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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-03-2017, 10:38 AM
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It certainly didn't help the populations of those countries, but I think it did actually ultimately benefit Pentax in the 1960s - 1970s because East Block countries were large scale suppliers of very low cost M42/"Pentax"-mount SLRs (I must have bought around half a dozen over the years) which were then bought by people who often wanted to buy Pentax (as I did) but could simply not afford one at that time - but that got many of us "thinking and wanting", and ultimately later buying, Pentax "for real".
Things have changed quite dramatically since then as there now are no alternative suppliers of low-cost Pentax KA mount system-compatible DSLRs (from the Eastern Bloc, Far East or elsewhere) to bring in new buyers who might well later start buying Pentax "for real".
PS: I don't consider the above to be a "political" post but simply a statement of how things were "then" and how they are "now"
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
10-12-2017, 03:14 PM
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Didn't say I was around when AP was first sold ! Only that it was "there" when I got interested in photography :D (Actually 70th b/d is next week, so not 135 :D)
Referenced post now "amended" to correct any "misinformed" assumptions about that :D
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
10-12-2017, 01:23 PM
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I sympathise with Wheatfield - I was made redundant (="laid off") at least 5 times (and close to that number at least 5-10 more times).
---------- Post added 10-12-17 at 09:29 PM ----------
AND NOT showing anything in the way of new Pentax stuff in their current Amateur Photographer (= AP - a weekly UK photo mag - been on the market before I was very young) ads.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
10-12-2017, 12:39 AM
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I think the same was (IS?) true in Europe as the last time I looked at the UK list (a couple of years ago) that also listed quite a number of stores which either were not still in existence or weren't photo stores any more :(
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
10-11-2017, 02:40 PM
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Mike
In that aspect I agree with you - I probably should have said "..it's newer and smaller dealers.....". I have bought from SRS and UK Camera Centre in Cardiff over the years with no problems. OTOH, I don't think that Ricoh does anywhere near enough to attract and keep those smaller companies.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
10-11-2017, 02:18 PM
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Several years ago a very reputable independent camera store (Mifsuds, Brixham, Devon) in the UK was advertising Canikon and then added Pentax (saying they were an Authorised dealer) - and then, less than a year (probably a lot less) they dropped any mention of Pentax, apart from used equipment sales!
Ricoh in Europe also just does NOT support it's dealers properly (thank goodness that some of the larger independents that sell Pentax can also rely on non-Pentax sales and so are doing - relatively! - well)!.
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