A report from Reuters news agency reveals that Pentax has signed an agreement with a unit of South Korea’s Samsung Electronics to jointly develop digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras.

 

October 13, 2005: A report from Reuters news agency reveals that Pentax has signed an agreement with a unit of South Korea’s Samsung Electronics to jointly develop digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras.
The two companies aim to pool resources and cut costs and the deal will give Samsung a fast entry into the rapidly-growing – and profitable – DSLR market. Similar alliances have already been formed between Olympus and Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) in January and Konica Minolta and Sony in July. Currently, Nikon is the only major DSLR manufacturer to lack a partnership with an electronics company.
The report claims Pentax and Samsung Techwin will work together on developing entry-level and middle-range digital SLR models with each company marketing the cameras under its own brand. The first joint product will be based on a current Pentax camera but with “some Samsung technology” included. It is scheduled for launched next autumn. A jointly developed camera would not come until late in 2006, Pentax is quoted as saying. The alliance is also expected to allow Pentax to independently procure key parts such as memory chips, image sensors and displays from companies within the Samsung group.