Ricoh Picks Up Pentax Camera Business For 10 Billion Yen

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Ray
50.25% (Neutral)
Member Topic Starter

2011-07-01T10:33:53Z

Consolidation in the photography industry? It's happening. It's starting on a smaller scale, but it's likely to expand in due time. Ricoh has just announced they will be the ones picking up the Pentax camera business from Hoya, with a company known for copiers and scanners evidently wanting access to Pentax's SLR technology. What's a company like Ricoh going to do with it? That's a great question. It's a bit tough to think about a Ricoh-branded DSLR, and with Nikon and Canon already owning a lion's share of the market, one has to wonder how much success the company will have in this market, anyway.

The deal will see Ricoh paying around 10 billion yen (that's over $124 million) for the business, which is no small chunk of change. Here's the real question: do you trust the Ricoh brand name enough to invest in a Ricoh camera / DSLR? Hmm...

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3vi1
50.25% (Neutral)
Advanced Member

2011-07-02T01:25:20Z

I'm no camera aficionado, but $124M seems inexpensive for such a well known brand. Let's hope they have plans for synergies that involve more than laying off redundant business groups.

gibbersome
50.25% (Neutral)
Member

2011-07-02T02:29:36Z

I agree, but Ricoh is most likely interested in their patents. Canon and Nikon dominate the DSLR market, with Sony quickly catching up.

omegadraco
50.25% (Neutral)
Member

2011-07-02T07:51:01Z

I agree they are probably more interested in the patents. Most likely they will not release a camera under the Ricoh name but will continue to use the Pentax name for camera products.

realneil
100% (Exalted)
Advanced Member

2011-07-02T10:44:14Z

When I was a young man, (so long ago) Pentax was a viable choice for a SLR Camera. They made quality goods. Ricoh has a decent reputation too. Maybe it will be a match that produces new ideas and lower prices.

ALSO: Could it be possible that Ricoh has a groundbreaking new idea and needs the DSLR manufacturing capability that comes with Pentax to produce it?

We'll see.

3vi1
50.25% (Neutral)
Advanced Member

2011-07-02T11:54:51Z

>> Could it be possible that Ricoh has a groundbreaking new idea and needs the DSLR manufacturing capability

I like that idea. I like that a lot.

Finger's crossed.

rapid1
50.25% (Neutral)
Member

2011-07-02T14:48:21Z

Yeah I agree on the fact that this looks good. Of course we will have to see what comes from it, but it looks nice to me. Let us hope they drop some truly new design and components with a decent price line to as I would imagine they would have to with a combined company obviously looking for some new space in the current market which is pretty much owned by Nikon and Cannon. SONY may be coming up but they have not made it yet!

animatortom
50.25% (Neutral)
Member

2011-07-02T20:05:12Z

That doesnt seem to pricey. Pentax has always been know for having the smallest pocket cameras.

the merging of two of the top four is an interesting prospect. Hopefully they will emerge stronger!

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