RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Pentax (US) Lens Prices are Up Again! >:-(

Thursday, May 02, 2013

Pentax (US) Lens Prices are Up Again! >:-(

See the latest announcement by the PF, which is almost official!

http://www.pentaxforums.com/news/pentax-usa-increases-lens-prices.html

So, here we go:-

Lens	Old Price	New Price	Increase / Percentage
DA 14mm F2.8	$710	$950	$240 / 34%
FA 35mm F2	$400	$600	$200 / 50%
FA 43mm F1.9 Limited	$585	$750	$165 / 28%
D FA 50mm F2.8 Macro	$450	$600*	$150 / 33%
FA 50mm F1.4	$360	$450	$90 / 25%
FA 77mm F1.8 Limited	$800	$1050	$250 / 31%
DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5	$530	$650**	$120 / 23%
DA 12-24mm F4	$730	$900	$170 / 23%
DA 17-70mm F4	$490	$600	$110 / 22%
DA 55-300mm F4-5.8	$370	$400	$30 / 8%

The percentage increase is significant, or, I would say it is just insane, crazy and nonsense!!

Yet, Pentax has done it again. I believe more Pentaxians and Pentax users will leave the boat! Yes, the Pentax Sky is Falling and the old Titanic is sinking, quickly and faster than ever before! >:-(

Update: At the same time, Pentax Imaging USA has put out "instant rebate" program for most current Pentax cameras and four lenses (only), namely, the DFA50 and DA10-17 which are included above for the increased price lenses as well as the other two cheap DA(L) primes of the DA35/2.4 and the DA50/1.8. For instance, the price increase of the really old DFA50 is $150 whilst the rebate money is in the exact same amount!? Isn't that really funny enough? Is Pentax making a big joke to all their US users and customers?! :-o

Comments (47)

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+6 Vote up Vote down

David · 619 weeks ago

Just ridiculous! I have no idea what they are thinking! It's almost like they want to push people away!

+5 Vote up Vote down

ricoh.pentax · 619 weeks ago

" ..Gentlemen.. , its been an honor playing with you tonight .."

#...Nearer, My God , to Thee background music playing , ...... the ship breaks into two ...#

2 replies · active 619 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Richard · 619 weeks ago

Some Australian Prices for other brands: Nikkor 10-24DX: $1149.00; Nikkor 12-24DX: $1499.00; Olympus Pen, 12mm F2: $999.00; Olympus Pen 9-18 f4-5.6: $799.95; Canon does have some reasonable general lenses, including a good macro:EF 100mm Macro, F2. Source: Ted's Cameras; Melbourne.

I sympathise with US customers, but in Australia consumers have been paying high prices for photographic, hi-fi and other consumer items for decades.

2 replies · active 618 weeks ago

-3 Vote up Vote down

Joejoe · 619 weeks ago

actually, pretty much the same here in france,

0 Vote up Vote down

PIerre · 619 weeks ago

YEs, in Euro (€), the same in Europe (France) http://www.digit-photo.com/Objectifs_Zooms_Double...

2 replies · active 618 weeks ago

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Simon · 619 weeks ago

Nikon and Canon are increasing their prices for new lenses too, the price for the new Nikon 80-400 VR II is +128% more. Canon EF 24 IS, 28 IS, 24-70mm 2.8 L II ... insane prices.

3 replies · active 619 weeks ago

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Snappertim · 619 weeks ago

Hold it, price increase in the 77mm ltd and 43mm ltd, but only last week we had comments about the fact these lens were not in the latest Pentax catalogue !!!!!!!???????, Pentax I wonder if the Right hand knows what the Left hand is doing, the future is bright the future is full frame.
Regards Snappertim

+2 Vote up Vote down

davescliches 52p · 619 weeks ago

For once I agree with you Rice, a company whose price structure is so idiotic doesn't deserve to be in business.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Frustrated · 619 weeks ago

So all their customers want Full Frame, their non customers would love to see them bring out Full Frame, so what do they do... they bring out watches, lame slow lenses, re-release old DSLR with minor changes...

There must be multiple divisions with strong stubborn managers each doing completely their own thing and no single dictator type manager to take control and smack each of the sub divisions on the head to point them in the right direction!!!

They need a Steve Jobs to go in there and fix them.

1 reply · active 619 weeks ago

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Simon T · 619 weeks ago

Ricoh have shown they are no better than Hoya was with the Pentax brand.
Look lens prices are on the up with Canon, Nikon and Sony too (and micro 4/3) across the board.
But they ain't putting 50% hits on some lenses seriously

Look folks K mount is sadly with a company that has no idea how to market it, has nothing new to offer right now, and is determined to wipe the brand out. Ricoh have also killed off their GX-R they're the headless chicken of the camera world.

Time to bail dudes the ship started to sink a long time ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Dan Johnson · 619 weeks ago

Maybe I shouldn't have canceled the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 K-mount I pre-ordered in November (for FF) based on the rumor that Tokina will make new lenses for Pentax (sooner or later). Pentax will probably deny plans for new lenses, as well as denying plans for any new camera let alone a Full Frame DSLR camera. I can buy after-market K-mount lenses that are better than Original Equiptment Manufacturer Lenses without a long wait while Pentax customers keep decreasing in the wake of yet another one of Richo's blunders.

1 reply · active 619 weeks ago

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Keep The Faith · 619 weeks ago

«It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings», americans use to say...
So, I won't give up until Adele makes a Pentax commercial! ;-)

-2 Vote up Vote down

James · 619 weeks ago

Seen how much Canon lenses are recently? Shocking.

Looks to me like they're discounting for new customers at the expense of existing ones while trying to maintain cashflow. Not entirely a daft strategy - like it or not, if you already HAVE a Pentax body you're locked in. And if they're doing new bodies soon, they won't want to be marking down the glass that goes with them.

Anyway - these look like much the same prices as we pay in the UK, anyway. So not full of sympathy.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Richard · 619 weeks ago

Photography can be be as cheap or as expensive as you want. A local chain store is advertising a Canon 1100D with non-stabilised 18-55 lens for $328.00. An absolute bargain, so I picked one up to use with some of my film-era Canon AF lenses.

Camera-branded lenses lenses have always been expensive: that's what keeps Tamron, Sigma and Tokina in business. The weakness with Nikon in particular in the DX format is that they offer only one DX prime worth using with their 16+mp bodies: the35mm f1.8. Their standard zooms don't cut it at much more than 12mp.

At least Pentax has some APSC prime lenses worth using with 16mp+ resolutions.

+3 Vote up Vote down

CapturedByFlo · 619 weeks ago

This is why (among or things) I left the boat about a year ago for a D800 and I can't be happier. I can now enjoy very high quality glass at a very affordable price :)

+1 Vote up Vote down

Z.T. · 619 weeks ago

Or we can say Pentax USA is now redeeming their sins of long ago, when with the ridiculously lower prices than in the rest of the world they have 1) created a perception of Pentax as a bargain brand, and 2) helped empty the cash intake of all other Pentax subsidiaries around globe because people from those countries were ordering directly from the USA — at much lower prices, even with taxes added on. To many this has created a perception Pentax USA is the worldwide brand Pentax, which is false.

Thus Rice you too are a victim of a perceptual problem, and sorry, Pentax Ricoh global company headquartered in Japan has nothing to do with doom and gloom you are summoning. If we are allowed to think rather than rant wildly, this act would mean some necessary sweeping has been done, or even forced upon the Pentax USA, in order to make room and a clean slate for a fresh new start.

However, that PRIC in general, and especially PRIC Japan can be more forthcoming, reassuring and communicative, that is true also.

1 reply · active 619 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Dan Johnson · 619 weeks ago

I hope the new Sigma Art series lenses (135mm f1.8 & 24mm f/1.4) are available in Pentax K-mount, if and when Pentax announces a Full Frame DSLR it will help sell the camera. I like the idea of a 85mm f/1.2 and reworked 50mm to compare to Canon's too, but in light of the f/1.8 zoom a brighter FF zoom (35-135mm f/2.0) would be great.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Raffwal · 619 weeks ago

Even though we in Europe (and Australia and ... you name it) have paid and will always pay more for any and every kind of stuff than the US, I don't think these US price hikes are irrelevant to us. After all, the US is a major market and how the brand succeeds there is effecting their whole business and the perceived image of the brand. And these fluctuating and rising prices are a bad idea IMO. Not to mention that as I bought into the brand some 4-5 years ago, it was - or had been - a great bargain. Much more bang for the buck. But immediately after I bought into the brand, the lens prices started to rise and in the long run have just kept going up. I certainly would not buy a first Pentax today, but after committing to the brand, have bought quite a few new and 2nd hand lenses and a couple of more bodies over the years. Luckily I have no plans to buy anything more for K mount so the current ridiculous tendency does not affect me directly, but nevertheless I don't like what I see the company doing. And so far Ricoh hasn't been much better than Hoya.

2 replies · active 618 weeks ago

-3 Vote up Vote down

mario · 619 weeks ago

good job!
we, europeans, like this news a lot!

1 reply · active 618 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Yes it is the end · 619 weeks ago

I think the price increases in the FA lenses hints at a FF camera that will be released. Once it is, people will want to buy the FA lenses. Pentax/Ricoh is trying to lock in the price hikes now; so, not to appear like they are OVERLY gouging customers at the same time they release the FF camera. Then, they will come out with an expensive (relative to the Nikon D600) FF camera. If Pentax does not announce a camera with video autofocus in the next 18-24 months, I have all the pentax gear that I will ever have - absent maybe a new flash. My money is being saved to get the best available m4/3 camera that money can buy. Increasingly, I am attracted to video and the replacement to the Panasonic GH3 is probably what I will buy next. Aside from Pentax, who even makes newly designed K-mount lenses anymore?

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Yes it is the end · 619 weeks ago

Has anyone seen an update to the Lens Roadmap?

2 replies · active 619 weeks ago

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tipentax · 619 weeks ago

The FA 35 and 50 still in production ! So it means these old designs are very profitable (at these prices) ! DA 35 and 50 should sell a lot more but with little benefit ...

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Thomas · 619 weeks ago

Instant rebates are usually limited to the country they're offered in. That means that if Pentax now offers the lens at the same price as before, but only with such a rebate, then they're possibly attempting to stop grey market deals, i.e. prevent non-US citizens from getting the cheaper deals from the US. I, for instance, used to purchase quite a few lens at B&H in the past, while living in Germany, because those lens were much cheaper when bought in the U.S. - this won't work any more now.

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Dan Johnson · 619 weeks ago

I bought my K-5 when it came down under $1000 (the D645 w/lens came down under $10,000 recently) when I bought my K-5iis the original K-5 was $800 (now the D-645 is $1800 less making it under $7,000 wo/lens) I think it will soon be replaced with a Medium Format for over $10,000. If you want a new D-645 and need a back-up for work you may consider the return you'll realize with a Pentax purchase now, then some nice Leaf Shutter Lenses while you save for your 2nd. D-645 so you'll never have to tell your boss you'll be back if and when you get another Medium Format. As for Full Frame; a Low Light model for Photo Journalist has to compare to the 16MP or 18MP of the big 2, not something I would want to try first. For wedding photographers an inexpensive FF 24MP has to make up for the early start of the big 2 which will can be under $2000 by the time Pentax's 1st. Full Frame comes out (any K-5 is a great back-up) in addition to a similar C-size DSLR. But first rather than use a Sony image sensor to compete for 3rd. place against the video-giant, Pentax should save the money they'd waste perfecting 1080p@60fps video capture and spend more money on a better quality FF 35mm image sensor of around 30MP, negating the expense of the 55mm f/1.4 Zeiss lens etc. Of course they must now many of us will pay over $3000 to express our artistic side with a FF Pro DSLR as well as using it for landscape/architecture (w/Schneider's PC, PC-TS, PC-TS-Macro), and also Schneider's 85mm f/2.4 Macro (for portraits?), but I do want quick auto-focus bright WR lenses that look great edge to edge when viewed by a FF 30MP 35mm image sensor. P. S. This increase is very likely starting in the U. S. then going into effect in Europe soon, it will bring the old lens prices into the 21st. century before they replace the FA and Limited series soon???

2 replies · active 618 weeks ago

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Rob · 618 weeks ago

This is really confusing and frustrating. Combined with the HUGE change in the exchange rate Pentax will be making upwards of 50% more profit on many of these lenses. At the same time, prices for bodies have been going down. The K-5II is now below $850 and the IIs closing in on $1000. A year ago $1000 would have been a good price on a K-5 (original). It would seem Pentax is following the razor/razor blade model.

I am assuming SOMEONE knows what they are doing at Pentax but this seems like a great way to anger your customers at the very time you need to be strengthening your brand.

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RiceHigh's Pentax Blog

Thursday, May 02, 2013

Pentax (US) Lens Prices are Up Again! >:-(

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