Black Friday is Coming Up- What's in Store?

Hot Pentax deals starting this weekend!

By PF Staff in Deals and Savings on Nov 20, 2012

Last year, Black Friday brought us Pentaxians an excellent deal: just over 25% off the Pentax K-5, which dropped from $1349 to just $999 for four days.  This year, there are many directions that Pentax can take, so let's take a look at what we can expect to see become more affordable this weekend.  But first, there's one great deal that's already out there that will likely not change, and that's the new low pricing on the Pentax K-01 mirrorless APS-C camera.  A couple of weeks ago, this camera's price fell by about $300, from $649 to $349, which is less than half of the original launch price.  The ultra-slim 40mm kit lens is now also just $100!

Now, for possible Black Friday deals:

Cheaper Lenses

This April, Pentax USA launched a unilateral pricing policy (UPP) which made online prices on Pentax lenses ridiculous, to the point where sales at US online retailers virtually came to a standstill (see price comparison table).  Even though instant rebates and double instant rebates were launched, online lens prices are still very high (in-store prices remain largely unaffected by the UPP).  Thus, on Black Friday, it could be that Pentax will drop the lens prices to a more reasonable level, and if the double instant rebates are in effect, you could save big on lens purchases together with a K-30 or K-5 II/IIs!  If any price drops to get announced, we'll be first to let you know, so stay tuned to our homepage around midnight on Thursday/Friday for the latest deals.

You can browse all current Pentax lenses in our Pentax lens database.

K-30 Price Drops

Another possibility could be that Pentax will sharply drop the price of the Pentax K-30, which was launched this July and has become a very popular choice for outdoor photographers and those wanting an affordable DSLR that packs a punch.  Launched at $849, the K-30 currently retails for $749, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect another $100 to fall off of that price.  Time will tell what ends up happening!

We would also like to mention that the price of the K-30 18-135mm lens kit has dropped to just $1039, which means that $529 the lens is yours for under $300!

Pentax K-5 II/IIs

This is the least likely scenario of the three, but it could be that a small rebate will also be offered on the two new Pentax K-5's (see our review of the cameras here).  The Pentax K-5 II and IIs are currently priced at the MSRP of $1199 and $1299, respectively.

Stay tuned for more coverage of Black Friday deals on our homepage and Facebook page as we approach the weekend!