[luftfluss]

I want APS-C for similar reasons (plus the fact that I already have a bunch of APS-C lenses). I just think that having the K1ii and K3iii too close in price might cannibalise each other's sales.

Indications from Ricoh Imaging statements are a price of 200,000+ Yen, which is similar to the K-1 II.

I get the impression that Ricoh considers the two cameras to be on the same level, but with different target users. Nikon did something similar with the D500 (APS-C) and D750 (FF).

[reh321]

I didn't think I'd be debating K-1 II vs. K-3 III, but I am now.

I won't get either camera, because the KP is perfect for what I do - I haven't missed any shots because of focusing failures, insufficient battery power, or insufficient buffer size.
If used K-1 or K-1ii prices sag enough after the K-1iii is released, I might get one of those also to use with the old film lenses I still have - but I'll leave my options open right now.

[RobG]

Indications from Ricoh Imaging statements are a price of 200,000+ Yen, which is similar to the K-1 II. I get the impression that Ricoh considers the two cameras to be on the same level, but with different target users. Nikon did something similar with the D500 (APS-C) and D750 (FF).

Maybe. I heard the stated price ballpark on the video, but in practice the prices of Pentax cameras and lenses are cheaper outside Japan than inside. The only reason I ever bought a Pentax lens in Japan was because I couldn't buy them anywhere else at the time. Anyway, we just have to wait and see what the actual local price ends up being.

[Eebll]

I had expected the K-3iii to come in at about $1800AUD, but I suspect it will be above a bit above the $2000AUD mark now. So, when I think about $200-300 extra on top of my previous price expectation, which is almost into K-1ii territory here,....

.

I'm thinking around the $2195 - $2295 AUD. I hope for around the $1800 - $2000 AUD max tho'. At least I can use it as a tax offset.

[JASMAZ77]

I won’t expect you to tell us why that’s so for you, but I’ve been thinking about the value proposition, rather than the price label (which attracts the term “sticker shock” if it’s noticeably above expectation).

The value proposition is incomplete for me, but so far there is a fair amount of improvement over the K-3 that I already have, and which itself was an improvement over its K-5 predecessor.

As far as price is concerned, I realised with some surprise the other day that my K-1 is coming up to five years old, so my outlay on that amortises to around $500AUD per annum (and falling, as I don’t intend to get rid of it for the foreseeable future). I had expected the K-3iii to come in at about $1800AUD, but I suspect it will be above a bit above the $2000AUD mark now. So, when I think about $200-300 extra on top of my previous price expectation, which is almost into K-1ii territory here, I put that into perspective by thinking about how long I’ll be keeping it. If it’s anything like the K-3, I’ll be amortising the cost over eight years or more, by which time I don’t expect to be anticipating buying another camera, ever. But you never know.

Gee I hope its not going to be that much.

[Gray]

At US$1,500 Ricoh will hit a home run IMO. Excellent price, excellent features, excellent value, to entice existing K5/3 users to buy the camera.

[repaap]

I didn't think I'd be debating K-1 II vs. K-3 III, but I am now. The reason why I won't buy the K-3 III if it's close to the K-1 II is that I already have three Pentax APS-C cameras (including two K-3 II bodies) and zero Pentax DSLR FF cameras (but tons of FF lenses from my film cameras), and I can't justify buying two $1900 cameras. For me, it was debating between getting a K-1 II later this year or waiting to see if the K-1 III might come out next year. It's the fabulous stuff noted in this video we're now discussing that has me re-thinking the K-3 III, but really hoping that much of these improved features will go into a tilt-screen, GPS version of the K-1 III.


Thanks to "Not A Number" for providing (above) the full transcript from the English subtitles of the video; that's much better than wading through that video.

K-1II is already showin it's age and I would not talk about high performance in any other way that with image quality. That is it.

One thing to be said about old FF lenses that they might not be as good on FF as they perform with aps-c crop. Be ready for smeary edges, and be ready for need of new FF lenses too. I'm not saying that one should not go for K-1II especially now when it is quite cheap for what it still is.

K-1III will most likely be in 2500€ price range, similar price increase and tech increase hopefully coming. So one should put those things in consideration too.

[Eebll]

Gee I hope its not going to be that much.

With a complete re-build and new technology etc on the inside, and given the time frame since the last APSC release, it's not unreasonable to expect a few hundred $s extra in price. It's just the lower the better lol.
From everything I've read on it , the K3 III should be the ants pants, for me at least. If the image quality is as good as or better than the K1, I'll be stoked. I have taken the card out of the K3 II with the 70-200 on and
put it in the K1 with the 70-200 and kept photographing. When editing, the change of quality was clearly evident to me, enough to make me sit up and wonder what I'd done until I remembered lol. They just need to release it.
Would be nice to have it to take south for a 3 day event in 3 weeks.

[shiner]

Crap. Now I have to buy it.

[ThorSanchez]

Maybe. I heard the stated price ballpark on the video, but in practice the prices of Pentax cameras and lenses are cheaper outside Japan than inside. The only reason I ever bought a Pentax lens in Japan was because I couldn't buy them anywhere else at the time. Anyway, we just have to wait and see what the actual local price ends up being.

I've done the calculations several times, but the effective exchange rate between Ricoh Japan prices on the official website and the prices at B&H in the States is roughly 140-160 yen per dollar.

So if you use 150, then:
￥200,000 = $1333
￥225,000 = $1500
￥250,000 = $1667
￥275,000 = $1833
￥300,000 = $2000

My guess is that if the official Japanese cost is in the mid-to-high ￥200,000s, the US price is going to be somewhere between $1500-1750. Maybe as high as $1999 at release, but we'll see.

[mtkeller]

At US$1,500 Ricoh will hit a home run IMO. Excellent price, excellent features, excellent value, to entice existing K5/3 users to buy the camera.

I’d be shocked if it were priced that low. Maybe US$1700.

[RobG]

I’d be shocked if it were priced that low. Maybe US$1700.

Which would put it only US$100 from the K1ii.

[gatorguy]

Indications from Ricoh Imaging statements are a price of 200,000+ Yen, which is similar to the K-1 II.

I get the impression that Ricoh considers the two cameras to be on the same level, but with different target users. Nikon did something similar with the D500 (APS-C) and D750 (FF).

That's pretty much the claim in the video. The K1 series would be a more deliberate camera, "using on a tripod" is mentioned, meaning they see it as an ideal landscape tool, while the K3III serves a different market: Moving, wildlife, action. Of course there's crossover and a lot of users make do with one camera, but I understand the thinking. Pentax is suggesting both APS-C and FF Pentax models should be in a photographers stable...
of course.

That's not unlike what I do now, very often carrying both a K70 and a K1 to events.

Now with regard to the video, I think it should be required watching before any blogger or camera review site publishes an article on the K3III. Based on the English titled version the new Pentax is in danger of moving from my "wait for reviews before committing" list and on to my extremely short "first day preorder" one.

Thank you very much RobG.

[gatorguy]

I won't get either camera, because the KP is perfect for what I do - I haven't missed any shots because of focusing failures, insufficient battery power, or insufficient buffer size.
If used K-1 or K-1ii prices sag enough after the K-1iii is released, I might get one of those also to use with the old film lenses I still have - but I'll leave my options open right now.

But the new one is shiny!

More seriously though, it sounds like the K3III is going to be far friendlier to those old film lenses than the K1 is. Not that you can't use 'em with both but Pentax appears to have put considerable thought into making their new crop shooter a welcoming platform for the pre-digital lenses going back a few decades. IMHO it should be a far more convenient camera for using your old glass than the K1. The even better poor-light ISO and low-light focus performance of the K3III compared to the KP or K1, combined with apparently more finely detailed images, is delicious icing.

[RobG]

Based on the English titled version the new Pentax is in danger of moving from my "wait for reviews before committing" list and on to my extremely short "first day preorder" one. Thank you very much RobG.

You're welcome! I knew that it would be helpful to the folks who had no Japanese, especially when the automatic translation of Japanese is awful. I'll be placing that order as soon as CRK list it. I just checked again, and I notice that the KP has now disappeared from the CRK site.