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Pentax To Be Sold to Ricoh

Ricoh are set to buy Hoya / Pentax and take over the camera division to use the Pentax name for Ricoh's cameras, dramatically expanding Ricohs digital

Posted: 01/07/2011 - 10:59

Pentax K5

Ricoh are set to buy Hoya / Pentax and take over the camera division to use the Pentax name for Ricoh's cameras. This will dramatically expand Ricoh's digital camera business, into new areas such as Digital SLRs, and Medium format. The sale includes Hoya's Pentax Imaging System Business which includes all optical instruments such as digital camera, lenses, accessories, security cameras, and binoculars. More information is available on the Pentax website.

July 1, 2011 HOYA CORPORATION: Pentax Press Release.

Notice of Sale of the PENTAX Imaging Systems Business
HOYA Corporation (“HOYA”) and Ricoh Company, Ltd. (“Ricoh”) hereby announce that pursuant to decisions by the President and CEO of HOYA and Representative Director of Ricoh, respectively,

HOYA and Ricoh have executed an agreement as of today to transfer HOYA’s PENTAX Imaging Systems Business (the business of developing, manufacturing and selling optical instruments such as digital cameras and replacement lenses, digital camera accessories, security camera-related products, and binoculars) (the “PENTAX Imaging Systems Business”) to Ricoh. HOYA will effectuate this transfer by incorporating a new corporation (“NewCo”), cause NewCo to succeed the PENTAX Imaging Systems Business by way of a corporate split (kyushu bunkatsu) (the “Corporate Split”), and transfer all shares of NewCo to Ricoh (such split and transfer shall be referred to as the “Split/Transfer”) as of October 1, 2011 (Estimated).

Prior to the Split/Transfer, HOYA intends to transfer its interests in PENTAX VN CO., Ltd., an overseas subsidiary of HOYA in relation to the PENTAX Imaging Systems Business, to NewCo. Please note, that since the Corporate Split is a simplified corporate split (kan-i kyushu bunkatsu), disclosure items/content have been partially abbreviated.

Further, HOYA will continue to develop its businesses assigned from PENTAX Corporation which was merged (kyushu gappei) into HOYA on March 31, 2008 other than the PENTAX Imaging Systems Business, such as its businesses regarding digital camera modules, DVD pickup lenses, endoscopes, artificial bones, and voice synthesis.

Background of the Split/Transfer
HOYA merged (kyushu gappei) with PENTAX Corporation on March 31, 2008, and has developed the PENTAX Imaging Systems Business assigned from PENTAX Corporation until now. As part of selecting and focusing its management resources, HOYA has decided to cause NewCo to succeed the PENTAX Imaging Systems Business via the Corporate Split, transfer the business and shares, etc. of HOYA’s Imaging Systems business subsidiary to NewCo via a business transfer and share/interests transfer, and thereafter, transfer all shares of NewCo to Ricoh.

Ricoh’s core business is office solutions focusing on MFPs, Ricoh has also introduced many cameras to the market since its inception in 1936. Ricoh was one of the first manufacturers to launch digital cameras in 1995 and Ricoh’s current high-end compact digital cameras are well regarded in the industry.

Now Ricoh aims to establish a consumer business. As a first step to achieve this goal, Ricoh strengthens its camera businesses. Ricoh takes it as an indispensable initiative to obtain the small and lightweight interchangeable lens camera technology, lens technology and sales channels held by the Pentax Imaging Systems Division to pave the way for further advancement and innovations in the digital camera market.

Through this acquisition, Ricoh plans to 1) enhance its digital camera businesses (especially the interchangeable lens camera market which is expected to grow), 2) create value-added businesses for taken photographs (creation and development of value-added services that encourage seeing, storing and refinishing photographs and utilize photographs as communication tools), and 3) expand to other fields (study of entry into the image archiving business using medium-format digital cameras and enhancement of security-related products)

Opethian
Posted 01/07/2011 - 15:26 Link
I for one am having high hopes for this deal. Hoya was quite outspoken with its dissatisfaction regarding their purchase of Pentax.
febphoto
Posted 01/07/2011 - 20:29 Link
Why spent so much money when you have no plans for it? So, it may be a blessing that a company like Ricoh has plans with the company's products, at least the coming 2 or 3 years before a new CEO starts to cut off the weaker parts. It may spend a lot of money on new DSLRs (full frame, lenses, aps-c camera's) but also new concepts. Also marketing should be enhanced, because nowadays it is all C.. and N.. and a tiny bit of S.., but Pentax is nowhere around, at least in The Netherlands.
junousia
Posted 01/07/2011 - 21:18 Link
Interesting news.

I'll hope that Ricoh continue to make Pentax DSLR in the future an continue old Pentax brand (or the oldest optical brand Asahi, founded 1919).
Best Regards
Jukka
flickr

"If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough." - Robert Capa
nonur
Posted 02/07/2011 - 11:11 Link
junousia wrote:
Interesting news.

I'll hope that Ricoh continue to make Pentax DSLR in the future an continue old Pentax brand (or the oldest optical brand Asahi, founded 1919).

I hold the same opinion and hope!
Regards,
Nezih
tyronet2000
Posted 02/07/2011 - 11:22 Link
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it started to "spit".
On the bright side could it lead to a lot of cheap "obsolete" kit showing up on ebay etc?
Regards
Stan

PPG
pauljay
Posted 02/07/2011 - 23:45 Link
I'm finding it impossible to view this acquisition in a positive light - I just hope I'm wrong.
Paul.

Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried! (Bill Brandt)
PPG
terrytootall
Posted 03/07/2011 - 00:29 Link
pauljay wrote:
I'm finding it impossible to view this acquisition in a positive light - I just hope I'm wrong.

I too am optimistic this will be good.

Terry
*ist-DL, K20, K5, multitude of digital and film lenses, AF360 & AF540 flashes, tripods & monopoles, etc., etc.
senn
Posted 04/07/2011 - 23:35 Link
I totally agree with Paul, ..
Ricoh buys Pentax in order to “ build interchangeable lens camera buisiness” (dpreview) and nothing more. The price is $124,2 million ! And the split that brings about has someting worrisome.
Nothing in this announce inspires me any optimism about the future of Pentax dslr. So far Pentax commercial policy is nothing but a real disaster. K5 is a technological jewel, and probably best of its category. But it can’t help Petax is disppearing from the shelves of stores almost everywhere. Can somebody read into the firm’s last years long terms intentions ? Not me. Does someone knows Ricoh real intentions about Pentax. That’s a black box. When I visited Pentax stand in last Photokina expo (Köln, Germany, 2010). You know what ? .. there was only one 645D available. One needed to wait long to get it in hands and feel how it is exactly.
Another problem bothers me with Pentax, that’s the lack of a digital FF so long expected. These are some reasons which make me pessimistic about the future of the brand. But, as Paul says, "I just hope I'm wrong". But in the meantime, I’m not hurry at all to upgrade.
senn
my flickr gallery
my PPG
Edited by senn: 04/07/2011 - 23:43
Posted 05/07/2011 - 10:53 Link
I am most concerned that after spending several years deciding if Pentax was right for me and my first venture into DSLR that the Pentax name may become lost in the corporate world of mergers. What a shame if it does and where will it leave all the Pentax loyal followers many who unlike me will have invested thousands of pounds in Pentax equipment over decades. Let us pray that the Pentax name will emerge from this stronger but I am not confident.
Regards David
Dodge69
Posted 05/07/2011 - 13:43 Link
Where Hoya good? No. Marketing = very poor
(K5 should be in magazines and TV - but it ain't.)
So why feel pessimistic? Ricoh will know they have bought a helluva brand - with history and lots of potential.
Tata bought Jaguar a while back... seems to have worked out quite well for them.....
Pentax pour des images riches en détails!
Posted 05/07/2011 - 19:05 Link
Dodge69 wrote:
Where Hoya good? No. Marketing = very poor
(K5 should be in magazines and TV - but it ain't.)
So why feel pessimistic? Ricoh will know they have bought a helluva brand - with history and lots of potential.
Tata bought Jaguar a while back... seems to have worked out quite well for them.....

I do hope your right, thank goodness someone can see the positive side.
Think positive thoughts thats what I am telling myself
Regards David
ronniemac
Posted 06/07/2011 - 01:33 Link
I have looked at comments on Pentax Forum (US) where they mostly very positive about the Ricoh takeover, recognising that Hoya seemed to have no interest in the consumer and professional camera market. Like you all say, Pentax are a good brand with a small but excellent product line, all Ricoh need to do is put it about a bit - and develop along the lines suggested above. I, for one, am optimistic and confident that Ricoh is good for Pentax. We could support this brand by letting others know how fine these compact and reflex cameras and lenses are.
Ivo
Posted 06/07/2011 - 20:16 Link
I once had a Ricoh Singlex TLS + 2 Rikenons. At that time (1967) it was great. After many years the body died.
Then I bought an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic (M42). Later a Canon T90 and finaly a Canon 40D. That.....was very disappointing.
In oktober 2010 I had a Pentax K-r. In a couple of months I ruined it. Now I have the K20D and I am very happy.
With my experiences to both of the camera's I think the partnership will be a better Mariage than wit Hoya. Look for the innovations with Ricoh's GXR and you will agree ther is hope for the future.
greetings, Ivo
ArsenAl
Posted 06/07/2011 - 21:32 Link
Quote:
Where Hoya good? No. Marketing = very poor
(K5 should be in magazines and TV - but it ain't.)
So why feel pessimistic? Ricoh will know they have bought a helluva brand - with history and lots of potential.
Tata bought Jaguar a while back... seems to have worked out quite well for them.....

Hoya management course can hardly be called good, but I'm not sure that management will be better .. Rikoh not least because he is not sure that there is money to Rikoh development of the brand Pentax .. I do not know how you do, but in our country Rikoh products found in stores no more than Pentax products. but the desire to take advantage of developments to promote its brand in the same way that happened with Minolta may occur .. but I also want very much mistaken!
PENTAX K-3, PENTAX K-30,PENTAX K-5, PENTAX K 20D,Pentax FA*250-600 5.6, Pentax DA*200 2.8, Pentax A 50 1.7, Pentax 10-17 3.5-4.5 Fish Eye, Pentax A 100 4 Macro, Pentax FA 77 1.8 Limited,Pentax DA*50-135 2.8,Pentax FA*400 5.6,Sigma 30 1.4,Sigma 10-20 4-5.6, Sigma 18-50 2.8 DC EX, Helios 40 1.5, Tair-3s 300 4.5, Mir-10A 3.528, Mir-20N 3.5/20, tc Sigma 2x EX DG, Flash Sigma EF-530 DG ST
nightjockey
Posted 09/07/2011 - 11:07 Link
The jury is out for me at the moment.

I like the Pentax brand because it stands out from Nikon/Canon but am more interested in knowing if my investment in a K5 plus extras was a good one. The bottom line for me is full compatibility across lenses/flash and whether Ricoh continue with different product lines, or simply allow the Pentax ones wither on the vine having "stolen" all the technology for the Ricoh Brand?
nightjockey
Posted 09/07/2011 - 14:45 Link
Dodge69 wrote:
Where Hoya good? No. Marketing = very poor
(K5 should be in magazines and TV - but it ain't.)
So why feel pessimistic? Ricoh will know they have bought a helluva brand - with history and lots of potential.
Tata bought Jaguar a while back... seems to have worked out quite well for them.....

I hope you're right. Not sure if its coincidence but have just noticed that Jessops are now stocking Pentax "in-store".
nightjockey
Posted 09/07/2011 - 15:25 Link
nightjockey wrote:
The jury is out for me at the moment.

I like the Pentax brand because it stands out from Nikon/Canon but am more interested in knowing if my investment in a K5 plus extras was a good one. The bottom line for me is full compatibility across lenses/flash and whether Ricoh continue with different product lines, or simply allow the Pentax ones wither on the vine having "stolen" all the technology for the Ricoh Brand?

A quick look at the current product range for Ricoh gives some comfort in that they don't currently have a recogniseable DSLR. The GXR is pretty ugly and I'm hopeful it will be superceded by the new Pentax Q.
derico
Posted 20/07/2011 - 21:44 Link
K-5 is a real jewel and i cant understand the intention of this. I HOPE IS GOOD
Edited by derico: 20/07/2011 - 21:44
thespirit3
Posted 23/07/2011 - 11:42 Link
nightjockey: I noticed a London (Islington) Jessops is stocking Pentax but when I entered the Swindon branch and enquired about Pentax the staff knew absolutely nothing about the brand; as far as they were concerned Jessops don't stock Pentax
Posted 10/08/2011 - 22:35 Link
I started with a Zenit 11 and moved onto a Practica BCX which I shook to bits coming down a hill in the Lakes. After that I got a Ricoh XR-X which stood me well for many years before being stolen only to be replaced by another one (second hand). This died a death so I got a Ricok XR-3pf (my last film camera) I waited a few years using this and Pentax (brand loyalty through Ricoh's use of the K mount) compacts because I really could not afford to get into Digital SLR. I watched and drooled as the K10 came and went etc. I finally bit the bullet and have entered digital SLR through Pentax K-X. Due to my route into Pentax being via Ricoh, I hope that Ricoh will respect, expand and promote the Pentax brand as I feel I will need to upgrade sooner rather than later. If not, then I have some affinity with the Ricoh brand so I could probably cope with Pentac cameras being labelled as Ricohs. It is not like Minolta (historic camera brand) being labelled as Sony (no camera history whatsoever)
Eagle12
Posted 22/09/2011 - 16:52 Link
thespirit3 wrote:
nightjockey: I noticed a London (Islington) Jessops is stocking Pentax but when I entered the Swindon branch and enquired about Pentax the staff knew absolutely nothing about the brand; as far as they were concerned Jessops don't stock Pentax

I was at Jessops in Birmingham (UK) last weekend and they had as many Pentax in stock as they have any other brand.
I did not see any sign of Ricoh!
Edited by Eagle12: 22/09/2011 - 16:53

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