[janneman]

A couple of days ago Pentax lens prices jumped more than 50% in Lithuania, dealer says that it's price increase from Pentax.

FA 43mm f/1.9: €725
FA 50mm f/1.4: €434
FA 35mm f/2: €695
FA 12-24mm f/4: €955

And the list goes on...

Does really some idiot think that they can sell lenses for these prices?!

I don't think that price increase is for Lithuania only, Europeans, this is clear message for you: if you plan to buy Pentax lenses, better do ir right now, morons at Hoya decided to become Leica number two...

I still can't believe it. I bought Pentax because their lenses offered best value for the money, now it is completely the opposite. Time to switch to Nikon, now their overpriced lenses look like a bargain compared to Pentax.

As far as I have been able to tell, prices in the Netherlands for lenses (if available) are much lower, some are half your stated prices.
Either it is Pentax Baltic thingy or we still have old stock here. Or maybe it is dealer or supplier to dealer if dealer does not buy from Pentax directly who wants to make a lot of profit.

On the whole, lately I have found that some lenses at certain shops can be bought in Western Europe for prices competing with those from buying from the USA wit tax and shipping added. At the time it was my main reason for buyng the 16-50 and 50-135 in our own small and expensive country. the price difference was not worth the hassle of having to wait for a delivery van, pay additional taxes afterwards etc etc.

Now that was a loong time go but I just checked the above mentioned lenses.

[Mike.P®]

I bought a 60-250mm here in the UK for less than the USA price (£799).
The price has now gone up to £899 (was a pre ordered batch apparently) but even now theres not a lot of difference. First and only time I have seen that.

[thibs]

I bought a 60-250mm here in the UK for less than the USA price (£799).
The price has now gone up to £899 (was a pre ordered batch apparently) but even now theres not a lot of difference. First and only time I have seen that.

Yeah, UK prices used to be outrageous. They are not anymore. Good for Uk guys, they deserve it after being milked for years.

[Kguru]

Hooray ... it's making my lens collection appreciate in "value"

Seriously, it's not far fetched that Hoya might want to position Pentax away from CaNikon market and up a niche notch towards Leica market (see... now we know why Ned B announced out loud he bought a Leica ). The lens price hefty increases seem absurd now but will soften once people get used to comparing against Leica. What Pentax needs is an exceptional niche body that doesn't have to beat CaNikon but sets it apart from them.

[thibs]

Most price recent hikes did soften after a couple weeks.
Canada being an example. I expect price to soften a bit, but could be wrong of course.

[Edvinas]

A couple of years ago Lithuanian dealer was getting Pentax stuff from Pentax Scandinavia. I don't know if Pentax Scandinavia still exist, however I believe that they are still getting their stuff directly from some European Pentax division.

Lithuania is a small market and dealer definitely does not keep large amounts of stock. I bet dealers in larger markets have much more stuff in stock. also I don't believe that Pentax has raised prices exclusively for Lithuania. It would not make sense at all because of a common market in EU. I think that this price increase is for whole EU and you still have much lower prices because dealers still have old stock left.

Therefore I suggest that those lucky, who still have moderate prices for Pentax lenses, go and make purchases they were planing to do. Because it could be too late tomorrow...

[janneman]

Therefore I suggest that those lucky, who still have moderate prices for Pentax lenses, go and make purchases they were planing to do. Because it could be too late tomorrow...

I only have plans for the sealed wide fast prime that will show up as well as the moderately priced nice ranged sealed zoom.
They are not there yet...

Oh, I forgot ..... FA*200/4macro

[Mike.P®]

There is apparently a price rise in the UK from 1st June.

[i83N]

About 2 mouth ago prices on accessories jumped in Lithuania, so lens price jump was coming too.

[Bophoto]

Pentax Scandinavian don´t exist any more, see;
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/35782-pentax-scandinavia-shut-down.html
And some other countries in Europe have lost their exclusive Pentax importer lately and have a cheaper replacement(for Pentax), in Scandinavia Pentax have Focus trading now, their also import Samsung, Sony, Metz, Panasonic, Tamron and ........

And in a new tread from Norway about the new importer ;
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/45979-dramatic-change-...andinavia.html

And here i wrote about the pricechock:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/49913-pentax-becoming-...tml#post479839
And there in another post i wrote "in a Swedish Forum, a Swedish guy in London wanted advise about K-m in kit with DA-L18-55 and DA50-200. He got it for /in SEK/ 3720:- and in Sweden in a cheap internet-chop it cost 5790:- !!!"
What´s a K-m for 3 1/2 month ago, not a old camera their sold out cheap and the price in Sweden - 5790:- are not expensive.
I suspect that UK buy everything from Pentax Japan and not from Pentax Europe.

But perhaps more crazy are /in post 9/ New Zealand price for DA*300 for $4999 NZD then he can buy it from BH-photo and shipped to his door for $1960 NZD.

[Bophoto]

There is apparently a price rise in the UK from 1st June.

Perhaps Pentax calculations for new prices/pricechock are finish this year for the hole world

[gazonk]

We in Scandinavia got or price chock in January

In Sweden perhaps - I don't think there was a price shock in Norway (norwegian prices are shocking anyway ).

The quoted prices from Lithuania are so high that I sincerely doubt that it's more than a local phenomena. Maybe due to the economic turbulence in Lithuania, but the local currency is fixed to Euro now, isn't it?

[ftpaddict]

Lithuania has held heir prices quite low for longer than our importer. I'd say they've done a good job so far.

[Bophoto]

What the hell is Hoya thinking?!

First they take over Pentax, then they cut down costs so we get worse service.
(newsletter before and a better homepage...)
And they reconstruct/change Pentax, reconstruct lenses and later a camera(K7).
Rice prices on lenses to crazy numbers in some counties.
At Photokina they had a big space for business, but a small space for visitors, Olympus had ~10 times bigger.

So then do we get better homepage and a newsletter,
reasonable prices on lenses, Cameras and test of them before and not after Christmas,
Working peace for people at Pentax(latest Pentax Europe change from Hamburg to Paris), as good as Olympus at Photokina and other exhibition,
and no more new type of lenses for a couple of years, DA WR? series is enough for now.

I get tired........

[Mark D]

I really hope we're not in for another price rise here in the UK in June. We had a 20% rise in Feb, pretty much in line with exchange rates. ( Sigma went up 30+% )I can't see the market taking another rise.
I'll just sit tight on what I've got and learn to use them better!
(And maybe buy up some nice old M series lenses on eBay....)