Pentax and Ricoh at a glance
Pentax is a Japanese camera brand with roots in Asahi Optical, founded in 1919. It made Japan’s first 35mm SLR and is known for weather-sealed SLR cameras and the K mount. Since 2011 Pentax has belonged to Ricoh, whose own GR compact cameras are popular with street photographers. Today both brands are part of Ricoh Imaging.
History
1919. Asahi Optical was founded in Tokyo as a maker of spectacle lenses.
1952. The Asahiflex became the first Japanese SLR for 35mm film.
1957. Asahi Optical acquired the Pentax name, which comes from “pentaprism” and “Contax”.
1975. The K bayonet mount was introduced. It is still used on Pentax SLRs.
2007 to 2008. Pentax was taken over by Hoya and merged into it.
2011. Hoya sold the Pentax camera business to Ricoh.
June 17, 2024. Ricoh launched the Pentax 17, a new half-frame film camera.
September 2026. Ricoh ended the current chapter of its Pentax DSLR line, as reported by PetaPixel and others.
Systems and cameras
K mount. Pentax SLRs, APS-C and full frame (K-1 series). Pentax was one of the last companies still making digital SLRs, long after other makers moved to mirrorless.
645 medium format. The 645Z and earlier 645 cameras.
Ricoh GR. Pocket-size compact cameras with a large sensor and a fixed wide-angle lens. The current models are the GR IV and its variants, after the GR III and GR IIIx.
Pentax 17 and film. A half-frame film camera for the renewed interest in film photography.
Outdoor cameras. Waterproof WG cameras.
Current range
Checked on ricoh-imaging.co.jp on November 3, 2026: the GR IV series, the GR IIIx and the Pentax 17 are current. The K-1 Mark II, K-3 Mark III, KF and 645Z still appear on the site, but according to reports from September 2026 their production has ended. Check with a dealer before you buy.
Photographers and the GR
The Ricoh GR film and digital compacts became a favorite street camera in Japan and elsewhere. Daido Moriyama worked for years with small compact cameras in the streets of Tokyo. See also our reviews Ricoh GR III and iPhone 12 vs Ricoh GR III.
Sources: Pentax (Wikipedia), ricoh-imaging.co.jp (current range, November 2026), PetaPixel, “The Current Chapter of Pentax DSLRs Is Officially Over” (September 8, 2026).
Last updated: November 2026
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