On Sale from Pentax

Pentax was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1919. The company is a Japanese optics manufacturer that produces cameras, sports optics, and lenses for a variety of purposes. Originally founded as AsahiKogaku Goshi Kausha in the Toshima suburb of Tokyo, the company began producing spectacle lenses (which it still manufactures). The company began manufacturing camera and cinema lenses, but devoted much of its time to fulfilling military contracts leading up to World War II. The optical company was disbanded by occupying powers after the war, but was allowed to re-form and return to its pre-war production in 1948. The company resumed producing binoculars and camera lenses for Konica and Minolta. In 1959 the company introduced its first camera, the Asahiflex, the first Japanese SLR to take 35mm film. The name Pentax was a registered trademark of VEB Zeiss Ikon, and was sold to Asahi Optical in 1957. Pentax is now a part of the Hoya Corporation after a merger on March 31, 2008. The Hoya Corporation currently develops and markets cameras under the Pentax brand. Throughout the years, Pentax products have included cameras and other photographic equipment, as well as binoculars, spotting scopes, telescopes, medical fiberscopes and endoscopes, medical fine ceramics products, eyeglass lenses, and industrial products. Hoya is now concentrating the company's main business in the areas of information technology, eye care, life care, optics and imaging systems. Pentax has partnered on numerous occasions with Samsung since 2005.