overpriced lenses

deadwolfbones · 07-12-2011, 07:16 AM

In the US:

I think the DA 40 Limited is still delightfully underpriced (though not as much as it used to be).

Overpriced:
18-135WR
FA 31 Limited
DA* 55
all of the Tokina copies

The rest seem pretty reasonable to me vis a vis the competition.

Eagle_Friends · 07-12-2011, 07:25 AM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

In the US:

I think the DA 40 Limited is still delightfully underpriced (though not as much as it used to be).

Overpriced:
18-135WR
FA 31 Limited
DA* 55
all of the Tokina copies

The rest seem pretty reasonable to me vis a vis the competition.

Pretty much how I feel too. If you just look at the image quality of the DA 40mm Limited, it is an under-priced lens right now.

The 18-135mm is way overprice, and I agree that the 31mm should be around the same as the 77mm, but then again, it would lose its mystique. If there are no SDM issues, all the DA* lenses are under-price compare to the competitors.

dgaies · 07-12-2011, 07:31 AM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

In the US:

I think the DA 40 Limited is still delightfully underpriced (though not as much as it used to be).

Overpriced:
18-135WR
FA 31 Limited
DA* 55
all of the Tokina copies

The rest seem pretty reasonable to me vis a vis the competition.

That list seems reasonable to me. Not sure if I'd consider the 40 underpriced at this point, but considering it's size and IQ it is certainly an outstanding lens.

I would agree DA*55 is a bit overpriced compared to the competition, as are the Tokina copies (DA*16-50, 50-135, 35/macro). The 18-135 is a nice lens which I enjoy using, but it's also more expensive than the Nikon/Canon versions (although that's a comparison to non-WR lenses). Had I paid the new prices for any of those lenses, I'm pretty sure I would have questioned their value.

Not sure how to judge the 31 in terms of price. It's certainly an expensive lens, but it's also an outstanding lens as well. Is $1000 too much to pay for it new? Again, I think it's hard to say once you get into that price range as the "value" you get isn't always proportional to what you have to spend.

deadwolfbones · 07-12-2011, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by dgaies

Not sure how to judge the 31 in terms of price. It's certainly an expensive lens, but it's also an outstanding lens as well. Is $1000 too much to pay for it new? Again, I think it's hard to say once you get into that price range as the "value" you get isn't always proportional to what you have to spend.

Yeah, my call on the 31 was very much a personal thing... I just haven't quite jelled with it yet. If I eventually do, its value to me might go up quite a bit.

Marc Sabatella · 07-12-2011, 08:25 AM - **1 Like**

Overpriced compared to what? To what you or I personally might want to pay? Well, then sure, any lens that isn't free is overpriced. Compared to what they actually cost to design, produce, and sell? I don't see how anyone on this forum can possibly be in a position to comment on that.

Marc Sabatella · 07-12-2011, 08:27 AM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

all of the Tokina copies

The only current Pentax lens generally acknowledged to be. Tokina design is the DA12-24. If you're think of, eg, the DA*16-50 and 50-135, those are pretty much known to be Pentax designs that Tokina has then licensed and sells at a discount (see, for example, the patents).

creampuff · 07-12-2011, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by gut1kor

...
4. In Singapore they are generally 20% 30% more than the US prices.

I live in Singapore and I can tell you don't know what you're talking about.

Singapore's prices are on par and occasionally cheaper than the US. More importantly, we always seem to get our Pentax gear far quicker than most places.

paperbag846 · 07-12-2011, 08:56 AM

I think the DA* 55, FA 50, DA 21, FA 31 are overpriced (in US dollars).

The zooms are competitive, most of the limiteds are equivalent to offerings from other brands.

gut1kor · 07-12-2011, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by creampuff

I live in Singapore and I can tell you don't know what you're talking about.

Oops! it seems I got wrong information then. My friends live there in Singapore. I asked them to get the price info on pentax lenses in Mar and in comparison they were over priced and so I thought US was better. In that case flying there from India seems worth.

Also I found some Hong Kong dealers over ebay selling the gear at cheaper prices. Are they grey imports? Any idea on that?

Artifarty · 07-12-2011, 09:39 AM

I think I heard a lot of those 31mm to be less then perfect since they are AIV..... and not so with the 43/77mm. I guess the testing and fine tuning with the 31mm must be very labour intensive...... so the cost must be higher.

deadwolfbones · 07-12-2011, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by Artifarty

I think I heard a lot of those 31mm to be less then perfect since they are AIV..... and not so with the 43/77mm.

Gonna call BS on this one...

deadwolfbones · 07-12-2011, 09:54 AM

Originally posted by Marc Sabatella

The only current Pentax lens generally acknowledged to be. Tokina design is the DA12-24. If you're think of, eg, the DA*16-50 and 50-135, those are pretty much known to be Pentax designs that Tokina has then licensed and sells at a discount (see, for example, the patents).

Nevertheless, Tokina sells them substantially cheaper.

I know, I know... WR, "special coatings," etc... Still, in Nikon mount I was able to get the Tokina equivalent of the DA 35 Limited and DA* 50-135 for the same price as a used DA* 50-135 here on the forum. I doubt you'd be able to tell any difference in IQ, and I guarantee you the SDM won't fail on the Tokina 50-135.

**Rondec** · 07-12-2011, 01:52 PM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

Nevertheless, Tokina sells them substantially cheaper.

I know, I know... WR, "special coatings," etc... Still, in Nikon mount I was able to get the Tokina equivalent of the DA 35 Limited and DA* 50-135 for the same price as a used DA* 50-135 here on the forum. I doubt you'd be able to tell any difference in IQ, and I guarantee you the SDM won't fail on the Tokina 50-135.

I think the point is really that Pentax is selling lenses for their own mount, while Tokina is a third party vendor for others mounts. Third party lenses are always quite a bit cheaper than lenses made by the camera maker.

deadwolfbones · 07-12-2011, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by Rondec

I think the point is really that Pentax is selling lenses for their own mount, while Tokina is a third party vendor for others mounts. Third party lenses are always quite a bit cheaper than lenses made by the camera maker.

Though that's often because (or at least justified by the fact that) the optical design is not as sophisticated. In this case the designs are identical.

dankoBanana · 07-12-2011, 03:07 PM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

Nevertheless, Tokina sells them substantially cheaper.

I know, I know... WR, "special coatings," etc... Still, in Nikon mount I was able to get the Tokina equivalent of the DA 35 Limited and DA* 50-135 for the same price as a used DA* 50-135 here on the forum. I doubt you'd be able to tell any difference in IQ, and I guarantee you the SDM won't fail on the Tokina 50-135.

agreed
bonus things are nice (WR, build, coatings, even SDM), but the price is excessive

07-12-2011, 09:39 AM	#25
Artifarty New Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 22	31mm is not overprice..... for the wrong reason I think I heard a lot of those 31mm to be less then perfect since they are AIV..... and not so with the 43/77mm. I guess the testing and fine tuning with the 31mm must be very labour intensive...... so the cost must be higher.

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07-12-2011, 07:16 AM	#16
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	In the US: I think the DA 40 Limited is still delightfully underpriced (though not as much as it used to be). Overpriced: 18-135WR FA 31 Limited DA* 55 all of the Tokina copies The rest seem pretty reasonable to me vis a vis the competition.

07-12-2011, 07:25 AM	#17
Eagle_Friends Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 971	Originally posted by deadwolfbones In the US: I think the DA 40 Limited is still delightfully underpriced (though not as much as it used to be). Overpriced: 18-135WR FA 31 Limited DA* 55 all of the Tokina copies The rest seem pretty reasonable to me vis a vis the competition. Pretty much how I feel too. If you just look at the image quality of the DA 40mm Limited, it is an under-priced lens right now. The 18-135mm is way overprice, and I agree that the 31mm should be around the same as the 77mm, but then again, it would lose its mystique. If there are no SDM issues, all the DA* lenses are under-price compare to the competitors.

07-12-2011, 07:31 AM	#18
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by deadwolfbones In the US: I think the DA 40 Limited is still delightfully underpriced (though not as much as it used to be). Overpriced: 18-135WR FA 31 Limited DA* 55 all of the Tokina copies The rest seem pretty reasonable to me vis a vis the competition. That list seems reasonable to me. Not sure if I'd consider the 40 underpriced at this point, but considering it's size and IQ it is certainly an outstanding lens. I would agree DA55 is a bit overpriced compared to the competition, as are the Tokina copies (DA16-50, 50-135, 35/macro). The 18-135 is a nice lens which I enjoy using, but it's also more expensive than the Nikon/Canon versions (although that's a comparison to non-WR lenses). Had I paid the new prices for any of those lenses, I'm pretty sure I would have questioned their value. Not sure how to judge the 31 in terms of price. It's certainly an expensive lens, but it's also an outstanding lens as well. Is $1000 too much to pay for it new? Again, I think it's hard to say once you get into that price range as the "value" you get isn't always proportional to what you have to spend.

07-12-2011, 07:37 AM	#19
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by dgaies Not sure how to judge the 31 in terms of price. It's certainly an expensive lens, but it's also an outstanding lens as well. Is $1000 too much to pay for it new? Again, I think it's hard to say once you get into that price range as the "value" you get isn't always proportional to what you have to spend. Yeah, my call on the 31 was very much a personal thing... I just haven't quite jelled with it yet. If I eventually do, its value to me might go up quite a bit.

07-12-2011, 08:25 AM - 1 Like	#20
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Overpriced compared to what? To what you or I personally might want to pay? Well, then sure, any lens that isn't free is overpriced. Compared to what they actually cost to design, produce, and sell? I don't see how anyone on this forum can possibly be in a position to comment on that.

07-12-2011, 08:27 AM	#21
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Originally posted by deadwolfbones all of the Tokina copies The only current Pentax lens generally acknowledged to be. Tokina design is the DA12-24. If you're think of, eg, the DA*16-50 and 50-135, those are pretty much known to be Pentax designs that Tokina has then licensed and sells at a discount (see, for example, the patents).

07-12-2011, 08:33 AM	#22
creampuff Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,953	Originally posted by gut1kor ... 4. In Singapore they are generally 20% 30% more than the US prices. I live in Singapore and I can tell you don't know what you're talking about. Singapore's prices are on par and occasionally cheaper than the US. More importantly, we always seem to get our Pentax gear far quicker than most places.

07-12-2011, 08:56 AM	#23
paperbag846 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,395	I think the DA* 55, FA 50, DA 21, FA 31 are overpriced (in US dollars). The zooms are competitive, most of the limiteds are equivalent to offerings from other brands.

07-12-2011, 09:35 AM	#24
gut1kor Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bangalore Photos: Albums Posts: 176	Originally posted by creampuff I live in Singapore and I can tell you don't know what you're talking about. Oops! it seems I got wrong information then. My friends live there in Singapore. I asked them to get the price info on pentax lenses in Mar and in comparison they were over priced and so I thought US was better. In that case flying there from India seems worth. Also I found some Hong Kong dealers over ebay selling the gear at cheaper prices. Are they grey imports? Any idea on that?

07-12-2011, 09:52 AM	#26
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by Artifarty I think I heard a lot of those 31mm to be less then perfect since they are AIV..... and not so with the 43/77mm. Gonna call BS on this one...

07-12-2011, 09:54 AM	#27
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by Marc Sabatella The only current Pentax lens generally acknowledged to be. Tokina design is the DA12-24. If you're think of, eg, the DA16-50 and 50-135, those are pretty much known to be Pentax designs that Tokina has then licensed and sells at a discount (see, for example, the patents). Nevertheless, Tokina sells them substantially cheaper. I know, I know... WR, "special coatings," etc... Still, in Nikon mount I was able to get the Tokina equivalent of the DA 35 Limited and DA 50-135 for the same price as a used DA* 50-135 here on the forum. I doubt you'd be able to tell any difference in IQ, and I guarantee you the SDM won't fail on the Tokina 50-135.

07-12-2011, 01:52 PM	#28
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,652	Originally posted by deadwolfbones Nevertheless, Tokina sells them substantially cheaper. I know, I know... WR, "special coatings," etc... Still, in Nikon mount I was able to get the Tokina equivalent of the DA 35 Limited and DA* 50-135 for the same price as a used DA* 50-135 here on the forum. I doubt you'd be able to tell any difference in IQ, and I guarantee you the SDM won't fail on the Tokina 50-135. I think the point is really that Pentax is selling lenses for their own mount, while Tokina is a third party vendor for others mounts. Third party lenses are always quite a bit cheaper than lenses made by the camera maker.

07-12-2011, 02:54 PM	#29
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by Rondec I think the point is really that Pentax is selling lenses for their own mount, while Tokina is a third party vendor for others mounts. Third party lenses are always quite a bit cheaper than lenses made by the camera maker. Though that's often because (or at least justified by the fact that) the optical design is not as sophisticated. In this case the designs are identical.

07-12-2011, 03:07 PM	#30
dankoBanana Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Zagreb, Croatia Posts: 533 Original Poster	Originally posted by deadwolfbones Nevertheless, Tokina sells them substantially cheaper. I know, I know... WR, "special coatings," etc... Still, in Nikon mount I was able to get the Tokina equivalent of the DA 35 Limited and DA* 50-135 for the same price as a used DA* 50-135 here on the forum. I doubt you'd be able to tell any difference in IQ, and I guarantee you the SDM won't fail on the Tokina 50-135. agreed bonus things are nice (WR, build, coatings, even SDM), but the price is excessive