Current K-3ii pricing - as good as it'll get?

Marktax · 08-21-2018, 08:05 AM

Does anyone think the current $829 for a K-3ii is as low as that camera is going to go? I think I can stay with APS-C for what I do and can't start buying the K-1 FF lens line, as much as I would like too. I do want the astrotracer and pixel shift with my limited lenses. $829 for the K-3ii seems pretty good. Any thoughts? Thanks.

**monochrome** · 08-21-2018, 08:22 AM - **4 Likes**

Originally posted by Marktax

Does anyone think the current $829 for a K-3ii is as low as that camera is going to go? I think I can stay with APS-C for what I do and can't start buying the K-1 FF lens line, as much as I would like too. I do want the astrotracer and pixel shift with my limited lenses. $829 for the K-3ii seems pretty good. Any thoughts? Thanks.

No one knows the answer to that question - I certainly don’t. But consider this. Every week you wait for some fire sale that would lower the K3ll price is a week you aren’t using a better camera than the one you have now.

Suppose you wait until late November, hoping for some Black Friday deal at -say- $789, down from $829. You’ll save $40, or a little over $4 a week, 57c a day. You can’t rent a K-3ll for 57c a day from now to Black Friday, or $1 ($70+/-), or $2 ($140 +/-). Even if the price drops to $600 from $829, that’s like renting a new camera for $3 a day until Black Friday, and $600 is highly unlikely IMO.

And the possibility always exists that the stock runs out while you wait and the price goes UP! That happens every time a camera is discontinued.

My advice is buy the camera.

**twilhelm** · 08-21-2018, 09:12 AM

Buy it!

**jatrax** · 08-21-2018, 09:16 AM

Agree with @Monochrome no one really knows. And in the past when stock of discontinued models got tight prices went up. Is the possibility of saving a little money worth not having the camera now instead of later? For me if I could save 30 - 40% I say wait. But that's not going to happen. I can see $40 or $50 off the current price but not much more than that. If budget is a real concern look for a used one that does not have a lot of clicks on it.

tvdtvdtvd · 08-21-2018, 09:33 AM

The K-3 dropped in price to around the $800 mark and then sat there for quite a while. The price finally went
as low as $600 or so when final inventories were being cleared, but then stocks disappeared fast.

No telling if the K-3II will do the same, but $800 is a very good price for that camera. I bought my K-3 at $800
and have no regrets that I didn't wait until it dropped to $600. I do feel I got more than $200 worth of usage
for having the camera a year or more before the price dropped to $600.

reh321 · 08-21-2018, 09:36 AM

$800 is less than the price for a KP. There is a parallel thread here of people figuratively pawing the ground waiting for a K-3ii successor to be announced and worried that current inventory will run out before then. If this is what you want, purchase the camera now, while they are still on the market.

Mark Ransom · 08-21-2018, 09:45 AM

What, did everybody here miss the short period where it was going for $700? Stocks are down to fumes now, it's not going to get cheaper because anybody who still has new stock left knows it will sell eventually. Either that or they don't really have stock and will need to cancel your order. The fire sales were over practically before they began, because Pentax did a good job of stretching out the end.

dubyam · 08-21-2018, 10:57 AM

Best pricing I could find new right now is $799 on Amazon Prime. Not a bad proce, but my gut says this one will drop another $50-75 in November, maybe more. It all depends on whether you want to wait or not. The risk, of course, has already been mentioned, and you may miss out. But you can source good used editions right now for $650 or less, and I suspect once the replacement comes around (my gut says spring 2019, but what do I know?) the used K3ii will become a $500-550 camera, I suspect.

All that is guaranteed to be worth at least what you just paid to read it, maybe more.

Mark Ransom · 08-21-2018, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by dubyam

Best pricing I could find new right now is $799 on Amazon Prime. Not a bad proce, but my gut says this one will drop another $50-75 in November, maybe more. It all depends on whether you want to wait or not. The risk, of course, has already been mentioned, and you may miss out. But you can source good used editions right now for $650 or less, and I suspect once the replacement comes around (my gut says spring 2019, but what do I know?) the used K3ii will become a $500-550 camera, I suspect.

All that is guaranteed to be worth at least what you just paid to read it, maybe more.

No, it won't drop in price in November - there won't be any new ones left. From this point forward I predict the price will go up, not down. Unless you're looking for a used one of course, then it's a completely different ballgame.

stevebrot · 08-21-2018, 11:10 AM

Originally posted by Marktax

Any thoughts? Thanks.

If you can find one at a price you can currently manage and are confident it will meet your needs, buy it.

Steve

**MossyRocks** · 08-21-2018, 11:10 AM

My advise is do you want the K-3ii or not? If you are waiting for a price drop once the successor comes out just buy it now, if instead you are waiting to compare it to the successor then ask your self if the K-3ii would be the limiting factor in your photography or not. If it would be then wait for the successor, if not just buy it now. If price is the only concern see if you can find a barely used one.

That is what I did expect I wasn't planning on getting a K-3 but the local camera store really sucks at pricing newer used Pentax gear so I got it for just under $400 with 3 extra batteries. I had gotten a K-2000 to learn and play with a few months previous expecting to just save up for a K-1 but saw the K-3 at a too good to be true price so got it.

victormeldrew · 08-21-2018, 11:15 AM

Is $800 a good price for a body this capable and well built? Yes, it's an absolute bargain. Price up any other body of equivalent spec from another manufacturer and you will need way north of $1000

Will it go down a bit...maybe, but nothing worth fussing over. Will it go down a lot, no. Will it go up a bit, maybe. Gamble if you like, but the payoff is hardly worth the risk and the time and hassle of scouring for prices every day to catch the bargain.

stevebrot · 08-21-2018, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by dubyam

Best pricing I could find new right now is $799 on Amazon Prime.

One does not need Prime to get the $799 pricing.

Steve

Fogel70 · 08-21-2018, 11:37 AM

There probably is 10% chance of price dropping significantly. But there are a 100% chance of K3III being sold out if you wait too long.

Once it is sold out, it could be a very long wait before a replacement is out

dubyam · 08-21-2018, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by Mark Ransom

No, it won't drop in price in November - there won't be any new ones left. From this point forward I predict the price will go up, not down. Unless you're looking for a used one of course, then it's a completely different ballgame.

Since there are still new examples of the K-5, K-30, K-50, and original K-3 to be found if you look, I'd argue the chance of finding a new K-3ii in November is not as bad as you say. But it is definitely on its way to low/no stock status in many common places. My point with my original post was, though not emphasized, the price drop won't be significant, even in November, and unless you're on the fence, it's not worth waiting. The real deal was the silver edition for $739 a few weeks ago, but that's not coming back.

Ultimately, if the K-3ii does what you want to do, you're pretty much looking at $800-ish new, while they last, and then shopping for a used one after that, for $500-700, until the replacement comes to market, at which point the used stuff will drop based on the replacement's price.

08-21-2018, 08:05 AM	#1
Marktax Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Washington DC Photos: Albums Posts: 610	Current K-3ii pricing - as good as it'll get? Does anyone think the current $829 for a K-3ii is as low as that camera is going to go? I think I can stay with APS-C for what I do and can't start buying the K-1 FF lens line, as much as I would like too. I do want the astrotracer and pixel shift with my limited lenses. $829 for the K-3ii seems pretty good. Any thoughts? Thanks.

08-21-2018, 08:22 AM - 4 Likes	#2
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by Marktax Does anyone think the current $829 for a K-3ii is as low as that camera is going to go? I think I can stay with APS-C for what I do and can't start buying the K-1 FF lens line, as much as I would like too. I do want the astrotracer and pixel shift with my limited lenses. $829 for the K-3ii seems pretty good. Any thoughts? Thanks. No one knows the answer to that question - I certainly don’t. But consider this. Every week you wait for some fire sale that would lower the K3ll price is a week you aren’t using a better camera than the one you have now. Suppose you wait until late November, hoping for some Black Friday deal at -say- $789, down from $829. You’ll save $40, or a little over $4 a week, 57c a day. You can’t rent a K-3ll for 57c a day from now to Black Friday, or $1 ($70+/-), or $2 ($140 +/-). Even if the price drops to $600 from $829, that’s like renting a new camera for $3 a day until Black Friday, and $600 is highly unlikely IMO. And the possibility always exists that the stock runs out while you wait and the price goes UP! That happens every time a camera is discontinued. My advice is buy the camera. Last edited by monochrome; 08-21-2018 at 08:27 AM.

08-21-2018, 11:37 AM	#14
Fogel70 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Photos: Albums Posts: 3,062	There probably is 10% chance of price dropping significantly. But there are a 100% chance of K3III being sold out if you wait too long. Once it is sold out, it could be a very long wait before a replacement is out Last edited by Fogel70; 08-21-2018 at 11:42 AM.

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08-21-2018, 09:12 AM	#3
twilhelm Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,369	Buy it!

08-21-2018, 09:16 AM	#4
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Agree with @Monochrome no one really knows. And in the past when stock of discontinued models got tight prices went up. Is the possibility of saving a little money worth not having the camera now instead of later? For me if I could save 30 - 40% I say wait. But that's not going to happen. I can see $40 or $50 off the current price but not much more than that. If budget is a real concern look for a used one that does not have a lot of clicks on it.

08-21-2018, 09:33 AM	#5
tvdtvdtvd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,665	The K-3 dropped in price to around the $800 mark and then sat there for quite a while. The price finally went as low as $600 or so when final inventories were being cleared, but then stocks disappeared fast. No telling if the K-3II will do the same, but $800 is a very good price for that camera. I bought my K-3 at $800 and have no regrets that I didn't wait until it dropped to $600. I do feel I got more than $200 worth of usage for having the camera a year or more before the price dropped to $600.

08-21-2018, 09:36 AM	#6
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,180	$800 is less than the price for a KP. There is a parallel thread here of people figuratively pawing the ground waiting for a K-3ii successor to be announced and worried that current inventory will run out before then. If this is what you want, purchase the camera now, while they are still on the market.

08-21-2018, 09:45 AM	#7
Mark Ransom Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 498	What, did everybody here miss the short period where it was going for $700? Stocks are down to fumes now, it's not going to get cheaper because anybody who still has new stock left knows it will sell eventually. Either that or they don't really have stock and will need to cancel your order. The fire sales were over practically before they began, because Pentax did a good job of stretching out the end.

08-21-2018, 10:57 AM	#8
dubyam Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 221	Best pricing I could find new right now is $799 on Amazon Prime. Not a bad proce, but my gut says this one will drop another $50-75 in November, maybe more. It all depends on whether you want to wait or not. The risk, of course, has already been mentioned, and you may miss out. But you can source good used editions right now for $650 or less, and I suspect once the replacement comes around (my gut says spring 2019, but what do I know?) the used K3ii will become a $500-550 camera, I suspect. All that is guaranteed to be worth at least what you just paid to read it, maybe more.

08-21-2018, 11:09 AM	#9
Mark Ransom Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 498	Originally posted by dubyam Best pricing I could find new right now is $799 on Amazon Prime. Not a bad proce, but my gut says this one will drop another $50-75 in November, maybe more. It all depends on whether you want to wait or not. The risk, of course, has already been mentioned, and you may miss out. But you can source good used editions right now for $650 or less, and I suspect once the replacement comes around (my gut says spring 2019, but what do I know?) the used K3ii will become a $500-550 camera, I suspect. All that is guaranteed to be worth at least what you just paid to read it, maybe more. No, it won't drop in price in November - there won't be any new ones left. From this point forward I predict the price will go up, not down. Unless you're looking for a used one of course, then it's a completely different ballgame.

08-21-2018, 11:10 AM	#10
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Marktax Any thoughts? Thanks. If you can find one at a price you can currently manage and are confident it will meet your needs, buy it. Steve

08-21-2018, 11:10 AM	#11
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	My advise is do you want the K-3ii or not? If you are waiting for a price drop once the successor comes out just buy it now, if instead you are waiting to compare it to the successor then ask your self if the K-3ii would be the limiting factor in your photography or not. If it would be then wait for the successor, if not just buy it now. If price is the only concern see if you can find a barely used one. That is what I did expect I wasn't planning on getting a K-3 but the local camera store really sucks at pricing newer used Pentax gear so I got it for just under $400 with 3 extra batteries. I had gotten a K-2000 to learn and play with a few months previous expecting to just save up for a K-1 but saw the K-3 at a too good to be true price so got it.

08-21-2018, 11:15 AM	#12
victormeldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: South West UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,493	Is $800 a good price for a body this capable and well built? Yes, it's an absolute bargain. Price up any other body of equivalent spec from another manufacturer and you will need way north of $1000 Will it go down a bit...maybe, but nothing worth fussing over. Will it go down a lot, no. Will it go up a bit, maybe. Gamble if you like, but the payoff is hardly worth the risk and the time and hassle of scouring for prices every day to catch the bargain.

08-21-2018, 11:18 AM	#13
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by dubyam Best pricing I could find new right now is $799 on Amazon Prime. One does not need Prime to get the $799 pricing. Steve

08-21-2018, 12:11 PM	#15
dubyam Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 221	Originally posted by Mark Ransom No, it won't drop in price in November - there won't be any new ones left. From this point forward I predict the price will go up, not down. Unless you're looking for a used one of course, then it's a completely different ballgame. Since there are still new examples of the K-5, K-30, K-50, and original K-3 to be found if you look, I'd argue the chance of finding a new K-3ii in November is not as bad as you say. But it is definitely on its way to low/no stock status in many common places. My point with my original post was, though not emphasized, the price drop won't be significant, even in November, and unless you're on the fence, it's not worth waiting. The real deal was the silver edition for $739 a few weeks ago, but that's not coming back. Ultimately, if the K-3ii does what you want to do, you're pretty much looking at $800-ish new, while they last, and then shopping for a used one after that, for $500-700, until the replacement comes to market, at which point the used stuff will drop based on the replacement's price.