The Future for Pentax is Uncertain, but Ricoh is Committed to the Brand

The Pentax brand has been largely quiet for the last several years. Outside of the Pentax 17 and the K3 Mark III Monochrome, there has not been significant activity. Speaking to PetaPixel, Ricoh President Yasutomo Mori and Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager of Ricoh’s Camera Business Division, both promise that Ricoh is committed to the Pentax brand, despite the quiet situation.

“With regard to the Pentax brand, the latest model is the Pentax K3 Mark III, but it’s already been quite a while on the market,” Saiki admits, speaking to PetaPixel at the GR Space in Brisbane, Australia. The K3 Mark III was announced in 2021.

“Inside of Ricoh, the A-team was developing GR, the B-team was developing new Pentax products. So I combined those teams and asked them to design something for the Pentax brand that is a totally new concept,” Mori says. “We, of course, had the Pentax 17 as a film camera, which is the exception, but we are sticking to the DSLR system as a Pentax brand.”

The company’s leadership is very aware of the position Pentax users sit in the market and knows it’s not an area rich with growth.

“When considering the Pentax brand, focusing solely on current customers will not sustain the brand. The engineers are researching and making a strong effort to answer what a DSLR system camera should be which will attract the younger generation. That is the discussion we are having internally.”

Saiki and Mori agree that it is exceptionally challenging to answer this question, but they have tasked their teams with it nonetheless. The two say that Pentax, like Ricoh, is driven by a core set of principles that the designers will never deviate from. These principles, which are listed on Ricoh’s website, are as follows (and the two repeatedly physically pointed to these during their conversation with PetaPixel):

1. We design new cameras through sheer devotion: It is our intention to produce cameras that will be the preferred choice for photo enthusiasts, because we love photography and have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of cameras.
2. Our goal is to produce cameras with the power to capture images that allow for direct communication with the subject: We intend to design cameras that create memorable images, that make us feel as if we’re connecting directly with the subject, capturing our imagination and captivating our senses.
3. We design cameras that allow our users to enjoy all the processes involved in taking a picture: We pursue every essential element involved in the joy of photography. From looking through the viewfinder to composing the image, focusing on the subject and releasing the shutter.
4. We pursue a level of quality and performance that can’t be measured by numbers alone: We produce our cameras not only by pursuing higher performance based on numerical values, but by integrating our designers’ sensory feedback into the design and development.
5. We respect and value the photographic experiences of our users and view this as an invaluable asset: We want to share all the inspiring experiences of our users, from the hardware to the shooting processes, creating and viewing the images.

These principles demand that Pentax make cameras with optical viewfinders, hence the decision to stick with the DSLR. PetaPixel pointed out that the Pentax brand hasn’t always been DSLR only: it made mirrorless cameras in the past with the K-01 and the Q series. There are, it appears, exceptions to the rules that won’t be revisited.

“To be frank, both of those were sensational cameras, but they were not a success,” Saiki says. “So maybe, we chose a hard path. But our commitment to the Pentax principles remains unchanged.”

Now that the GR IV has been released, Ricoh has much more time before a successor is needed. Therefore, it can focus its efforts on Pentax.

“That is why my title is division manager,” Saiki explains. “Camera Business Division means not only GR, not only Pentax, but both. That is why they have now been brought into one single operation and I assigned the engineers, regardless of if they were Ricoh or Pentax before, to achieve this.”

Mori and Saiki treat Ricoh GR and Pentax as systems that cater to specific needs in the market, hence their rigorous attachment to core principles for each.

“The Ricoh brand is a promise to the compact snap shooter, while the Pentax brand is a promise to those who want a viewfinder, a pentaprism. That is the background of the brands. So we value the Ricoh brand very much for its purpose and Pentax brand very much another one. As a company of Ricoh, we really want to have these two brands,” Saiki continues, reiterating the equal importance of both Pentax and GR.

“Because of the great success of GR, we now have a nice chance to invest in the Pentax revival. So don’t misunderstand, we are really committed to both brands. Ricoh Imaging is not afraid of the challenge, but we also recognize that we don’t have unlimited time,” Saiki adds.

“We are not in a hurry, but the longer we wait, the fewer opportunities we have. Therefore, we should not rush, yet at the same time, we must hurry.”

Image credits: Elements of header photo licensed via Depositphotos.