[ThorSanchez]

Possibly. Given the feedback from releasing the specs and customers who complained about the lack of moveable screen, plus it's not currently the best time to introduce new camera models (lots of people have other issues than to think about buying a new camera). Ricoh may have decided that it was more reasonable to change the product instead of entering the market "DOA", especially if Ricoh have no bandwidth to release a second apsc camera anytime soon after that one, "better nailed it at a later time then screw it now".

There is no way that they got a design 95% of the way to the finish line only to reconsider and start down the path of a big redesign. Not after a six year gap between flagship APS-C releases. A redesign at this point probably means the better part of a year delay.


It has to be parts availability because of the fire and/or COVID. Otherwise they're flailing, and we all better hope they're not flailing about this badly.

---------- Post added 02-18-21 at 02:49 PM ----------

To be honest, I see a lot more demand for a K1 replacement with 50Mp and UHS2 cards, than I see demand for a K3III sport camera at $2000, as many customers have complained about lack of flippy screen and "the price is too high" which basically means these customers aren't valuing the 12FPS of the K3III, they just want a Pentax Kp built like a K3 priced $1000.

Not everyone exclusively prints wall sized prints to view from 20mm away.


If they were to scrap the sports and wildlife-oriented K-3iii to concentrate on yet another field camera, I'd probably start looking at other manufacturers.

[ramseybuckeye]

There are a lot of shipping delays worldwide as China is paying more for empty containers to be shipped to China than the shippers can make with them filled. This affects food more than other goods, but everything is affected somewhat, it may be starting to settle down, but there is a lot of goods sitting. I have no idea if this is affecting the Pentax supply chain, but to say there are no problems in somebody's supply chain without knowing details is ridiculous.

Container shortage ? Chinese New Year set to be a turning point | Seatrade Maritime

Shipping container shortage is causing shipping costs to rise

There Aren?t Enough Containers to Keep World Trade Flowing | Material Handling and Logistics

Container crunch upends global food trade while ships queue at U.S. ports | The Japan Times

[biz-engineer]

Not everyone exclusively prints wall sized prints to view from 20mm away.

True. Although I wasn't talking for myself, I was rather making a summary of the feedbacks I read in forums. A lot of people said "I'll pass on the K3III and I'm looking forward to the K1 II successor". And among the apsc shooters, many many have said two things: 1) too expensive 2) no flip screen is a deal breaker for me.

[luftfluss]

I think Pentax customers are difficult to please. They want the same features as offered by Pentax competitors, but at half the price, because historically Pentax was the value brand.

Yes, I agree with you. When I bought my first Pentax - my first DSLR - in 2007, it was the "value brand"... although, if I had known at that time what my true photographic interests were, other brands would actually have offered better value.

But it seems that being the value brand has not worked out too well, so now Pentax has to evolve... and if I am lost during that evolution, that is OK. It does not matter what I want Pentax to be, they need to create a business model that is successful for them. Fortunately for me, and for people like me, the used market is large and easy to access.

[mtkeller]

Possibly. Given the feedback from releasing the specs and customers who complained about the lack of moveable screen, plus it's not currently the best time to introduce new camera models (lots of people have other issues than to think about buying a new camera). Ricoh may have decided that it was more reasonable to change the product instead of entering the market "DOA", especially if Ricoh have no bandwidth to release a second apsc camera anytime soon after that one, "better nailed it at a later time then screw it now".

Yeah, that's why their CP+ event schedule is full of presentations by the photographers who have been test driving the K-3 iii and an event where they're going to dissect a K-3 iii. This camera will come to market, with the specs we have been given, as soon as they have a reliable supply of parts that meet their quality standards for an APS-C flagship camera.

[Serkevan]

"Worldwide Semiconductor shortage?" Why do you say that?

Because it's true. You've tried to get a graphics card lately?

[luftfluss]

Because it's true. You've tried to get a graphics card lately?

I thought it was all the cryptocurrency miners.

My wife and I got Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti's for Christmas, felt lucky to get them at retail price... lots of price gouging out there. The cards would be in stock for a few minutes, then gone.

[someasiancameraguy]

I think Pentax customers are difficult to please. They want the same features as offered by Pentax competitors, but at half the price, because historically Pentax was the value brand.

I don't need or want Pentax to be the value brand, but I certainly don't want Pentax to become the niche wannabe Leica brand with stupid inflated prices. It's hard not to see this already happening with the K3III prices.

What I do want is for Pentax to bring the design ethos of the limiteds to their bodies, sensible balanced tradeoffs, so the camera + lens can adapt decently to video + sports + landscape/studio without necessarily being the top in any. I'd imagine a lens ecosystem like this would be decently competitive in today's market of bulky, hyper expensive lenses.

[Serkevan]

I thought it was all the cryptocurrency miners.

My wife and I got Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti's for Christmas, felt lucky to get them at retail price... lots of price gouging out there. The cards would be in stock for a few minutes, then gone.

Not nearly as much as some years back... this time there's a huge bottleneck in the Taiwan and China fabs. Demand for many electronics didn't exactly go down during Covid, and lots of manufacturers produce at the same fabs for different products. It's a logistics nightmare AFAIK.

[c.a.m]

I think that Ricoh Imaging's indication of a parts-delay problem is realistic.

If other reasons are deemed likely for the delay in the market launch of the K-3 Mark III, then one should ask, "What is the most probable cause of the delay?" The following summary points are relevant.

• Ricoh Imaging (RI) has presented a series of "stories" and videos to describe certain design aspects of the K-3 Mark III, most recently in January 2021. The design of the K-3 Mark III has appeared to be mature, and ready for public display and handling.

• RI has explained why they opted to omit a movable rear screen.

• RI will host a series of virtual 'touch and try' events for the K-3 Mark III at CP+ 2021, involving up to 225 guests. CP+ begins soon, on 25 February 2021.

• RI will also hold a 'K-3 Mark III thorough dissection' presentation at CP+, with Kimio Tanaka and Shigeru Wakashiro (product development manager).

• Numerous media reports and industry sources mention global shortages of electronics, particularly 'chips' (integrated circuits).

• There are also numerous reports of global shipping delays and backlogs. There is a shipping-container crunch. Schedule reliability is low.

• At least one other manufacturer -- Sony -- has publicly announced that parts-supply problems are affecting several of its camera products.

• AKM, a major Japanese supplier of semiconductors, suffered a major fire at one of their plants in October 2020. Among other components, AKM manufactures magnetic sensors, angle sensors, motor drivers and controllers, integrated circuits for wireless communications, and electronic compasses. It is likely that the K-3 Mark III will integrate some or all of these types of components, although not necessarily those made by AKM. I don't know which components are fabricated at the damaged plant.

As of 22 January 2021, AKM indicated the following: "Situation of product supply. In late November 2020, we began shipping product inventory which had been stored at the plant.
We have discussed with our customers about the possibility of switching to alternative products, and requested other semiconductor manufacturers to supply such alternative products to our customers where possible. Regarding cases where alternative products are unavailable, we are advancing preparations for substitute manufacturing. Currently, several semiconductor manufacturers are cooperating with this endeavor regarding certain products."

- Craig

[luftfluss]

^^^^^ +1 to this. I'm an Occam's Razor kind of guy.


Also, even assuming Ricoh has managed to secure alternative components that have identical specs, it still takes time for validation.

[mtkeller]

I don't need or want Pentax to be the value brand, but I certainly don't want Pentax to become the niche wannabe Leica brand with stupid inflated prices. It's hard not to see this already happening with the K3III prices.

You mean the wild, unsubstantiated internet rumors about the K-3 iii prices? We've had one mention of a vague yen price range (and I have yet to see any native Japanese speaker dissect how that statement was translated into English), and somehow the internet has gone about converting about every number in that range into USD and EUR and claiming that will be the price of the K-3 iii even though the price at which Ricoh sells the K-1 ii for in JPY does not directly convert to the USD or EUR prices. People need to hold their horses and wait until Ricoh actually announces a price for the K-3 iii rather than engaging in rumormongering.

[thibs]

Press release reported here... Ricoh announces its Pentax K-3 Mark III APS-C DSLR has been delayed: Digital Photography Review

Annoying but IMO completely expected, alas. Multiple industries are suffering from chips unavailability.
Even cars ('normal', not Tesla and sorts) are affected.
I'm sorry for those deeply in need, sorry for Ricoh. Let's hope, the chips manufacturing industry will recover fast enough.

Btw, it also shows how the whole economy is dependent on a low number of key suppliers. And those suppliers are mostly not based on the US, Japan or EU.
Strategically this very risky.

[biz-engineer]

I think that Ricoh Imaging's indication of a parts-delay problem is realistic.

Fuji have announced the delay of the $5999 GFX100S due to customer demand being too high. I believe them

[house]

I started laughing seeing suggestions that the camera will now have a flippy screen thanks to the delay. I guess if you wish really, really hard and repeat the wish as if it was true, then act as if it was true. It will, come true!

I know politics is full of that stuff in some countries but I've never seen the process live before. Made my day and made me frightened.