Pentax is a brand of optical equipment used by Hoya Corporation and Ricoh in various market segments. Previously, before the takeover in 2008, the Japanese company Pentax Corporation ( Japanese ペ ン タ ッ ク ス 株式会社 Pentakkusu kabushiki gaysya ) , a manufacturer of optical equipment. Since March 31, 2008, the company ceased to be independent and became, like the PENTAX Imaging Systems Division , a part of Hoya Corporation [1] , retaining its trademark and continuing production under the Pentax brand. Later, on July 1, 2011, a deal was announced between Hoya Corporation and Ricoh , involving the transfer of Pentax Imaging Systems Division consumer photographic equipment to Ricoh on October 1, 2011 [2] .
| Pentax Corporation ペ ン タ ッ ク ス 株式会社 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type of | Public company |
| Exchange listing | |
| Base | 1919 |
| Abolished | |
| Location |  Japan : Tokyo |
| Key figures | Fumio Urano , President |
| Industry | production of optical equipment |
| Products | Cameras and photo equipment; binoculars; telescopes; medical equipment; lenses for glasses |
| Number of employees | 1,661 (as of March 31, 2005) |
| Parent company | |
| Site | Pentax Worldwide Gateway ; Pentax Ricoh Imaging Russia |
Under the Pentax brand, cameras , lenses , and optical instruments , such as binoculars , microscopes , telescopes , endoscopes , glasses for glasses and the like, are manufactured.
In 2010, the Pentax brand closed the first ten manufacturers in the market of photographic equipment, having a market share of 1.5% (decreasing it from 1.7% in 2009). Among manufacturers of SLR cameras, the brand is not among the top three, behind Canon , Nikon and Sony [3] .
Historical background
The company was founded in 1919 under the name "Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co." and was engaged in the production of lenses for glasses . In 1938, it changed its name to Asahi Optical Co., Ltd., the product range expanded and began to include lenses for photo and film technology. During World War II, production was largely reoriented toward military orders. After the war it was closed, but production again began to work in 1948. At this time, Asahi Optical was engaged in the production of binoculars and lenses for photographic equipment manufacturers, which later became Konica and Minolta .
In 1952, Asahi Optical introduced its first Asahiflex I camera, which was the first single-lens reflex camera for 35 mm film created entirely in Japan. The next (1954) camera - “ Asahiflex II ”, thanks to an innovation such as a quick-return mirror, sharply popularized the previously low - demand SLR cameras as such, and the company gained a strong position as a pioneer in the industry ( see the Asahiflex II article for more details .). Following this camera, Asahi Pentax was launched into production, to which pentaprism was added, which later became the standard. The Pentax brand in 1957 was just the name of a specific model of an SLR camera manufactured by Asahi Optical. Until 1954, this brand, made up of two words Pentaprism and Contax , belonged to the Dresden company VEB Zeiss-Ikon and was purchased by Asahi Optical [4] .
The company's products were exported worldwide under the brand name Asahi Pentax, and in the USA as Honeywell Pentax by the name of the distribution company. The name "Pentax Corporation" was adopted in 2002 .
In December 2006, a merger with Hoya Corporation was announced. The name of the new company was to be “Hoya Pentax HD Corporation”. This was followed by the resignation of the president of Pentax, but the company continued its course on the merger.
Since March 31, 2008, the company became part of the Hoya Corporation , retaining the brand name and continuing to manufacture Pentax cameras [1] .
On July 1, 2011, a deal was announced between Hoya Corporation and Ricoh to transfer the Pentax Imaging Systems Division, a consumer photographic equipment division, to Ricoh on October 1, 2011 [2] .
In October 2011, Ricoh Company announced the completion of a takeover of Pentax Imaging Corporation and a change in the name of the acquired company to Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company. This company will be engaged in the development, production and sale of consumer products and services from the field of optics , for example: digital cameras and interchangeable lenses , as well as camera accessories, products related to security cameras, and binoculars [5] .
Key Stages in Photographic
| Year | Photographic equipment | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Asahiflex i | The first Japanese SLR camera The first production SLR camera with a quick-response mirror. |
| 1954 | Asahiflex ii | The first serial SLR camera with an instant mirror return mechanism. |
| 1957 | Asahi pentax | Pentaprism was first introduced into the Pentax serial SLR camera [6] . For the first time equipped with a trigger mechanism for transferring the frame and cocking the shutter . Equipping with a knot of a reverse film of a rewind of a roulette type. |
| 1958 | Pentax K | The camera shutter works out shutter speeds up to 1/1000 sec. For the first time for a company, the focusing screen is equipped with a field with a micro-raster . |
| 1961 | Pentax S3 | The appearance of a compact exposure meter mounted on top of the pentaprism and paired with a camera for exposure. |
| 1962 | Pentax SV | For the first time, a self-timer has been introduced for the company. It is possible to install a compact exposure meter associated with the shutter speed dial. |
| 1964 | Pentax spotmatic | The first Pentax camera with paired TTL - exposure meter and fully automatic aperture mechanism. |
| 1966 | The company launches its millionth camera. | |
| 1969 | Pentax 6x7 | Start of production of the first medium format SLR camera for the company. |
| 1971 | Pentax SP II | For the first time for a company, the camera is equipped with a “ hot shoe ” mount. |
| 1971 | Pentax Electro Spotmatic | The world's first serial camera with automatic aperture priority mode [7] . |
| 1975 | Pentax K2 | The first chamber of the company with a curtain-slotted shutter vertical movement. The world's first camera equipped with a K-mount , which, without changing essentially, exists to this day. Thus, the company ensures complete continuity and systematicity of all its cameras and optics park , released over the past 40 years. |
| 1976 | Pentax K1000 | Beginning of twenty-two years of production of a reliable frost-resistant mechanical chamber. In total, more than 2.5 million units were issued [8] . |
| 1978 | Pentax Auto 110 | Start of production of the smallest and lightest system SLR camera with interchangeable lenses in the world. |
| 1979 | Pentax Auto 110 | NASA Space Agency has chosen Auto 110 for filming in space . |
| 1980 | Pentax LX | Beginning of twenty years of production of a professional, frost-resistant, extremely reliable system camera . The development was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the company. The hybrid curtain-slot shutter of the camera fulfills shutter speeds up to 1/2000 sec. For the first time, OTF metering was used for the company. The company launches its ten millionth camera. |
| 1981 | Pentax ME F | The world's first SLR camera with TTL autofocus [9] |
| 1983 | Pentax superA Pentax Super Program | The world's first camera equipped with a K A mount For the first time for a company in a serial camera the following was implemented: Program line mode and shutter priority . |
| 1984 | Pentax A3 Pentax A3000 | For the first time for a company, a motorized tape drive is integrated in an SLR camera. |
| 1984 | Pentax 645 | Launch of a new medium format 6 × 4.5 cm line. |
| 1984 | Pentax PC35AF Pentax Sports35 | Start of development of the compact camera market by the corporation. |
| 1986 | Pentax Zoom70 | The world's first compact camera equipped with a zoom lens has been created . |
| 1987 | Pentax SFX Pentax SF1 | The world's first autofocus SLR camera with built-in TTL flash . The world's first camera equipped with a K AF mount . As a result of the change of strategy, the autofocus drive is located in the camera body, and a large line of autofocus optics becomes available. |
| 1988 | Pentax SFXn Pentax SF1n | The camera shutter works out shutter speeds up to 1/4000 sec. |
| 1991 | Pentax Z-1 Pentax PZ-1 | The camera shutter works out shutter speeds up to 1/8000 sec. |
| 1991 | The number of compact cameras equipped with a zoom lens has exceeded 20 million. | |
| 1995 | SMC Pentax Fish-Eye zoom 17–28 | The world's first fisheye zoom lens. |
| 1996 | Pentax EI-C90 | The company entered the digital camera market. |
| 1997 | Pentax 645N | The world's first auto-focus medium format camera. |
| 2000 | Pentax MZ-D | Creating the world's first full-frame digital (6 megapixels.) SLR camera. The camera did not go into the series for economic reasons. |
| 2000 | Pentax EI 2000 | The company’s first serial digital SLR camera (with non-replaceable optics). |
| 2003 | Pentax * ist D | Creation of the company's first serial digital APS-C SLR camera. |
| 2006 | Pentax K10D | Semi-professional digital SLR camera. |
| 2008 | Pentax SMC DA 17-70 mm f / 4 AL IF SDM | The first lens of the company with an embedded SDM motor . The introduction of SDM motors did not affect compatibility [10] [11] . |
| 2009 | Pentax K-7 | The company’s first SLR camera with video capability. |
| 2010 | Pentax 645D | The company's first autofocus medium format single-lens digital camera. |
| 2010 | PENTAX-D FA 645 55mm F2.8 AL IF SDM AW | The first medium format lens of the company with an integrated SDM motor . |
| 2011 | Pentax Q | A digital mirrorless single-lens camera with a Q mount [12] , the world's most compact and lightest digital camera with interchangeable lenses. |
| 2012 | Pentax K-01 | Digital mirrorless single-lens camera with K mount. |
| 2016 | Pentax K-1 | Creation of the company’s first serial full-frame digital SLR camera. |
| 2017 | Pentax KP [13] |
Products
SLR cameras
| Asahi Optical Co. Single Lens Reflex Cameras , Pentax Corp. , Hoya Corp. Ricoh | |
| Series | Model |
|---|---|
| Film ( type 135 ), with M37 × 1 threaded connection. | |
| Asahiflex | Asahiflex I , Asahiflex II |
| Film ( type 135 ), with M42 × 1 threaded connection. | |
| Pentax | Pentax , S , K , S2, H2 , S3, H3 , S1, H1 , SV, H3v , S1a, H1a , S2 Super |
| Spotmatic | Spotmatic , SL , SPII, SPIIa , SP500 , SP1000 , Electro Spotmatic, ES , ESII , Spotmatic F |
| Film ( type 135 ), K-mount , without autofocus | |
| TO | K2 , K2 DMD , KX , KM , K1000 |
| M | MX , ME , ME Super , MG , MV , MV1 |
| Lx | Lx |
| A | superA, Super Program , programA, program PLUS , A3, A3000 |
| P | P3, P30 , P5, P50 , P3n, P30n, P30t |
| Mz / zx | MZ-M, ZX-M |
| Medical | MF , MF-1 |
| Film ( type 135 ), K-mount , with autofocus | |
| M | ME F |
| SF | SFX, SF1 , SF7, SF10 , SFXn, SF1n |
| Z / PZ | Z-1, PZ-1 , Z-10, PZ-10 , Z-20, PZ-20 , Z-50p , Z-1p, PZ-1p , Z-5 , Z-5p , Z-70, PZ- 70 |
| Mz / zx | MZ-5, ZX-5 , MZ-10, ZX-10 , MZ-3 , MZ-5n, ZX-5n , MZ-50, ZX-50 , MZ-7, ZX-7 , MZ-30, ZX- 30 , MZ-S , MZ-6, MZ-L, ZX-L , MZ-60, ZX-60 |
| * ist | * ist |
| Film ( type 110 ) | |
| 110 | Auto 110 , Auto 110 Super |
| Film ( medium format ) | |
| 67 | 6x7 , 67 , 67II |
| 645 | 645 , 645N , 645NII |
| Digital ( medium format ) | |
| 645 | 645D , 645Z |
| Digital (full frame) | |
| K | K-1 , K-1 II |
| Digital ( APS-C ) | |
| * ist D | * ist D , * ist DS , * ist DS2 , * ist DL , * ist DL2 |
| K | K-3 , K-3 II , K-5 , K-5 II, K-5 IIs , K-7 , K10D , K20D , K-30 , K-50, K-500 , K-70 , K100D , K100D Super , K110D , K200D , K2000, Km , Kr , K-S1 , K-S2 , KP , Kx |
| Mirrorless camera | |
| Bayonet K | K-01 |
| Bayonet Q | Q , Q-7 , Q-10 , Q-S1 |
| Non-batch production | |
| Digital | MZ-D , AP 50th Anniv. |
Digital SLRs
Pentax SLR Digital Cameras
Early models: EI-2000 (2000). Non-serial models: MZ-D (2000), AP 50th Anniv. (2006) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lenses (K-mount)
Flash
- Pentax AF140C Macro Flash
- Pentax AF201SA
- Pentax AF220T
- Pentax AF280T
- Pentax AF360FGZ
- Pentax AF500FTZ
- Pentax AF540FGZ
See also
- P-TTL
- Bayonet K
- Hoya corporation
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Hoya, Pentax announce merger . (eng.)
- ↑ 1 2 Ricoh buys Pentax Archived November 15, 2016 on Wayback Machine . (Russian)
- ↑ Shares of Sony and Nikon in the digital camera market increased over the year, Canon - remained unchanged Archived copy of September 13, 2017 on Wayback Machine according to Bloomberg .
- ↑ A new name for the mirror Contax camera: The development of the name Pentacon . The Pentacon Six System (May 2017). Date of appeal October 18, 2018.
- ↑ Ricoh establishes the Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company . (Russian)
- ↑ However, the Soviet Zenith and Zenit-S mass reflex cameras appeared earlier - 1952 and 1955, respectively. George Abramov. Stages of development of domestic camera manufacturing . Date of treatment September 24, 2011. Archived February 25, 2012.
- ↑ (Rus.) Ermolaev P.N. “Photo Courier” No. 6 (114) 2006 “The Golden Age of Asahi Pentax”.
- ↑ (Russian) A brief history of the development of 35 mm SLR cameras.
- ↑ (Russian) The history of Pentax.
- ↑ Except for autofocus. Autofocus only works on cameras released after the K10D and K100D Super
- ↑ (Russian) A new smc PENTAX DA 17-70mm F4 AL [IF] SDM lens was released.
- ↑ Pentax Q small-sensor mirrorless camera announced and previewed Thursday, 23 June 2011
- ↑ Pentax KP (English) // Wikipedia. - 2017-03-04.