[Blue]

I think Adam did and the response was pretty much piss off.

I just got an official response about this policy change:

"PENTAX RICOH will not discuss any conditions of acceptance related to this Policy.”

It is what it is.

[Adam]

We already got a response; see the thread in the news/rumors forum above.

[philbaum]

This forum, while international, is pretty much the voice for Pentax consumers in the USA. We've written hundreds of complaints here about the new price hikes. Pentax/Ricoh is scaring a lot of us, and making many of us long for the Hoya days. I would like for Adam to write to Pentax USA and demand a response from them. So many people are contemplating jumping ship, and we've scared off a lot of new comers. I am pretty happy with my collection of lenses right now, but I want to know that my investment isn't going to be worthless in 5 years; as I have lost faith in their stewardship of the K-mount.

This is a remarkable international website, lots of members from countries other than the US.

I don't think its appropriate to ask Adam to do this.

Why don't you put up a Thread Title calling for a month long boycott of buying new lenses in the USA. That ought to get someone's attention. I'll be the first to join into your thread agreeing to that. I think some of the prices for the new lenses are outrageous considering all the existing deficiencies with the system such as: slow flash syncro speed of 1/180th, an explanation on the sdm issue which is still haunting Pentax sales, lack of any TCs or extension tubes, antique flashes that don't swivel (360) , short distance wireless flash system way behind Canon and Nikon, etc. You can put a poll on it asking how many want the boycott and how many disagree and how many have no opinion.

If we don't get an answer from Pentax, we continue for 6 months or a year. People can still buy used but the lack of new lens purchases will get Pentax in the pocket which is where they pay attention

One think that the usa suffers from more than most countries i believe, is that Hoya came out with that edict that if you didn't sell x number of cameras a month, then you were out. That finished off the last Pentax outlets in Seattle such as Talls and Kenmore, as far as i know. Someone said Fry's in South Seattle had something that was Pentax, but in any case, its 90 miles away for me. But at least we had some competitive prices even if we didn't have B&M shops. Now we have no shops to speak of (when i did the shop locator thing on the website - it stated no retail shops in my area or some such announcement.

So i'm all for a PF member and dpreview member sponsored boycott of new Pentax lenses.

After i read the inept announcement by Pentax, I celebrated by going out and looking at the Nikon cameras - pretty nice features and i really like the fold out LCD screen on a D5100 i looked at. cool!!! What do we get, a K01 with a designer signature - i'd much rather have something like the fold-out screen that helps my photography - don't know about you.

[monochrome]

Not always... consumer movements have scored a few wins in the past. I think all Kenafein is requesting is an explanation.

Pentax has already responded, per Adam's post:
Quote "We're not going to discuss that." Close Quote.



[EDIT:] (Read to the end before replying)

[kenafein]

If that is their response then I'm all for your boycott thread Phil. It was your idea, why don't you start it? I already look like the big complainer

[slackercruster]

Remember, your not dealing with Pentax, your dealing with Ricoh. Ricoh has no love for Pentax other than seeing how much $$ thay can extract from it.

That is quite a different case than dealing with a company's founder that nurished a company from the very beginning and loves it like their baby.

If you wish to fight Ricoh / Pentax...boycott them...but not for a month...do it for good. A month long boycott wont do a thing. Ricoh sees the month long boycott and just waits it out and says 'fudge you guys...I'll get your money next month'. They wont care.

Only buy used Pentax and only buy 3rd party lenses. Tons of older glass out there that is priced cheap. I'd suggest in your boycott thread you make a list of the older and high rated / good deal / 3rd party glass options for Pentaxians to buy.

I can tell you I wont buy any new Pentax lenses unless they are priced exactly as they were before Ricoh fudged with them. And if not, I'll look out for some used glass. I'm not hurting at all...got 6 bodies and over 20 lenses. So I don't need a thing. I'd just 'like' a few extra copies of some of my favorite lenses as back ups before Ricoh drives Pentax into the ground.

...and if you got time on your hands, everytime you buy used, write a form letter to Ricoh reminding them of your boycott.

[luftfluss]

You Tube

You Tube

[monochrome]

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It - YouTube

Yes, we are. And we know it.

The truth will be revealed.

The crazier the price of a lens under the new structure, the less likely it is Pentax wants to continue that lens after the channel adjustment period. This is all and only about PRI taking back control of its distribution channel. The channel doesn't belong to BestBuy or Amazon or Crutchfield or Walmart. We've had a great deal for five years. It just ended. Too bad, so sad.

Now everything is up to Ned and John.

[usmcxm35]

I'm in for the boycott. Have yet to pay retail for a pentax lens. I was thinking about the DA12-24, but a sigma will do just fine.

[luftfluss]

Yes, we are. And we know it.

Not me - I've already priced out a nice Nikon-based system that I can be happy with, and the sale of my modest Pentax gear will provide most of the funding.

The truth will be revealed.

The crazier the price of a lens under the new structure, the less likely it is Pentax wants to continue that lens after the channel adjustment period. This is all and only about PRI taking back control of its distribution channel. The channel doesn't belong to BestBuy or Amazon or Crutchfield or Walmart. We've had a great deal for five years. It just ended. Too bad, so sad.

Now everything is up to Ned and John.

Yup, yup & yup. I actually intend to wait things out until Q4 this year, not only to see where the value is at, but also to see if Pentax still merits my $$. If we are still offered expensive lenses with questionable QC and 1 year warrantees, I'll go yellow. In the meanwhile, I'm not worried, it's all fun, and the forsythia is in bloom - an omen?

[crewl1]

I look at the bright side.
All of you(us) who own said lenses will be able to sell them and not lose any of your(our) investment when you(we) go to another brand, since your(our) used copy at 50% of new price will be a sweet deal for those staying with Pentax.

[monochrome]

Not me - I've already priced out a nice Nikon-based system that I can be happy with, and the sale of my modest Pentax gear will provide most of the funding.



Yup, yup & yup. I actually intend to wait things out until Q4 this year, not only to see where the value is at, but also to see if Pentax still merits my $$. If we are still offered expensive lenses with questionable QC and 1 year warrantees, I'll go yellow. In the meanwhile, I'm not worried, it's all fun, and the forsythia is in bloom - an omen?

We were early here - it went by about March 1st. Azaleas are blooming at my house - and they're all red.

Ya know what? I have used Pentax cameras since 1969 or so and owned at least one since 1977 - and if they don't offer better designs (ring motors), warranties, service, support adn everything we've all asked for - and keep these prices - then I'm outta here too.

But I think this is all part of the plan to make Pentax more like Nikon - and take sales from Canon.

[filorp]

Guys i can see that price increase concerns just two lenses 16-50 and 50-135 i would say its just momentary lapse of sense of the time and space continuity - a glitch..... nothing else....

[Philoslothical]

That's not true at all. The DA 50-135 is $1061(£668.98) in the UK and about the same in Japan, it's about $900 in Canada. I'm not going to call that unreasonable, but $1599 sure is. It's possible that they will adjust prices in the upcoming weeks, but they are handling this whole situation poorly. New, and reasonable, pricing should have been communicated to the resellers at the time this plan went into action. Other countries also pay more because of tariffs. While I agree with taxation, the US as a whole hates taxes and loves free trade and cheap foreign goods. These price hikes aren't even going to Pentax, they're going to the resellers. The price hikes are simply to prevent them from devaluing the brand, or, possibly, as you said on another thread to curtail demand while they retool. Nikon and Canon with their 3rd party support are looking like bargains compared to Pentax. I feel like we have to pay the hipster tax to be part of the Pentax club now. I can now buy lenses cheaper from Canada and import them, which is the same situation other countries were complaining about.

Furthermore, if we're too small a market, and they don't give a damn about us, that will be telling also. Why should we support a company that doesn't respect our cash.

I gotta say, this kinda makes me laugh. Look at the video game industry recently. American corporations deciding that Australians should pay 60% more for a digital download version of the same game sold in the U.S. - not even dealing with shipping and packaging. UK? 40% more in a lot of cases. The Americans' rationale for this? Oh, we did some market research and decided that other countries should pay according to their ability, and can afford to pay more.

What a load of tripe. The U.S., despite its horrible economic issues (all brought on themselves in the pursuit of short term greed) is still one of the richest nations in the world. Maybe by same American corporations' logic, the U.S. should be paying more for the same product! The only difference here is, it's not a U.S. brand/corporation. Well boo hoo. Maybe things wouldn't be so vicious if the U.S. weren't continually trying to screw everyone else.

So, I guess this is a taste of what the U.S. has been doing to the rest of us. Deal with it, and don't worry too much, I'm sure the American resellers will enjoy their pursuit of short term gains with these new prices. Dollars today are all that matter after all, right?

[mattdm]

Higher prices are okay, if they translate to these things:

• Five-year lens warranties, like Nikon
• US Customer service responders who know at least as much about the product as I do, if more is too much to hope
• Beyond-the-standard quality control
• Clear signs that the money going into innovation and R&D
• Pentax being available in retail stores around the country

Sure, it's expensive, but it's an expensive hobby (or profession). I don't mind paying for nice things.