Ricoh Announces Major restructure of Imaging Business...

Will affect us all...consumers and retailers by the sound of it...Link HERE on Photorumors.

I'm sure will generate a fair bit of online chat.

It has over on the PF site.

There's some debate as to whether this will be limited to the Japanese market, but looks like you pre-order a camera body to your own specification then sit back and wait for it to be built. Not sure about how this could work with lenses.

For it to work globally they'd have to have build facilities in strategic locations. Would really impact SRS unless they could become such a facility, but I suspect builds will be part of repairs.

My first thought was the impact on retailers, not just SRS. I remember my trips to Japan over 10 years ago and to BIC in Kyoto and Yodobashi in Osaka where considerable floor space was devoted to Pentax. Pentax I believe still has a loyal following in Japan and wonder how this will affect Pentax's position in the market.

Then I saw the date of the announcement will be made: April 1st.

I wonder....

This is just a change from build-to-plan to build-to-order. Many industries have gone down this route already.
It would require re-engineering of the body to allow some flexibility but options could include physical things like sensor size and flip-screen.
Other things are a function of firmware like astro-tracer or video capability. Or simply processing power for fast autofocus which could be down to a chip change.
Given the capability of carriers like DHL or UPS it would be perfectly feasible to manufacture in one site and deliver world wide. Local businesses have been ordering custom printed circuit boards which have been delivered 72 hours after the design has been shipped to manufacturers in China.
Lenses are a different issue, in a way more like tyres on a car, not much change over time with a standard interface over many models of car.

"Ricoh will stop mass-producing cameras and will concentrate on “workshop-like” manufacturing process."

So, going for a place at the Leica/Hasselblad end of the market?

If retailers lose the means to sell new products what happens if I want to trade in Pentax equipment for a new Pentax lens, say? That cannot be done with this model unless visiting one of their “mall” outlets. All this must impact on the secondhand value of equipment which, seeing as I have rather a lot invested in Pentax is very worrying. Seeing that Ricoh don’t attend Photography shows any more there is now very little chance of actually holding a product and trying it out before buying, which to me is essential for a new body and some lenses. Coupled with an earlier announcement that there is no new FF body on the horizon I doubt that Ricoh is serving my needs any more.

There has been a lot of change with several manufacturers as the emphasis of photography changes. I'm not quite sure yet what the announcement I have read actually means, but the date seems the same every year, 1st April. It may be that the connotations of that date mean nothing to the Japanese.

I'm not thinking of buying any new cameras this year, although one or two things have nearly pulled be in, so what I have is actually serving very well. When that changes, things may have settled and the options will be clearer.

Interesting. Is it the logical follow up to the 'you can order any colour you like' Q's and the Ricoh thing (can't remember the name) where you bought half a body then attached your choice of lens/sensor combination?

It certainly ties in with the rumour that there will be 6 different varieties of the K3iii as per this thread. It calls the bluff of those people who say "I'd have bought it if they had included X and not bothered with Y so I'm off to brand B" when a new model comes out. And it will make the second-hand market interesting!

I would hope (and expect) that SRS and similar would have a role, at least as a front end for orders and as part of the 'relationship chain' between users/potential customers and Ricoh. And while 'build to order' is the way I went for PCs a while ago, it ain't for everybody so there's still a place for some standard models (i.e. sets of options) on real shelves. Perhaps retailers could negotiate favourable prices from Ricoh for multiple copies of what they think will sell well in their market. So as a customer I would have the choice of a full-price camera that is exactly what I want and wait for it to be made or a cheaper version that isn't quite what I want and get it now. What a choice!

Steve

I am surprised no-one has mentioned the top article on the linked page.... "Canon is shutting down a major camera factory in China, returning to domestic production citing “facing unprecedented difficulties”

Things continue to get worse for all the high end camera manufacturers, whether their product be DSLR or mirrorless. Change is required and seems to be happening, but until we get clarity from Pentax we can only speculate what that change is.

I would be very surprised if the options available to a bespoke purchaser of a future Pentax camera would include things like sensor size/resolution, or flippy screen. These seem pretty much baked into the design of the body. But who knows. Car manufacturers for decades have offered extensive options on their products.

Pschlute, I think there are two reasons for Canon’s move: the China factory is making entry level type cameras which are being wiped out by phones, and secondly Japan’s companies are pulling their production out of China and back into their home territory. I do not think this is a sign of trouble so much as a shift in the market to higher end products.

After all my time with Pentax, don't tell me I backed the wrong horse yet again!

STATEMENT FROM RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS:

The announcement made by Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. on January 20, 2022 regarding a revamped approach to Ricoh’s digital camera manufacturing and distribution was specific to the local market in Japan only. “Ricoh/Pentax will not change its distribution structure in North America, and the company has significant plans and goals for the North America market this year that will utilize mass production of its products,” said Kazumichi Eguchi, President, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation. “Customers in North America can continue to purchase Ricoh and Pentax cameras through our authorized dealers and directly via our website: https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/.

Guessing that applies to EU/UK as well.

Well that’s a relief, I would hope that if there were to be such a major change here the retailers would get prior notification so they can plan and advise customers accordingly.

My local and favorite confectionery is a medium sized business with a history and providing bakery breads and buns etc.
Privately owned and still run by the later family generations and operating in several towns and cities
The point is that I noticed the selection of choice on the shelf was gradually becoming hit and miss
I asked the attendant behind the counter regarding my concern that I have not seen my favorite marzipan pineapple slices for quite some months now, she responded “ oh but you can order them anytime you wish”

Never mind what Ricoh are doing those sound amazing. I love marzipan.