Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Yeah, it's frustrating, but there seems to be a positive outcome on the horizon. Fingers crossed. I think we all used to know someone who could help us out, provide good service, who was knowledgeable, etc ... Those people are more and more becoming vague memories. Shel [Original Message] From: Kenneth Waller Shel, really sorry for your continuing tail of woe. I ran into these issues about 10 years ago wound up dealing directly with the (then) Pentax district sales manager. He was apologetic eventually he became my contact for obtaining new Pentax equipment, after the places he recommended continued their dismal performance (not getting Pentax equipment without a non refundable deposit) - I'd phone him with my wants he would simply ship me what I wanted, billing me. Unfortunately he left Pentax several years ago. Not sure what I'll do when I need another Pentax fix.
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Chris, I'm not Shel, but could be interested in a DS2 for the right price. What would it cost to get it to me here down in Chicago. Regards, Bob S. On 3/1/06, Chris Brogden [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, Shel. I don't check the PDML very often these days since I had tosell my LX and 67II, but I popped in today and read about your retailadventures. Are you looking for a DS2? Which questions do you have? We have themin stock at Don's Photo in Winnipeg. While Canadian prices can't goas low as US prices, I would be happy to give you a lower price thanyou'll find at any other Canadian store. Let me know off-list ifyou're interested or if you have any questions you'd like answeredcorrectly. :) Cheers, Chris Brogden On 3/1/06, Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Unfortunately, most of us don't live close to the Apple store, or similar stores, and the phone is a better option - or even the only option. Today I called Keeble Schucat and got nicely jerked around. Called Reed'sCcamera in Walnut Creek and got lied to. Called Sarber's Camera in Berkeley and was met with ignorance and stupidity. Spoke to a camera shop in Milwauke and couldn't buy the camera I wanted because they didn't approve of my shipping address. Contacted a Canadian seller of the same camera and couldn't get a straight answer wrt the camera warranty. Went to Adolph Gasser's site to see what they had, and their site doesn't allow checking on inventory or easily placing an order. Called and spoke with someone who gave me information opposite to that on the web site. I tell you, Godders, I'm either one big schmuck and don't know squat, or the retail and service worlds seems to be populat! ed! by morons. As for the Apple Store, well, I went to the one in Emeryville and asked about their Cinema displays. The woman I spoke with said she'd get me some information (I'd have thought she'd be able to answer any questions, but hey, I'm an ignorant schmuck), walked away, and never returned. I left the store with nothing, not even a brochure, as I couldn't find one. Shel [Original Message] From: Godfrey DiGiorgi I just walk down the street to the Apple Retail Store and someone there will answer any question I put to them. I spend as little time as possible with phone support personnel. Between the stupid voicemail systems and the lack of expertise of those manning the phones, its mostly a huge waste of time. Godfrey
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: Adam Maas Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Currently they do, but in the future? Plus word gets around that you 'can't get pentax gear', which promotes switching to other brands, which costs market share. Also if you don't have decent market share, retailers won't carry your gear, so sales will eventually go down. Adam, its a Pentax USA problem. It's not like as if the entire world is affected. William Robb The DS2 is a Pentax USA problem. Getting lenses other than DA or D-FA in Canada gets pretty iffy. -Adam
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On 1/3/06, Kostas Kavoussanakis, discombobulated, unleashed: Pentax UK has solved it by overpricing everything by 40-60%, maybe more. The difference is that if we buy something from a UK shop and it needs fixing or replacing, we take it back to the shop under statutory law, not the manufacturer. It's their responsibility to sell goods intended for the purpose they were designed for. My son's iPod conked out after 8 months. I bought it from Apple online in the UK. I rang the number, got through to a call centre in India. Bare in mind I wanted it fixed or replaced as the guarantee is for one year. Bloke on the other end asked if I'd tried resetting it, I said yes. He asked if I'd restored it using software on a computer. I said no, how do I do that? Ah, he said. I see you have not opted for the optional Applecare that gives you free telephone support after 90 days - I can't tell you. I then quoted him UK law which basically says that goods must fulfil the purpose for which they were sold with reasonable expectation. I wanted the iPod repaired or replaced and this is how it is in the UK. He immediately offered the instructions (which didn't work anyway and subsequently Appke sent a box the next day to cart it away for repair or replacement) which raises an interesting point. He was quite ready for me to buy extra Applecare so he could offer me the instructions on a software restore, and I'll bet most people do buy it - unnecessarily. That may be the way things are done in the USA, but (as I told him) it certainly is not the way we do things here. We may moan a bit but we get satisfaction. Churchill and all that ! Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=|http://www.cottysnaps.com _
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Mar 1, 2006, at 1:08 AM, Cotty wrote: That may be the way things are done in the USA, but (as I told him) it certainly is not the way we do things here. I just walk down the street to the Apple Retail Store and someone there will answer any question I put to them. I spend as little time as possible with phone support personnel. Between the stupid voicemail systems and the lack of expertise of those manning the phones, its mostly a huge waste of time. Godfrey
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Unfortunately, most of us don't live close to the Apple store, or similar stores, and the phone is a better option - or even the only option. Today I called Keeble Schucat and got nicely jerked around. Called Reed'sCcamera in Walnut Creek and got lied to. Called Sarber's Camera in Berkeley and was met with ignorance and stupidity. Spoke to a camera shop in Milwauke and couldn't buy the camera I wanted because they didn't approve of my shipping address. Contacted a Canadian seller of the same camera and couldn't get a straight answer wrt the camera warranty. Went to Adolph Gasser's site to see what they had, and their site doesn't allow checking on inventory or easily placing an order. Called and spoke with someone who gave me information opposite to that on the web site. I tell you, Godders, I'm either one big schmuck and don't know squat, or the retail and service worlds seems to be populated by morons. As for the Apple Store, well, I went to the one in Emeryville and asked about their Cinema displays. The woman I spoke with said she'd get me some information (I'd have thought she'd be able to answer any questions, but hey, I'm an ignorant schmuck), walked away, and never returned. I left the store with nothing, not even a brochure, as I couldn't find one. Shel [Original Message] From: Godfrey DiGiorgi I just walk down the street to the Apple Retail Store and someone there will answer any question I put to them. I spend as little time as possible with phone support personnel. Between the stupid voicemail systems and the lack of expertise of those manning the phones, its mostly a huge waste of time. Godfrey
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
The moron/sapient quotient is quite high... Godfrey On Mar 1, 2006, at 1:32 AM, Shel Belinkoff wrote: ... I tell you, Godders, I'm either one big schmuck and don't know squat, or the retail and service worlds seems to be populated by morons. ...
Re: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] I tell you, Godders, I'm either one big schmuck and don't know squat, or the retail and service worlds seems to be populated by morons. To be fair (which can be difficult) I think they are probably not so much morons as people completely untrained in anything except the art of getting you to open your wallet and say Help yourself. - Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
G'day Shel (take a deep calming breath) :-), In regards to the warranty. Make sure that they fill out and send you a Pentax International Warranty Certificate and you should be covered. I had to ask for one after I bought some stuff from a Canadian camera store. They had to get them from Pentax Canada. They filled it out and forwarded it on to me within a week. Be specific with your questions. I wouldn't be surprised if they had never hear of these things. BTW. The store I dealt with was Mcbain Camera (Red Deer outlet, Alberta) http://www.mcbaincamera.com/digital/digitalpen.htm I found them very helpful. Dave On 3/1/06, Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Unfortunately, most of us don't live close to the Apple store, or similar stores, and the phone is a better option - or even the only option. Today I called Keeble Schucat and got nicely jerked around. Called Reed'sCcamera in Walnut Creek and got lied to. Called Sarber's Camera in Berkeley and was met with ignorance and stupidity. Spoke to a camera shop in Milwauke and couldn't buy the camera I wanted because they didn't approve of my shipping address. Contacted a Canadian seller of the same camera and couldn't get a straight answer wrt the camera warranty. Went to Adolph Gasser's site to see what they had, and their site doesn't allow checking on inventory or easily placing an order. Called and spoke with someone who gave me information opposite to that on the web site. I tell you, Godders, I'm either one big schmuck and don't know squat, or the retail and service worlds seems to be populated by morons. As for the Apple Store, well, I went to the one in Emeryville and asked about their Cinema displays. The woman I spoke with said she'd get me some information (I'd have thought she'd be able to answer any questions, but hey, I'm an ignorant schmuck), walked away, and never returned. I left the store with nothing, not even a brochure, as I couldn't find one. Shel
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
That's not the way things are done here, at least not by Apple. I bought two ipod minis for two of my kids. Both failed. I called Apple, went through the restore process, which failed, and had them replaced. They sent a box for each and replaced them free of any charges. They even paid shipping. I think the hard drives on a huge number of ipod minis failed. Apple replaced them all and thus avoided a lot of bad press. Paul On Mar 1, 2006, at 4:08 AM, Cotty wrote: On 1/3/06, Kostas Kavoussanakis, discombobulated, unleashed: Pentax UK has solved it by overpricing everything by 40-60%, maybe more. The difference is that if we buy something from a UK shop and it needs fixing or replacing, we take it back to the shop under statutory law, not the manufacturer. It's their responsibility to sell goods intended for the purpose they were designed for. My son's iPod conked out after 8 months. I bought it from Apple online in the UK. I rang the number, got through to a call centre in India. Bare in mind I wanted it fixed or replaced as the guarantee is for one year. Bloke on the other end asked if I'd tried resetting it, I said yes. He asked if I'd restored it using software on a computer. I said no, how do I do that? Ah, he said. I see you have not opted for the optional Applecare that gives you free telephone support after 90 days - I can't tell you. I then quoted him UK law which basically says that goods must fulfil the purpose for which they were sold with reasonable expectation. I wanted the iPod repaired or replaced and this is how it is in the UK. He immediately offered the instructions (which didn't work anyway and subsequently Appke sent a box the next day to cart it away for repair or replacement) which raises an interesting point. He was quite ready for me to buy extra Applecare so he could offer me the instructions on a software restore, and I'll bet most people do buy it - unnecessarily. That may be the way things are done in the USA, but (as I told him) it certainly is not the way we do things here. We may moan a bit but we get satisfaction. Churchill and all that ! Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=|http://www.cottysnaps.com _
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
(Yawn) I checked with McBain, and, at this point, I don't recall if they had the camera I wanted or if the price was too high. However, I will check with them again. The number of camera shops and web sites I've contacted in the last week has become a blur, and only two or three stand out for one reason or another. Yes, the International Warranty is what I'll be asking about. I believe you mentioned that before, and, were it not for you, I never would have though to ask about it. Thanks. Time for tea and to get the day started. Shel [Original Message] From: David Savage G'day Shel (take a deep calming breath) :-), In regards to the warranty. Make sure that they fill out and send you a Pentax International Warranty Certificate and you should be covered. I had to ask for one after I bought some stuff from a Canadian camera store. They had to get them from Pentax Canada. They filled it out and forwarded it on to me within a week. Be specific with your questions. I wouldn't be surprised if they had never hear of these things. BTW. The store I dealt with was Mcbain Camera (Red Deer outlet, Alberta) http://www.mcbaincamera.com/digital/digitalpen.htm I found them very helpful.
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
- Original Message - From: Adam Maas Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) The DS2 is a Pentax USA problem. Getting lenses other than DA or D-FA in Canada gets pretty iffy. In the past little while (within the last 2 years), I have bought both an A15/3.5, FA31/1.8, FA50/1.4 and an FA200/4 macro through PCI with no problems. Delivery 31 and 50 was within days, I was told the 15 was a special order from Japan and it took 6 weeks, the 200 Macro took a few weeks. I'm not having any problems getting what I want out of PCI. William Robb
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
- Original Message - From: David Savage Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Be specific with your questions. I wouldn't be surprised if they had never hear of these things. BTW. The store I dealt with was Mcbain Camera (Red Deer outlet, Alberta) http://www.mcbaincamera.com/digital/digitalpen.htm McBain's is an excellent old style camera store. Don's here in Regina seems to be realy good, buth they did just hire a few new people, so I have had to be choosey about who I talk to. Now I just talk to the Don himself. He's been in the business for as long as I have. If you are looking for price matching with USA big boxes, I think you can forget about a Canadian retailer though. Our prices are a bit higher. The price I was quoted for a DS2 was perhaps 50 dollars more than the USA box store price. OTOH, Don's has one in stock with my name on it... William Robb
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
- Original Message - From: Cotty Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) On 1/3/06, Kostas Kavoussanakis, discombobulated, unleashed: Pentax UK has solved it by overpricing everything by 40-60%, maybe more. The difference is that if we buy something from a UK shop and it needs fixing or replacing, we take it back to the shop under statutory law, not the manufacturer. It's their responsibility to sell goods intended for the purpose they were designed for. I suspect the corporate tax regime in both our countries makes the pricing somewhat out of line compared to our undertaxed friends in the USA. William Robb
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Wed, 1 Mar 2006, William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: Cotty Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) On 1/3/06, Kostas Kavoussanakis, discombobulated, unleashed: Pentax UK has solved it by overpricing everything by 40-60%, maybe more. The difference is that if we buy something from a UK shop and it needs fixing or replacing, we take it back to the shop under statutory law, not the manufacturer. It's their responsibility to sell goods intended for the purpose they were designed for. I suspect the corporate tax regime in both our countries makes the pricing somewhat out of line compared to our undertaxed friends in the USA. If I had the interest (and I don't because I don't think I will buy a Nikon or a Canon) I would do a comparison of similar items in the UK. A colleague who claims to have done it believes that Pentax is overpriced in the UK compared to the UK competition, not compared to the US. Although a Pentax user up to Xmas, he bought an Oly (-300?) with two lenses for the price of the DL kit. The fact that I have no Canon/Nikon bg makes it impossible to even do one sample comparison. Kostas
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Mar 1, 2006, at 10:28 AM, William Robb wrote: The DS2 is a Pentax USA problem. Getting lenses other than DA or D-FA in Canada gets pretty iffy. In the past little while (within the last 2 years), I have bought both an A15/3.5, FA31/1.8, FA50/1.4 and an FA200/4 macro through PCI with no problems. Delivery 31 and 50 was within days, I was told the 15 was a special order from Japan and it took 6 weeks, the 200 Macro took a few weeks. I'm not having any problems getting what I want out of PCI. I suspect that it is more an unwillingness of most retailers to bring in high-ticket items without cash up front. Bill -- when I bought my DS2 I wanted a fast 50mm with it, preferably a 1.4. Pentax Canada had an F series 1.4 and an FA 1.7 in the warehouse, and said that there HAD been an FA 50 1.4 for a long while but that someone bought it. So I guess I have to blame you! Actually, I'm very happy with the F. -Aaron
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Wed, 1 Mar 2006, Aaron Reynolds wrote: Actually, I'm very happy with the F. Same thing in this case. Some even think it is better (that's what photodo says). Kostas
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
- Original Message - From: Aaron Reynolds Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) I suspect that it is more an unwillingness of most retailers to bring in high-ticket items without cash up front. I had to put money on the table before they would order the 15. Can't say as how I blame them, it isn't exactly a stock item. Bill -- when I bought my DS2 I wanted a fast 50mm with it, preferably a 1.4. Pentax Canada had an F series 1.4 and an FA 1.7 in the warehouse, and said that there HAD been an FA 50 1.4 for a long while but that someone bought it. So I guess I have to blame you! Sorry. William Robb
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On 1/3/06, Godfrey DiGiorgi, discombobulated, unleashed: I just walk down the street to the Apple Retail Store and someone there will answer any question I put to them. I spend as little time as possible with phone support personnel. Between the stupid voicemail systems and the lack of expertise of those manning the phones, its mostly a huge waste of time. I agree. Unfortunately our nearest Apple Retail Store is in London - a three hour trip from hell. I purchased from Apple online, and I followed the prescribed procedure for repair / replacement. Given a reasonable choice, I would rather deal with a person. Which makes me think that next time I may buy from a physical store. Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=|http://www.cottysnaps.com _
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On 1/3/06, Paul Stenquist, discombobulated, unleashed: That's not the way things are done here, at least not by Apple. I bought two ipod minis for two of my kids. Both failed. I called Apple, went through the restore process, which failed, and had them replaced. They sent a box for each and replaced them free of any charges. They even paid shipping. I think the hard drives on a huge number of ipod minis failed. Apple replaced them all and thus avoided a lot of bad press. Oh, don't get me wrong Paul - I am impressed with the service so far. The day after, a box arrived and the iPod was sent off in it the same day. My point was that, as part of the process in finding out if the thing actually needed to go off for repair or replacement, the phone support was ready to charge me extra money to cover part of a process which should not cost anything at all. Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=|http://www.cottysnaps.com _
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Shel, really sorry for your continuing tail of woe. I ran into these issues about 10 years ago wound up dealing directly with the (then) Pentax district sales manager. He was apologetic eventually he became my contact for obtaining new Pentax equipment, after the places he recommended continued their dismal performance (not getting Pentax equipment without a non refundable deposit) - I'd phone him with my wants he would simply ship me what I wanted, billing me. Unfortunately he left Pentax several years ago. Not sure what I'll do when I need another Pentax fix. Kenneth Waller - Original Message - From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Unfortunately, most of us don't live close to the Apple store, or similar stores, and the phone is a better option - or even the only option. Today I called Keeble Schucat and got nicely jerked around. Called Reed'sCcamera in Walnut Creek and got lied to. Called Sarber's Camera in Berkeley and was met with ignorance and stupidity. Spoke to a camera shop in Milwauke and couldn't buy the camera I wanted because they didn't approve of my shipping address. Contacted a Canadian seller of the same camera and couldn't get a straight answer wrt the camera warranty. Went to Adolph Gasser's site to see what they had, and their site doesn't allow checking on inventory or easily placing an order. Called and spoke with someone who gave me information opposite to that on the web site. I tell you, Godders, I'm either one big schmuck and don't know squat, or the retail and service worlds seems to be populated by morons. As for the Apple Store, well, I went to the one in Emeryville and asked about their Cinema displays. The woman I spoke with said she'd get me some information (I'd have thought she'd be able to answer any questions, but hey, I'm an ignorant schmuck), walked away, and never returned. I left the store with nothing, not even a brochure, as I couldn't find one. Shel [Original Message] From: Godfrey DiGiorgi I just walk down the street to the Apple Retail Store and someone there will answer any question I put to them. I spend as little time as possible with phone support personnel. Between the stupid voicemail systems and the lack of expertise of those manning the phones, its mostly a huge waste of time. Godfrey
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
That's exactly what I meant -- hard to find and not imported and warehoused by Pentax Canada are not the same. There's a lot of stuff in that warehouse if you can find a retailer to order it in for you. And I don't blame the retailers; we were boned on special orders all the time. One place I worked had a basement full of FM2s that were ordered by a school board. The person who ordered them went on maternity leave and the board decided not to pay. Then they were deeply offended that we suspended their account. -Aaron -Original Message- I suspect that it is more an unwillingness of most retailers to bring in high-ticket items without cash up front. I had to put money on the table before they would order the 15. Can't say as how I blame them, it isn't exactly a stock item.
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Hi, Shel. I don't check the PDML very often these days since I had tosell my LX and 67II, but I popped in today and read about your retailadventures. Are you looking for a DS2? Which questions do you have? We have themin stock at Don's Photo in Winnipeg. While Canadian prices can't goas low as US prices, I would be happy to give you a lower price thanyou'll find at any other Canadian store. Let me know off-list ifyou're interested or if you have any questions you'd like answeredcorrectly. :) Cheers, Chris Brogden On 3/1/06, Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Unfortunately, most of us don't live close to the Apple store, or similar stores, and the phone is a better option - or even the only option. Today I called Keeble Schucat and got nicely jerked around. Called Reed'sCcamera in Walnut Creek and got lied to. Called Sarber's Camera in Berkeley and was met with ignorance and stupidity. Spoke to a camera shop in Milwauke and couldn't buy the camera I wanted because they didn't approve of my shipping address. Contacted a Canadian seller of the same camera and couldn't get a straight answer wrt the camera warranty. Went to Adolph Gasser's site to see what they had, and their site doesn't allow checking on inventory or easily placing an order. Called and spoke with someone who gave me information opposite to that on the web site. I tell you, Godders, I'm either one big schmuck and don't know squat, or the retail and service worlds seems to be populated! by morons. As for the Apple Store, well, I went to the one in Emeryville and asked about their Cinema displays. The woman I spoke with said she'd get me some information (I'd have thought she'd be able to answer any questions, but hey, I'm an ignorant schmuck), walked away, and never returned. I left the store with nothing, not even a brochure, as I couldn't find one. Shel [Original Message] From: Godfrey DiGiorgi I just walk down the street to the Apple Retail Store and someone there will answer any question I put to them. I spend as little time as possible with phone support personnel. Between the stupid voicemail systems and the lack of expertise of those manning the phones, its mostly a huge waste of time. Godfrey
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Feb 28, 2006, at 1:42 AM, Joseph Tainter wrote: The limiteds are on eBay all the time. The FA* 24 shows up there regularly. The FA* 85 and 300 show up less often, but they do show up. The FA* 400 comes up 2 or 3 times a year. For rotten sales, there are a lot of them floating around. When you say a lot, how many do you mean? How many per month? Ten? A hundred? A thousand? Really, Joe, the sales of FA* lenses have been dreadful, and continue to be dreadful. Are the clamoring people looking for new or used? -Aaron
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
- Original Message - From: Shel Belinkoff Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) And you know what happens when one assumes ;-)) What's interesting is that you can't buy a Samsung here in the US yet, so Pentax is losing sales. How much wiser it would be, should this assumption be true, that things be somewhat better coordinated. If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it. William Robb
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: Shel Belinkoff Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) And you know what happens when one assumes ;-)) What's interesting is that you can't buy a Samsung here in the US yet, so Pentax is losing sales. How much wiser it would be, should this assumption be true, that things be somewhat better coordinated. If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it. William Robb Except market share, which you tend to lose if you can't supply the demand, as frustrated consumers go elsewhere. -Adam
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On 27 Feb 2006 at 22:19, Aaron Reynolds wrote: I don't mean to imply that Pentax work logically, or that leaving the istDS2 off the market for any length of time is at all a good idea, but in the case of the FA* lenses, sales are rotten. Really, horrendously rotten. People clamor for them here, but how many buy them? Besides, the PDML is hardly representative of the buying public. Pentax marketing hard at work again? Rob Studdert HURSTVILLE AUSTRALIA Tel +61-2-9554-4110 UTC(GMT) +10 Hours [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://members.ozemail.com.au/~distudio/publications/ Pentax user since 1986, PDMLer since 1998
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
No, it's that Pentax has, according to FIVE independent sources, discontinued the effin' camera after only a few months on the market. They are, according to these sources, not building any more of these cameras. I'd love to be wrong about this. It would be great if the cameras started appearing again - although by the time they do it will be of little use to me, but perhaps for others. Shel [Original Message] From: William Robb If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it.
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Why do you think the sale of those lenses is so poor? Too expensive for most people? Appealing to too limited a market? Shel [Original Message] From: Aaron Reynolds Really, Joe, the sales of FA* lenses have been dreadful, and continue to be dreadful. Are the clamoring people looking for new or used?
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Nobody who wants one can find them? -Adam Shel Belinkoff wrote: Why do you think the sale of those lenses is so poor? Too expensive for most people? Appealing to too limited a market? Shel [Original Message] From: Aaron Reynolds Really, Joe, the sales of FA* lenses have been dreadful, and continue to be dreadful. Are the clamoring people looking for new or used?
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
They may have had to switch production over to the new D. I would imagine they are at least at the stage of building production prototypes. The DS2 may have been a short-run test mule to try out the larger lcd and some other bits and pieces. I think most manufacturers have all they can do to try and keep up with the fast changing DSLR market. For a maker with limited resources, it must be a real struggle. Paul -- Original message -- From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] No, it's that Pentax has, according to FIVE independent sources, discontinued the effin' camera after only a few months on the market. They are, according to these sources, not building any more of these cameras. I'd love to be wrong about this. It would be great if the cameras started appearing again - although by the time they do it will be of little use to me, but perhaps for others. Shel [Original Message] From: William Robb If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it.
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
It seems there were never very many samples of some high-end lenses available to sell. If the sales were dreadful, the lenses would be sitting ona shelf in a warehouse. Apparently, there are none available. I would say the sales were capacity constrained. Dreadful is when you can't sell out the production run. Paul -- Original message -- From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] Why do you think the sale of those lenses is so poor? Too expensive for most people? Appealing to too limited a market? Shel [Original Message] From: Aaron Reynolds Really, Joe, the sales of FA* lenses have been dreadful, and continue to be dreadful. Are the clamoring people looking for new or used?
Re: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 2006/02/28 Tue PM 03:35:23 GMT To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) No, it's that Pentax has, according to FIVE independent sources, discontinued the effin' camera after only a few months on the market. In which case, maybe you shold be glad you didn't get one. I imagine the spares situation will be, er, interesting in, , about a year's time.. They are, according to these sources, not building any more of these cameras. I'd love to be wrong about this. It would be great if the cameras started appearing again - although by the time they do it will be of little use to me, but perhaps for others. Shel [Original Message] From: William Robb If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it. - Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Except the nearly identical DL already had that before. The DS2 seems to be a DS in a DL body. -Adam [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: They may have had to switch production over to the new D. I would imagine they are at least at the stage of building production prototypes. The DS2 may have been a short-run test mule to try out the larger lcd and some other bits and pieces. I think most manufacturers have all they can do to try and keep up with the fast changing DSLR market. For a maker with limited resources, it must be a real struggle. Paul -- Original message -- From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] No, it's that Pentax has, according to FIVE independent sources, discontinued the effin' camera after only a few months on the market. They are, according to these sources, not building any more of these cameras. I'd love to be wrong about this. It would be great if the cameras started appearing again - although by the time they do it will be of little use to me, but perhaps for others. Shel [Original Message] From: William Robb If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it.
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
I don't know about the USA situation, but here in Canada they ARE sitting on the warehouse shelves. In many cases they had a lens for five years before it sold and did not re-order. Heck, they have brand new, 20 year old A* lenses up here. -Aaron -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:47 am Size: 778 bytes To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net It seems there were never very many samples of some high-end lenses available to sell. If the sales were dreadful, the lenses would be sitting ona shelf in a warehouse. Apparently, there are none available. I would say the sales were capacity constrained. Dreadful is when you can't sell out the production run. Paul -- Original message -- From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] Why do you think the sale of those lenses is so poor? Too expensive for most people? Appealing to too limited a market? Shel [Original Message] From: Aaron Reynolds Really, Joe, the sales of FA* lenses have been dreadful, and continue to be dreadful. Are the clamoring people looking for new or used?
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Feb 28, 2006, at 11:07 AM, Aaron Reynolds wrote: I don't know about the USA situation, but here in Canada they ARE sitting on the warehouse shelves. In many cases they had a lens for five years before it sold and did not re-order. Heck, they have brand new, 20 year old A* lenses up here. Have they not discovered eBay? Bob From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it. -.Groucho Marx
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
I'm not aware of any camera company hawking their own wares on eBay -- I imagine the retailers would object and respond by not stocking Pentax. -Aaron -Original Message- From: Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:35 am Size: 493 bytes To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net On Feb 28, 2006, at 11:07 AM, Aaron Reynolds wrote: I don't know about the USA situation, but here in Canada they ARE sitting on the warehouse shelves. In many cases they had a lens for five years before it sold and did not re-order. Heck, they have brand new, 20 year old A* lenses up here. Have they not discovered eBay? Bob From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it. -.Groucho Marx
SV: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Which ones :-) Jens Jens Bladt http://www.jensbladt.dk -Oprindelig meddelelse- Fra: Bob Shell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sendt: 28. februar 2006 17:36 Til: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Emne: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) On Feb 28, 2006, at 11:07 AM, Aaron Reynolds wrote: I don't know about the USA situation, but here in Canada they ARE sitting on the warehouse shelves. In many cases they had a lens for five years before it sold and did not re-order. Heck, they have brand new, 20 year old A* lenses up here. Have they not discovered eBay? Bob From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it. -.Groucho Marx -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.1/271 - Release Date: 02/28/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.1/271 - Release Date: 02/28/2006
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Olympus USA seems to be active: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZolympususaQQhtZ-1 On 2/28/06, Aaron Reynolds [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm not aware of any camera company hawking their own wares on eBay -- I imagine the retailers would object and respond by not stocking Pentax. -Aaron -Original Message- From: Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:35 am Size: 493 bytes To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net On Feb 28, 2006, at 11:07 AM, Aaron Reynolds wrote: I don't know about the USA situation, but here in Canada they ARE sitting on the warehouse shelves. In many cases they had a lens for five years before it sold and did not re-order. Heck, they have brand new, 20 year old A* lenses up here. Have they not discovered eBay? Bob From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it. -.Groucho Marx -- Perry Pellechia Primary email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alternate email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home Page: http://homer.chem.sc.edu/perry
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
If you check the ID history you'll find that this seller is ~not~ Olympus camera company, but just some jamoke using a name that implies there may be a connection to Olympus. Shel From: Perry Pellechia Olympus USA seems to be active: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZolympususaQQhtZ-1 Aaron Reynolds wrote: I'm not aware of any camera company hawking their own wares on eBay --
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Is that actually Olympus' US distributor? Are they connected to that Russian camera site in some way? (Their e-mail address ends with @sentosacamera.com.) -Aaron -Original Message- From: Perry Pellechia [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:55 am Size: 1K To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Olympus USA seems to be active: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZolympususaQQhtZ-1 On 2/28/06, Aaron Reynolds [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm not aware of any camera company hawking their own wares on eBay -- I imagine the retailers would object and respond by not stocking Pentax. -Aaron -Original Message- From: Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:35 am Size: 493 bytes To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net On Feb 28, 2006, at 11:07 AM, Aaron Reynolds wrote: I don't know about the USA situation, but here in Canada they ARE sitting on the warehouse shelves. In many cases they had a lens for five years before it sold and did not re-order. Heck, they have brand new, 20 year old A* lenses up here. Have they not discovered eBay? Bob From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it. -.Groucho Marx -- Perry Pellechia Primary email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alternate email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home Page: http://homer.chem.sc.edu/perry
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Feb 28, 2006, at 11:44 AM, Aaron Reynolds wrote: I'm not aware of any camera company hawking their own wares on eBay -- I imagine the retailers would object and respond by not stocking Pentax. You'd be surprised who is selling on eBay, not necessarily under their actual names. Bob
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Interesting, he must have some connection with Olympus because he seems to have sold thousands of Oly products and nothing else. On 2/28/06, Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If you check the ID history you'll find that this seller is ~not~ Olympus camera company, but just some jamoke using a name that implies there may be a connection to Olympus. Shel From: Perry Pellechia Olympus USA seems to be active: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZolympususaQQhtZ-1 Aaron Reynolds wrote: I'm not aware of any camera company hawking their own wares on eBay -- -- Perry Pellechia Primary email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alternate email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home Page: http://homer.chem.sc.edu/perry
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Feb 28, 2006, at 1:02 PM, Perry Pellechia wrote: Interesting, he must have some connection with Olympus because he seems to have sold thousands of Oly products and nothing else. Before the days of eBay, Pentax USA used to publish a magazine for Pentax users. I got it for years. In the middle were two pages with special offers. Often they put slow-moving inventory on there at very low prices. I remember that I bought several of the bulk film backs for the LX when they had those on offer. They went for something like $ 65 each, as I recall, a fraction of their former price. I'll have to look and see if I still have any copies of that magazine. It was all color and very nicely printed, with useful articles and lots of great photos. I was really sad when they decided to stop publishing it. Bob
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
He doesn't need any greater connection than an account with Olympus and a catalog. If you called up Pentax and had good credit references and a legit business or business plan, they'd surely wholesale to you unless you'd be affecting another existing dealer. -Aaron -Original Message- From: Perry Pellechia [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:02 pm Size: 875 bytes To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Interesting, he must have some connection with Olympus because he seems to have sold thousands of Oly products and nothing else. On 2/28/06, Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If you check the ID history you'll find that this seller is ~not~ Olympus camera company, but just some jamoke using a name that implies there may be a connection to Olympus. Shel From: Perry Pellechia Olympus USA seems to be active: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZolympususaQQhtZ-1 Aaron Reynolds wrote: I'm not aware of any camera company hawking their own wares on eBay -- -- Perry Pellechia Primary email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alternate email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home Page: http://homer.chem.sc.edu/perry
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
- Original Message - From: Adam Maas Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it. Except market share, which you tend to lose if you can't supply the demand, as frustrated consumers go elsewhere. The choice then would be to decide where you are willing to lose market share. As long as they can sell everything they build, they have enough market share. William Robb
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: Adam Maas Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) If they are selling everything they can build, they are losing nothing. Perhaps it's nothing more than the Amarican market being bigger than what Pentax is willing to allocate to it. Except market share, which you tend to lose if you can't supply the demand, as frustrated consumers go elsewhere. The choice then would be to decide where you are willing to lose market share. As long as they can sell everything they build, they have enough market share. William Robb Currently they do, but in the future? Plus word gets around that you 'can't get pentax gear', which promotes switching to other brands, which costs market share. Also if you don't have decent market share, retailers won't carry your gear, so sales will eventually go down. -Adam
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
- Original Message - From: Adam Maas Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Currently they do, but in the future? Plus word gets around that you 'can't get pentax gear', which promotes switching to other brands, which costs market share. Also if you don't have decent market share, retailers won't carry your gear, so sales will eventually go down. Adam, its a Pentax USA problem. It's not like as if the entire world is affected. William Robb
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Tue, 28 Feb 2006, William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: Adam Maas Subject: Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!) Currently they do, but in the future? Plus word gets around that you 'can't get pentax gear', which promotes switching to other brands, which costs market share. Also if you don't have decent market share, retailers won't carry your gear, so sales will eventually go down. Adam, its a Pentax USA problem. It's not like as if the entire world is affected. Pentax UK has solved it by overpricing everything by 40-60%, maybe more. Kostas
Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Shel wrote: This whole experience of trying to find a camera that was released only a few months ago has been an eye-opening experience. That the camera has been replaced with a lower speced version, the istDL, says something about Pentax, that they don't have a clue as to what they're doing. The most bizarre thing about Pentax's current behavior is that they are walking away from money on the table. For an unknown length of time, they will leave the market without their most popular, mid-priced model. People have been clamoring for the better FA and FA* lenses, yet Pentax discontinues them. When Pentax switched to autofocus, it took them 13 years to complete the lens line-up (1987-2000). While I am pleased at what I see on the roadmap, there are many large holes to fill yet, especially at the telephoto end. How long will these lenses take a small company to produce? In the meantime, why not produce the FA and FA* lenses. It has been suggested that Pentax lost money on the FA* lenses. Maybe so, but the market is so strong now that Pentax could sell those lenses at a higher price. Some of them now sell used on eBay for more than the sold for new. I am very glad to see signs of life and rationality, maybe even strategy, in the recent announcements. But they are still doing some very strange things. How could a company leave the market without its most popular products? Joe
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
It's pretty obvious: Pentax is production capacity constrained. They're making as much product as they can, but they don't have the capacity to fill all the demand that digital has created. In some cases I'm sure they're allocating resources to the most profitable products. Bu the way some of the FA lenses that were supposedly discontinued, like the 50/1.4 and 35/2 continue to be available. Some of the DA lenses that were apparently big hits like the 16-45 and the 12-24 seem to have sold out. On Feb 27, 2006, at 9:56 PM, Joseph Tainter wrote: Shel wrote: This whole experience of trying to find a camera that was released only a few months ago has been an eye-opening experience. That the camera has been replaced with a lower speced version, the istDL, says something about Pentax, that they don't have a clue as to what they're doing. The most bizarre thing about Pentax's current behavior is that they are walking away from money on the table. For an unknown length of time, they will leave the market without their most popular, mid-priced model. People have been clamoring for the better FA and FA* lenses, yet Pentax discontinues them. When Pentax switched to autofocus, it took them 13 years to complete the lens line-up (1987-2000). While I am pleased at what I see on the roadmap, there are many large holes to fill yet, especially at the telephoto end. How long will these lenses take a small company to produce? In the meantime, why not produce the FA and FA* lenses. It has been suggested that Pentax lost money on the FA* lenses. Maybe so, but the market is so strong now that Pentax could sell those lenses at a higher price. Some of them now sell used on eBay for more than the sold for new. I am very glad to see signs of life and rationality, maybe even strategy, in the recent announcements. But they are still doing some very strange things. How could a company leave the market without its most popular products? Joe
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Feb 27, 2006, at 9:56 PM, Joseph Tainter wrote: People have been clamoring for the better FA and FA* lenses, yet Pentax discontinues them. I don't mean to imply that Pentax work logically, or that leaving the istDS2 off the market for any length of time is at all a good idea, but in the case of the FA* lenses, sales are rotten. Really, horrendously rotten. People clamor for them here, but how many buy them? Besides, the PDML is hardly representative of the buying public. My bet is that the discontinued FA* lenses are actually we're finally running out of stock lenses. -Aaron
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
On Feb 27, 2006, at 10:09 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote: some of the FA lenses that were supposedly discontinued, like the 50/1.4 and 35/2 continue to be available. I was recently able to buy a brand new F (not FA) 50mm f1.4 from the warehouse -- how long has it been since that fellow was manufactured? -Aaron
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
I have a funny feeling that the reason the *istDS2 is at least temporarily off the market has something to do with the pair of Samsung cameras being released. Maybe Pentax letting Samsung get a foothold in the market with their versions of the models? -Mat On 2/27/06, Aaron Reynolds [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Feb 27, 2006, at 10:09 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote: some of the FA lenses that were supposedly discontinued, like the 50/1.4 and 35/2 continue to be available. I was recently able to buy a brand new F (not FA) 50mm f1.4 from the warehouse -- how long has it been since that fellow was manufactured? -Aaron
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
I think you guys are thinking of things in the old way. Make a whole bunch of cameras and stick them in a warehouse somewhere and sell them for a few years. I kind of doubt the istDS2 is discontinued. I would bet that the problem is that they are selling faster than they can stick them into the pipeline so they are hard to get. Japanese companies also give priority to their home market so if there is a shortage other countries are going to get shorted. The reason that someplace like Canada would have some while they are hard to get in the US is simply that they are not selling their quotas as fast as they are being sold in the US. Translation, they are selling them faster than they can make them. Just a bit too late, it the current mode of sales. It is the way the corporate mind works these days. You are just going to have to live with it. graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- Joseph Tainter wrote: Shel wrote: This whole experience of trying to find a camera that was released only a few months ago has been an eye-opening experience. That the camera has been replaced with a lower speced version, the istDL, says something about Pentax, that they don't have a clue as to what they're doing. The most bizarre thing about Pentax's current behavior is that they are walking away from money on the table. For an unknown length of time, they will leave the market without their most popular, mid-priced model. People have been clamoring for the better FA and FA* lenses, yet Pentax discontinues them. When Pentax switched to autofocus, it took them 13 years to complete the lens line-up (1987-2000). While I am pleased at what I see on the roadmap, there are many large holes to fill yet, especially at the telephoto end. How long will these lenses take a small company to produce? In the meantime, why not produce the FA and FA* lenses. It has been suggested that Pentax lost money on the FA* lenses. Maybe so, but the market is so strong now that Pentax could sell those lenses at a higher price. Some of them now sell used on eBay for more than the sold for new. I am very glad to see signs of life and rationality, maybe even strategy, in the recent announcements. But they are still doing some very strange things. How could a company leave the market without its most popular products? Joe
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
That seems to be a likely assumption. graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- Mat Maessen wrote: I have a funny feeling that the reason the *istDS2 is at least temporarily off the market has something to do with the pair of Samsung cameras being released. Maybe Pentax letting Samsung get a foothold in the market with their versions of the models? -Mat On 2/27/06, Aaron Reynolds [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Feb 27, 2006, at 10:09 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote: some of the FA lenses that were supposedly discontinued, like the 50/1.4 and 35/2 continue to be available. I was recently able to buy a brand new F (not FA) 50mm f1.4 from the warehouse -- how long has it been since that fellow was manufactured? -Aaron
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
I got that information from FIVE different sources, directly and indirectly from Pentax USA, the most recent just this afternoon. So, somebody's full of shit. The people at Pentax? The people who have been trying to get me a camera? A dealer I know? It would be great to be wrong ... but there are to many signs pointing in the other direction. Shel [Original Message] From: graywolf I kind of doubt the istDS2 is discontinued. I would bet that the problem is that they are selling faster than they can stick them into the pipeline so they are hard to get.
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
And you know what happens when one assumes ;-)) What's interesting is that you can't buy a Samsung here in the US yet, so Pentax is losing sales. How much wiser it would be, should this assumption be true, that things be somewhat better coordinated. Shel [Original Message] From: graywolf That seems to be a likely assumption. Mat Maessen wrote: I have a funny feeling that the reason the *istDS2 is at least temporarily off the market has something to do with the pair of Samsung cameras being released. Maybe Pentax letting Samsung get a foothold in the market with their versions of the models?
Re: Logic of Pentax. Was: Miffed at Adorama (Gotta vent!)
Some comments embedded. Not disagreement, just comments. I don't mean to imply that Pentax work logically, or that leaving the istDS2 off the market for any length of time is at all a good idea, but in the case of the FA* lenses, sales are rotten. Really, horrendously rotten. - The limiteds are on eBay all the time. The FA* 24 shows up there regularly. The FA* 85 and 300 show up less often, but they do show up. The FA* 400 comes up 2 or 3 times a year. For rotten sales, there are a lot of them floating around. - People clamor for them here, but how many buy them? Besides, the PDML is hardly representative of the buying public. - You should see the demand over at dpreview. A lot of them buy, or would if they could. The new dslr owners are the ones driving up the eBay prices. - My bet is that the discontinued FA* lenses are actually we're finally running out of stock lenses. - I got an FA* 24 in 2003, a very popular lens. The one I got (from BH, I think) had been manufactured in 1995 or so (at least that is what the booklet suggested). Then I got an FA 20 in 2004. This is a less popular lens, yet there was apparently a production run in 2003. I suspect that mostly, indeed, Pentax is selling off stock, but there were some recent manufacturing runs. Another Pentax mystery. Joe
