Is K-3 being discontinued?

Barry Pearson · 02-25-2015, 09:24 AM

Originally posted by jotagustavo

Gents, does anybody know for sure if K-3 is being discontinued in USA or overseas? I am trying to buy it from Adorama, BH and manu others in USA and Canada and they have none in stock, and some do not know when they will have it again?

Originally posted by Vantage-Point

The K-3 is not discontinued since Pentax has not announced and produced its top aps-c replacement ( maybe K-3 II ?) yet. I am betting that will be introduced for Photokina 2016. Gotta save something new for next year.

SRS (main UK Pentax dealer) have had offers on the K-3:
£100 Part Exchange Bonus on any Pentax K3 Purchase
£80 INSTANT CASHBACK ON PENTAX DSLR CAMERAS

I don't know if there is any special significance. Ricoh/Pentax can't manage at the moment (and probably for a long time) without such a flagship APS-C camera. So: are they staying with the K-3, replacing it with a "minor" upgrade as a K-3II, or going for another jackpot with a total replacement? My bet is most likely the first, possibly the second, and not the third.

jotagustavo · 02-25-2015, 09:26 AM

Originally posted by Parallax

Not news or rumor. Moved to the proper forum.

thanks mate!

ScooterMaxi Jim · 02-25-2015, 09:28 AM

Originally posted by reh321

When you look at pricing and features, I've been wondering whether the difference between the K-3 and the K-S2 justifies selling both. Some North American and European sellers may wonder the same thing, taking into account the fact that all Pentax products are relatively low volume products for them. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they allow their K-3 inventory to reach zero before they think about ordering more.

While the pricing of the two bodies are similar, the actual cameras have differing strengths and appeal to different shooters. Nothing in the marketing hints at the idea that the K-S2 is to be considered a replacement. At recent low selling prices, the K-3 has had steady sales in the U.S.

Pricing in the U.S. has been relatively low, so this might be an effort at HQ in Japan to better balance supply, demand, and pricing expectations. A lot of folks in the RoW saw that price floor, and probably were hoping to see lower prices in their home market. Given that the U.S. is a very small Pentax market (but is closely watched elsewhere), starving that market makes a lot of sense.

**lsimpkins** · 02-25-2015, 09:32 AM - **1 Like**

Bad weather in the whole country PLUS the west coast port shut down that just ended may have something to do with temporary inventory shortages.

mgm2 · 02-25-2015, 09:36 AM

I just purchased the K3 from B&H body only.

vonBaloney · 02-25-2015, 09:37 AM

I don't think we will see any more "sequel" models (e.g. the "K-3 II") unless they decided the K-5 II was such a success that they now think that should be normal strategy. I think the only reason the K-5 II existed was as a transitional stop-gap from the Hoya era where they really needed to get something out and weren't ready with their new stuff so you ended up with a tweaked version of an older model as an upgrade. The K-3 isn't even really due to be replaced yet, and they will not want to make competition for their own full-frame by releasing an even more awesome APS-C model this year.

stevebrot · 02-25-2015, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by clackers

Different target audiences, Reh.

Definitely different target market! Different build too. Between the two, the only place where the K-2s might give a better showing would be on Consumer Reports where ranking is based mostly on feature count and the JPEG appearance.

Steve

stevebrot · 02-25-2015, 09:49 AM

Originally posted by jotagustavo

"Temporarily On Backorder - Although this item is temporarily on Backorder, you can order it now and it will ship as soon as it arrives. Your card will only be charged once item is shipped."

"In Stock"
"In Stock"
"Temporarily On Backorder..."
"Temporarily On Backorder..."
"Temporarily On Backorder..."
"Temporarily On Backorder..."

Adorama lists six ways to buy a K-3, four of those are backordered, while two are not. I would suggest that weather and/or demand may be the cause. I did a quick survey of online retailers and while Abe's of Maine has no K-3s*, they are readily available through other vendors. In regards to Amazon, I don't believe they usually sell the K-3 except through their partners (often enough, Adorama...).

Steve

* I personally refuse to deal with them...flaky business practices...

jotagustavo · 02-25-2015, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by vonBaloney

I don't think we will see any more "sequel" models (e.g. the "K-3 II") unless they decided the K-5 II was such a success that they now think that should be normal strategy. I think the only reason the K-5 II existed was as a transitional stop-gap from the Hoya era where they really needed to get something out and weren't ready with their new stuff so you ended up with a tweaked version of an older model as an upgrade. The K-3 isn't even really due to be replaced yet, and they will not want to make competition for their own full-frame by releasing an even more awesome APS-C model this year.

Well, maybe they are really forcing all stocks to Zero before importing, or issues on ports... What I´ve heard is that they are not importing to US anymore (from a source), maybe a K-3 with NFC, Wifi and vari-angle LCD would be an upgrade along with minor hardware improvements - moving it to K-3 II and not jeopardizing Pentax FF... I am still on the hunt for a good price. I had it bought and they could not deliver (Abe´s of Maine), and Adorama does not have it now (just back order)....

Does anybody got new news?

dicks · 02-25-2015, 10:01 AM

Perhaps they will just provide firmware updates and add features the "soft" way. Personally I'm not sure what a K-3 "II" would need to have to be "significantly" better than the current K-3.

MPrince · 02-25-2015, 10:39 AM

Originally posted by jotagustavo

What I´ve heard is that they are not importing to US anymore (from a source),

What's the name of your source?

**csa** · 02-25-2015, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by jotagustavo

What I´ve heard is that they are not importing to US anymore (from a source)

I find that very hard to believe. Is your source from Pentax themselves? Otherwise I'd take it with a grain of salt. Why would they cut their own throats to stop sales in the US?

stevebrot · 02-25-2015, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by MPrince

What's the name of your source?

Yes, inquiring minds want to know.

Steve

stevebrot · 02-25-2015, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by csa

I find that very hard to believe.

Me too, though there seems to be a strong desire on the part of a portion of the Pentax user-base to see the K-3 headed to early retirement. To those who are on the fence between the current model and the future replacement that will have all the things they might want (articulated screen, wi-fi, direct video out, k-cup support, etc.), I would suggest that they wait (possibly forever) or buy the competing product that has all those features* from Canon or Nikon.

Steve

* Hint: that camera does not exist as a dSLR in any one product line.

**yucatanPentax** · 02-25-2015, 02:05 PM

The other thing stock-related is that the West Coast has a huge backlog in the ports currently, due to a slow-down between dock workers and management over working conditions and safety concerns. So many companies have stock literally sitting on the docks or on ships anchored offshore. Some companies have resorted to air freight. There is a tentative deal, but the backlog remains huge.

Quote:

Parked off the Southern California coast is a flotilla of ships bulging with thousands of tractor-trailer sized containers that hold a shopper's delight of goods — which already would be on store shelves but for a labor dispute that has disrupted international trade.

The leader of the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's largest, said it would take three months "to get back a sense of normalcy."

The volume of cargo that West Coast dockworkers and their employers must clear, now that they've reached a tentative contract agreement Friday evening, is staggering. Put in a line, the containers would stretch 579 miles. Stacked up, they'd rise nearly 250 miles — about the orbiting altitude of the International Space Station.

02-25-2015, 09:36 AM	#20
mgm2 New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 22	Pentax K3 I just purchased the K3 from B&H body only.

02-25-2015, 09:49 AM	#23
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by jotagustavo "Temporarily On Backorder - Although this item is temporarily on Backorder, you can order it now and it will ship as soon as it arrives. Your card will only be charged once item is shipped." "In Stock" "In Stock" "Temporarily On Backorder..." "Temporarily On Backorder..." "Temporarily On Backorder..." "Temporarily On Backorder..." Adorama lists six ways to buy a K-3, four of those are backordered, while two are not. I would suggest that weather and/or demand may be the cause. I did a quick survey of online retailers and while Abe's of Maine has no K-3s, they are readily available through other vendors. In regards to Amazon, I don't believe they usually sell the K-3 except through their partners (often enough, Adorama...). Steve I personally refuse to deal with them...flaky business practices... Last edited by stevebrot; 02-25-2015 at 09:56 AM.

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02-25-2015, 09:24 AM	#16
Barry Pearson Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Stockport Posts: 964	Originally posted by jotagustavo Gents, does anybody know for sure if K-3 is being discontinued in USA or overseas? I am trying to buy it from Adorama, BH and manu others in USA and Canada and they have none in stock, and some do not know when they will have it again? Originally posted by Vantage-Point The K-3 is not discontinued since Pentax has not announced and produced its top aps-c replacement ( maybe K-3 II ?) yet. I am betting that will be introduced for Photokina 2016. Gotta save something new for next year. SRS (main UK Pentax dealer) have had offers on the K-3: £100 Part Exchange Bonus on any Pentax K3 Purchase £80 INSTANT CASHBACK ON PENTAX DSLR CAMERAS I don't know if there is any special significance. Ricoh/Pentax can't manage at the moment (and probably for a long time) without such a flagship APS-C camera. So: are they staying with the K-3, replacing it with a "minor" upgrade as a K-3II, or going for another jackpot with a total replacement? My bet is most likely the first, possibly the second, and not the third.

02-25-2015, 09:26 AM	#17
jotagustavo New Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Florianopolis Posts: 18 Original Poster	Originally posted by Parallax Not news or rumor. Moved to the proper forum. thanks mate!

02-25-2015, 09:28 AM	#18
ScooterMaxi Jim Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,520	Originally posted by reh321 When you look at pricing and features, I've been wondering whether the difference between the K-3 and the K-S2 justifies selling both. Some North American and European sellers may wonder the same thing, taking into account the fact that all Pentax products are relatively low volume products for them. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they allow their K-3 inventory to reach zero before they think about ordering more. While the pricing of the two bodies are similar, the actual cameras have differing strengths and appeal to different shooters. Nothing in the marketing hints at the idea that the K-S2 is to be considered a replacement. At recent low selling prices, the K-3 has had steady sales in the U.S. Pricing in the U.S. has been relatively low, so this might be an effort at HQ in Japan to better balance supply, demand, and pricing expectations. A lot of folks in the RoW saw that price floor, and probably were hoping to see lower prices in their home market. Given that the U.S. is a very small Pentax market (but is closely watched elsewhere), starving that market makes a lot of sense.

02-25-2015, 09:32 AM - 1 Like	#19
lsimpkins Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: SE Pennsylvania Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 537	Bad weather in the whole country PLUS the west coast port shut down that just ended may have something to do with temporary inventory shortages.

02-25-2015, 09:37 AM	#21
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	I don't think we will see any more "sequel" models (e.g. the "K-3 II") unless they decided the K-5 II was such a success that they now think that should be normal strategy. I think the only reason the K-5 II existed was as a transitional stop-gap from the Hoya era where they really needed to get something out and weren't ready with their new stuff so you ended up with a tweaked version of an older model as an upgrade. The K-3 isn't even really due to be replaced yet, and they will not want to make competition for their own full-frame by releasing an even more awesome APS-C model this year.

02-25-2015, 09:41 AM	#22
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by clackers Different target audiences, Reh. Definitely different target market! Different build too. Between the two, the only place where the K-2s might give a better showing would be on Consumer Reports where ranking is based mostly on feature count and the JPEG appearance. Steve

02-25-2015, 09:50 AM	#24
jotagustavo New Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Florianopolis Posts: 18 Original Poster	Originally posted by vonBaloney I don't think we will see any more "sequel" models (e.g. the "K-3 II") unless they decided the K-5 II was such a success that they now think that should be normal strategy. I think the only reason the K-5 II existed was as a transitional stop-gap from the Hoya era where they really needed to get something out and weren't ready with their new stuff so you ended up with a tweaked version of an older model as an upgrade. The K-3 isn't even really due to be replaced yet, and they will not want to make competition for their own full-frame by releasing an even more awesome APS-C model this year. Well, maybe they are really forcing all stocks to Zero before importing, or issues on ports... What I´ve heard is that they are not importing to US anymore (from a source), maybe a K-3 with NFC, Wifi and vari-angle LCD would be an upgrade along with minor hardware improvements - moving it to K-3 II and not jeopardizing Pentax FF... I am still on the hunt for a good price. I had it bought and they could not deliver (Abe´s of Maine), and Adorama does not have it now (just back order).... Does anybody got new news?

02-25-2015, 10:01 AM	#25
dicks Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Munich, Germany Posts: 38	Perhaps they will just provide firmware updates and add features the "soft" way. Personally I'm not sure what a K-3 "II" would need to have to be "significantly" better than the current K-3.

02-25-2015, 10:39 AM	#26
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	Originally posted by jotagustavo What I´ve heard is that they are not importing to US anymore (from a source), What's the name of your source?

02-25-2015, 11:50 AM	#27
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133	Originally posted by jotagustavo What I´ve heard is that they are not importing to US anymore (from a source) I find that very hard to believe. Is your source from Pentax themselves? Otherwise I'd take it with a grain of salt. Why would they cut their own throats to stop sales in the US?

02-25-2015, 12:23 PM	#28
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by MPrince What's the name of your source? Yes, inquiring minds want to know. Steve

02-25-2015, 12:29 PM	#29
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by csa I find that very hard to believe. Me too, though there seems to be a strong desire on the part of a portion of the Pentax user-base to see the K-3 headed to early retirement. To those who are on the fence between the current model and the future replacement that will have all the things they might want (articulated screen, wi-fi, direct video out, k-cup support, etc.), I would suggest that they wait (possibly forever) or buy the competing product that has all those features* from Canon or Nikon. Steve * Hint: that camera does not exist as a dSLR in any one product line.

02-25-2015, 02:05 PM	#30
yucatanPentax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Dallas / Yucatan Posts: 1,839	The other thing stock-related is that the West Coast has a huge backlog in the ports currently, due to a slow-down between dock workers and management over working conditions and safety concerns. So many companies have stock literally sitting on the docks or on ships anchored offshore. Some companies have resorted to air freight. There is a tentative deal, but the backlog remains huge. Quote: Parked off the Southern California coast is a flotilla of ships bulging with thousands of tractor-trailer sized containers that hold a shopper's delight of goods — which already would be on store shelves but for a labor dispute that has disrupted international trade. The leader of the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's largest, said it would take three months "to get back a sense of normalcy." The volume of cargo that West Coast dockworkers and their employers must clear, now that they've reached a tentative contract agreement Friday evening, is staggering. Put in a line, the containers would stretch 579 miles. Stacked up, they'd rise nearly 250 miles — about the orbiting altitude of the International Space Station.