RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: The Name PENTAX is Dismissed from the Cyber Space! >:-(

Sunday, August 04, 2013

The Name PENTAX is Dismissed from the Cyber Space! >:-(

The name of PENTAX was a history of the past since August 1st 2013. Look what Ricoh has done to destroy the name Pentax! >:-{ For instance, click the following, i.e., the old Pentax Japanese homepage:

http://www.pentax.jp/

It will be forwarded to the following page immediately:

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/moved/

It is told that the old webpage does no longer exist, visitors should click on the link to Ricoh Imaging web domain directly, here.

However, in the main page of RICOH, whilst we see the K-50, Q7, GR, K-5II and WG-3, we do not and cannot see the name of Pentax along with them! For instance:

I think a Ricoh K-50 and a Ricoh Q7 as it appears it entirely not correct and is actually rather disgusting!

In particular, I think only this is correct for the make and model amongst the five!

After all these happenings, I think Ricoh heads are actually having their brains grown under their asses! I feel obliged to say this but had to air it out! Even Hoya opted to keep all Pentax websites and domains and of course back to the old Asahi days Pentax.something was used all over the Internet. This is for the first time in the history of Pentax the name of "Pentax" was completed removed in the whole Internet! >:-o It is really a stupid move which is only meant to show sovereignty but no benefit of any but all disadvantages instead!

The intention of Ricoh is now very clear, what they wanted to do is to remove and destroy Pentax the name step-by-step and eventually Pentax will be absorbed and completely removed! I did hope that Ricoh should do good things to Pentax and improved many things by hard working for what Hoya had not yet done. However, the reverse is true for the reality.

After Ricoh's takeover for two years now, Pentax' product development is ever slowest and the name is now even destroyed. Damn Ricoh! If you just want to destroy Pentax, just did NOT buy it even it was dirty cheap for the deal! It is just all stupid and nonsense, even solely in commercial sense!

My last word, if some days later the name Pentax is completed removed and all new cameras and lenses are marked Ricoh, I will not buy anything from the company anymore, and NOT EVEN ONE! >:-[

Update: Now the Pentax Online Camera Store has also disappeared and it is now called "Ricoh Imaging Online Store" but for 99% of the goods it is selling are Pentax items! Funny but ridiculous enough?!

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Uncle Vova · 606 weeks ago

All these things were expectable. The "fire is going on according to the plan". ;)

+4 Vote up Vote down

Dean Koontz · 606 weeks ago

Pentax as a unique brand is gone. It's just a product line now. Ricoh-Pentax is like Canon Eos. Some of the fanboys at PF are in deep denial. PF management is in deep, deep trouble and will have to become Ricoh forum sooner or later!

1 reply · active 606 weeks ago

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not a PF fan · 606 weeks ago

That's why they are branching out with NFs and the enthusiast site. They won't be as popular and they might have to get a day job again.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Walt · 606 weeks ago

The insane thing is that most, at least in US, think of Ricoh as a copier company. Most know of Pentax from the film era and most photogs, of a certain age at least, used Pentax cameras for their photography classes. Even though Pentax is not as well known in the Digital age it still at least resonates with people in a positive way here. Ricoh? Not so much. There is really only the GR that caters to a small niche of enthusiasts, certainly nothing to build a brand awareness around. Will they keep the K mount and re-brand it or just sell it off again?

Again, why in the world would they buy then dump the brand and re-brand to Ricoh? Sure Sony could get away with it when they bought Minolta, but Sony was already known in the digital camera world and is primarily a consumer electronics company anyway, unlike Ricoh. Maybe the name change will work in Japan, but not here in the US.

10 replies · active 606 weeks ago

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Walt · 606 weeks ago

Oops I said Sony bought Minolta - well I guess they just purchased the camera group - Konica-Minolta in theory could re-enter the camera world using the old brand names.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Z.T. · 606 weeks ago

Yes, Walt, that is true. Sony do not own the rights to use Minolta name. That fact alone has cost Sony wobble position in the DSLR market, and that is also a reason Ricoh will not use name Ricoh in the DSLR range of products.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Uncle Vova · 606 weeks ago

Let's don't be so upset! The good news is that from this time Ricoh cameras will be the best cameras among the copiers. ;)
Any way at the present time the Pentax can't offer to customers nothing special that other brands can't offer in DSLR system (except 645D).
All it's glory is in the past - in the film photography era and not really in the camera building but mostly due to the great legendary lenses.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Z.T. · 606 weeks ago

Pentax prophets of doom and gloom are legendary too. :)

-2 Vote up Vote down

Uncle Vova · 606 weeks ago

Several years ago the same words some funny blinded Minolta fans said about the Minolta "prophets" with laugh...
So what? ;) Minolta! Where you are?!

-4 Vote up Vote down

Z.T. · 606 weeks ago

Minolta fans were not investigating the matters but were acting as mob; Sony *did not* buy Minolta's name, only camera tech and patents. In the case of Ricoh, Ricoh specifically *WANTED* to have rights to use Pentax brand name together with Hoya, who is also using it in medical division they were interested in (Hoya didn't want camera division of the company).

*No Pentax name, and Ricoh would not buy*. Got it?! Or let me tell once again: Ricoh WANTED Pentax name!

The situation is 180 degrees opposite to what Sony did, but I presume, only in some places and by some people that vital information is further dumbed down and turned into its opposite — just for someone's ill-amusement..

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RiceHigh 110p · 606 weeks ago

But the hard fact we've seen now is that Ricoh dumped the Pentax name, at least for all the web domains! What to argue?

-2 Vote up Vote down

Alex · 606 weeks ago

With you, it's pointless to argue - as you only see what you want to see.
Ricoh definitely did not dumped the Pentax name; they repeatedly said they will continue to use the brand. Your "at least" is all that happened.

+4 Vote up Vote down

RiceHigh 110p · 606 weeks ago

You're one of the most stupid fanboys who posts all around the web to defend everything Pentax and must have too much time in your life. But wait, where is Pentax in Web now?!

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Uncle Vova · 606 weeks ago

I think that Ricoh did not want the name of Pentax but strongly wanted the infrastructure of Pentax photo division. Ricoh has it's own well-known name and that's enough to provide it's own marketing line, especially today when the Pentax is not the leader in DSLR photography.
Turning back to the history of Minolta, let's see that Minolta was sold only one time and at the period of time when the most active Minolta fans made their opinion that Pentax will die in the first turn. ;) They even could not imaging so sad situation for their lovely Minolta at that it will happen so soon and fast.
Now, after several sellings and even after rebranding of the united company some most active Pentax fans don't want even soberly look and analyse the current situation...
The life and the time will judge our opinions.

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Lauren · 606 weeks ago

I am still flying the Pentax banner!!! http://www.pentax.us.com/
I am alone holding back the tide!
:)

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Russ · 606 weeks ago

I see Nine instances of Pentax on the page. If you click the product link for the Pentax cameras, Pentax name shows more often still. The only thing missing is that the parent company is now called Ricoh.

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Pentax Proud · 606 weeks ago

Pentax, as a company and a culture, ended when Hoya officially took ownership of the company in the hostile takeover of 2007. When they brought outsiders into run the various business units (ruin may be a better word), whose focus was on a total destruction of the Pentax culture and "transforming" Pentax into a "more professional" company, the writing was on the wall. The Pentax camera business had made a remarkable financial recovery prior to the takeover and was positioned for growth (company was well in excess of $500M in revenue) when Hoya took over. My sources told me the company had been in the $200M - $250M revenue range (may be high given the USA business was significantly South of $100M - falling to less than half the revenue we were doing at time of takeover) when Hoya was finally able to find someone (Ricoh) to dump what was left of the business.

Anybody who knew Pentax and those of us who spent a considerable part of our careers with the company fully understood that Pentax had a unique and very special culture built-up over an 88-year history by the time Hoya entered the picture. What made us great were our people. When new management decided that people were easily replaced commodities, that culture was destroyed and those who were left basically have been going through the motions until they can retire or they too are killed by new owners.

Pentax is dead - a very painful death for all of us who gave our all to the company for so many years. I wish Ricoh nothing but success and hope the survivors who transitioned from Pentax have very successful careers but make no mistake about it, Pentax no longer exists as a culture or a company. It died in 2007 - RIP.

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Mojtaba · 594 weeks ago

I hope another company begins to produce dslr camera with PK mount. Damn you Samsung that did not choose the k-mount. To Ricoh I should say that this attitude of Pentax cleansing is not something you win on. The Pentax brand has a great respect amoung photographers around the world. Don't destroy it.

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Sunday, August 04, 2013

The Name PENTAX is Dismissed from the Cyber Space! >:-(

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