Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-10-2021, 12:26 AM
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There was an investor meeting of Ricoh Co. Ltd. (the mother ship, not the company that makes your camera, that's Ricoh Imaging Co. Ltd.) on Mar 3 2021. Ricoh as a group is a big business, consumer camera is just a tiny part of that. In the previous meeting (Nov 2020) Ricoh laid out a plan to become "digital service" company targeting other businesses, they continued the theme this time, but president/CEO Yamashita also talked a bit about the future of Pentax and GR.
To summarize: He expressed his (or Ricoh's) willingness to make PENTAX and GR continue for future as a valuable business. He said that they "will start searching for a way" to do it, that in doing so they hope they can work with outside partner(s). Later, when asked about accepting outside investment VS selling camera business, he said that they're willing to work with partners if necessary and are willing to invest, OTOH they won't be able to "fulfill responsibilities" (to make the brands continue) if they just sell the brands and therefore they need to think long and hard.
He chose words to convey his sense that it's their job to make sure that the heritage goes on, mentioning enthusiastic fans as the reason why he feels that way. OTOH, he signaled that the way Ricoh Imaging operates under Ricoh as of now cannot continue forever though he didn't make any definitive statements and certainly he didn't give any time scale.
You can stop right here unless you're really interested.
Below are English and Japanese version of the presentation. Relevant part is on page 9, but the sentence about SV (Smart Vision) doesn't make sense because the Japanese sentence wasn't great to start with. What does "integrate cameras (PENTAX and GR) into Ricoh Imaging" mean when Ricoh owns these brands anyway? https://www.ricoh.com/-/Media/Ricoh/Sites/com/IR/data/pre/pdf/ir_pre2020.pdf (English) https://jp.ricoh.com/-/Media/Ricoh/Sites/jp_ricoh/IR/events/2020/pdf/r02_keiei.pdf (Japanese)
Redacted transcript (which seems to be only available in Japanese) is better. https://jp.ricoh.com/-/Media/Ricoh/Sites/jp_ricoh/IR/events/2020/pdf/presentation_text_2020.pdf Quote: (on page 10)
一番下に、SV事業について少し記載しています。PENTAXとGRなどのいわゆる製品カメラはリコーイメージングに機能を集約して、未来に価値ある事業として残す模索を始めます。これは、外部の方々にも力を借りながら進めてたいと考えています。一方、360度のカメラと光学技術は、デジタルサービスの会社には不可欠なため、引き続き強化をしていきます。
Written at the bottom is about SV business. As for consumer cameras like PENTAX and GR, we'll start searching for a way to make them continue as a valuable business for future by integrating (business?) functions into Ricoh Imaging. We hope to be able to proceed with a help from outside parties. OTOH, 360 degrees camera and its optical technologies are essential for a digital service company, so we'll keep pushing that. After the talk there was a Q&A, which was also published by Ricoh but it's a bit sanitized (Japanese, https://jp.ricoh.com/-/Media/Ricoh/Sites/jp_ricoh/IR/events/2020/pdf/presentation_qa_2020.pdf). You should read Impress Cloud Watch's report instead (again in Japanese): ????2022??????20??????????2???????1000?????? - ???? Watch Quote: 山下社長は、「カメラ事業は、量をたくさん作って売るという大量生産、大量商品の競争になっていた。だが私自身、GRとペンタックスを担当してきて感じていたのは、使っているお客さまはブランドを愛していただいているマニアともいえる人たちであり、大量に売れるモデルではないが、ファンがいる。そのため、未来に残していく方法はないかと考えている。共感をしていだたける方がいれば、連携も辞さず、出資も辞さずと考えている。だが、売却するとなると責任を持てない状態になる。この部分はよく考えていかなくてはいけない」と述べた。
President Yamashita said: "Camera business was competing by volume, making and selling large numbers. However, while taking care of GR and Pentax, I myself felt/appreciated that customers using our products are people who love the brand, or enthusiasts I might say, we don't sell our models in large numbers but we have fans. Because of this, we're thinking about how to make (the brands) continue for the future. If others share the same vision (of making these brands continue for the future) we're willing to work with them if necessary, and we are willing to invest if necessary. OTOH, if we just sell it, we cannot make sure that our responsibility (to continue the brand) will be fulfilled. We have to think long and hard. Let's see how it goes.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-27-2019, 10:23 PM
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Oh yes--one-eyed trucks, ox and camel carts, lots of sari shops and food shops, crowds of people wearing different clothing of their religion or caste, different street food, ancient castles and temples, gaily painted trucks and busses, fields of red peppers in Rajisthan, square of the martyrs in Lucknow, . . .
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-27-2019, 01:56 PM
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Great shots, reminds me of my days wandering through the streets of Jodhpur.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-26-2019, 07:50 PM
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On top of the flower |
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-26-2019, 03:33 PM
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Today I Leitax adapted 3 lenses to Pentax K mount ( Leica R 135/2.8 ; Nikkor 135mm/2.8 AIS ; and Olympus Zuiko 50/1.2 ). Below is one of the test photos I took with the Oly on my K-1. This minty lens only cost me about $300. I like its' razor thin DOF wide open. Also, its' bokeh is very creamy. Here's the Leitax instructions for adapting it to K mount if anyone's interested.
The Oly 50/1.2 lens is a tiny/lightweight lens. Good colors, a little vignetting wide open, significant green fringing wide open, and it has below average contrast wide open. It's what I'd call medium sharp - while sharper than most vintage lenses its' no where near as sharp as better modern lenses (e.g. Pentax DFA 50/1.4). But if you like thin DOF and creamy bokeh, it just might be worth putting up with its' shortcomings to get the nice bokeh.
[IMG]Bell Chimes by Dave Weber, on Flickr[/IMG]
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-26-2019, 02:08 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-26-2019, 01:45 PM
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FF Mode • 200 ISO • Pentax F 50mm F1.7
FF Mode • 100 ISO • Irix Blackstone 15mm F2.4 |
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-26-2019, 08:00 PM
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The beginnings of Eagle nesting season. The male brought a fish for the female, cementing the pairing. They went off an copulated shortly afterwards. 150-450 cropped substantially. I will get closer once the nest is established. I don't want to give them any reason to consider another site right now. I hope to get to the nest twice a week over the summer. |
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-27-2019, 06:54 AM
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I'm torn between these two, I kinda like the negative space on the first one, without him looking at me, but, the detail in the second one with a tighter crop in post, with eye contact is hard to not like.
Got a preference? (there is no wrong answer)
smc PENTAX-D FA MACRO 100mm F2.8 WR /4.0 100.0 mm 1/1250 iso400
smc PENTAX-D FA MACRO 100mm F2.8 WR /6.3 100.0 mm 1/500 iso400
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-27-2019, 07:02 AM
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Both are very good but I like the composition of the first shot better! ---------- Post added 03-27-19 at 03:06 PM ---------- Two shots from this morning ...
Also wolves seem to enjoy the beginning of spring!
K1 and DA* 4/300 |
Forum: Lens Clubs
03-27-2019, 07:53 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-26-2019, 01:33 AM
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FA31 vs FA28
FA31
A few days later as similar a perspective and editing as I could I tried with my son and the F28
FA77 |
Forum: Lens Clubs
03-17-2019, 06:12 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-10-2019, 11:35 PM
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"Party was lit last nite" |
Forum: Lens Clubs
03-10-2019, 10:22 PM
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FA31 |
Forum: Lens Clubs
03-07-2019, 02:32 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-06-2019, 10:13 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-06-2019, 05:30 PM
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Natural Traffic Light
FA77
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-02-2019, 05:06 AM
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Lady Ironfest
Single ocf speedlight, 120cm octagon camera left.
FA 77 Lady Ironfest
Another mild Brenizer studio flash shot, 3 shots stitched together with the FA43 to give added depth and medium format feel.
Single ocf speedlight, 120cm octagon camera left.
FA43 Queen of Hearts
Another mild Brenizer studio flash shot, 3 shots stitched together with the FA43 to give added depth and medium format feel.
Single ocf speedlight, 120cm octagon camera left.
FA43 Mr Merida
Single ocf speedlight, 120cm octagon camera left.
FA77
Steampunk Couple
Single ocf speedlight, 120cm octagon camera left.
FA43
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-01-2019, 03:45 PM
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Nice. I would say possibly skip the 43 and get the 77, I can imagine the 31 is quite similar to the 43 somewhat whereas the 77 quite an obvious different lens. The 31 is the last on my list, and I may consider flogging the 43 to afford it (I have other 45 and 55 focal lengths covered as well)...
Nope, I've heard it's pretty decent tho, and that price seems fair.
I just got the F28 yesterday, seems really nice and apparently better than the FA28, shame I can't post my results with it here tho :(
------
The Scientist
Lady Ironfest
FA77
Lady Ironfest
Another mild Brenizer studio flash shot, 3 shots stitched together with the FA43 to give added depth and medium format feel.
Single ocf speedlight, 120cm octagon camera left.
Queen of Hearts
Another mild Brenizer studio flash shot, 3 shots stitched together with the FA43 to give added depth and medium format feel.
Single ocf speedlight, 120cm octagon camera left.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-01-2019, 11:02 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-26-2019, 01:01 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-24-2019, 11:16 AM
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FA 77 on a K-5 [
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-21-2019, 11:50 AM
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Thanks heaps peeps!
Here's a few more; "Like this?.."
"Yep.. perfect.." *Click* Pride The 'Boss' The Horrors of War
All FA43.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-28-2019, 01:30 AM
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Yes, there is a pessimistic outlook this year. The stealth KP may help to go thru tough times in shelters and use it to photograph memories of the 2019 crisis times in black & white (like the great depression of 1930). I wonder however how to recharge KP batteries when electricity will be gone? Solar? So far, I've anticipated the crisis as I've bought rice and candles for a year , and a backup Pentax K1 II (to make sure I can document the crisis in black&white).
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