Pentax yadda yadda yadda 645D pt4

[jeffkrol]

pt3
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1000&message=23296147
pt 2
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1000&message=23224744
pt 1
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1000&message=23162979
Why not? It will eventually start anyways

And to start it off.... your right blaming SPARX is like blaming a snake for eating a mouse. Serves the mouse right for not being a hawk who could eat the snake...

No companies like SPARX will never be high on my list of things to like. Bottom feeders looking for the weak who are not truely weak. Guess somebody's got to do it. Word isthere were plenty of people happy w/ their yearly dividend check...........

--
360 minutes from the prime meridian. (-5375min, 3.55sec) 1093' above sea level.

'The exposure meter is calibrated to some clearly defined standards and the user needs to adjust his working method and his subject matter to these values. It does not help to suppose all kinds of assumptions that do not exist.'
Erwin Puts

 

[jeffkrol]

is pretty well summed up here:

As the first Japanese company to commercialize a single-lens reflex camera for 35mm film, Pentax Corp. has a storied history. But that history may have prevented it from advancing into the digital age and delayed a crucial decision to be absorbed by Hoya Corp. for its own survival.

Pentax employees are more like artisans than cost-conscious businesspeople, explained Ryosuke Katsura, a senior analyst at Mizuho Securities Co.

"They believe good products should naturally sell well, and care less about such things as cost-benefit performance," Katsura said.

Pentax, in dire need of capital to develop digital products, agreed in December to merge with leading optical glass maker Hoya Corp. But after Hoya executives signaled that it might sell off the camera division after the merger, Pentax executives staged a coup in April and kicked President Fumio Urano off the board to scrap the plan. Urano was the main proponent of the surprise merger.

In the end, however, faced with unhappy investors and an unhelpful stock market, the Pentax board had no choice but to accept the Hoya takeover and performed an about-face. The confusion, Katsura said, was a symptom of Pentax's traditional corporate culture.

Pentax Director Shinichiro Mitsuhashi said the camera maker's management style is like that in "a back-street factory," whereas Hoya takes a rational approach and puts profit above all else.

..................
tweedle I'm trying to save your soul.........
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070526a2.html
--
360 minutes from the prime meridian. (-5375min, 3.55sec) 1093' above sea level.

'The exposure meter is calibrated to some clearly defined standards and the user needs to adjust his working method and his subject matter to these values. It does not help to suppose all kinds of assumptions that do not exist.'
Erwin Puts

 

[tweedle]

blaming SPARX is like blaming a snake for eating a mouse. Serves the
mouse right for not being a hawk who could eat the snake...

This one really made me laugh.

 

[tweedle]

tweedle I'm trying to save your soul.........
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070526a2.html

No one hits my soft spots like you do, jeff ... oh yes, I have soft spots, jef ...

 

[tweedle]

instead of just trying to sell the camera divison (which they think would
be better ran by others) they end up selling Pentax.

What does this tell us about the true commitment of Sparx towards
Pentax?

To be honest, I do not think it says that much.

With the camera business constituting almost half of Pentax' turnover, it would be very difficult for the company to sell it off, because all of the company's internal structure, overhead functions and so on are dependent on and intertwined with the camera division.

This is why the Hoya Pentax solution is much more elegant.

What we will se happen now (I presume), is that all Pentax divisions except cameras will be fully integrated into the corresponding Hoya divisions under Hoya management.

Pentax cameras will be left on its own and in this way, Pentax Co. and Pentax camera division will practically melt into (being a Hoya division on its own).

With all other business activities integrated into Hoya, it will be relatively easy to spin off Pentax cameras.

 

[interpix]

With all other business activities integrated into Hoya, it will be
relatively easy to spin off Pentax cameras.

I t might be difficult and uvise to integrate the camera bussiness in a endoscope or eye glas division. I fail to see how integration of other Pentax bussiness in HOYA makes it easier to "spin off" Pentax cameras. This would probably be the easiest thnig of all, but it is not the intention according to HOYA CEO.

 

[tweedle]

With all other business activities integrated into Hoya, it will be
relatively easy to spin off Pentax cameras.

I t might be difficult and uvise to integrate the camera bussiness
in a endoscope or eye glas division. I fail to see how integration
of other Pentax bussiness in HOYA makes it easier to "spin off"
Pentax cameras. This would probably be the easiest thnig of all,
but it is not the intention according to HOYA CEO.

You must have misread me here, interpix.

The camera division will not be integrated into Hoya. All other current Pentax activities will be. That was the plan that Hoya laid out in December already. And I think they will follow this through.

 

[interpix]

With all other business activities integrated into Hoya, it will be
relatively easy to spin off Pentax cameras.

I t might be difficult and uvise to integrate the camera bussiness
in a endoscope or eye glas division. I fail to see how integration
of other Pentax bussiness in HOYA makes it easier to "spin off"
Pentax cameras. This would probably be the easiest thnig of all,
but it is not the intention according to HOYA CEO.

You must have misread me here, interpix.

The camera division will not be integrated into Hoya. All other
current Pentax activities will be. That was the plan that Hoya laid
out in December already. And I think they will follow this through.

Not at all, thats exactly what Im saying. Why would anyone try to integrate a camera bussiness into some endoscope activity?

 

[tweedle]

With all other business activities integrated into Hoya, it will be
relatively easy to spin off Pentax cameras.

I t might be difficult and uvise to integrate the camera bussiness
in a endoscope or eye glas division. I fail to see how integration
of other Pentax bussiness in HOYA makes it easier to "spin off"
Pentax cameras. This would probably be the easiest thnig of all,
but it is not the intention according to HOYA CEO.

You must have misread me here, interpix.

The camera division will not be integrated into Hoya. All other
current Pentax activities will be. That was the plan that Hoya laid
out in December already. And I think they will follow this through.

Not at all, thats exactly what Im saying. Why would anyone try to
integrate a camera bussiness into some endoscope activity?

We will have to see what Hoya will do, if/when the takeover finally will go through. Will they prepare themselves to dispose of the camera division (like the old Pentax board fearded), will they carry on with the plans for Pentax that we already know - or will they seriously redefine the goals and the means to get there?

As I have already stated many times, I consider Hoya to be a professional company, and I am sure they will analyse the situation wisely. Should they decide to part themselves from the camera division, I would think they would go to a great length to find a buyer that would let the camera business thrive.

 

[interpix]

By Kiyori Ueno

May 26 (Bloomberg) -- Pentax Corp., Japan's oldest single lens reflex camera maker, said it has made no decision on management change at this point, after a news report it would name Nobuaki Tanishima as president after a takeover by Hoya Corp.

'No decision has been made at this point,' Pentax said in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange today. 'When there is something to disclose we will announce it swiftly.'

Pentax yesterday told Sparx Group Co., its biggest shareholder, that Tanishima, in charge of corporate planning, will succeed President Takashi Watanuki, the Nikkei newspaper said earlier today, without citing sources.

Watanuki and seven other board members will resign to take responsibility for causing confusion over a merger with Hoya, the newspaper reported on May 24. The Pentax board will probably accept Hoya's takeover at an extraordinary meeting on May 31.

Hoya, Japan's largest maker of optical glass, offered in December to buy Pentax in a share swap valued at 90.6 billion yen ($744 million) at the time. In April, Hoya increased the bid and switched to a cash offer of 770 yen a share, after its stock price dropped about 10 percent.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kiyori Ueno in Tokyo at

Official link http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=alnP3SxwZwow

 

[tweedle]

Pentax employees are more like artisans than cost-conscious
businesspeople, explained Ryosuke Katsura, a senior analyst at '
Mizuho Securities Co.

"They believe good products should naturally sell well, and care less
about such things as cost-benefit performance," Katsura said.

Pentax, in dire need of capital to develop digital products [...], faced
with unhappy investors and an unhelpful stock market, the Pentax
board had no choice but to accept the Hoya takeover and performed
an about-face. The confusion, Katsura said, was a symptom of Pentax's
traditional corporate culture.

Pentax Director Shinichiro Mitsuhashi said the camera maker's
management style is like that in "a back-street factory,"

Thanks again, Jeff. Your description here made think of another back-street factory. The one that made puppets in another fairy tale about Pinocchio.

The name of the director in this street factory is Gepetto (Pinocchio's father), and I wonder if there are any similarities between Gepetto's back street factory and Pentax' ditto?



For a start, both make good products that dedicated customers, friends and family all truly appreciate. They also both incarnate some feeling of old fashioned values, trustworthyness and nostalgia in an ever changing world.

There are differences too. Pentax chose to go global and take up face-on competition with leading and much bigger companies like Canon, Sony, Nikon. Despite of several serious setbacks, Pentax never gave up this strategy, and to finance the company's ambitions they issued a lot of shares which dilluted the original owner's control over the company. They also took considerable debt.

And this is where all the mess begins.

If you want to pursue certain ideals, like Gepetto and Pentax would like - be sure that your operation is in a fit shape and performs well - and be sure that you do not let others take control. Because if you do not perform and you do not have control, people like Sparx are likely to make a visit.

If Gepetto would dream of global power, he would need more from his back street factory than just making nice dolls. He would need elecetronic competences (because digital dolls dominate the would market now), he would need financial strength and competence, he would need strong sales channels (because tre other big doll manufacturers sell a lot of other consumer goods via the same channels) and so on.



Gepettoa and Pentax are both lovable in many ways, but Pentax put themselves in a mess from at lot of the above menitioned reasons. They did not set up a structure and did not put themselves in a context to achieve their goals. They also did not keep control.

Being a little 'eccentric' can be charming, but any back street factory being a little too eccentric inevitantly runs the risk of its owners suggesting that a new proprietor might be needed.

In Gepetto's memory:

 

[jeffkrol]

Unfortunately Pentax had no delusions of grandeur.. Urano, I believe, stated that they wanted 10% world market share of DSLR's. A figure that I suppose he believed would retain both enough profit and quality in a market glutted by "see me I'm a pro" type fantasies. Their target market was older shooters and young females... just check out the ads.

SPARX had the delusion of grandeur for Pentax (and coincidentally themselves).......

There are thousands of "back street factories" that still exist and flourish and stay under the radar.
As I said, not everyone was unhappy w/ the status quo....

Stories not over, more twists and turns are probably on the horizon. The propoganda war is still in full swing.......News, counter-news ect. Oh to be the proverbial mouse in the room.....

As to putting themselves in debt ect, most companies have been there done that. Some even live a long life doing that for decades

Strange when success makes you a loser.....at least in some ways. One sure thing is consumers usually lose as well.
--
360 minutes from the prime meridian. (-5375min, 3.55sec) 1093' above sea level.

'The exposure meter is calibrated to some clearly defined standards and the user needs to adjust his working method and his subject matter to these values. It does not help to suppose all kinds of assumptions that do not exist.'
Erwin Puts

 

[tweedle]

There are thousands of "back street factories" that still exist and
flourish and stay under the radar.

Aspring for 10 per cent global market share amongst giants isn't really staying under the radar.

As to putting themselves in debt ect, most companies have been
there done that. Some even live a long life doing that for decades

Some because of luck, some because of other means of safety. Depending your safety solely on luck is a risky business.

Strange when success makes you a loser.....at least in some ways.
One sure thing is consumers usually lose as well.

Success didn't make Pentax a loser IMO. Years of lack in performance did. When some success did show, it was too little too late.

 

[Tim in upstate NY]

...want some privacy?

......Too old for instant messaging like all the kids are doing?

...There's always the telephone

 

[jeffkrol]

If it was a true loser I'd wait till bankruptcy and get the "parts" at the firesale. HOYA is paying a historically high price for a loser... not sure I see the logic here. Underperforming maybe, loser no.
With the debt issue I would assume 500 would be fair



--
360 minutes from the prime meridian. (-5375min, 3.55sec) 1093' above sea level.

'The exposure meter is calibrated to some clearly defined standards and the user needs to adjust his working method and his subject matter to these values. It does not help to suppose all kinds of assumptions that do not exist.'
Erwin Puts

 

[tweedle]

If it was a true loser I'd wait till bankruptcy and get the "parts"
at the firesale. HOYA is paying a historically high price for a
loser... not sure I see the logic here. Underperforming maybe,
loser no.

The underperformance over a long period of years made the share appear lacklustre and with no interest from the financial market. Noone ever saw things really change for the better and the shares were to pick up much too cheap.

Such events never happen to a well-performing company.

Sparx picked up the shares at a time when many others wanted out - and with a little 'diplomacy' they called a lot of attention and anticipation to tha share. This awoke the potentials and rocketed the share (of course helped by Pentax management being under severe pressure and getting their act together at last).

A classical scenario for a slumbering share.

I wouldn't call Pentax a true loser either. If I ever did in the heat of an argument, please forgive me

I still see a good future ahead of Pentax/K-mount under a new and more consistent management regime. And hopes too. Amen

 

[tweedle]

...want some privacy?

......Too old for instant messaging like all the kids are doing?

...There's always the telephone

Hooray! Now, we are four

 

[nlex]

i hope now things will become more clear i think all this mess is not a good signal for consumers, we want a stable Pentax with new products available, and products availables in general, we all want a Pentax is a good shape or we leave the boat !!

 

[nlex]

Samsung is planning to launch a total of 20 to 30 new digital camera models this year, with expected shipments of 13 million units worldwide. The goal: to become one of the top three global digital camera brands in 2007.

i'm wondering what the deal with Samsung and Pentax will become. When i red that it thought Samsung want to be in the top 3, and they won't focus on cheap pocket camera market for ever. When they will want to be in the top 3 of reflex, they will need to eat Pentax, or kill it (in a way or another).

 

[CharlieDIY]

i hope now things will become more clear i think all this mess is
not a good signal for consumers, we want a stable Pentax with new
products available, and products availables in general, we all want
a Pentax is a good shape or we leave the boat !!

Goodbye. If Pentax goes under, I figure it will take at least five years befoe I need to consider a change. I don't see Pentax going under, though, regardless of all the guesswork and BS floating around.

--
Charlie Self
http://www.charlieselfonline.com