[8540tomg]

Nesster posts ads for old Pentax gear from the 60s and 70s from time to time. When prices are adjusted to compensate for inflation it seems today's cameras and lenses lenses may actually be a bargain.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-film-slr-discussion/152391-pentax-...ml#post1585390

He's run several such threads including one on the K series lenses. Can't seem to locate the thread at the moment but it's out there some place in the forum.

Update

Found it. Check out these prices from 1976

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/3771143257/sizes/o/in/photostream/

How about a K 85/1.8 for $157.50? Add 36 years of inflation to that and I suspect it would be over $1000.

Tom G

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Last edited by 8540tomg; 07-22-2011 at 08:23 AM.

[eddie1960]

I got my FA50/1.4 for US$197 just a month before Hoya bought Pentax and started raising prices. Ricoh may decide they can't retail those for US$200 either. And Hoya changed Pentax's marketing (in USA anyway) to mostly Web-only. No inventories in stores except for the B&M locales of a few major online retailers. You can't touch the gear until after it's shipped to you.

I just had a nervous thought: Suppose Ricoh skips the retailers. Apple Stores are worldwide. Why not Ricoh Stores too? With a line of Ricoh-Store-only Pentax gear? You want Pentax gear, you go to the Ricoh Store, in person or online. Instead of Ricoh wholesaling FA50's for US$150 for retailers to flog for $350, Ricoh could "skip the middleman", price them at US$250, and keep the proceeds. Could this happen?

one big problem with this theory Rico, the true dealer cost on the$350 FA 50 is probably in the $280-300 range based on what i saw in the 25 years i was in that business. when it was 199 my guess is Pentax was losing money on every unit (given 50's were always kit lens alternatives and perhaps their thinking hadn't adjusted - the sales on 50's had probably also dropped dramatically (replaced by zooms for many people)and the cost of manufacture went up. when compared with the better Canon and Nikon 50's it's not wildly out of line, but the cheap plastic 50's canikon sell are definitely priced based on their quality of construction
I think before they could open pentax stores they may have to create the market like apple did (would be nice though)

[eddie1960]

The Canon 50/1.8 (AF) is a pretty decent and well priced lens. It was my first prime lens and you can get pretty decent results from it. You will not find an equivalent Pentax lens in terms of an AF prime for $100. The closest you're going to get is a used F50/1.7 for about $200. It's a better lens than the Canon 50/1.8 IMO, but also comes at twice the price.

The f at better built for sure, and It wouldn't hurt to see it re-released i think at 199
whenever i read about the fa 50 1.4 and how awful it is it went up so far
i just look at what the fast 50 with metal mounts and better construction costs with canikon because that is the fair comparison not the cheap plastic slower lenses
the canon 1.4 usm 50 is 389, the nikon is $350
So in reality the Fa is priced right to the market, change systems to canon or nikon and the same speed build will cost you the same dough
I think the FA price was a screw up of major proportions when they had it at $199,

[jboyde]

I think before they could open pentax stores they may have to create the market like apple did (would be nice though)

Ohh great, MORE snobbery!!! LOL!

I'd rather settle for Pentax having more shelf space in brick&mortar places than it have its own "boutique" anyway. Its pretty much a win/win for both Pentax and customers since they'll have a bigger presence which in turn can boost their sales and can keep prices reasonable. Opening up stores will just have prices go up more. SOMEBODY'S going to hafta pay for the AC used to keep the stores cool around here!
If Pentax had a "Mac" mentality I'd give up the ghost altogether. GAH!

[eddie1960]

Ohh great, MORE snobbery!!! LOL!

I'd rather settle for Pentax having more shelf space in brick&mortar places than it have its own "boutique" anyway. Its pretty much a win/win for both Pentax and customers since they'll have a bigger presence which in turn can boost their sales and can keep prices reasonable. Opening up stores will just have prices go up more. SOMEBODY'S going to hafta pay for the AC used to keep the stores cool around here!
If Pentax had a "Mac" mentality I'd give up the ghost altogether. GAH!

I was just commenting on Rico's Idea LOL, I agree B&M presence is what is needed
In Toronto they actually have pretty good Brick and mortar presence, but the support isn't there so it's relegated to the sidelines and you have to ask for it, it will rarely get presented as an alternative. without good rep support and training combined with some AD support even if it has shelf presence it will gather dust
salespeople will support the company that gives them support (Ads, Training and yes Spiffs/Contests - Fuji had a contest running here for the most x100 sales with a free x100 as the prize. christ the salespeople don't even have to try to sell those they are so hot right now - you can bet when they launch their MILC next year sales people will be on it right away )

[RioRico]

I was just commenting on Rico's Idea LOL, I agree B&M presence is what is needed

It's not a well-thought-out (by me) idea, I admit. But the Apple Stores *were* a game-changing idea. (And they're being pirate-copied in China, according to BoingBoing.) I'm no marketing wiz, but I have a hunch that for non-market-leaders to "live long and prosper" in our Brave New World, games need changing. A network of Ricoh Stores would probably have to co-exist with extant and retailers. One way would be to sell, oh I dunno, 'standard' and cash-cow camera gear via existing channels, and P&S's in big.box stores, and 'boutique' gear through the Ricoh Stores. And such Ricoh Stores may also host Pro Support Services. But I'm going off-topic.

ObTopic: If you can't afford a lens, don't buy it. I get mine cheap. I'm pretty happy.

[eddie1960]

It's not a well-thought-out (by me) idea, I admit. But the Apple Stores *were* a game-changing idea. (And they're being pirate-copied in China, according to BoingBoing.) I'm no marketing wiz, but I have a hunch that for non-market-leaders to "live long and prosper" in our Brave New World, games need changing. A network of Ricoh Stores would probably have to co-exist with extant and retailers. One way would be to sell, oh I dunno, 'standard' and cash-cow camera gear via existing channels, and P&S's in big.box stores, and 'boutique' gear through the Ricoh Stores. And such Ricoh Stores may also host Pro Support Services. But I'm going off-topic.

ObTopic: If you can't afford a lens, don't buy it. I get mine cheap. I'm pretty happy.

Sony opened Sony stores back in the mid 90's. it allowed them to control the market for their product and ensure all of it was available to see etc. the Apple store I have to admit does it very well though but the stores wouldn't exist if the ipod hadn't grown the company so well and reopened the market for their computers etc.
Reality is the ipod/ipad/iphone account for ove 60% of their revenue and were all game changers in their respective category.
the (failed) willoughbys idea was on the right track in many ways, but it needs a huge push for it to work, and it needs to be in more than 1 market. ( minimum would be NYC,Chicago,La to start, with a pro support network announced at the same time and inventory produced in qty so it can work)

[Marc Sabatella]

"In relation to...?", people have asked. In relation to the fact that a lens like the FA50 which was $199 brand new when I bought it in early 2008 is now $358 at B&H as of 2:57AM and that sure as hell isn't "vintage"!

No, but considering that prices hadn't changed in many years, and everyone else's 50/1.4 were $350, it seems pretty clear Pentax would have been either losing money on that lens at that price, or at the very least, not making the sort of margin that this lens should have commanded to help offset the smaller margins on other lenses.

When the bottom line is that Pentax's 50/1.4 costs exactly the same as everyone else's, it's tough to argue that it is overpriced, regardless of how much of a loss they were willing to take on it a couple of years ago.

[danielchtong]

You are correct that Sigma and (for other mounts) Tokina support their lenses nicely. However, if you get a new camera and suddenly a couple of your lenses are focusing off enough that you can't adjust for it with normal camera adjustments, if your lenses are third party you are in quandry. If they are Pentax lenses, you can send your camera and lenses off and have the lot adjusted.
.

Somehow the turn around time for Sigma's lens is not bad in Toronto which is 15 minutes drive from my place. I have no clue where agents for Tamron or Tokina are.
It all depends.

Daniel

[clover]

To understand why pentax can sell 50mm FA f/1.4 the nowadays price, but not the 35mm FA f/2 , you can check here ( my point of vue, is Pentax try to sell more 35mm ltd DA macro or 35mm DA f2.4 )

Objectifs / Zooms / Doubleurs

CANON 35mm F2.0 279.00 €ttc
CANON 50mm F1.4 USM 369.00 €ttc

NIKON 35mm AF f/2.0 D 314.90 €ttc
NIKON 50mm f/1.4 AF-S G 359.90 €ttc

PENTAX 35mm F2 AL Noir SMC FA 663.90 €ttc
PENTAX 50mm F1.4 SMC FA 348.99 €ttc

SONY 50mm F1.4 359.01 €ttc

[MetaD]

I'm having a hard time getting to selling them, much as I want a nice new DA* WP Zoom set...but I will sell them soon. Watch the classifieds...

FA* 28-70
FA* 85
FA* 24
F* 300
Cameron

Love the F* 300!

I've got dibs on your FA* 85mm!

Seriously, I strongly suggest that you don't sell. After FA* you will be disappointed in the DA zooms. IQ is fine, but the build and feel is no comparison with the FA*.

I recently priced out Nikon replacements for my Pentax lenses, which are mostly FAs or Limiteds. All the pro Nikon lenses are $300-$500 more than the Pentax. You can't quite match all the Full-Frame Nikon lenses without going to the used market, where trading is a lot thinner than for Nikon gear. In Super-tele, say 300mm f/2.8, a used Pentax is about the same price as the Nikon.

Pentax has a better line-up than Nikon in DA lenses, where Nikon relies on consumer zooms; to get pro-level primes you have to up-buy to FF.