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HOYA SWALLOWS PENTAX !



 
 
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  #11  
Old December 21st 06, 09:13 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
jeremy
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Posts: 984
Default End of an Era


"Pudentame" wrote in message
...
jeremy wrote:
Well, many of us sensed that it was coming.

Pentax had been a longtime user of Hoya optical glass, but to see Hoya
swallow Pentax us is disconcerting.

These mergers nearly always result in big changes, and I would not be
surprised if the "Pentax" name disappears entirely over the next few
years.


Actually, the "Pentax" name is one of the more valuable things Hoya's
getting from the deal. I expect they'll be keeping it at least in the
photography business.

The driving factor behind the merger appears to be Pentax and Hoya
combining their efforts in the medical imaging field.


No, the driving factor is that Pentax has lagged behind Canon and Nikon in
the digital camera business, and is now having to deal with competition from
companies that previously had not entered the camera business, like Sony,
Panasonic, Casio and HP. Pentax screwed up, big-time, and they are no
longer viable.

Hoya will get no more mileage out of the Pentax brand name than Konica got
out of their use of the Minolta name. People are getting wise to the fact
that the mere presence of a well-known brand name does not guarantee that
the former quality levels are going to be maintained.

I'm upset over the loss of Pentax, but I really have only myself to blame.
Pentax began going down the slippery slope shortly after they abandoned the
screw mount. Their cameras and lenses slowly began to be cheapened, and
build quality became noticeably inferior to previous products. Nikon and
Canon did the same thing, but they maintained parallel lines of
"professional" gear, priced high, but still available to those that wanted
it. What did Pentax do? They exited the professional camera market when
they withdrew the LX from production, and they produced only 3 FA Limited
lenses for film cameras, and even those had non-standard focal lengths.

I read recently that Pentax committed to expanding their factories in
VIETNAM, apparently as a means of keeping their costs down because of
cheaper labor. Sorry, but this boy ain't buying a Vietnamese camera--not
from Pentax and not from anybody else, either. And I think that a lot of us
feel the same way.

I don't anticipate crowds lining up to buy the "Hoya-Pentax" brand of
cameras and lenses ("SMC Hoya-Pentax?")

It just may be the right time for me to embrace plastic bodies and buy some
Nikon or Canon digital gear. I'm just in the dumps over hearing that news
of Pentax's upcoming demise. We're going to become orphans.


  #12  
Old December 21st 06, 09:15 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
jeremy
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Posts: 984
Default End of an Era


"David Kilpatrick" wrote in message
...
jeremy wrote:
Well, many of us sensed that it was coming.

Pentax had been a longtime user of Hoya optical glass, but to see Hoya
swallow Pentax us is disconcerting.


They had already swallowed a big chunk of Pentax, as their subsidiary
brand Tokina makes most of the popular lenses (not the special stuff)

David


I was hoping that Pentax might release a full crop digital body that would
take their older 35mm lenses, but that appears to be a pipe dream now. Time
to start looking for a new camera brand.


  #13  
Old December 21st 06, 09:20 PM posted to rec.photo.digital
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
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Posts: 1,818
Default End of an Era

acl wrote:

Ken Lucke wrote:

In article , acl
wrote:


jeremy wrote:

mechanical build quality had deteriorated noticably. Just like new cars.
Better fuel economy and more amenities, at the expense of less sheet metal
and smaller overall size.

So, basically, you prefer cars with lots of sheet metal and large size?


Damn straight _I_ do. Sheet metal, true internal structure (not just
some flimsy suppoorts for the outer skin), and large size. I'd take
high strength composite fiber/plastics (NOT fiberglass!) if they ever
start making cars with them (oops, sorry, that was an inadvertent cue
for RichA to enter the thread with his obsession), but until then, I
want METAL around me. The more the better.

Ever seen a serious wreck? Ever been in one?


Yes, I've been in one from which I was lucky to get out alive. Can't
say it changed my view (if anything, it enhanced my opinion that how a
car handles is more important than how robust it is). I agree that if a
tank hits me then it's better to be in another tank, though.

From 1979 to 1996, I worked as a professional, full time paramedic (in
Portland, OR and other places), and the last 6 years was also a
firefighter. I've _seen_ (and sometimes had to scrape up) the
difference in outcomes.

Sorry, but to hell with fuel economy... with the millions of people on
the road in this country who merely know "how to operate a motor
vehicle" as opposed to actually knowing how to _drive_ their vehicles
(and there is a HUGE difference between those two skillsets), I want a
tank around me, if possible. Again, damn straight I prefer a vehicle
with some substance to it rather than today's tin cans that a wrinkle
in the sheet metal causes major loss of body integrity and strength
(literally).


Well, we have very different priorities in cars, I must admit.


My car must be big enough to hold my big DSLR and all
the lenses I carry ;-)

Roger
  #14  
Old December 21st 06, 10:12 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
Graham Fountain
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Posts: 162
Default End of an Era

jeremy wrote:
"David Kilpatrick" wrote in message
...
jeremy wrote:
Well, many of us sensed that it was coming.

Pentax had been a longtime user of Hoya optical glass, but to see Hoya
swallow Pentax us is disconcerting.

They had already swallowed a big chunk of Pentax, as their subsidiary
brand Tokina makes most of the popular lenses (not the special stuff)

David


I was hoping that Pentax might release a full crop digital body that would
take their older 35mm lenses, but that appears to be a pipe dream now. Time
to start looking for a new camera brand.

I don't know about that - with the new company having approximately 20x
the capitalisation of Pentax, I think the chances of them progressing
more rapidly are significantly higher. There is nothing wrong with
Hoya/Tokina optics, and now they have a camera system to match their
stuff to. With more money to throw around for things like R&D,
marketing, and quite possibly some new high end gear, the brand can only
improve. Before you jump ship, just remember that Canon don't have
approx 70% market share (in Australia at least, not sure about rest of
the world) because they are any better than the competition, it's simply
because they have been marketed better.


  #15  
Old December 22nd 06, 12:30 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
J. Clarke
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Posts: 2,690
Default End of an Era

On Fri, 22 Dec 2006 07:12:15 +1000, Graham Fountain wrote:

jeremy wrote:
"David Kilpatrick" wrote in message
...
jeremy wrote:
Well, many of us sensed that it was coming.

Pentax had been a longtime user of Hoya optical glass, but to see Hoya
swallow Pentax us is disconcerting.

They had already swallowed a big chunk of Pentax, as their subsidiary
brand Tokina makes most of the popular lenses (not the special stuff)

David


I was hoping that Pentax might release a full crop digital body that would
take their older 35mm lenses, but that appears to be a pipe dream now. Time
to start looking for a new camera brand.

I don't know about that - with the new company having approximately 20x
the capitalisation of Pentax, I think the chances of them progressing
more rapidly are significantly higher. There is nothing wrong with
Hoya/Tokina optics, and now they have a camera system to match their
stuff to. With more money to throw around for things like R&D,
marketing, and quite possibly some new high end gear, the brand can only
improve. Before you jump ship, just remember that Canon don't have
approx 70% market share (in Australia at least, not sure about rest of
the world) because they are any better than the competition, it's simply
because they have been marketed better.


There's also the little matter that they have a camera and lens for just
about any niche you can imagine, while the competition doesn't.



--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
  #16  
Old December 22nd 06, 12:44 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
just bob
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 308
Default End of an Era


"Pudentame" wrote in message
...
RichA wrote:

Recent study on the news the other night. You are twice as likely to
die in an accident
with a small car than a large one, internal compensation devices
(airbags) nothwithstanding.


OTOH, my own experience indicates a smaller, more nimble vehicle allows
the driver avoid accidents he might not be able to avoid in a larger,
heavier, less maneuverable automobile.


I'm not worried about me being able to get out of the way, I'm worried about
the teenagers, alcoholics or both who I never see coming.


  #17  
Old December 22nd 06, 01:22 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
Pudentame
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,139
Default End of an Era

jeremy wrote:
"Pudentame" wrote in message
...
jeremy wrote:
Well, many of us sensed that it was coming.

Pentax had been a longtime user of Hoya optical glass, but to see Hoya
swallow Pentax us is disconcerting.

These mergers nearly always result in big changes, and I would not be
surprised if the "Pentax" name disappears entirely over the next few
years.

Actually, the "Pentax" name is one of the more valuable things Hoya's
getting from the deal. I expect they'll be keeping it at least in the
photography business.

The driving factor behind the merger appears to be Pentax and Hoya
combining their efforts in the medical imaging field.


No, the driving factor is that Pentax has lagged behind Canon and Nikon in
the digital camera business, and is now having to deal with competition from
companies that previously had not entered the camera business, like Sony,
Panasonic, Casio and HP. Pentax screwed up, big-time, and they are no
longer viable.


Well, press release I saw made a lot less mention of the digital camera
business than it did of medical imaging.
  #18  
Old December 22nd 06, 01:48 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
Ken Lucke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 845
Default End of an Era

In article , just bob
kilbyfan@aoldotcom wrote:

"Pudentame" wrote in message
...
RichA wrote:

Recent study on the news the other night. You are twice as likely to
die in an accident
with a small car than a large one, internal compensation devices
(airbags) nothwithstanding.


OTOH, my own experience indicates a smaller, more nimble vehicle allows
the driver avoid accidents he might not be able to avoid in a larger,
heavier, less maneuverable automobile.


I'm not worried about me being able to get out of the way, I'm worried about
the teenagers, alcoholics or both who I never see coming.


Ayup. It ain't how good you are, it's how bad they are. The lowest
common denominator is the one you have to worry about here, 'cause they
can come from nowhere when you don't even have the time to react, let
alone defend.

It's like handing Joe Luser off of the street a DSLR in auto-program
mode and saying "go take some pictures" and handing a photographically
skilled individual the same camera and saying "photograph me a
masterpiece", then comparing the results. 50% of it is the workspace
between the ears, 40% of it is meaningful experience, and the last 10%
is just dumb luck. Most "drivers" on the road in this country today
rely mostly on the last 10% to get them through. The way I see some
"drivers" "drive", I wonder how they have lived as long as they have.

As I noted elsewhere, a majority of it is a problem of people not being
taught how to _drive_ properly, but rather how to "operate a motor
vehicle" and how to pass the "drivers'" license test.

Then there are the "just plain stupid" variety, like the lady I saw the
other day, doing about 25 in a 55 zone, and when I finally got room to
pass her (5 miles & 10 minutes down the road), she waa READING A
F*^^&*KING BOOK while she was "driving".

--
You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a
reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating
the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for
independence.
-- Charles A. Beard
  #19  
Old December 22nd 06, 01:52 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
Frank ess
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,232
Default End of an Era

Ken Lucke wrote:
In article , just bob
kilbyfan@aoldotcom wrote:

"Pudentame" wrote in message
...
RichA wrote:

Recent study on the news the other night. You are twice as
likely
to die in an accident
with a small car than a large one, internal compensation devices
(airbags) nothwithstanding.


OTOH, my own experience indicates a smaller, more nimble vehicle
allows the driver avoid accidents he might not be able to avoid in
a larger, heavier, less maneuverable automobile.


I'm not worried about me being able to get out of the way, I'm
worried about the teenagers, alcoholics or both who I never see
coming.


Ayup. It ain't how good you are, it's how bad they are. The lowest
common denominator is the one you have to worry about here, 'cause
they can come from nowhere when you don't even have the time to
react, let alone defend.

It's like handing Joe Luser off of the street a DSLR in auto-program
mode and saying "go take some pictures" and handing a
photographically
skilled individual the same camera and saying "photograph me a
masterpiece", then comparing the results. 50% of it is the
workspace
between the ears, 40% of it is meaningful experience, and the last
10%
is just dumb luck. Most "drivers" on the road in this country today
rely mostly on the last 10% to get them through. The way I see some
"drivers" "drive", I wonder how they have lived as long as they
have.

As I noted elsewhere, a majority of it is a problem of people not
being taught how to _drive_ properly, but rather how to "operate a
motor vehicle" and how to pass the "drivers'" license test.

Then there are the "just plain stupid" variety, like the lady I saw
the other day, doing about 25 in a 55 zone, and when I finally got
room to pass her (5 miles & 10 minutes down the road), she waa
READING A F*^^&*KING BOOK while she was "driving".


See he
http://home.san.rr.com/fsheff/incars.htm

--
Frank ess

  #20  
Old December 22nd 06, 02:08 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital
Ken Lucke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 845
Default End of an Era

In article , Frank ess
wrote:

Ken Lucke wrote:
In article , just bob
kilbyfan@aoldotcom wrote:

"Pudentame" wrote in message
...
RichA wrote:

Recent study on the news the other night. You are twice as
likely
to die in an accident
with a small car than a large one, internal compensation devices
(airbags) nothwithstanding.


OTOH, my own experience indicates a smaller, more nimble vehicle
allows the driver avoid accidents he might not be able to avoid in
a larger, heavier, less maneuverable automobile.

I'm not worried about me being able to get out of the way, I'm
worried about the teenagers, alcoholics or both who I never see
coming.


Ayup. It ain't how good you are, it's how bad they are. The lowest
common denominator is the one you have to worry about here, 'cause
they can come from nowhere when you don't even have the time to
react, let alone defend.

It's like handing Joe Luser off of the street a DSLR in auto-program
mode and saying "go take some pictures" and handing a
photographically
skilled individual the same camera and saying "photograph me a
masterpiece", then comparing the results. 50% of it is the
workspace
between the ears, 40% of it is meaningful experience, and the last
10%
is just dumb luck. Most "drivers" on the road in this country today
rely mostly on the last 10% to get them through. The way I see some
"drivers" "drive", I wonder how they have lived as long as they
have.

As I noted elsewhere, a majority of it is a problem of people not
being taught how to _drive_ properly, but rather how to "operate a
motor vehicle" and how to pass the "drivers'" license test.

Then there are the "just plain stupid" variety, like the lady I saw
the other day, doing about 25 in a 55 zone, and when I finally got
room to pass her (5 miles & 10 minutes down the road), she waa
READING A F*^^&*KING BOOK while she was "driving".


See he
http://home.san.rr.com/fsheff/incars.htm



Yep - I think I know some of those people. At least, I think I've been
behind them :^)



And you can always tell when the cell phone's in use by the cocked
angle of the head from behind. Why do people think they have to "lean
into" the phone? [probably for the same reason that they think a) that
they have to shout into it because they can't hear it well so
naturally, neither can the person on the other end*, and b) that the
rest of us are interested in the least in listening to their half of
the conversation in places like supermarkets and restaurants - i.e.,
stupidity, or lack of consideration for others]




* I'm reminded of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal [c.f. Douglas
Adams], the most mind-numbingly stupid creature in the universe... as
any HHGTTG aficianado should know, it is so stupid that it thinks that
if YOU can't see IT, then IT can't see YOU, and so the way to escape
being eaten by it is to put your towel (you do have it with you, don't
you?) over your head.

--
You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a
reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating
the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for
independence.
-- Charles A. Beard
 




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