[dansamy]

Yup. In 2 years, it will be so obsolete that people will laugh when you put it on eBay with a start bid of >$1000. And rightfully so when they can get the latest, fastest, newest for $750.

[waterfall]

In the US, the MAP price has yet to drop. Authorized dealers have been trying to make it more attractive by including freebies, however!

What is "MAP"? And why is it controlling prices? This may be an illegall restraint of trade. Are camera prices supported like corn prices?

I don't get it. I want a K3 a a fair market price.

[Adam]

What is "MAP"? And why is it controlling prices? This may be an illegall restraint of trade. Are camera prices supported like corn prices?

I don't get it. I want a K3 a a fair market price.

Its where a distributor won't give you dealership unless you adhere to their minimum advertised prices and/or minimum visible prices. All major camera brands do it as it helps protect prices and the value of the product.

[IchabodCrane]

What was once much more straightforward has become less so in the internet age. MAP used to mean a retailer could not advertise a price below what was agreed to by a supplier. A retailer was still free to sell at a lower unadvertised price which Sony tried to prevent a bunch of years ago. They were found guilty of restraint of trade.

As I mentioned, the whole MAP system has become more nebulous as it's still being debated as to what's an advertised price and what isn't on the internet. Is a price in an online secure shopping cart an "advertised price"? Lately, it's emerged that a price in a secure shopping cart does not constitute an advertised price. There will be more debate for sure.

[Adam]

What was once much more straightforward has become less so in the internet age. MAP used to mean a retailer could not advertise a price below what was agreed to by a supplier. A retailer was still free to sell at a lower unadvertised price which Sony tried to prevent a bunch of years ago. They were found guilty of restraint of trade.

As I mentioned, the whole MAP system has become more nebulous as it's still being debated as to what's an advertised price and what isn't on the internet. Is a price in an online secure shopping cart an "advertised price"? Lately, it's emerged that a price in a secure shopping cart does not constitute an advertised price. There will be more debate for sure.

The whole "add to cart to see price" thing has started becoming less and less common these days, but there's no question that these pricing policies are targeted directly at online stores. If you walk in to B&H their lens prices are lower than online, but still not as low as they used to be before the MAP policy was put into place.

[ElJamoquio]

What is "MAP"? And why is it controlling prices? This may be an illegall restraint of trade. Are camera prices supported like corn prices?

I don't get it. I want a K3 a a fair market price.

Supreme Court changed it at some point. Illegally restraining trade is no longer illegally restraining trade.

[weileiok]

hi. I'm new one from China. Hello everyone!
The peice of K3 from web in China today:5999RMB.Body only. US DOLLAR is 1000

[kadajawi]

Personally, I don't see digital cameras as a material investment, which is to say the idea that an unopened silver K-3 will be worth more money in a year than today is nonsense to me. II saw a post somewhere where someone planned to buy a K-3 and leave it unopened until it was worth a boat load of money. I laughed until I cried.)

Digital cameras, like cars, are a productivity investment and the money goes to obtain a tool that increases some type of output or facilitates in other ways an increased yield. So the price of the K-3 is destined to drop and, by 2015, will likely be under $850 for the body only. That's how the K-7, K-5, and K-5II/s bodies (and almost all other tech ever) go.

There was a guy who bought a Toyota AE86, put it into his house and kept it in pristine condition. It is like new. The car is worth a lot now. Of course he was lucky that the car turned into a classic and legend, but it can happen. Not likely though... especially if it wasn't a luxury item. A Leica may indeed be worth more in 20 years...

[bossa]

Really like the 12-24mm. I've used it for concert photography and it was great. You'll love yours...pretty sharp.

DA 12-24mm on my K200D (can't wait to try it on my K3)

Great shots of Satch mate..