Pentax Ricoh

I read today that PentaxRicho Imaging are going to drop Pentax from their name from August this year ... what does this mean? why are they bothering ? ...jeff...

Doesn't seem likely - where is the source for this info?

Pentax name to be dropped from "company" name, no change to product names.

http://www.pentax.jp/english/news/2013/20130702.html

Pentax? Didn't they used to make cameras?

Ricoh, "A New World Order" company......

Thanks for link.

Well Pentax seems to have been a fairly obscure name for a while now, in this country anyway. For everything else there's... you know what

It does of course make a lot of sense: PRIC becomes RIC.

The Pentax name will still be on the products.

Best regards

uncertainty is the major problem of Pentax since the beginning of digital era

Bad move! Looks like they want to sell off Pentax

'

Why is it a bad move? This always happens with corporate structures, it doesn't mean the end of the Pentax brand...

TBH I don't give a monkeys about the name on the camera, I was happy enough with a Samsung badge with the GX10, it's all about what sort of investment they'll be putting into the products and this needs to kick in pretty soon as things are moving on very quickly now.

I'm certain many Pentax owners, much the same as I am, are keeping a close eye on developments elsewhere, the temptation to leave the brand is ever increasing so the next move needs to be a good one.

Simon

So there will be loads of "obsolete" kit for sale at rock bottom prices for us that couldn't afford to change brands

I wonder if the executives making this change would be totally bemused by the negativity expressed by some.

It seems to happen every time even the slightest change occurs.

There has been masses of development, new product introductions have accelerated and more plans are in the pipeline. How can a simple name change be seen as evidence of the End Of All Things?

I think the main problem is, it's going to sound to lots of people that Pentax (the product)is being dumped. Pick any magazine up and where do you see Pentax mentioned? As one member has already stated "Pentax, they used to make cameras didn't they"? No matter how good your product is, if you don't present it to the masses it will eventually fail.

I don't see what the problem is. PRIC was an embarrassing acronym, and Ricoh is the parent company which has 'subsumed' Pentax into itself, so this all makes sense. Perhaps Ricoh feel they don't need to use the Pentax name to broaden their appeal anymore, since they have a hit on their hands with the new GR.