can't be optimistic until I see the light.