Thibouille <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >2005/5/22, Joseph Tainter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: >> On dpreview: >> >> http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=13579639 >> >> True? Who knows? But definitely worth reading. The rumors >> (re: the partner) have been consistent for several weeks. >> >There has to be a good thing right? > >That would give at least one cool thing, they'd gain easily access to >Sony sensors. Maybe faster, maybe better sensors...
If you scour the depths of Pentax's web site, amongst the medical equipment, etc., you'll find the video equipment Pentax provides with their gear is Sony. Some kind of merger or mutually cooperative arrangement would make sense for both companies. Sony wants to get into the DSLR business. Pentax would bring their own lens mount so Sony wouldn't have to develop a new one (Sony's corporate philosophy of "propriety everything" would never allow them to adopt something like the Kodak/Olympus mount). The installed base of users and back catalog of existing lenses and cameras would be a huge bonus. Pentax would get Sony's electronics manufacturing and R&D capacity. I don't think any of this, if true, would mean going exclusively to the low end of the market: Sony has always tried to keep a high end presence in audio and video. They make a lot of inexpensive gear but, like Nikon, like to offer some very expensive stuff as well, to maintain their image. The Sony CD player in my home stereo cost more than my ist-D. BTW: I've been hearing the same rumours from other sources for the past few months. -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
