[jeryst]

I've been drooling over a K-3 for a while now. My last new camera was a K20D, and I have enjoyed it very much.
Great photos and not a hint of trouble. But after reading all of the reviews and comparisons, I really feel its time to upgrade.

Due to Christmas (four kids), I didnt have the money to get one, and I missed out on some of the hot deals that were going on.
Now, due to a happy set of circumstances, I have some extra cash, but keep reading that the new cameras will be released sometime in February.

So now, I'm in a bit of a quandary as to what to do. Do I just say the heck with it, and buy now, or will the K-3 price drop when
the new models come out? What are the chances that an even better camera will come out, or significant improvements will be made to the K-3,
and I'll wind up kicking myself for not waiting?

What to do, what to do.

[gebco]

When it comes to technology, waiting means waiting forever. The nice thing with the K-3 is that it has been out for a while, it is a great camera, and prices have come down. If you buy the latest and greatest, you will pay a full price premium until those prices come down too. Personally, I wait until the next product is significant enough an upgrade for me. I have the K-x, but passed on the K-5 models because, for me, they weren't enough of an upgrade. I now have the K-3 that I got this past Monday because it is a significant upgrade for me and because I finally saved the money to buy one; in fact, because prices came down I have money left over for accessories.

[LensBeginner]

I believe that the next camera (or, at least the one of those recent mock-ups at CES) will be a low- or medium-tier one.
Just buy a K-3 and never regret it! ;-)

[Obin Robinson]

I waited forever before buying my K-3. I paid $1,050 for it and I felt it was a bargain even at that price. This is simply an unbelievable camera. Ever since then I've taken so many incredible photos with the K-3 that my K-m and Canon 1000D simply could not take. Buy the K-3 now and start having fun. You won't regret it.


obin

[tvdtvdtvd]

Several ways to look at it:

At $896, the K-3 is less expensive now than it was 6 months ago.

It's a safe bet the price will go down further, but no assured timeframe. I doubt we'll see another price drop
for 3 months, maybe even 6 months or more.

Looking at other recent bodies in comparison, it's reasonable to assume the price, even second hand,
won't drop much below $500, even 2-3 years out.

All leading edge technology depreciates FAST. Know what price you're comfortable with, get the tech
at that price when you need it, and never look back. You WILL always save money by waiting longer,
but that's also time spent without the technology you NEED.

If you're comfortable with the level of technology that is the K-3 at its current price of $896 and you
need that technology now, buy it now.

[boriscleto]

At least wait until CP+ next month...you already missed the best price you will find until at least spring anyways.

[bladerunner6]

I've been drooling over a K-3 for a while now. My last new camera was a K20D, and I have enjoyed it very much.
Great photos and not a hint of trouble. But after reading all of the reviews and comparisons, I really feel its time to upgrade.

Due to Christmas (four kids), I didnt have the money to get one, and I missed out on some of the hot deals that were going on.
Now, due to a happy set of circumstances, I have some extra cash, but keep reading that the new cameras will be released sometime in February.

So now, I'm in a bit of a quandary as to what to do. Do I just say the heck with it, and buy now, or will the K-3 price drop when
the new models come out? What are the chances that an even better camera will come out, or significant improvements will be made to the K-3,
and I'll wind up kicking myself for not waiting?

What to do, what to do.

That Hell-Bound Train — Robert Bloch

[Madaboutpix]

Well, of course, there will always be good reasons to wait - for certain price drops, new models, ... whatever.

However, if you have wanted the K-3 for so long and can't shake the feeling that it may help you take your photography to the next level, plus you happen to have the spending money to actually afford it, why on earth shouldn't you get it?

Coming from the K20D (which certainly was no slouch in its day and is still a good DSLR), the K-3 will be much more than some incremental upgrade - I trust it will blow you away, after you've learned to get the most out of it. And that will still be true even when some new flagship model is out. Besides, having a family myself I know perfectly well how soon your precious photo budget can be gone for good if you wait too long. You know, cars and washing machines can break down any day, and any day spent without the K-3 is a day spent without the K-3.

No, I'm not pleading for irresponsible spending. It's just that having skipped so many models in between you sound like someone who deserves a little reward. I upgraded from a K-7, which I'd shot for nearly five years, and am absolutely loving my K-3, best camera purchase ever.

[owl]

The K3 is a great camera available now and any newly announced camera won't be available for months. The new camera that was recently pre-announced doesn't even have a name, so I wouldn't expect it any time soon and it will likely be a mid range model anyways. And, as tvdtvdtvd pointed out, the K3 will have resale value even if you decide to jump to the latest and greatest in six months.

[wibbly]

I think that you are always better off buying a model towards the end of its run (assuming there is a reduction in price) than it is to buy the newest one to hit the market.

The last version will have all the bugs worked out and will have the most information, parts and knowledge available. The new one is untested waters and issues and updates typically follow.


If I were you I'd wait for the new one to hit the market then get a good used k3 at a heavily discounted price. Or just buy a new one. The pricing is good right now

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

I remember buying the K20D for $605 at the bottom of the closeout, and the used price was higher three months later. No sense in waiting for that situation, IMHO.

I bought the K-01 at $100 under full retail because I just couldn't wait. Eight months later I could have paid half as much - but liked the camera so much that the decision to pay more never really bothered me. Great camera in so many respects.

The K-30 with the best of the kit 18-55 lenses (WR, metal mount) for $500 was also near the bottom of the market at the end of the short product run (K-50 arriving). Camera provided fine images, excellent performance, but the feel and build quality were so much less than the K20D and K-01 - I worried about its long-term robustness and soon longed to return to the professional feel of the K20D (the camera feels more solid than my old LX by a wide measure, and even edges the K-3 in that regard - and weather sealing is clearly better). I'm glad bottom of the market for the K-30 was where I landed - given that I didn't keep the body as long as the others; its a fine camera in most respects for those who fully connect with it.

Unlike previous product cycles, the K-3 seems to fluctuate within a range rather than steadily reduce as the closeout nears. In late November, I decided that you aren't risking much further reduction to buy the K-3 at $797 from B & H, given that for $50 more you can grab a $300+ flash (AF-540fgz on closeout) and a free battery grip. Not interested in either of those add-ons (I avoid unreliable pTTL nearly all the time, and don't need flash often in the first place, and the K-3 battery is plenty good enough - coming from the meager K-30 battery unit). I figured that a little work on my part would yield a net price under $600. In fact, the net came in under $530 - although it required some effort on my part, and others who wanted them got some fine new accessories for prices far less than usual discount retail. Win-win for all involved.

Not that I'm saying the right closeout price is anywhere that low. The deals are more complex nowadays with the various bundles. Olympus went that route, and the other brands now understand that its a great way to get new customers fully entrenched into their system. My point is - there are several great deals out there, and the best one might be a bundle depending on your specific needs (or desire to do some dealing on the side). So, the fluctuation in pricing seemed to be at the bottom of the range near the end of the year to maximize holiday sales. Now, it looks like stock is low and pricing from reputable dealers has rebounded accordingly.

The camera remains in production, so when inventory replenishes in the next month or so, we might see another modest price dip - or attractive bundles. I don't expect a lot of folks getting the camera for $600 or less - unless their doing some dealing - the route I took. However, paying $800 or more at this stage in the product cycle seems a bit much - recognizing that many paid more and got great use from a cutting edge product much sooner. Similar to how I feel good about the K-01 purchase early in the product cycle (no one can say they own a superior K-mount mirrorless camera; odds are we'll see the second one about the same time as the next Edsel).

[astron]

Like gebco said, if you wait for the "best" to come out, you'll be waiting forever. Get what fits your budget, your needs, and your camera bag

If you're strapped for cash, not pick up a $400 K-50 body? It's less than half the cost of the K-3. While getting the latest flagship is good, basically anything you buy new right now from Ricoh will feel light years ahead of your K20D.

[Driline]

I figure the K-3 will never go below what the $496 bargain price of the K5iis is right now at many online e-tailers such as Adorama and Bhphotovideo. So if I can get one as near close to that price as I can, then it's worth buying NOW.

So I did. I found one at an Authorized Pentax Dealer with warranty for $655 at pop flash.photo. I figured I paid $155 over the lowest price that this camera will ever retail at. To me it was worth it because I'll have this camera for a year before we see the price drop like that similar to the K5iis.

---------- Post added 01-11-15 at 07:02 AM ----------

If you're strapped for cash, not pick up a $400 K-50 body?

I wouldn't. I'd pay $96 more for a K5iis. Better yet $255 more for a K-3

[astron]

I figure the K-3 will never go below what the $496 bargain price of the K5iis is right now at many online e-tailers such as Adorama and Bhphotovideo. So if I can get one as near close to that price as I can, then it's worth buying NOW.

So I did. I found one at an Authorized Pentax Dealer with warranty for $655 at pop flash.photo. I figured I paid $155 over the lowest price that this camera will ever retail at. To me it was worth it because I'll have this camera for a year before we see the price drop like that similar to the K5iis.

---------- Post added 01-11-15 at 07:02 AM ----------



I wouldn't. I'd pay $96 more for a K5iis. Better yet $255 more for a K-3

I disagree entirely. Like I said, if the OP's budget is tight, then he/she should remember that every single new camera you can buy that says "Pentax" on it is far, far superior to what he has now. No use guilting the guy into spending more than he/she has in the bank, especially since he/she has a family to take care of.

Anyway, the 16-megapixel cameras are still excellent (and the K-S1 seems solid, too), and no one should beat themselves up if the ~$300 saved go towards your adult responsibilities! Sorry to be the voice of reason here, K-3 fans :P

Also, I think we'll probably see K-3s dip to near the current K-5IIs pricing, maybe even this year at the holidays. The K-5II series is two years old at this point, and by December, the K-3 will be the same age. Ricoh will want to clear the channel like they're doing now with 2012's cameras. There will undoubtedly be a few new models this year since last year saw only one new camera and no flagship update.

[Driline]

Well, for $96 difference you can't even buy Pentax's cheapest lens. If the funds are available I'd put it towards a better body. But, not my call. Besides, the OP says he's has the money now, so why not?