Ricoh/Pentax interview at the 2024 Paris Photo Show

Phototrend published their interview from the 2024 Paris Photo Show with Yazid Belmadi (Ricoh sales manager). Here is the recap by digicame-info:

How are things going this year?
We ‘re doing very well. It’s true that we are far behind other manufacturers in terms of overall volume. On the other hand, we’re doing great in terms of profit margins, and have been in the black for four consecutive fiscal years. We’re profitable because we have niche products that stand out in their fields (like the GRIII, WG, and PENTAX 17).

Were you surprised by the success of the PENTAX 17?
We had done a lot of research over the past two years and had already seen a growing interest in film photography. The market was really making a comeback and the figures for used camera sales were impressive. For this reason, we decided to bring a new film camera with a warranty to the market. We launched the product in June and had a very good start. Then, at the end of the summer, demand started to drop off and we are now waiting to see if demand picks up again. It remains to be seen whether it will be a long-term successor or if there will be a successor.

Can you attract new customers to SLR cameras?
To be honest, it is difficult to attract new customers to SLR cameras. The SLR market continues to shrink. Sales are decent, but it is clear that the downward trend is on.

How do you sell SLRs in 2024?
It’s getting harder. In the beginning, we could highlight elements like the optical viewfinder, but then EVF technology has come a long way, and there are other technological advances. To be honest, this is not part of our current strategy anymore, because we are seeing a decline in sales in this area. We will continue to offer this kind of product, but now criteria like weight and size are important to consumers. So it’s getting harder to promote the benefits of these models, but they will resonate with those who still appreciate the appeal of the optical viewfinder. But SLRs are no longer what the younger generation wants. They have grown up with smartphones, so their approach to photography is different, and this is a reality that we have to take into account in our strategic choices.

Is the mirrorless market entry completely gone?
There is no information on this matter, so it is unclear whether we will return to this topic at some point or if it is completely over.

When will the GRIII successor be released?
Sales of the GRIII series are extremely good, and production capacity needs to be increased. There is no information about a successor, but it may not be unnatural for a successor to be released. Personally, I think it should maintain a fixed focal length. Ideally, there would be new focal length options and a monochrome version, but this is an unfounded claim.