See what the Japanese Nikkei Business News says:-
http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Ricoh-may-close-shutter-on-personal-camera-business
And, the vague response from Ricoh:-
http://www.ricoh.com/info/2017/0412_1.html
Friday, April 14, 2017
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zosX · 414 weeks ago
Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. Maybe Ricoh will sell them. Maybe they won't. Maybe someone would want to buy Pentax. The future is always uncertain, especially now. Even Nikon and Olympus are looking like they soon might just be history. Just take pictures and enjoy. There is a market for cameras. Someone will fill it.
RiceHigh 110p · 414 weeks ago
But in fact, Pentax has died two times already, sold to Hoya and then Ricoh.
Peter · 414 weeks ago
But maybe, Pentax was already as-good-as-dead at the time when it was sold on.
When do you think, what was the most lethal death?
I believe, most lethal was when Hoya decided to dissolve Pentax' lens development department, to remove this constly redunandcy where Hoya had already Tokina for that.
A camera maker w/o a lens department is essentially dead. They need to purchase and rebadge other lenses, or ask 3rd parties to construct unique lenses on Pentax request. Both is too expensive to be competitive.
The 2nd real death was, when 3rd parties (Sigma, Tamron) decided to not offer their modern, newest state-of-ART lenses (actually any new lenses) for Pentax K any longer. But who wants a system, where there are only overpriced proprietary lenses (which are often just cheaper 3rd party lenses, rebadged, and retagged with a double price tag or so).
The 3rd death was, that the K-1 reveald that Pentax still isn't good in autofocusing (AF-C).
The 4th death was, that Pentax went against the market by offering particularly big and heavy FF & DA lenses, where there's a tendency that FF DSLR users drop their disgustingly heavy FF stuff to go for something compact like Fuji X.
The 5th death is the recent 'death risk' announcement. This acellerates things usually.
The 6th death is in 2018.
Peter · 414 weeks ago
ToetSFX · 414 weeks ago
Peter · 414 weeks ago
For comparison , the closest competitor, the Nikon D7200, sold and sells like hell, and turned out to be one of Nikons great sales success (along with their D750). Even today, where the successor D7500 has been officially anounced, the D7200 still ranks #21 at Amazon.
It doesn't seem to matter at all, that the K-3II got Gold and the D7200 got Silver at DPReview.
One reason success could be, that many hobbyists ar getting interested in people photography, where precise and sensitive AF-C tracking of your subject is essential to whether you're going to love or hat your system. For animal photography, that helps as well.
The other big reason (applying to everyone) is the lens choice situation. Many (including me) would avoid a system, where you find yourself cut off from the "latest and greatest" 3rd party lenses.
Even the Art 50mm f1.4 is not available for Pentax, even though that lens is the gold standard and a top seller for professional. people photography (and comparably ambitioned hobbyists) today.
Fuji X has the same lens selection issue, they have a full monopoly over their lenses. But they target a different audience, probably people who had expensive FF gear before, and now want to size down (go mirrorless) and upgrade the same time optically to something Leica-ish. And Fuji X delivers that package to them, which made them also very successful in their segment.
I also considered Fuji X but decided against them due to the overpriced lens monopoly, which is not good for hobbyists. But if Sigma was engaged into the Fuji X mount, than the X system would have skyrocketed through the roof, I'm sure.
Sony is a good example, how important lens choice is; they are now the no. 2 behind Canon and before Nikon in the US. That success story would never have happend, if the Sony mount had only proprietary Sony lenses, but no 3rd party lenses.
For Pentax, I have no idea now what to recommend. It's too late now. Nobody want's to buy a sick business which engaged into the wrong things strategically. Prossably, a Chinese investor may want to purchase the brand name to market their Chinese stuff as "Pentax". That's something I could imagine.
xMeda · 413 weeks ago
Or they'd better wait 2-3 years before they stabilize at least some DFA lenses and then unleash the FF body.
They had nice APS-C system, but it has to be finished and sudden death motor lenses need overhaul. Now they have one system unfinished with ageing lenses and FF system which is laughable when compared to competition.
Which is sad.
Light · 414 weeks ago
I believe Pentax has 9 lives so it won't go away anytime soon. Its just a matter of how much profit Ricoh wish to make from the camera business.
ToetSFX · 414 weeks ago
ToetSFX · 414 weeks ago
ToetSFX · 414 weeks ago
xMeda · 414 weeks ago
Expensive lenses like DA560 = fail
K-1 without lens support = fail
Still missing proper K3 replacement = fail
3rd party companies abandoning K mount due to low sales = fail
Overpriced tamron lenses with pentax logo = fail
They seriously need to shake heads and work with stuff they can do properly. K3 successor and overhaul of ageing DA & DA* lenses needed.
Snappertim · 413 weeks ago
2 k1 stand alone successful product
3 3rd party not supplying k mount lens because they contract make for Pentax, the deal is " we make a lens for you (Pentax) and we will not market a lens under our own name (Tamron/Sigma) so less completion for your (Pentax) Sales"
Nissin make the flash guns and you can not get one of those in Pentax as well same deal
4 q series inherited from Hoya Group (Kenko product) at little or no cost all sales a profit for Pentax and a heavy licence to Hoya, Hoya demanded Ricoh sell Q system as part of buyout, Times up , Ricoh will make its own replacement based around GR
5 K3 IS OVER the future is full frame, replacement will be K2 as K3 but full frame chip (Sony purchased Toshiba chip plant and Sony is full frame maker)
6 Pentax still makes lens in Vietnam, 50 1.4 and 35 2 just reintroduced, Ltd range still available.
xMeda · 413 weeks ago
2) Zero proof of that, demand was saturated just 1/2 year after shipping started and now they are on stock in shops, no miracle happening
3) 3rd party lens manufacturers do not even bother creating lenses for pentax any more, which does not help, but does exact opposite. If customers are deciding which FF body to buy, on one hand they have D810 with full lens support and several alternatives and on the other hand they have K-1 with two rebadged overpriced tamrons and basically zero fast modern primes
5) Advanced APS-C is needed, as you can see on D500 sales. Btw. APS-C cameras below $1000 are 85% of canikon sales. K70 is good product, but needs companion for all those people with DA lenses waiting for meaningful upgrade. Which K3II WAS NOT and KP IS NOT, as it basically is another "KS-3" camera.
6) I have both. FA50/1.4 is barely usable starting from F2+, FA35/2 although fairly sharp has horrible hexagonal bokeh with any aperture setting but F2. None of these lenses is comparable to Sigma 50/1.4 Art and Sigma 35/1.4 Art. We are no longer in 2007 with 10mpix K10Ds.
Considering reality with sales: https://pentaxrumors.com/2017/03/09/ricoh-imaging...
Chris · 413 weeks ago
I don't get it. As a hobbyist who loves to take pictures (not videos), enjoys 3D effect/bokeh of fast lenses, yet wants to carry a light pack and wants an easy to learn, easy to operate versatile camera, I say the K-1 with available primes (20/2.8, the three FA Limiteds, plus the 100/2.8 macro, 135/2.8, 200/2.8 and 300/4.0 - I usually pick two lenses for any occasion) is the finest system on the market. If Pentax was about to shut down, what alternatives are there? I don't want those bulky, castrated sub-pro models Canikon offer. A smartphone is fine to copy the occasional flip chart or document an accident, but to photograph my kids, landscape impressions from a hike or whatever?
By the way, for me the Pentax K-1 AF works just fine, and nothing beats in-body stabilization with a compact prime lens selection.
An exception _may_ be sports and wildlife photography both of which I am not into.
Chris · 413 weeks ago
Ok, everything is fine. My beloved Pentax will stay alive...