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angelmb · Feb 9, 2009, 12:06 PM

Long history made short: Pentax USA CEO buys a Leica D-Lux 4 and loves it. Writes about it on his personal blog and Pentax boards become full (magnitude of dramatization added) of 'fire this guy' sort of comments… To make things worse there (to narrow-minded guys), he also joined some Leica boards.

I guess some folks never see the entire picture (pun intended). The guy was even nice enough to explain what needs no explanation.

andi*pandi · Feb 9, 2009, 12:48 PM

interesting. Good to see a ceo that's hands on and knows the products out there.

Dakar V · Feb 9, 2009, 12:51 PM

Guy sounds intelligent. No wonder these people are freaking out.

Jawbone54 · 02:08 PM

I can't blame him. I've used Pentax cameras before, and it's no fun.Heh heh heh heh....

Also, I want his Leica M4.

[EDIT] I for one am glad to see someone in his position using a competitor's products. Apple employees should be using Linux and Windows to compare/contrast what is good and bad about each operating system. Canon employees should be using Nikons from time to time. Each company could learn a lot from each.

Big friggin' deal.

Timo · Feb 9, 2009, 01:50 PM

I love my K20D.

I saw this ****storm on a couple of sites. A bunch of whiny fanbois. The guy they're trashing is a thoughtful shooter who has had Leicas (and other brands) for years before he took on this head job at Pentax.

If anything, this makes me think his judgment is more sound than not.

dav · Feb 9, 2009, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Timo

I love my K20D.

I saw this ****storm on a couple of sites. A bunch of whiny fanbois. The guy they're trashing is a thoughtful shooter who has had Leicas (and other brands) for years before he took on this head job at Pentax.

If anything, this makes me think his judgment is more sound than not.

yeah, ned seems like a good guy. and i love my k100d.

Maflynn · Feb 9, 2009, 02:32 PM

I kind of see their point of view, if the ceo of pentax doesn't think the products his company makes is good enough for his personal use, why should they be spending their money on them.

On a related topic, M$ is very strong in this aspect, i.e., they eat their own dog food. I also think Apple also "strongly" advices its employees to use Macs.

I mean if you're working hard trying to make a good product and yet the CEO buys a competitor's product, its kind of a slap in the face for the employees, and tells the customers that the product isn't good enough for the CEO.

I wonder how people would be up in arms if we saw Steve Jobs walking around with a dell laptop.

Stogieman · Feb 9, 2009, 02:39 PM

After he rejoined Apple, Steve Jobs was using an IBM thinkpad for a long period of time.

dcmacdaddy · Feb 9, 2009, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

I kind of see their point of view, if the ceo of pentax doesn't think the products his company makes is good enough for his personal use, why should they be spending their money on them.

SNIP

I mean if you're working hard trying to make a good product and yet the CEO buys a competitor's product, its kind of a slap in the face for the employees, and tells the customers that the product isn't good enough for the CEO.

If you read his blog posts on the matter you would discover he uses many of Pentax's own cameras. But, as he explains, the Leica model he was using did not have a similar model in the Pentax product line.

But more important than the idea of "eating their own dog food" is the idea of being aware of one's company in the larger product market. A corporate CEO who never knows what their competitors are up to is never going to have a complete awareness of their business. Tunnel vision in management is NOT a good thing.

Dakar V · Feb 9, 2009, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

A corporate CEO who never knows what their competitors are up to is never going to have a complete awareness of their business

Bingo. Something can be learned form using a competitors product.

Spheric Harlot · Feb 9, 2009, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

I kind of see their point of view, if the ceo of pentax doesn't think the products his company makes is good enough for his personal use, why should they be spending their money on them.

This assumes they're competing in all the same markets.

While one would assume that McDonald's execs do stop by McD's every once in a while for some fast food, it'd be kind of stupid to expect them to go out to a romantic dinner there, because...well, it's just stupid to go to McDonald's on a romantic dinner date.

Jawbone54 · Feb 9, 2009, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

...it's just stupid to go to McDonald's on a romantic dinner date.

I guess I need to change my plans for this Saturday...

Dakar V · Feb 9, 2009, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

I guess I need to change my plans for this Saturday...

You're already married, that doesn't count.

Laminar · Feb 9, 2009, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

I guess I need to change my plans for this Saturday...

Well, let me know what we're doing once you get it figured out.

Dakar V · Feb 9, 2009, 03:38 PM

WATnocaps

paul w · Feb 9, 2009, 04:19 PM

you guys are on fire!

By the way I have the (cheaper yet identical) Panasonic version and it's indeed a gem of a camera.

Spheric Harlot · Feb 9, 2009, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by Laminar

You could say we're...lamers.

Hey, my thoughts exactly.

Who's flaming now, BITCH!

Laminar · Feb 9, 2009, 05:14 PM

voodoo · Feb 9, 2009, 06:49 PM

I've got a lovely Pentax MZ-5n - damn fine body.

ghporter · Feb 9, 2009, 07:26 PM

Six posts have been deleted-WAY off topic guys. I left the "McDonalds" stuff because it illustrates and analogy. KEEP IT ON TOPIC, and DON"T DIS OTHER MEMBERS (especially when they're not participating in the thread).

Pentax has a solid rep for much of the film SLR market. Leica has a different rep because they look at a different market sector. That doesn't mean that one maker can't learn from the other. And maybe Pentax could make some product line changes to get into the sector that the Leica model in question targets... This is nothing but GOOD for Pentax.

sek929 · Feb 9, 2009, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Stogieman

After he rejoined Apple, Steve Jobs was using an IBM thinkpad for a long period of time.

It was running NeXTSTEP though, right?

Big Mac · Feb 9, 2009, 09:22 PM

Yeah, I'm pretty sure SJ was running OpenStep on there, or at least that's what corporate PR led us to believe.

SpaceMonkey · Feb 9, 2009, 09:45 PM

Jawbone54 · Feb 9, 2009, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Yeah, I'm pretty sure SJ was running OpenStep on there, or at least that's what corporate PR led us to believe.

Hmmmmmm...

So NeXTSTEP was allowed to be installed on other hardware, but OSX still isn't...

Big Mac · Feb 9, 2009, 11:43 PM

NeXTSTEP was proprietary to NeXT hardware. Late in the game, when it was clear that NeXT hardware could not sustain the platform, the OS was opened up to common Intel hardware and renamed OpenStep. I don't think Apple would ever be interested in opening up OS X unless it wanted to exit the Mac hardware market.

Jawbone54 · Feb 10, 2009, 12:15 AM

Gotcha.

Although there's about a .01% chance of it ever happening, I'd still like to install OSX on a self-built machine. I understand the problems related to disconnection of the link between the hardware and software, but I could built something comparable to a Mac Pro for half the price...

This is the reason I've considered setting up a "side machine" running Windows 7 to be used only for photo editing and gaming.

Big Mac · 12:36 AM

You can build a very fast machine for half the price of a Mac Pro, but it still won't compare to a Mac Pro because a Mac Pro is workstation class hardware that you couldn't buy for less than Apple builds it. You can, however, put OS X on a self-built machine. It's not entirely Kosher or a one step installation, but you can do it. Keyword: Hackintosh.

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Feb 10, 2009, 02:49 AM

Actually you can build a quad i7 based machine, running retail OSX, that skates past an 8 core MacPro, and smacks the living crap out of everything else. And at just around half price. Stability? I built one that hasn't even been rebooted in a month. I'm sure eventually Apple will come out with a new dual octocore i7 MacPro that blows everything else away, but for now they're actually trailing the Hackintosh state of the art.

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Feb 10, 2009, 02:55 AM

dual post

Spheric Harlot · Feb 10, 2009, 03:07 AM

I can build a dual octocore post at half the price.

Andrew Stephens · Feb 10, 2009, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

I can build a dual octocore post at half the price.

Yes but Steve has a pile of babies that he hurts every time someone does.

Do you really want that on your conscience?