The First Pentax Camera in History (Prototype)

An interesting read: https://kosmofoto.com/2019/10/the-first-pentax-camera-was-east-german/

Credit (via): DPR forum post here

Asahi Pentax Factory in 1964

Someone has scanned and uploaded at Flickr an old magazine article about the Asahi Pentax factory in 1964 which is quite interesting. Good job, guy! And, those were the days!

A Nice Pentax Gear Site

http://www.pentax-slr.com/

[Fanboyism] Pentax History and Cameras 1952-2017 (Official)

http://www.pentax.com/en/pentaxhistory/archives/

http://s1.media.ricoh-imaging.de/media/7542ab0e4610697f54bd87b2ce2c343e/poster_A1_slr_cameras1952_2017.pdf

Amongst the above, I bought 15 models over years.

So, for my 15 Pentax interchangeable-lens bodies, they can be further categorised as follows:

- 4 Film and 11 Digital
- 2 Medium Format, 4 135 Full Frame, 8 APS-C, 1 Tiny Sensor Format
- 14 Reflex and 1 Mirrorless
- 1 Silver, 1 Oliver, 1 Blue, 1 Gold and 1 White, all Others are Black in Colour
- 10 models can take AA batteries, 4 with adaptors or with grips (which were bought separately at high prices)
- Total cost of these cameras when bought new was huge, present value is minimal! :-(

After all, I must admit that I am a true Pentax fanboy, who bought and supported the brand blindly, over decades! :-((

Pentax History Official Website

http://www.pentax.com/en/pentaxhistory/

40 Years of the K-mount

Source: http://store.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/contents/originalgoods_2015.aspx


Related: Pentax SLR Cameras 1952-2011

Re-birth of the Film KS-1, aka Ricoh XR-6! :D

Source: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ricoh/ricoh_xr-6/ricoh_xr-6.htm

RP Closes Canada Sevice Centre and Outsources Service

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3706129

The PENTAX Name is Gone! >:-[

Via Photo Rumors.

Would You Buy This Lens?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SMC-Pentax-A-50mm-f-1-2-MF-Lens-Serial-1414748-New-in-Box-/261370308717?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3cdae2686d

It is claimed that it is a brand new item produced by Asahi Optical Company long time ago. Since I have also many of those excellent Asahi glasses, which are all in very good condition, I must be rich if I sell them! ;-p

New Rumour: The Three FA Limiteds Will be Ricohized Very Soon! :-o

http://forum.xitek.com/thread-1248533-1-1-1.html
(in Simplified Chinese, Google English Translation Here.)

A Pentax user who has attended a recent official product briefing session at China, it is said that a Ricoh official told publicly about the "revamping" of the three FA Limited lenses, with details as follows:

- The "update" will happen soon,
- The Japanese style green "pearl" of the lens-changing mark on the existing Pentax 31 and 77 Limited lenses will be removed,
- The new lens will still be screw-driven for the AF, i.e., no SDM nor DC nor whatsoever in-lens AF motor,
- New HD lens coating will replace the old SMC one for better performance,
- A Ricoh red ring will be added (and of course)!

There are some photos posted for the event. Just click the above thread to view more if interested.


Related:

Some "Lost Stories" About the Three FA Limited Lenses

Ricoh Continues to Dump SMC and Ricohizes the Outlook of Existing DA Lenses!

PF Comparison on the "New" HD DA Limiteds Against the Original SMC Versions

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/hd-pentax-limited-primes/introduction.html

This shootout must be great for the PF guys! They should be able to sell *either* more of the old SMC stocks or the new HD ones! Brilliant! ;-p

Pentax -> Pentax Ricoh -> Ricoh Pentax -> What's Next?

A Taiwan Pentaxian unboxed his new Ricoh K-3 has taken a shot together with his old K-5 and K-5IIs for the boxes and bodies, as follows:

http://www.pentaxfans.net/thread-141437-1-1.html
(in Traditional Chinese)



So, as clearly seen in the above, the path of brand naming goes down like that: Pentax -> Pentax Ricoh -> Ricoh Pentax -> What's NEXT?? :-o

I bet most primary pupils will guess the answer should be RICOH Only, which is much sensible enough. Yes, that's my bet too! The trend is really too obvious but again, it is SO SAD! Not even to mention it is rather disgusting afterall! >:-[


Last Related:

That's Really Disgusting! New RICOH>>Pentax Branded Stuff! >:-(

Recent Pentax Tests with Full Samples (HD Limiteds and K-3)

After years of inactivity, Photodo has lately done more lens tests and here are some recent tests with the "new" HD Limited lenses of 70/2.4, 35/2.8 and 15/4:

http://www.photodo.com/topic_1126.html?page_num=0

http://www.photodo.com/topic_1127.html?page_num=0

http://www.photodo.com/topic_1128.html?page_num=0

Some high resolution full samples are also posted per test, the body used was a K-5IIs.

Btw, the new colour scheme and look of the lenses are really ugly! All the marks and scales are now in white "colour" only and the markings and fonts look cheap indeed, reflecting completely bad taste of the Ricoh guys!

Besides, DPR have published their first sample gallery for photos taken with the K-3 and mostly with a much better looking DA18-135 of the ex-Pentax. Just go figure yourself if you like the samples or not. Of course, for the sake of measurbation, full samples are always available at DPR. :-)

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/reviewsamples/albums/pentax-k-3-samples-gallery

If you are impressed, just go buy the green ring Pentax lenses as far as they are still available of which a red ring variant with all white printings will replace them sooner or later, nonetheless! >:-(

That's Really Disgusting! New RICOH>>Pentax Branded Stuff! >:-(

(Source: DC Home)


(Source: PF)

Well, I didn't mind support either Pentax or Ricoh branded product, which I bought both actually for years, see below:


(Source: My Blog)

However, raping Pentax the brand and mixing both into a bastard with a BIG RICOH leading head and a small Pentax tail is really rather disgusting. The RICOH heads at Japan have really no clue for what they have been doing marketing wise but just knew to declare their Sovereignty once and once again with an intention to diminish Pentax the name step by step which in turn actually has caused much damages to both brands! >:-[

Btw, I will not buy any of those RICOH Pentax bastard products anymore, unless some days later they correct this very wrong act of theirs and respect Pentax the valuable brand again, at least! (But which is unlike to happen!)


Related:

A Ricoh K-3 Could Look Better! :-o

New Product Images of the "Ricoh" K-3 and A "New" Red Ring DA HD 55-300 WR Lens

Ricoh has Changed the Serial Numbering of the New FA Limited Lenses

Do They Know What They Are Talking About?! >:-[

Let's Not Forget the Prominent History of Asahi Pentax (Re: Pentax 67 and 645)

While Ricoh continues to ricohize the Pentax camera and lenses (recent examples here, here and here) and dwarf the name of "Pentax" (instead of strengthening it further!), I am glad to see someone still remember Pentax the brand and is yet making a product with the old genuine brand name of Asahi "Pentax" and here it is!

http://www.dodgeandburn.com/collections/shop/products/six-by-seven

I have got one and found that the textile quality is good and it looks cool. Below are two snapshots with my 645N SLR camera (taken with my *Pentax* K-5 + DA35):



Btw, the original Pentax 6x7, together with the original Pentax 645, are recognised as one of the milestone cameras of Pentax by AOHC whilst my 645N is recognised as a masterpiece. So, why not a 645 T-shirt also? Besides, I would want more colours of the T-shirt instead of only that light cyan colour for the background to "select" from, nonetheless.


Related:

True Fanboyism!

20 Millions of Pentax Cameras in 2013

The 645D Kit (Lens) Got Delivered to an End-User, Finally!

20 Millions of Pentax Cameras in 2013

See the posts here, here and here by Pentax PH.

So, for what is told, the 20 million-th Pentax camera has just been manufactured at Cebu's Pentax factory in Philippines this year, which has happened only after 32 years when their 10 million-th camera was made back to 1981. It is interesting to note that the first Pentax camera, the Ashaiflex I was first created and marketed back to 1952. So, Pentax was able to make and sell their first 10 millions of Pentax cameras in 29 years last time, and then for another 10 millions of cameras in another 32 years. But since cameras have become widely popular and they have been just domestic products in recent decades, the above figures have just proven and witnessed clearly about the decline of this once Giant in the camera industry and history.

For what I have just counted, I have bought 16 models of Pentax cameras these decades, for both film (5 models) and digital (11 models), SLR or not, since I first bought my Pentax SFX in 1988.

Nonetheless, as for that mentioning about the gold/brown coloured Q10 against the LX Gold Limited Edition, I think that yet once again hurts the weak sentiments of we long-time Pentaxians! :-( It is because the LX was just the last real professional grade camera body and system of Pentax whilst the Q10 is just a toy. Compare a Q10 with the LX is really rather inappropriate after all, IMHO! Btw, I have my gold/brown coloured K-r myself, which I think is still way better than a toyish Q10, isn't it?

Do They Know What They Are Talking About?! >:-[

First see this official press release:

http://www.us.ricoh-imaging.com/about/press/310/Ricoh_Imaging_Americas_Corporation_Expands_Team_with_Appointment_of_Brian_McIntosh_as_Director_of_Marketing

And quoted:
"| About Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation |

The company now known as Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation, was originally founded in 1919, under the name Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co. and launched its first SLR camera in the 1950s under the PENTAX name."

What the Fuck they are talking about?! Do they know what they are actually saying!? >:-{

Ricoh has Changed the Serial Numbering of the New FA Limited Lenses

See this post at the Chinese Xitek Forum for what is reported and posted:

http://forum.xitek.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1167651&page=1&ordertype=1#pid47747769
(in Simplified Chinese.)

The new s/n is now named as ABCXXXX instead of 00XXXXX of before, where the header ABC is not a zero number anymore, see below for the latest production (left) against an older/previous one (right):


(Click to Enlarge.)

Since the first production of the FA43 back to 1997, the FA Limited lenses are all serial numbered from zero and up. In particular, mine is in 000XXXX, which shows that it is an early production with a s/n in thousands:


(Picture first posted here.)

After all, I think Ricoh really loves very much for changing old Pentax names everything, now even the serial numbering is needed to be changed, even for that of those old Pentax FA Limited lenses! What's next? >:-o But then, what's the real thing that they have really achieved, other than name changing?! >:-\

I Miss the PENTAX Green Rings and LOGO on Lenses! >:-(

We all have learnt what Ricoh has done to Pentax recently, SMC was replaced further and the Pentax logo was removed from the name plates of the repackaged DA Limited lenses! And, a Ricoh GXR coloured red ring replaces the symbolic green rings of our Pentax DA lenses..!



Pretending Zeiss lenses? Marked "Aperture / Focal" something, instead of marking "Focal / Aperture" (which is the common convention of the industry) and particularly not "Pentax / Focal" which has been done for over twenty years for all PENTAX AF lenses since early 90s! Again, Ricoh's intention is clear, Pentax will be extinguished step-by-step and some days later this name will be removed completely and they (Ricoh) will get their final "success"! >:-o



N.B. All lenses above are mine and these images are completely copyrighted by me - All rights reserved!