It's Time to Seriously Think Again about the Future of Pentax.. Really.

Last time in May, I created this Poll:

If You Were Pentax, What Would You Do Now?

Okay, two months have elapsed. There is no news of any about any new camera bodies nor new lenses from Pentax. Nothing! Do you hear anything a bit more concrete and official? There have been a few recent rumours, but which only half of the people believe and half don't! ;-) So what after all?

Whilst most of the people who voted in the above Poll wanted Pentax to build a Pentax 135 Full Frame system now and soonest, and then there followed by another group of strong voice for asking new and better APS-C gear, it seems that Pentax/Hoya has still been sleeping and let us know nothing about their plan and roadmap! >:-{ In fact, they just opted to ignore all of us from time to time as usual!!

Next in the Poll, there are still close to 20% of the Pentaxians who suggested a new ILDC/EVIL* from Pentax. But of course, there is None! Nothing!
(* ILDC = Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera / EVIL = Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (DC))

And then, a small group of people (in 3% only, the least minority) who voted meant to have some funs (I suppose, and as what I intended to be, so as to have some humours), they selected that "Pentax is doing Nothing! They just (know to) sit there and wait to die!" But now it seems that they really just act in this way as presented and the reality and current situation is exactly the same!? Too bad?! Permissible enough?? :=((

Frankly, I have been rather and very impatient recently about the acts and slow act by Pentax, and actually it should be NO action of ANY (but not just Slooow) at the Pentax/Hoya side at all!

And to share and tell you something more: Last time in the beginning of May, I emailed them first to introduce myself, and then pointed to my Blog, asked them about the new cameras and gear in development, and finally with some very kind suggestions to them which all meant to be helpful but nothing else.. I had got no response of any at all near the end of May! So, I sent another quick message and reminder to them to ask for a response and shown my disappointment for hearing nothing and for being ignored. Then, they reluctantly gave me quickly a rough reply then, it wrote:-

"Dear Customer,

Thank you for your input. We currently have no plan to take these actions.

Sincerely

PENTAX Imaging system Division
HOYA CORPORATION"

So, do you get the message? I really don't get it exactly, really. But my impression is just like that, "I will tell you nothing and don't want to deal with you. Go away! Don't bother me anymore! Bye!!"

Damn!! I was really pissed off!! Am much upset/annoyed!!! >>:=(

I might and would still write some Petitions later to Pentax/Hoya at the Petition Online to requesting them to make Full Frame and/or to give us something more innovative and updated and having better performance. But would it be useful? Maybe I have just been too naive for what I have been thinking and doing, I know. Since they have never responded to public Petition online. Just see this SDM example - Neither Ned Bunnell, Pentax Imaging nor the Pentax/Hoya HQs have ever responded!

In the meantime, if you feel the same as me, and you are just as stupid and brand-blinded as me, you can still write to that "Public Relation/Communciation Department" of that Hoya Corp. and giant company! (Click Here to send an Email to them) to reflect our views and voice out our silly request! Stand up, Pentaxians!! (Or anyway, should I/we actually save Our Time and forget the brand anyway?? Since most possibly Pentax/Hoya would ignore us all in all or just to give us useless replies as before after all!)

Finally, my recent objective shootout tests (I firmly believe they are and I have no bias of any at all but only intended to find out the truth!) and results between my most updated and actually not-quite-cheap "beloved" Pentax gear against the current competition and offers of the same of close enough classes (say, the Canon 550D, Sony NEX-5 - one upper and one lower) have all shown that my Pentax gear have already been thrown away and have been lagging behind the game in various performance aspects and feature wise more and more when each day passes! I feel even more upset and desperate when I see those!!!! (If you know me well and long enough, you did know that I really hope my Pentax gear won! But..!)

To be even more objective, if you have read the new DxO Labs' Lenses+Bodies measurbation tests, anyone can see that the Pentax DSLR combos get the lowest marks amongst all the other current and newer DSLR gear offers from other brands. I am not going to ask you to compare against the Full Frame gear from others, as Pentax has none, but which are even stronger - Hard Fact Again! Remember, *just* the APS-C ones by others. Yes, I repeat, just the APS-C cropped machines by Canon and Nikon! Some fanboys always attacked that my measurbation tests are not scientific and nothing objective and are all junks.. So, do the DxOLabs ones in-depth and scientific / professional and objective enough then?? Do the testing environment being controlled and consistent enough???

And, I think it's yet suitable to bring up my last old Blog article when I feel totally desperate about Pentax, which is still quite valid and applies well for most of the facts/points I raised up to this minute, even after more than one year by now when I wrote it! Go read:-

Really NO MORE HOPE WITH PENTAX

To tell you the last thing, today I've rushed to buy the Sony NEX-5 or 3 dual-lens kit (I actually could afford it without a second thought and to pay it one-off, even by cash, frankly - Just like when I bought my K-x and 3 more lenses back to January and February of this Year). But unluckily the NEX kits have already been run of stock in all the shops - even I have seen many of them all around the shops in the city in this week and just the last! I just saw the last box of my targeted kit run out of my sight in a few second, even after I have only been able to find the "last" set after searching hardly. It is just because one of the shop supervisors bought it himself for his friend after an "urgent" call and he has apologised to me already. I couldn't blame anyone in this case, since I just acted too slowly (like Pentax/Hoya has been)!! :-o :-(

Now, even the Official Pentaxian of the Year has gone away more than one month now and Lance has now been much active at the DPR Nikon Forum instead of at the Pentax Forum (check his posting log over there and also you can just see Lance B is only but often appearing as "Top Posters at the DPR Nikon Forum). How long shall Pentax/Hoya take for them to action? Furthermore and last but not least, I have been seeing the Pentax goods (except the standard K-x kit set) have been going off and disappearing from the shelves of many shops one by one in recent months and now they are all vanished, I just wish to repeat and ask again at the end of my this post and at the end of the day(s):-

Is Pentax/Hoya just really sitting there and wait to die???