Pentax promotional activity in Oz

[farmer_rob]

There you go... "shoestring marketing budget". I am NOT arguing that the cameras are poor or not worthy - there are too many examples of photographers who demonstrate they are great cameras*.

I AM arguing that they are not going to get the visibility of Canikon to the wider public without a much greater investment in marketing, and their product investment is IMO a bit off-beam for global domination. Although I am sure the 645 is a great MF camera, this is a specialised market relative to the DSLR market (and only released in the US after much clamoring over there - not indicative of a very proactive company.) Note that Nikon are where they are without an MF offering at all. The K5 is certainly getting some traction, but it needs more than great technology and high DxO scores to break away from a small, dedicated market segment.

(BTW, the "hoya not committed" comment was taken from Trublubiker earlier in the thread. I have no idea.)

*EDIT: I don't mean to imply that the camera makes the photographer either - more that there are photographers who know their gear and reckon the Pentax is good.

[Cage]

farmer_rob
(BTW, the "hoya not committed" comment was taken from Trublubiker earlier in the thread. I have no idea.)

I just re-read my earlier post, and nowhere did it say that Hoya were not committed.

Will this change? Possibly, if Pentax International get off their arse and give their new promo appointee the bucks to make some noise.
But if you believe the rumours, Hoya would like to offload Pentax. However a company with a highly sought after product will be more appealing to potential buyers.

My main beef, as a Pentax user in Australia, is the extortionate prices we are expected to pay for our gear.
The pricing on more than the odd item seems to have been set when the Oz dollar (aka the Pacific Peso at the time) was around $US0.65.

trublubiker

If you do a staticice check on the DA* 300mm lens you will find local prices between $1988.85 and $2159.00.
B & H currently list the lens at $US1119.95. Add shipping and GST and you have it in your hands for around $AU1300.00.

That sort of pricing is not encouraging for potential Pentax users, and forces current users to look overseas for their gear, knowing they are up poo creek in a barbed wire canoe if, heaven forbid, they have a problem.

Falcons, I totally agree with your comments about the standard of the Pentax product. It's up there with the best, and is possibly the leader, technology wise, in several areas.

After 25 years as a Canon SLR user, when I decided to get into DSLR 2 years ago I chose Pentax as my platform. It was not a decision I made without lots of research.

Regrets? With the product, nil, nada, zip. With the prices I'm asked to pay in Australia for my add-ons, many. And that applies to suppliers of other gear too.

My next purchase? The Pentax K-5. If the revamped AF and the higher ISO capability is half as good as reported, I'll be one happy camper.

Cheers

Kevin

[Falcons]

Agree on prices and i have always bought lenses and accessories overseas as savings are dramatic. CRK will match price of Sigma products on overseas internet prices but not Pentax - it may be more profitable for CRK to promote the Pentax mount lenses and flashes from Sigma over the Pentax variants.

[farmer_rob]

Sorry trublubiker, I and another poster put words in your mouth, taking "Hoya ... offload pentax" to be "Hoya not committed". I think this is a reasonable interpretation, but agree that it is not what you said. My apologies.

[Falcons]

Farmer_rob - since I have owned a Pentax Digital Camera all I have ever heard from the Rumour mill is Pentax is going broke and every year the same rumour comes out. It seems rabid owners of a canikon camera feel the need to defend their brand and jump on any rumour about Pentax and twist them into something they are not.

No it is not a reasonable interpretation to take a comment about a rumour used in the context of " If you believe the rumours.." then twist this into no longer being a rumour but fact by an assumption of your interpretation.

Despite all the rumour mongers and naysayers Pentax still manages to bring out new models that push boundries and lets not forget the fact that it was Pentax that actually invented the SLR as we know it today.

How about this for a rumour Pentax to be #1 by 2013 - Just remember where you heard it first. (Don't forget to spread it!)

[TOM]

If you do a staticice check on the DA* 300mm lens you will find local prices between $1988.85 and $2159.00.
B & H currently list the lens at $US1119.95 Add shipping and GST and you have it in your hands for around $AU1300.00.

I see nothing out of the ordinary with that pricing structure. It is typical of all of the manufacturers here in Australia I think (although Cosina/Voigtlander seem to be an exception). I have the PDF file for Nikon dealer prices, and the above pricing looks rather tame compared to.

[farmer_rob]

...
No it is not a reasonable interpretation to take a comment about a rumour used in the context of " If you believe the rumours.." then twist this into no longer being a rumour but fact by an assumption of your interpretation....

You have seriously misunderstood my post and intention. I was outlining the consequence of the rumour being true - not trying to make it true. It will only be good for the camera market if Pentax thrives and prospers.

[Analog6]

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