The Future of Ricoh and Pentax?

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Mike Farley
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The Future of Ricoh and Pentax?

Postby Mike Farley » Fri 21 Jan 2022, 11:55

The Amateur Photographer website has two articles adjacent to each other that seemingly make similar statements. The first is from Ricoh, which sells cameras both under its own name and Pentax. While details are unclear, it is scaling back production and switching to a direct sales model. The Ricoh GR models get good reviews but Ricoh has said Pentax will not offer mirrorless options in future. I imagine both brands sell fairly low volumes, an assumption supported by Ricoh's statement. The second article asserts that the DSLR is not dead and the author makes some valid points about cost and availabilty of lenses, but that situation largely applies to full frame ranges.

The situation will change over time although with declining sales, inevitably manufacturers will concentrate on higher value products that yield the greatest profit. Other than Ricoh, no one is making DSLRs and manufactuers are in the process of running down existing stock. Mirrorless offers some benefits that might not justify the cost of switching. In terms of lenses, most people find adapters to be a hassle which makes them a short term solution before buting into those with native mounts. Ricoh is seeking to reduce both manufacturing and sales costs but its actions will ensure that its products will become increasingly niche.

https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/l ... ras-159469

https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/l ... ead-159466
Regards

Mike Farley
(Visit my website and blog - www.mikefarley.net)

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