The Ricoh Co. — a Japanese electronics manufacturer historically known for its copiers, printers and fax machines — has acquired camera manufacturer Pentax for $128 million.
As part of the acquisition, Ricoh will begin operating parts of Pentax’s digital camera line, making Ricoh an instant player in the DSLR camera industry.
Ricoh purchased the Pentax line from Hoya, an optics company that bought the Pentax family in 2007. Hoya will continue to fabricate Pentax endoscopes and other products.
The merger is expected to be completed by October.