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October 12, 2005 - In a market saturated with point-and-shoots and compact cameras, selling DSLRs is where the new action is, and Pentax and Samsung want in. Today Pentax and Samsung Techwin Co. Ltd. announced an agreement to co-develop future entry and mid-level DSLRs. The first camera, which basically will be a Pentax body with some of Samsung’s technology incorporated, will likely be available next spring, with the first true collaboration available the following fall.
The pairing is sensible, fusing Pentax’s optical engineering and camera manufacturing history with Samsung’s focus on electronics and semiconductors. It is hard to say who will benefit more; such a partnership will give Samsung its desired credibility as "a top-class Digital Camera manufacturer" while it will help Pentax remain competitive in its already established niche.
Ko Torigoe, Pentax Senior Executive Officer, said, "In the digital era the pace of innovation is so fast. We have embarked on this joint development to increase our speed."
Pentax currently has just 3% of the DSLR market, crowded out by giants Canon and Nikon, though it hopes to push that market share up to 10%. Pentax did not specify when this would ideally occur, though Samsung expects great things as soon as the first Samsung-influenced DSLR is introduced next spring. However, Pentax did hint that its focus may broaden, and that it may acquire certain electronic parts from Samsung in the future as well.
Both companies will market the jointly developed cameras under their own brand.