Bloomberg reports that Yutaka Yamanaka, the grandson of the Hoya Corp. founders is not happy with the $1billion purchase of Pentax and describes it as “overpriced” and "failure". This is not really surprising and all stories about Hoya trying to sell Pentax are probably more than just a rumor (via pentaxforums).
Another Pentax related rumor: there is a thread in the PentaxForums that the 50mm lens will be discontinued this Fall and Pentax will move forward with the 55mm model.
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That’s kind of sad to see this company in such stormy weather. I really did hope Pentax would release the first full frame DSLR for under 1000 € and shake the market up a little bit.
But as it looks, the last hope is Sony to get the prices down, just like they’re now demolishing the prices of the micro four thirds cams with their NEX cams.
I think pentax should shake up the 3rd party lens market and ofter lens in different mounts, and start using there pancake knowledge to build lens for nex and m43.
I for one would buy the pentax f-mount 200 2.8 and would look at them b4 sigma or tamron (still like tokina) when buying any 3rd party lens.
as the company looks like it is slowly destroying itself as a camera maker.
“as the company looks like it is slowly destroying itself as a camera maker.”
How so?
Their last 3 digital bodies (K-7, K-x, 645D) have created a lot of buzz and sell well. It’s back in the black (IE; making profit) in a time when many companies aren’t. I don’t see why that comment would be justified.
describes it as “overpriced” and “failure”.
you look at number of DSLR in there lineup now and a few years ago, and the p&s market that they have failed to capture market share on. yes there cameras are well thought out and very good (K-7 could be the best camera for the price). and the new k-x has sold better than any one dslr from sony. The DMF camera is intresting but there has been word that this should of come out some time ago and must of been delayed.
with a slow turn out of cameras the company is going to have a very volatil next few years at least, not very appeling to owners share holders or long time costumers.
unlike fuji they have always been a very small company with little to fall back onto.
You are assuming here the Canon rumors originate from when Hoya had already bought Pentax. Which might not be the case.
Well, I like the 645D, only that I can’t afford it…
Wtf? Some random relative of someone associated with Hoya spouts baseless opinions about business deals he had nothing to do with, and suddenly ‘nobody likes Pentax’?
Pentax has been improving by leaps and bounds in the past few years, putting out desirable cameras and starting to push some innovation into the industry. They have become comfortably profitable and DSLR sales are way up. All this during one of the worst recessions we’ve ever seen.