Reply interspersed... On 12/7/2012 6:36 PM, Tom C wrote:
Well if you want to get technical about it Boris... :)
Well, it is my hobby, so I'd rather we did not go too technical, if you catch my drift here, Tom...
It's my opinion that what we see with Pentax right now, in their lack of new products that solidly compete with the competition on multiple levels, is that they are simply doing all they can at the moment with limited resources. They're not dead, but you can provide a word if you like...
Well, you may be right. It is being my opinion as well that as of few years ago Pentax virtually stopped innovating and turned towards the design/appeal dimension trying to carve for themselves new market niches where they could collect the dividends.
It would even seem (to me now) that the most recent price plunges they had to take are to some extent a proof to the above idea. Given that very often fashionable/designer clothes cost more not because they are more useful or more functional but rather by being of that specific new fab design, so high were the prices of Pentax Q and Pentax K-01.
Again, it is my personal view that both cameras were in fact a waste of some very valuable engineering resources within the company. Granted, Q sells good in Japan and Japan is indeed a very big market, but there are other markets out there. Well, never mind, I don't intend to question the marketing decisions of the guys in the mothership...
No FF 24 X 36mm body. No Mirrorless ILC or EVIL body save for one being sold at 50% discount No high end large sensor compact
Let me summarize it for you, please. Here goes: no response to innovative products by the competing companies. The last really fab move was 645D. But it took lots of time and it was some time ago while both market and the competitors move on.
They're really only competing in the APS-C arena and that's about it. The 645D is just about out of everyone's price range including mine. Was it ever relevant?
It was. Because if they could market it properly it gave image to the company. There was time that all Renault cars sold in Israel had markings of that Formula 1 team or whatever racing Renault is involved in. Obviously not the racing cars, these Renaults were, but the impression was there and it was in a sense attractive.
Additionally, it did give Pentax the complete product line in terms of various market segments. If you're a true pro and want to shoot Pentax - 645D was (and still is) for you. It is mighty capable camera (or at least this is what I've been gathering from the photographs I've been seeing from it). But Pentax chose to fragment their resources between various other market segments...
The K5 and derivatives may be solid cameras in their own right. Having used Pentax for 20 years I'd be lying and stupid to say they didn't make a product that delivered good results.
Well, yes they are. It is just that in modern camera marketplace you have to keep dancing your breakdance or the competition will break your neck, pardon my pun here.
Fact's are they have only about 2% of market share and predictions are it will decline.
Pardon my being blunt, I don't give a shit about the predictions. Although the fact that the fellow PDMLer couldn't properly repair their FA 135/2.8 lens is worrisome. By the way, I've had a bit of a trouble with my FA 20/2.8. Thankfully good men of Pentax Israel did their job giving me no reason to complain whatsoever.
If Pentax was working on a FF body they should certainly say so, rather than hide it. As some have pointed out, the lack of a FF lens line is problematic in that regard.
They couldn't. They've played themselves into the marketing zeitnot. They've announced not one but three cameras practically at once. Now, if they indicate that they plan to introduce FF camera and give time estimate for that, it will hurt the sales of their current offerings. And if they don't - well, it would mean pretty much business as usual. So they chose the easy road, so to say.
Again, all of the above is my personal view and I don't intend to convince anyone of it. I merely would like to make sure that my ideas are understood. That's all there is to it.
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