Pentax sold to Ricoh

[whiteflyer]

Dear Valued PENTAX Customers and Partners,

We would like to hereby inform you that we, HOYA Corporation, have made an agreement regarding the business transfer of our PENTAX Imaging System Business to RICOH Corporation today, July 1, 2011.

The effective date of the business transfer is set for October 1, 2011. The business areas to be transferred as PENTAX Imaging System Business are digital cameras, interchangeable lenses, digital camera accessories, binoculars and security-related products, including R&D, design, manufacturing and sales for those product categories.

PENTAX Imaging system business will be succeeded by a newly established company scheduled on October 1, 2011, and then RICOH Corporation will acquire 100% of its stock right after the establishment.

No operational changes of PENTAX Imaging System Business are anticipated for the time being by making this agreement. All employees will be transferred to the new company accordingly. Also, all current products will continue to be sold with the PENTAX brand name under current operations.

PENTAX, under the guidance of RICOH, will continue with our best effort to grow and evolve our business and partnerships and deliver quality products and services designed for a high level of customer satisfaction.

Again, we appreciate your continued support of PENTAX.

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Toshiaki Iue,

President

PENTAX Imaging Systems Division

 

[Matt]

Posted in news yesterday. Interesting story though , it will keep the pentax brand going

 

[whiteflyer]

Missed the news section, but reading your post £77 million does not sound very much at all.

I wonder what sort of manufacturing plants are in the £77M, I'm now guessing Pentax buy their sensors in from elsewhere, and maybe sub-contract a lot of the lens process.

Personally I would have thought just the Pentax name would be worth several millions in itself .

Just think if I'd won last night lotto I could buy Pentax have them build the camera I want and still have plenty left for a nice comfortable life

 

[photon]

Initially, and now, they use Sony sensors (there was the tie-in with Samsung before Hoya).

There's lens collaboration with Tokina, which has meant more expensive Pentax-mount lenses than for other brands.

My sig is a tribute to a highly-regarded lens designer for Pentax.

 

[arclight]

http://digital-cameras-planet.com/blog/2011/07/01/pentax-imaging-systems-has-a-new-owner-ricoh/