[LittleSkink]

I admit to only engaging with the exploring / buying kit side of photography every few years, so dip in and out of the market. As a habit I often keep a note of what kit I am looking at and the prices

Recently I have returned to see what the latest DSLR kit was like and explore ultra lens wide and telephoto options

One thing I noticed was how much some lens prices have changed, and how some havent so much. It also seems that some prices have gone up quite a lot in the last 12 months - I wonder if that is becuase lockdown has driven up demand. Or if stuff is going up, and staying up for the future as Ricoh needs to generate profit

Some examples:
In March 2008 I nearly bought the 10-17 for £309 but decided it was a bit specialist for my needs then (I just bought it recently for £399, and it is a bit "odd" but fun)
I also nearly bought 16-55DA* and 50-135DA* for £469 each, but wasnt keen on the stories I was hearing about the AF motor
My 35 Macro limited was £259 in 2008

So the "better" lenses seem to have doubled in price in 13 years
My vintage glass seems to have gone up too, thought Pentax Ms seem similar, Zeiss and Russian stuff has gone crazy - presumably all those mirrorless folks snapping them up

Looking to the last 12 months or so the 100 Macro, both DA 55-300s seem to have gone up around £100 or so, mostly over the summer of 2020
But the smaller DA limiteds dont seem to have gone up at all
The 20-40 is either £650 or £830 depending on who you askin UK, the lower isnt much above what I paid when it came out but I guess the higher is where new stock is heading

So are prices heading up and we should graab bargains now - or will prices settle once lockdown and supply chains get sorted

[pschlute]

In March 2008 I nearly bought the 10-17 for £309 but decided it was a bit specialist for my needs then (I just bought it recently for £399, and it is a bit "odd" but fun)

The DA 10-17 was replaced by the HD 10-17 a few years ago. Hence the difference in price.

I also nearly bought 16-55DA* and 50-135DA* for £469 each

Either of those lenses for that price would have been a steal. You should have bought them both at that price !

The 35mm Macro is now a HD version.

So are prices heading up and we should graab bargains now - or will prices settle once lockdown and supply chains get sorted

You will find that the recommended Ricoh prices stay static. What changes are the prices retailers are able to offer at various times of the year. Black Friday and new year sales can see some great bargains. Then prices return to normal levels.

[steephill]

Using the Bank of England inflation calculator reveals that £309 in 2008 is now worth £421 so that DA10-17 price has gone down, not up. Your 35 macro was a relative bargain as the inflation adjusted version of the price you paid is only £353 whereas current retail is £599. Definitely should have bought the other 2, £469 is now only £640 against £971 for the DA*50-135 now.

[W412ren]

Looking to the last 12 months or so the 100 Macro, both DA 55-300s seem to have gone up around £100 or so, mostly over the summer of 2020
But the smaller DA limiteds dont seem to have gone up at all
The 20-40 is either £650 or £830 depending on who you askin UK, the lower isnt much above what I paid when it came out but I guess the higher is where new stock is heading

I tend to use SRS Microsystems as a guide for prices - most of my new and a few used lenses have come from them. The overall trend is definitely upwards at a higher-than-I-would-have-expected rate. But then there are a lot of factors in the world market atm that have probably influenced this trend and I don't think it is confined to photographic equipment either.

Examples:
I bought the DFA100macro in 2012 for £409 when it was consistently at £479; currently £549. The 55-300plm I bought shortly after release at a bargain of £249; currently £429.
The HD Pentax-DA AF Rear Converter 1.4x AW was £249 in a sale when it was consistently £329 in 2015 and it rarely drops below £379 now.
I bought the DA18-135 in 2011 for £499 new; it dropped significantly over the following years and seemed to settle about £349. This year it is back up to £499 again.
The DA20-40 Limited I bought on release after a show in Southampton - cost was £649 on release. I cannot even begin to explain why it sits at £829 now. Last Black Friday the DA20-40 was on sale at its release price.
All the above purchases though are between 6 and 10 years ago and inflation hasn't gone away

OTOH - there are bargains to be had. Just last month I bought from SRS a DA*11-18 for £849 (currently £230 off rrp at £1049) - admittedly it is refurbished but that reconditioning has been done by Ricoh and it still comes with a two year warranty.

So I think, yes the prices are up but there are deals to be had - I just don't think the regular Bank Holiday or Black Friday deals are all they are cracked up to be any more.

[GreenRich]

Prices definitely trending up, just this weekend bought a second hand 55-300 from Wex for £255 which is more than it cost new a couple of years ago

Waiting to see a DA 300/f4 at a reasonable price but can't stomach what people are currently asking secondhand

[Des]

We have had a similar discussion amongst members in Australia: Huge rise in official pentax prices in australia - PentaxForums.com

[antipattern]

I think there's a bunch of contributing factors here - inflation, the £'s loss in value due to Brexit and Ricos price policies.

It also appear to me that Ricoh bumps up prices when a batch of a lens is low. I think that's behind the previous high cost of lenses such as the SMC35/2.0 and the SMC-Limiteds. With the introduction of the HD versions and a new batch being made, the price of the revised lenses was lower than the old stock ones. I wonder whether something similar might be going on with lenses like the DA300/4 and similar.

[Jonathan Mac]

Prices are creeping up in general, mostly due to the contracting market for photographic equipment, which means the manufacturers need higher prices to increase profits. Brexit doesn't help things either.

As for manual gear, this is being pushed up by both mirrorless shooters and film shooters. The price of film gear (and film itself) has shot up in the last few years.