Can someone give me an update on Pentax's health as a company?

Gazooma said:

This is the as far as I can make of it from reading the news and the actual financial report from Pentax. Pentax started to make a profit for the quarter ending 30 Sept 2009. The quarter ending 31 Dec also showed a profit, albeit reduced one. Reading the fine prints showed that the profit appeared to be from medical intruments and restructuring etc rather than camera sales, which though increasing has seen revenue reduced due to competitive pricing. The exact picture is hard to tell because of vague wording, but it is most likely that they are still not profitable yet. The latest interview with Hoya also mentioned a desire to be profitable in 2010. All that seem to indicate that Pentax is just about to surface now. The good sales figures of new models, esp the K-x, seem to support the general optimism that it will turn a profit, although there is a big question mark about how much this may be affected by the release of the 645D camera. That effect could be either way. In short, things are looking better than before and something appears to be moving, if Pentax does not stumble with its new moves.

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Operating income, PENTAX division:

• for the 3 months ended Dec. 31, 2009: 1192 millions yen
• for the 3 months ended Sept. 30, 2009: 1185 millions yen

They don't say profit is from medical instruments (which also took a hit). But they do say that compact cameras are doing quite badly - and with the new compacts (e.g. i10) they will try to improve things.

DSLRs are doing much better; the K-x is quite a success, the K-7 wasn't that bad either.

One should also see the worst fear when talking about cost cutting hasn't materialized. The R&D was consistently increased, reaching 2112 million yen for the last quarter. Hoya is serious about Pentax.

Btw, being profitable in 2010 probably means "being profitable in the fiscal year ending March 31 2010".
http://www.hoya.co.jp/english/investor/index.html

Alex S.

I think Pentax foolishly decided to make a $9400 645D that most of its supporters on this forum will not buy.

I suspect no more than 5 people on this forum will buy a 645D.

We should take a poll:

Who will be buying 645D the first year its for sale with no discounts ???

Use this poll to decide the health of Hoya's Pentax camera division beyond 2010.

eyeonwinnipeg said:

I'm looking for a new DSLR and I'm considering all the options. The K-7 is attractive for price and size. I'm wondering what the state of Pentax is as a company. A few years back I remember it was touch and go. Have things improved?

I appreciate any input

--
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... dream of posting on this forum, they have much more sense (and photographic knowledge)!

--
Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

Long ago everybody believe the earth is "flat", some say Pentax was doomed but it is still alive and kicking. Get over your fear, Pentax still produces some of the best photographic equipment you can buy. Not as big as "Big Mac and Burger King" but certainly capable.

cheers,

Rene

Blood Pressure: 120/80

Vision Test: abnormally healthy

Blood Picture: normal

Chest X-Ray: Lungs Clear; Heart strong, in the right place

Reflexes: normal

Cough,cough test: Ok

Psych Test: No problems found

Finances: Rich Uncle

Final Report: Recommended for Photography...by Dr. NM, O.M.D.

eyeonwinnipeg said:

No offense taken. The information is helpful. I have the K-7 high on my list and I'm planning to try it tomorrow.

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Where are you trying it out, Henry's, Don's? Does Futureshop still carry them?

--
Gebco

Pentax K-x with 18-55 kit lens, 55-300 lens, AF-360FGZ flash, Pentax-M 50mm f/2.0, Pentax-A 35-70mm, Tokina 28mm f/2.8
Pentax Program Plus, Pentax AF240Z flash
Sony V3-an awesome performer!
HVL-F32X
Olympus C-60, a great little camera
Canon MP530

The only place I have seen them is at Blacks Photo. I don't even think Don's has them anymore. Futureshop hop strangely does have a few Pentax lenses and they carry the K-X
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogues-galler

Pentax is clearly doomed. They release the K-7, K-x and now there is rumors of a model in between the two. On top of all this, they are releasing a MF 645D, and not even the big 2 has a MF camera. They are selling this for less than half the price of any digital MF's out there. Why such big projects ?, well! to cover up a bigger lie of course. They are trying to hide the inevitbale demise of Pentax. We at DPR are too smart for all this and see through the smoke screen. All these big projects are the proof we need of the inevitable demise of Pentax, as has been repeatedly mentioned here.

--

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/home#section=ARTIST&subSection=2323984&subSubSection=0&language=EN

K10D, K-7
Pentax Primes: DA15/4, DA21/3.2, FA*24/2, FA43/1.9, FA77/1.8, F135/2.8
Sigma Zooms: Sigma 10-20, Sigma 100-300 F4

'Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... 'Wow! What a ride!'

Check out Henry's, I know they carry Pentax there too, plus they are fairly knowledgeable. They have a decent selection of lenses there.
--
Gebco

Pentax K-x with 18-55 kit lens, 55-300 lens, AF-360FGZ flash, Pentax-M 50mm f/2.0, Pentax-A 35-70mm, Tokina 28mm f/2.8
Pentax Program Plus, Pentax AF240Z flash
Sony V3-an awesome performer!
HVL-F32X
Olympus C-60, a great little camera
Canon MP530

Gazooma said:

I don't think I have seen anyone saying Pentax is doomed.

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Oh, we usually have "Pentax is doomed!" messages here each time Pentax releases a new DSLR. Simply because there will always be some that gets dissapointed about the release "It is too big", "It is too small", "It looks too ugly", "It has too many colours", "It isn't available in silver", "It isn't a 24x36"...

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Take care
R
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelmabo

The 645D is first and foremost aimed at the Japenese home market were Pentax expects to sell a couple of thousand 645D for the first year.

Very few japanese Pentax enthusiasts enters this forum, so creating a poll here when most readers here comes from countries where the 645D will not be sold, is simply totally meaningless.
--
Take care
R
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelmabo

I would suggest you read their financial sheets yourself.
--
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.

Mamiya is selling the DM22 MF for under 8000 USD. It is currently listed at ADORAMA and you don't have to go to Japan to buy it. It has 48 x 36 ccd sensor. The Pentax has a 44 x 33 sensor.

eyeonwinnipeg said:

I'm looking for a new DSLR and I'm considering all the options. The K-7 is attractive for price and size. I'm wondering what the state of Pentax is as a company. A few years back I remember it was touch and go. Have things improved?

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. . . This Pentax fanboy forum won't help you learn anything. The same would be true for any other brand at any other brand specific DPR forum as well.

Then DM22 is a digital back with 22 MP - you have to buy a camera to use it on.
--
Jim King - Retired Colormonger - Suburban Detroit, Michigan, USA; GMT -4h (EDT)
Pentaxian for over 45 years.



* * * * *
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

• Sir Winston Churchill

* * * * *
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.

• Albert Einstein

richardday said:

... dream of posting on this forum, they have much more sense (and photographic knowledge)!

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/

Richard... there are a lot of people with more Dollars than Sense on this forum already. They have the K7 and a bunch of the top dollar FA and DA lenses, and they cant shoot thier way out of point and shoot box....

Once they read how the 645 has better 'dynamik range and better HISO's, and that it will give them better DOF's to make their pictures better.... they will be ordering one from Japan.

So let it be written, so let it be done!

--
'Nothing is worse than active ignorance'

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Actually this is old news. Do a search on DPR under Mamiya DM 22 . Also here's a link from photoblog: http://www.photographyblog.com/news/mamiya_dm22/ . Photoblog writes , "Mamiya has put a price tag on the recently announced 22-megapixel Mamiya DM22 medium-format digital SLR camera, which features true 16-bit analogue-to-digital conversion and a claimed 12-stop dynamic range. As befits a medium-format camera, the sensor is larger than 35mm full frame, measuring 48x36mm." It is also reviewed in a couple of other places. Easy to Google.

Britney Elvis said:

richardday said:

... dream of posting on this forum, they have much more sense (and photographic knowledge)!

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/

Richard... there are a lot of people with more Dollars than Sense on this forum already. They have the K7 and a bunch of the top dollar FA and DA lenses, and they cant shoot thier way out of point and shoot box....

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Agree totally, but we won't go there!

(It could include me, but I can smile as I don't have a K7 nor a whole bunch of top dollar lenses )

Britney Elvis said:

Once they read how the 645 has better 'dynamik range and better HISO's, and that it will give them better DOF's to make their pictures better.... they will be ordering one from Japan.

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They will be struggling to find HISO's, it maxes out at what they'd consider base level!

Britney Elvis said:

So let it be written, so let it be done!

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Britney Elvis said:

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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--
Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

Roland Mabo said:

The 645D is first and foremost aimed at the Japenese home market were Pentax expects to sell a couple of thousand 645D for the first year.

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In a global market that, at least up until now, consists of about 6000 MF backs per year, Pentax "expects to sell a couple of thousand 645D" in Japan only ? Granted, the 645D has an aggresive pricepoint, but this seems a tad optimistic...

--
Take care,
Jorgen

Probere necesse est.....

Well, last time I checked, Hoya had returned to profitability, if this means something. (Pentax is now a brand name, Hoya is the actual corporation behind Pentax).

The 645D seems to be very popular even though it's not available yet. On the day of its announcement, Pentax got 15 firm orders at one of its stores. Not bad for a 9,000$ camera!

And the K-x and K-7 are both a huge success for Pentax, expecially the K-x, which took the whole market by surprise with its remarkable high ISO performance and the popularity of its red and white kits.

Please, forgive the fanboys who might answer with sarcastic comments like "Pentax is dying". They're just very loyal to their beloved brand and some of them can't accept that someone had the guts to come up with a question about the past fragility of their perfect brand.


Joke aside, Pentax was indeed in deep trouble a few years ago, with huge sales drop and scarry financial losses (I remember Pentax once announced its sales had drop by something like 40%).

But thanks to a good restructuration including cuts in management and workforce in both Japan and overseas, Hoya is now back to profitability. And sales are getting better, with the K-x finally making it into the best sellers in the western hemisphere.

However, the imaging division of Hoya (i.e. Pentax imaging) is still losing money and it will probably take some time to bring it back to profitability.

All said, Pentax's future seems brighter than in the few last years.

The future is impossible to predict, and even big corporations can go from best of the crowd to bankruptcy in no time, so it's not like Canon, Nikon or Sony are actually safer options, even if they look so. Just think about General Motors. Once the largest car manufacturer in the world, now saved with the taxpayers' money and going into bankruptcy in order to rise from its own ashes with difficulty.

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