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Pentax to stop making compacts, focus on SLRs

In a move that stems from Ricoh's recent buy-out of the company, Pentax will stop producing compact cameras and instead focus on interchangeable lens models.

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Since Ricoh bought out Pentax in October last year, there's been little disruption to the camera ranges that both entities produce.

(Credit: Ricoh)

Now, that's all set to change. Speaking with Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, the president of Pentax Imaging Ricoh, Noboru Akabane, has said that Pentax will pull out of marketing and developing compact cameras.

Instead, the brand will focus on developing SLRs and interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs). Ricoh will continue to produce compact cameras.

Currently under the Pentax umbrella are two ILC models, the K-01 and Pentax Q, as well as several SLR variants. Ricoh has traditionally been known for its high-end compacts, including models like the GR Digital IV, though it did dabble in the ILC market with the GXR, a system that featured interchangeable modules containing a lens and a sensor in one.

Akabane gave no indication that the GXR would survive in its current form, though a Pentax representative told Tech Radar that the line will continue.