Pentax UK Interview

I think it is disappointing Ricoh and Pentax are not doing anything on the communications front. I don't have any doubt that they will still support the K mount, though.

But seriously. We are talking about a major takeover of a company. They will have to evaluate and make plans, reorganize, hire people and estimate production facilities - for now and in the immediate future. I have worked on projects taking way longer than that. When strategic decisions are to be made and implemented things take time. Hoya probably did a good job of cutting costs, but I don't expect they left the building with a lot of projects for the future.

I am certainly not in panic mode, but they could do a better job maintaining their current users - and keeping us happy.

Ho hum... a very disappointing interview carried out by someone who had done no research and was quite happy to write down whatever the interviewee said without challenging anything or pushing any point. Quite pathetic really.

Indeed.

[quote="UK GM"]There are rumors of a Full Frame Pentax?
I've not seen that one.

Did you know there's also a Facebook page asking Pentax for a Full Frame camera?
I didn't know that,
[/quote]Lying toad.

Either that or his head, and those of all his minions, are so far up somewhere that they can neither see nor hear.

Or of course, it really is true that they give so little of a damn about their actual customers' requests that their policy is to positively avoid all forums.

Erm, I presume.

Your conclusion is wrong because that is just not how mergers and takeovers work.

In a friendly takeover an operating plan for the acquired company is fine-tuned during the negotiations based on conversations with management, accounting due diligence, etc. That is a key part of the process of figuring out how much the business and any resulting synergies are worth, and by extension your potential returns.

Furthermore, although very little information was released regarding the terms of the Pentax acquisition it seemed there was a firm formula for calculating the price based on audited accounts and critically no subjects or conditions to the agreement.

The last point is key, because no self-respecting company, would *ever* negotiate a deal with a fixed price formula, and then leave it in the hands of the old management for 6 months to mismanage. They would require day to day control otherwise the whole thing would be a complete non-starter.

Unless it is not a strategic acquisition but more a break-up exercise with plenty of downside protection on the price; I think that is probably still unlikely but the apparent mass liquidation of the lens stocks via Amazon/Jessops promotions is giving me second thoughts.

This is interesting:

As I understand it the A55 uses the same sensor as the K5, which suggests to me that both cameras are being phased out because the specific sensor is being discontinued.

Phew!

The Nikon D7000 also uses the same sensor and I can't see that being discontinued any time soon as it's a volume seller for them.

Just had an email from NEC/Focus. Neither Pentax or Ricoh are in the list of exibhitors. What does this tell us. CHEERS Vic.

It tells us that Pentax won't be ready to showcase their new products by then...

..nor Samsung, Sony...

Give them a chance to get things together I would rather wait another few months for them to make their move and show us something good.

Rather wait than?

Best regards

Let's just hope it's worht the wait. I like some others cant see that a takeover would bring things to a grinding halt.

But I am not in business so perhaps I a talking Guff.

I think it inevitable that the longer the delay the higher the expectation- I would expect a brand new camera if the dealy continues into the spring, and I would expect it to be very good.

I do think if they foul up the next release (another Q) then the implications could be quite serious.

I think Fuji have done a very good job with their recent releases. They are by no means perfect cameras but they have become desirable- a triumph of marketing as well as design. Ricoh should take note, they need to release a game changer- if the delay results in this then it will have been worth it.

I have my doubts though.

We have absolutely no idea how hard hit the supply chain has been by the Thailand floods, and before that the other problems in Japan. If there is a failure of supply for some parts then the production lines will stop, unless the parts can be resourced from alternative suppliers. This takes time.

I think we should be very happy that recently there have been some superb opportunities to buy very expensive lenses at very low prices. No doubt it has also helped to keep the cash flowing, but I don't see why everything that happens has to be a source of gloom.

I am sure they are looking at what Fuji have done very carefully. Their latest cameras have raised the bar and may have prompted further development of products in the pipeline. I'm glad Ricoh have decided to wait until they have a product worth shouting about, rather than book a stand at Focus on Imaging with their current rather limited lineup.

The products aren’t the problem for Pentax, which have largely been critically acclaimed and award winning (recently increasingly dodgy quality control notwithstanding).

The fundamental problem has been crap marketing - exemplified by the original disastrous failure to enter the dslr market in a timely manner - and the overriding priority to ensure the medium term survival of the company is to fix this.

I had high hopes for an improvement under Ricoh’s stewardship believing things couldn’t have got any worse, but incredibly the announcement of product discontinuation without replacements and the jawdropping naming of the new organisation PRIC suggest that incompetence in this department is somehow contagious.