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Showing results 1 to 25 of 44 Search: Liked Posts
Forum: Lens Clubs 07-18-2020, 05:36 PM  
DA35 f2.4 - the Plastic Fantastic club
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 1,190
Views: 262,667
Here's a shot I dug up from last year. Initially I felt it suffered too much from poor framing and distractions, but with my ever-improving ability with RawTherapee, I felt confident enough today to try and make something decent out of it.

Forum: General Photography 02-23-2020, 10:49 AM  
Not all of us are rich
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 107
Views: 6,257
Even if I were rich, I'd still be using Pentax and affordable vintage lenses. I just don't see the point of paying twice the cost for things that are only 50% better in certain conditions (hyperbole, but you get the idea.) In any case, part of the fun of photography, IMO, is researching and collecting interesting things, not just owning the latest and greatest. So, if I went out and spent top dollar on the highest rated pro gear, I'd be robbing myself of half the experience, and I certainly wouldn't be any better of a photographer if I couldn't ever complain about the technical limitations of my gear (not that I complain about my cheap gear either.)

If I were rich, I'd probably get myself any Leica with a a small range of primes, and some sort of medium format system (maybe Pentax 67 or 645), and maybe some obscure collectible compacts and dead systems, but my daily driver will always continue to be the most affordable, highest value-to-cost gear I can possibly find, which will likely remain enthusiast-level K-mount stuff for quite some time.
Forum: Lens Clubs 04-24-2021, 03:04 PM  
The 15mm Limited controls my mind - club
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 12,402
Views: 2,284,939
Here's something I took this past winter. The image was practically black and white and very contrasty to begin with, so I hardly had to edit it at all. What I ended up doing was removing colour entirely with Rawtherapee, and then very subtly colour toning it. I wonder if it's at all distinguishable in a jpeg.

Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 01-28-2020, 02:24 PM  
New Article -- Achieving Better Manual Focus with the Green Hexagon
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 24
Views: 4,059
Thanks for the good work!

It seems so obvious now to use what is effectively a narrower reference point for focus-accuracy rather than blindly trusting the broad range of accuracy the green hexagon gives you. I suppose since you'd need to always focus from infinity or MFD for every refocused shot (particularly when making use of catch-in-focus), it won't work well with autofocus lenses and generally adds more physical motion to manually focus (maybe made up for by needing fewer attempts to achieve good focus). Have you done tests to see if returning all the way to infinite or MFD is required, or is it enough to simply start from any point you know is out of focus in the correct respective direction?

As for whether you calibrate for the further or closer point, I think the closer point is more practical if you tend to take pictures all around your focus range, including infinity. Otherwise you may often find the green hexagon turning on at infinity, even if focus is slightly beyond infinity. Starting at closest point with narrower DoF means that you will effectively expand DoF as you focus out until sharpness on target is acquired, rather than the other way where DoF keeps getting smaller.

Starting from MFD is exactly how the old Honeywell AF system in the Konica C35 AF worked. It didn't even have a motor, the lens was just wound to MFD as you cocked the shutter, and when the shutter button was pressed the lens would collapse toward infinity, and when the coupled rangefinder sensors detected focus it would trip the shutter immediately, or once infinity was reached. Catch-in-focus with AFFA calibration from MFD is basically the same thing.

I wonder, though, if Nikon's green hexagon equivalent is noticeably more accurate. It can actually tell you how close to the centre, and on which side of the focus range you are. Is that patented technology that Pentax can't imitate?
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 08-22-2020, 06:52 AM  
How to make an invisible visible?
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 17
Views: 1,638
Assuming you have the Raw file, you may be able to accentuate the fishing line by using a different demosaicing algorithm. The algorithm currently being used may be diminishing whatever data may have been captured if it thinks the fishing line is some sort of unwanted artifact.


I don't know what software you use, but RawTherapee is a free raw processor that allows you to pick from a large selection of demosaicing methods, some of which are better for keeping certain types of details vs cleaning up artifacts. The default method used is AMaZE, but I prefer RCD+VNG4. You'll have to tinker with the various options and settings to see which method offers the best balance of retaining detail while diminishing moire, false colours, noise, and other artifacts.
Forum: Lens Clubs 07-18-2020, 05:44 PM  
The 50mm Lens Club
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 2,020
Views: 310,341
Here's a shot of a local landmark that I've been trying to capture for a long time. I could never quite get the right light or composition, but this is by far the best I've managed so far. I plan on moving pretty soon, though I'll still be working in the area, I'm not sure if I'll ever get another shot at it.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 05-31-2020, 09:19 AM  
Pentax KP. Missing pics when importing to light room.
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 18
Views: 1,790
In addition to reformatting with the aforementioned SD association tool, also check for physical damage or corrosion on the contacts. Sometimes wiping the contacts with some isopropyl will solve connection issues that may also cause file corruption. If the entire card itself was ever subjected to high heat, moisture, or bending, then it could be fubar, or you may just have a dud. I've never used an SD card with an iPad, but I'd be surprised if pulling it out without ejecting caused any corruption, as storage devices nowadays tend to be hotswappable, and devices often disable write caching so that they can be removed with being safely ejected as long as data isn't currently being transferred.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 05-19-2020, 04:09 PM  
Different aperture holes in similar lenses... Why?
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 17
Views: 1,689
Is it possible that the front elements have a magnifying effect on the aperture blades when viewed from the front? I'm not well versed enough to understand if that's really possible, but personally I wouldn't trust the apparent size of something just by eyeballing through curved glass.


Also, the advertised focal lengths and f/stop is rarely ever 100% accurate. Either of the lenses could be on opposite ends of the spectrum of "acceptably close to 50mm", like maybe one is really 48mm and the other is 52mm. Combined with a reasonable margin of error during production and some tolerance of inexact aperture measurements between the two designs, that could account for the apparent difference.
I think the best way to see if either one has an issue is to put them to the test. Take identical pictures with both lenses at each aperture and consistent ISO/SS then directly compare the level of exposure (and depth of field, if that's important to you.) Even though t/stops are the better measurement for exposure, both lenses should still be perceptibly identical at the same aperture.

Also, make sure that both apertures remain fully open when actuated at f/1.8. If one closes down slightly, then that would mean it was probably damaged or improperly assembled.
Forum: Lens Clubs 05-12-2020, 05:22 PM  
Takumar club
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 18,995
Views: 3,715,525
Do the m37 Taks count? I picked up the old 58mm f/2.4 a short while ago, mainly for shooting film, but I've mainly been using it on the KP so far. It's fun to use a fully-manual preset lens, and I felt like I needed a slow 58mm to complement my 50mm f/1.7, rather than just get a 55mm or 50mm f/1.4, and having so many aperture blades at this price point is pretty much impossible for any lenses from the 60's ad beyond, so the smoothness of the bokeh will probably stay unmatched in my collection. Here's two shots of one of my cats, Tiger.

Forum: Lens Clubs 01-25-2020, 01:06 PM  
DA35 f2.4 - the Plastic Fantastic club
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 1,190
Views: 262,667
Couple of photos with my plastic fantastic. I spent quite some time grading the colour scheme, so I can't pretend like it's exactly as the lens captured them, but I think they show off the rest of the 35's IQ characteristics well.

Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-22-2020, 05:53 PM  
Why haven't Pentax made more Plm lens ?
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 25
Views: 3,560
Focus by wire is one of the main reasons why I still don't want to go mirrorless yet. Focusing by wire just doesn't suit me at the state it's in right now. Maybe someday when every camera body allows the customisation of focus direction, rotation distance, and focus distance limits, and once the latency is 100% unnoticeable, I'll reconsider, but until then classic helicoid focusing is the only method that appeals to me. Plus, one of the main reasons I still prefer OVFs is because I can see through them without powering up the camera, but if I use a focus by wire lens on a DSLR I wouldn't be able to focus and that advantage would be lost for me.


Again, once mirrorless tech gets better I can reconsider, but in the meantime I'm more than happy with having both AF motors and image stabilisation systems consolidated into the camera body, rather than inserted into every single lens. It just makes more sense to me to avoid redundancies and over-engineering, because having more electronics in the lenses just means there's more components susceptible to failure.
Forum: Pentax KP 02-12-2020, 05:34 PM  
I just bought a KP... and maybe you should too!
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 10
Views: 1,535
That's a neat feature I hadn't really considered until this point! I've been considering getting a couple of ND filters at some point, maybe a 3-stop for daylight flash portraits, and a 6-stop to layer with the 3-stop for long exposures if I wanted to experiment, but this way I can forget the 6 stop ND and just hold out for a high quality 3-stop in the future. I really ought to play around more with the fancy features, but normally I don't take advantage of all the ways modern DSLRs have improved over manual SLRs.
Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 02-05-2020, 06:28 PM  
Flying with flashes
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 10
Views: 1,013
Just don't call it that if they ask you what it is.
Forum: General Photography 01-26-2020, 06:43 PM  
Flickr '2019 Your Best Shot' winner is a Pentaxian
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 20
Views: 1,718
How appropriate that he used a legacy lens and camera. Ricoh has noted that Pentaxians tend keep using old hardware, so its funny that a brand can be so successful only in the way that is probably impossible to monetize. Makes me wonder why people always complain about the lack of new releases when clearly people still enjoy the existing offerings.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 01-09-2020, 06:18 PM  
Help with purchasing a film camera.
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 74
Views: 6,174
I always recommend the lesser known models that have some more advanced features than earlier fully mechanical cameras, albeit at the slight cost of ruggedness, because they don't carry the premium that famous vintage cameras have. The Super Program (a.k.a. Super-A) was my personal choice, but the ME Super is also a great option, as is the P30, which is arguably the last great manual focus Pentax SLR (as later consumer models were noticeably cheaper built.) Those three cameras have aperture priority modes, are quite compact, well built, and most importantly are less popular than the K1000, MX, and similar models from Canon and Nikon, so they're still affordable. The Super Program and P30 also support A-series lenses, and have a P mode (Super Program also has Tv mode,) so they're also compatible to a degree with modern lenses that don't have an aperture ring.

The M 50mm f/1.7 is a great lens, but I wouldn't be too concerned about it if you already have an f/2 and other nice lenses. Consider holding out on that and instead getting a 50mm f1.4, or another nice lens somewhere in the 40-58mm range, as the jump from f/2 to f/1.7 isn't great enough to warrant the cost, IMO.

Of course, the MX is a legendarily great camera, so you definitely wouldn't be disappointed going with that. I can't comment on the Canon SLRs, but I'd wager that the EOS line of film SLRs aren't very comparable to the Pentax manual focus SLRs. Apples and oranges, so it really depends on whether you want an autofocus or a manual focus experience. The fact that you already have lenses in both systems means that this neither option would be particularly risky.
Forum: General Photography 12-26-2019, 08:45 PM  
Do ccd sensors have better color than cmos?
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 23
Views: 5,647
Again, this isn't an inherent feature of CCD sensors, it's the filter array that makes the difference. The photodiodes behind the filters don't know and don't care about the difference in wavelengths being filtered, they just capture photons. Modern filter arrays have more overlap between the red, green, and blue filters, so whatever wavelengths were in the sky in that scene probably just happened to be passed through both the red and blue filters on the K1. That's an unfortunate side effect of having overlap, but the benefit is that every diode captures more photons overall, thus improving low-light performance. Also, at a sunset like that the lighting can easily change very quickly during the time that it takes to switch cameras. I'm not saying that the K10D didn't produce the more vividly saturated image, but there are a lot of factors that go into how vibrant an image appears, and the use of either CCD or CMOS sensors isn't one of them.

There just isn't a logical reason why a CCD would produce different colours than a CMOS sensor when neither of them are capable of differentiating colour in the first place. They only see what the filter allows them to see, and the final image can only be processed by interpolating whatever data each channel of information provides. I grant you that the overlap of modern filter arrays means that it's harder to separate each of the primary colour channels due to the wavelength overlap, but its usually not a big deal, and it isn't a quality inherent to CMOS sensors themselves.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 12-14-2019, 10:48 AM  
K-70 OverExposed a lot ISO way high
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 19
Views: 2,086
Did you change the EV Compensation value and forget to reset it? The only reasons I can think of for the camera to overexpose in a fully automated mode is if a manual flash is used, or if EV compensation is purposefully (or accidentally) set to overexpose.

Also, when you use a green auto mode, does the camera even let you change ISO manually? I'm surprised, that in the handshake shot, the camera even allowed the shutter speed to drop to 1/30 at 100mm. I've never used any green auto modes, but I assumed that they were entirely automatic with no overrides, and that they were clever enough not to push values too far the wrong way.
Forum: General Photography 12-06-2019, 05:43 PM  
Favorite and/or most used focal length
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 54
Views: 2,617
I don't think I really have any one focal length that I'd use most often. Every time I think I've spent enough time with one FOV, I switch to something else. I suppose I appreciate the versatility of the DA 21mm the most, but on film I use either my 28mm or 35mm to approximate the same FOV, otherwise my 50mm is more used on film (yet my 35mm is used less on APS-C.)

I think if I had the 31mm, it would probably become my most used lens across film+APS-C because it's in the normal range in both formats, but even then I'd still need the 21mm for APS-C and my 50mm for film.

Ask me again once I've collected the 31mm, 40mm and 70mm lenses, because only then will I have a complete set of the most practical focal lengths.
Forum: Ricoh GR 12-02-2019, 04:28 PM  
Two GR cameras 15 years apart
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 8
Views: 1,280
For anyone who's interested, this thread made me scour the net for a cheap, fun, old, pocketable digital P&S that had RAW capability (or at least GRDi-style B&W jpegs with no noise reduction.) I found lots of cool and interesting cameras that I may try to bid on in the future, but I ended up settling on the Canon Powershot S95. Maybe it's blasphemous to mention that name here, but honestly the compactness of the S95 and the decent image quality for the price ($85 CAD) made it a compelling alternative to the GRDi (twice as expensive).

The body is as pocketable as a GR, although it has a zoom lens. It's quite slow on the long end, but at 28mm-equivalent the aperture of f/2 means I can pretty much treat it as a fixed focal length most of the time. The lens require software correction and the body ergonimics don't seem as nice as a GR, but it'll do. Also, using CHDK, I was able to set up the S95 to have a pseudo-snap focus feature, so I'm always prepared for a quick street photo.


Although the sensor is higher res than I wanted, and the in-camera jpegs have heavy noise reduction, and for some reason the camera won't let you choose jpeg colour settings if you shoot Raw+jpeg (so no B&W preview outside of jpeg mode), using CHDK's own DNG output (simultaneous to the in-camera B&W jpegs) gets around these limitations so I can post-process my B&W images with all noise and DR intact. Funnily, since I want my post-processing to be as minimal as possible, I'm actually just mainly using HaldCLUT imitations of Fuji's film simulations in RawTherapee, mainly Acros.


Because of this unholy union of Ricoh, Canon, Fuji, and FOSS sensibilities, I'm referring to this camera as my bastard child.

I'll probably get myself a GR eventually, but I'll hold onto this Canon till it dies, and then I'll get whatever GR is 10 years old by that point. I can't justify paying the premium for a new, high quality, P&S when I already shoot with an ILC, but I do like having a tiny [non-phone] camera with me at all times.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 12-01-2019, 08:20 AM  
Cool Pentax 100th Anniversary Video
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 15
Views: 965
He seems to be using some sort of weighted lever to stabilise his arm for those long movements. Still, it's super impressive how he angles the brush to finish those lines that taper off into points.
Forum: Lens Clubs 11-15-2019, 05:18 PM  
The M Club!
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 9,619
Views: 1,444,476
Here's a shot of a coyote spotted near my house a while back. I went out that morning mainly to get some full moon shots and try some long exposures. As I left the house and saw the coyote on the track I immediately pulled out my KP with the M 50/1.7, and didn't bother to find optimal exposure or focus in order to capture the shot before I missed it. Funnily enough, although I spent a good hour afterward with my DFA 100mm, this first shot of the day (even with its haphazard creation) is my favourite.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 11-17-2019, 07:50 AM  
Eleven Pentax "specific / distinctive features" : do they impact your photography ?
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 70
Views: 6,654
1- Astrotracer : only proposed in Pentax SLRs, since K-3II (K-1, KP, K-1II) ; previously and otherwise available with O-GPS-1 add-on module
I'm very interested in this, but I have a KP and no O-GPS-1. I do wish that the KP had been made like the K3ii, since I have no use for the built-in flash.

2- Pixel-shift : only on Pentax SLRS, since K-3II (K-1, KP, K-1II ; some other makers produce resolution enhancement via multi-exposure like Olympus and Fuji)
I've yet to run into a situation that really begs for pixel-shift to be used, but that's because I rarely do static shots or tripod landscapes. I'm glad it's there though, and since I use Rawtherapee I'm already prepared to develop pixel-shift shots once I finally make one.

3- Composition adjustment : only on Pentax SLR, since K-5
Again, I've yet to be in a situation that demands it, but I'm glad it's there.

4- AF precise adjustment : first on Pentax SLR, since K-10D
I'm surprised Pentax was first to implement this, considering everyone else had always supposedly been ahead in PDAF tech. It's invaluable for anyone who wants to ensure AF accuracy, so I don't understand why other manufacturers withhold it from lower end models.

5- TAV mode : only on Pentax SLR, since K-10D (equiv. to M mode + ISO auto on GR III ; and other brands)
It's a great idea in theory, though technically it's not unique. I do prefer Pentax's implementation as a separate exposure mode, as it makes M mode exclusively a manual mode. Semantics, but UX is an important aspect that Pentax usually gets more right than others.

6- Green button : only on Pentax SLR, since MZ series
Another great idea. Hearing about this is what first piqued my interest in Pentax, because it had such high praise from people on reddit. I don't quite understand how other brands handle this function when using manual lenses or modes, as it seems so natural. Nikon also requires stop-down metering with legacy glass, so what button do they use then?

7- Sensor shake reduction : first on Pentax K-10D (and Minolta 7D)
Obviously this is a huge plus for DSLRs. As soon as I heard Pentax had this alongside native legacy glass support, I was hooked. I understand that some people are hesitant to call IBIS invaluable (owners of Fuji and other DLSR brands), but going forward I see IBIS as a standard feature that introduces more value than it costs (considering the addition of astrotracer, pixelshift, composition adjust, and horizon correction).

8- Effective "all weather"/"weather resistant" sealing : systematic on Pentax SLR, after K-S1 ; and in Pentax new lenses since a few years

This is a strange feature, as technically it's not always effective since not all lenses are WR, but when other brands withhold WR from cheaper camera models, it devalues their whole line of WR lenses. Like with IBIS, I think WR should simply be a standard body feature so that only lens features should be variables. It would have been nice though if Pentax had produced more standard WR primes, and WR Limited lenses.


9- Pentaprism versus pentamirroir : systematic on Pentax SLR, since K-S1
Pentamirrors are nothing but a cheap imitation of pentaprisms. Apart from their weight reduction, they have no practical benefit over prisms, which I hardly consider to be important since those who are looking for lighter cameras can just go mirrorless now. Pentax made the right choice to go all-in on prisms, which is especially appropriate considering they're Pentax's namesake.

10- In-body raw development : first on Pentax SLR, since K-10D
Again, I'm surprised Pentax was the first, or that it wasn't even standard to begin with when DSLRs were first made. I have no use for it, but it's better to be there than not.

11- DNG raw format : first on Pentax, since K-5 (and Leica)
Nice and practical. Propriety formats make no sense and only serve to splinter the camera market (and not even effectively). It's better for the whole industry to accept a single Raw standard and treat it like film (that is to say, compatible with any developer (barring the difference between colour and b&w film of course)).

Beyond all these features, what attracted me to Pentax was that I could get all this at a lower price than comparable models from other brands, only at the loss of a few things that I don't even need to mention because every Pentax user already knows the arguments. Nonetheless, those lost features were the least important things to me and were easily made up in the value of the Pentax brand. Hyper modes, legacy lens support, and the KP's three dials were all also features that I considered useful for my purposes, as when I was shooting with a cheap Nikon, all I could think about was what my ideal camera controls would be, which the KP turned out to provide exactly.
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 11-13-2019, 04:51 PM  
F-Stoppers repeating rumour Olympus has less than twelve months left
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 150
Views: 7,474
That would be sad if it happened. Olympus has a great legacy, and continues to have great hardware, but somehow they can't seem to entice enough adopters. I wonder if it's in Panasonic's interest to help keep Olympus afloat, like the Apple-Microsoft bailout. Or maybe Panasonic is planning to either ditch or dominate the M43 market, either way meaning they couldn't care less about Olympus?

It's a shame to see one of the major crop-sensor advocates do so poorly, because I really don't want to see a future where only full-frame is given any attention in a effort to differentiate from smartphones. M43 still has a big size advantage over any smartphone, and personally I think Olympus made to coolest enthusiast-level mirrorless cameras (sort of like the mirrorless analogue to Pentax), which I think should be reason enough for someone to buy into it rather than an expensive smartphone camera.


It's strange to think that Olympus is in such dire straits, Canon and Nikon both are reporting massive drops in profit, Fuji's situation isn't so profitable, and yet Ricoh doesn't seem to be worried about Pentax or their imaging division at all. Could Pentax's slow rate of development be making it the most stable brand of them all?
Forum: Photographic Technique 11-06-2019, 07:53 PM  
AF Explained, secrets and hacks!
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 26
Views: 2,381
I fully admit that focus and recomposing has the issue of losing focus with curved fields of focus, but again, since I started with film my standards for a sharp photo are pretty lax. I know this would be completely unacceptable to most hobbiests and professionals, but my reasoning is that if it would appear sharp with some cheap 35mm film blown up to about 5x7, then it's already good enough for me; anything sharper is just a bonus.


I did experiment with AF-C with the expanded tracking area in OVF, and the tracking mode in live view on my KP, but I found that I used them so rarely that it was pointless to even have the option. I actually found myself accidentally moving the focus point, missing some shots, and struggling to find the issue until I noticed I needed to reset to centre, more often than I actually deliberately moved the point. I like my control interfaces, both physical and digital, to be as efficient and functional as possible, so it bugs me when I have prominent sections of the interface dedicated to features I don't want, even more so if the control has two purposes which causes confusion when I need to toggle between the functions. Pentax is pretty good about customisation and quality UX though, which is why I'm happy to leave my camera on the single-point mode, knowing that If for some reason I ever wanted to switch AF mode, I can do so without entering any menus because the AF mode button is out of the way of any important controls. Still, I'm inclined to say I would probably pay slightly more for a DSLR with only manual focus, a split screen, and absolutely no video function (though not Leica prices.)
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 11-01-2019, 05:01 PM  
Ricoh's financial results for Q2 - Pentax still not doomed.
Posted By StarTroop
Replies: 216
Views: 16,276
So, it seems to me that Ricoh is taking a very conservative approach to the Pentax brand, enough so that they don't even bother to mention it specifically by name in these reports. While some seem to take this as sign that Ricoh is ready to abandon the brand, I take it as the opposite.


Pentax as a brand name and a collection of technology (lens mount, optical designs, and other patents), will always maintain a steady, if small, value that is probably more worthwhile to hang onto, even if it appears to be at a small loss when only considering the expense/income related directly to Pentax. However, we know that Pentax is not an isolated economy, and is only a small part of a larger imaging division, within an even larger company. This means that R&D and manufacturing costs for Pentax products don't need to be recouped by the Pentax brand alone, and that propriety tech and materials can actually be shared between Pentax and Ricoh's other optical products, like how the GRIII borrows heavily from Pentax DSLRs.


With this in mind, and the assumption that Ricoh is an intelligent and efficient company, we can assume that they are not wasting resources on Pentax, and that they are probably subsidising the brand in order to keep their only tap in the ILC market open, which brings in that little bit of steady income to help fund their more profitable ventures. If they abandoned the ILC market entirely, they would lose that window that could potentially be opened wider in the future when the camera market isn't so volatile. The effort to design and release a new lens mount and camera system in a saturated market is very risky, but if they keep Pentax on life-support long enough to turn in a big profit in other divisions, then they'll already have a system to inject with adrenaline in an effort to retake a larger market share, or at least a more profitable one (like Leica).

So, in conclusion, I think the fact that Ricoh barely even seems to mention Pentax is a sign that selling or abandoning the brand isn't even on the table. R&D and manufacturing costs are kept low, new releases are kept slow, but regular enough to appease fans, and all expenses/profits are rolled directly into the imaging division, which itself is maintaining a conservative but healthy growth. Ricoh is doing the smart thing by diversifying their investments, and while it's arguable if they're doing enough to prevent further loss of market share, at least they're clearly not worried about the brand at this moment. Who knows, maybe 10 years from now Canon and Nikon will have majorly slipped because they invested too heavily in mirrorless ILCs, and tried too hard to maintain DSLRs concurrently, and meanwhile GR and Theta sales could have brought Ricoh into a position where they can place a new stranglehold on the OVF market at minimal financial risk. If Ricoh dropped Pentax now, that simply wouldn't be an option 10 years from now.
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