An impressive selection. I particularly like Disapproval, Heatwave, and International Sisters.

I knew US involvement in Vietnam had many ramifications, but there's one I hadn't considered.

I agree with much else that's said in the post, though there's a distinction to be made between niche (as in too small to matter) and niche (as in strongly distinctive). My own hunch is that Pentax either needs to find the second sort of niche or through consolidation find greater critical mass. There is too much evidence in the recent past of poor or rushed decisions, dissipating energy in launching cameras that are sometimes well behind the curve. It doesn't need a crystal ball to suggest that the Pentax part of Ricoh cannot continue for too long on the trajectory followed in its recent past. And I'm sure none is more aware of that that the current managers -- at least I hope so.

The phrase that most readily comes to mind is slippery slope. If Smeggy joins the board of Ricoh, I may have a camera and some lenses to sell in the classifieds

On grey, flat days B&W can be the way to go, with its greater reliance on shapes, textures, and tones. But even colour shots can have a value, perhaps only as a reference to remind of the scene's potential in better weather. From a photographer's point of view these dismal days at least have the possibility sometimes of momentarily transforming themselves, and to that extent are much more promising than the sun at midday in summer.

'I still think they need a foothold in the Pro market though with a Industry capable FF DSLR even if it's just a loss leader'

A flight of fancy. Companies that care about survival do not knowingly launch a FF camera, with the investment entailed, as a loss-leader.

thanks!

...which is what I said.

Ricoh's size is an asset to their camera division in the sense that there is a better chance of getting funding for projects that deserve backing. But I would be surprised if in terms of balance sheets Ricoh did not require each of its divisions to stand apart. In other words, the size of Ricoh's marketing overall is unlikely to have any bearing on what can be spent by its camera division.

Rather harsh. We may all have some reservations about some of the cameras, but the best are, well, up there with the best. It's hard to say the K3 (as a camera, leaving aside the virtues of the different systems) is not on a par with the D7100. Given a bit of time, they'll probably settle to similar prices, too

If the Windows PC brings no joy -- ie the card remains unrecognised -- you might try http://recoverfab.com/company.php. I can't vouch for their service, as I haven't (so far) had to use it. But I have it noted as a 'useful address', having come across positive mentions on the Internet. Quite pricey, though, so it depends how important the photos are to you.