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07-31-2017, 07:24 AM   #526
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meanwhile the K-3 II is still not discontinued, just a Japanese retailer not selling it anymore.

07-31-2017, 07:44 AM - 1 Like   #527
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QuoteOriginally posted by D1N0 Quote
meanwhile the K-3 II is still not discontinued, just a Japanese retailer not selling it anymore.
Yes, but when a major retailer like Yodobashi lists it as 'discontinued' and says it is 'sold out' and consumers cannot purchase it from them, then it is effectively discontinued. No consumer is going to see that description and think "well, it's not officially discontinued yet...I'll wait for it to be restocked"

I can still find retailer websites that list products like the K-50/K-30 for sale, too, but those products have been discontinued and it's unlikely that more stock will arrive.

Ricoh has a hole in their DSLR lineup they need to fill soon.
07-31-2017, 08:00 AM   #528
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there again thanks for the input
07-31-2017, 09:36 AM   #529
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QuoteOriginally posted by MrNPhoto Quote
Yes, but when a major retailer like Yodobashi lists it as 'discontinued' and says it is 'sold out' and consumers cannot purchase it from them, then it is effectively discontinued. No consumer is going to see that description and think "well, it's not officially discontinued yet...I'll wait for it to be restocked"

I can still find retailer websites that list products like the K-50/K-30 for sale, too, but those products have been discontinued and it's unlikely that more stock will arrive.

Ricoh has a hole in their DSLR lineup they need to fill soon.
I had never heard of Yodobashi so it doesn't really matter to me whether they are selling K-3 II's or not. Furthermore they are not Ricoh so they cannot discontinue a camera. Maybe in your alternative reality they can but I choose not to live there.

07-31-2017, 04:27 PM   #530
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I don't know what a YODOBASHI is either ?
07-31-2017, 04:49 PM   #531
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www.yodobashi.com
Yodobashi Camera - Wikipedia
The Japanese equivalent of B&H and Adorama I suppose, but bigger. Second largest online retailer in Japan after Amazon.
07-31-2017, 06:03 PM   #532
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Almost 8 months later...
Yodobashi is still sold out (discontinued)
-- AND --
North American, UK, EU, and Australia merchants have stock selling at market prices
-- AND --
Could not confirm in-store availability for Singapore or Hong Kong
A slow death, it appears...

BTW...K-70 status at Yodobashi is "inventory remaining order as soon as possible!"


Steve

07-31-2017, 06:03 PM   #533
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What isn't clear is whether Yodobashi has removed K-3Il from their catalog or whether Ricoh has officially ceased production, sold all its stock and emptied the Japanese distribution company warehouse, leaving K-3ll's gathering dust on every other camera store shelf on earth.

Hard to know.

Last edited by monochrome; 07-31-2017 at 06:10 PM.
07-31-2017, 06:14 PM - 1 Like   #534
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QuoteOriginally posted by MrNPhoto Quote
Ricoh has a hole in their DSLR lineup they need to fill soon.
If they don't, it is safe to say there will be a lot of foot stamping and holding of breath.


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07-31-2017, 06:16 PM   #535
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
What isn't stated is whether Yodobashi has removed K-3Il from their catalog
It is still listed and has a price, but the page translation still says "sold out" and "discontinued".


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07-31-2017, 06:17 PM   #536
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
Hard to know.
I could do a mock-up image of the rumored K-3II replacement. What shall we call it? KWP?


Steve
07-31-2017, 06:33 PM   #537
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
What isn't clear is whether Yodobashi has removed K-3Il from their catalog or whether Ricoh has officially ceased production, sold all its stock and emptied the Japanese distribution company warehouse, leaving K-3ll's gathering dust on every other camera store shelf on earth.

Hard to know.
Easy to know. Roadtrip! When we arrive at a warehouse just tell them we're from PF and are here to assess the stock of K-3 II in their lovely warehouse. Somewhere between them giving us the stinkeye and releasing the hounds on us maybe we will get an answer.
07-31-2017, 06:46 PM   #538
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
What isn't clear is whether Yodobashi has removed K-3Il from their catalog or whether Ricoh has officially ceased production, sold all its stock and emptied the Japanese distribution company warehouse, leaving K-3ll's gathering dust on every other camera store shelf on earth.

Hard to know.
True - but if customers cannot order the product from one of the largest retailers, in the largest market, then whether it has "officially ceased production" becomes a moot point. Yodobashi says it's discontinued, and BIC (another giant Japanese retailer) only has the K-3ii+18-135 kit ("limited quantity") = effectively ended.

Pentax is in a tough position - their flagship APS-C camera lags behind their own KP in sensor noise performance, IBIS performance and the lacks the K-1 features such as improved AF/focus points, while competitors offer better AF, better video, higher FPS and better buffer depth. The K-3/K-3ii offered great value at the time - there weren't any other 24MP/8fps/IBIS cameras available. But the KP is no K-3ii replacement, and APS-C is still a valid alternative to FF.

The market of $1500-$2000 USD cameras is where all the newest features and development is happening, and Pentax could position a K-3 ii replacement into that space.

I'm hoping we'll hear something in September.
07-31-2017, 08:10 PM   #539
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Depends on how things are distributed. Manufacturer->Master Distributor->Distributor->Retailer is one model used in the industry I work in. Once product moves down the chain it doesn't move back up. So if one master distributor is out of stock everyone downstream that belongs to them is out of stock. No idea what RIcoh's distribution network looks like but K-3II's for the US market, already in the US are not going to get pulled back up the chain and sent elsewhere without serious consideration. If that were done quite likely they would need repackaged, perhaps new warranty or paperwork, which is not going to happen except under extraordinary circumstances.
So it is quite plausible that manufacturing has long ago ceased and now individual markets will use up stock until their stock is gone. It would seem stock in Japan has been used up or nearly so. Other markets will have other time frames depending on how many units the distributor ordered and now has left.
07-31-2017, 08:23 PM - 1 Like   #540
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QuoteOriginally posted by MrNPhoto Quote
True - but if customers cannot order the product from one of the largest retailers, in the largest market, then whether it has "officially ceased production" becomes a moot point. Yodobashi says it's discontinued, and BIC (another giant Japanese retailer) only has the K-3ii+18-135 kit ("limited quantity") = effectively ended.

Pentax is in a tough position - their flagship APS-C camera lags behind their own KP in sensor noise performance, IBIS performance and the lacks the K-1 features such as improved AF/focus points, while competitors offer better AF, better video, higher FPS and better buffer depth. The K-3/K-3ii offered great value at the time - there weren't any other 24MP/8fps/IBIS cameras available. But the KP is no K-3ii replacement, and APS-C is still a valid alternative to FF.
This is not the first time that has happened... When the K-30 launched the K-5 II was the current, yet somewhat dated flagship. K-30 had focus peaking and an updated video codec among (possibly?) other new features yet was a mid-tier body. It wasn't until the end of that year (2013) that we saw the K-3 succeed the K-5 II and introduce the features found on the K-30 into a flagship body.

They tend to flip flop like that with features... so I think that is just the normal process.
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