Originally posted by AfterPentax Mark II I do not know the prices of 2013, but I bought the K-3 II 16-85 kit in 2018 for € 999,00. So yes, it seems a bit overpriced. Even if you paid € 1499,00 for the kit I mentioned (which was Ricoh shop's price at that time). But I understand that price is as high as it is because there is only a small number of Pentax "addicts" (friendly endearing term is meant here) and that means that they cannot produce large amounts of this camera, which will keep the price as high as it is.
Seems that you got big bargain. That lens alone(new) is just a bit cheaper. Let us not forget that K-3 and K-3II was nice cameras, but they did not make this kind of renewal for so many things with it. Where this new prism changed almost everything inside of the camera. K-3 was just renewing tech as well as that sensor. But many things were similar to previous cameras. Sure Af was fine tuned too and RGB sensor and faster burst.
This thing has completely new AF.
Completely new and expensive prism.
Renewed IBIS which can do now mechanical Movie SR too.
Those things are expensive to do and I would think that this prism is pushing price up too. It is bigger, but it is brighter. We do know that honing lens elements is pushing lens price up too, so you’v got onion ring bokeh but lens is cheaper. I suppose that applies at here too.
We know what that price is. Comparing it with old Pentax price is not very effective since new Pentax is about more refined product and up to date performance than old was. If we look at latest other products too, like DFA* lenses. Also that 11-18 did raise similar comments and 16-50 plm should be in those footsteps too.
Old Pentax was cheaper, technically always couple steps behind of competition, but with great Image quality.
New Pentax is competitive in every other way than with video(which is still not what Pentax is all about). It is there, it is okay, but images are the thing.
That and small user group is where price comes from