The price of the K-3 III (context/speculation, not inside info)

JPT · 12-25-2020, 10:26 PM - **8 Likes**

This is some context and my thoughts on the price of the K-3 III. Various news reports and comments have referred to a USD price of anything up to 2,900 dollars. I’ve even seen some commenters take this figure and assume that the Euro price will be about 3,000 euros. This way of trying to convert a Japanese price to other markets has not been reliable in the past, and frankly it is just alarming people rather than informing them.

The only clear bit of information we have about the price is the video statement from the Ricoh Imaging president Takahashi-san that the price would probably be “in the upper 200,000s”. This means between 250,000-299,000. What he is talking about here is the official price that would be on the Japan Ricoh Imaging Store before any discounts. Even in Japan, few will pay this price because the street price is typically 10% lower even on Day 1, and will go down from that over time.

What seems fair is to make comparisons between the official price of cameras in Japan. It’s an apples-to-apples comparison of the basic price before discounts. You can then see what these existing camera actually cost in your market.

So starting with other Pentax models, here are the official prices. I regret that I don’t have information about the K-3 or K-3 II. The list I have doesn’t go back that far. It seems that what the K-1 II retails for in your country could be a good indication of what the K-3 III will cost. So that would be USD 1,800 as far as I can see from B&H - way below the scare stories about the K-3 III.

- Pentax K-3 Mark III (expected) - 250,000 to 299,000
- Pentax KP - 138,000 yen
- Pentax K-1 Mark II - 254,000 yen

The next question is whether this kind of price is reasonable for a crop sensor camera. Comparing to other high-end crop bodies, you can see there are plenty of competing models around the same official price. In fact you can argue that Pentax has been the outlier by not having a model in this range.

- Pentax K-3 Mark III (expected) - 250,000 to 299,000
- Nikon D7500 - 159,000 yen
- Nikon D500 - 259,000 yen
- Fujifilm X-T4 - 225,000 yen
- Fujifilm X-Pro3 - 236,000 yen
- Fujifilm X-H1 - 259,000 yen
- Panasonic G9 Pro - 227,000 yen
- Panasonic GH-5 - 259,000 yen (GH-5 S - 324,000 yen)
- Canon 90D - 162,000 yen
- Canon 7D Mark II - 225,000 yen
- Olympus E-M5 Mark III - 165,000 yen
- Olympus E-M1 Mark III - 220,000 yen
- Olympus E-M1 X - 365,000 yen
- Sony a6600 - 176,000 yen

Next up is whether it is reasonable for a high-end crop body to cost the same as a full frame body. I’ve heard comments like “That’s crazy! I could get a K-1 II for that price!”, which might be true. We can see that the low end Canon and Nikon DSLRs are around the same price points as the above crop cameras (BTW, I couldn’t find the price of the Nikon D610, but it was well below the D500). So there is a significant number of customers who are prepared to prioritize features and compact size, even when their budget would stretch to a basic full frame body. What confuses the matter is the fact that Ricoh was very aggressive with the K-1 (and II) pricing. It is so reasonable for the features it has, making it look very good value against anything.

- Pentax K-3 Mark III (expected) - 250,000 to 299,000
- Pentax K-1 Mark II - 254,000 yen
- Nikon D780 - 265,000 yen
- Nikon D850 - 400,000 yen
- Canon 6D Mark II - 243,000 yen
- Canon 5D Mark IV - 467,000 yen

Finally, I think it’s worth coming back to Takahashi-san’s statement. There was nothing forcing him to mention the price at all. So what was his intent? To me the only thing that makes sense is expectation management. If you are doing this, you would give a conservative price range you are confident you can hit the lower end of, not the higher end. Otherwise you are just going disappoint people again. So I expect that the price will be 250,000 yen or a bit under, and the price in most markets will work out to be a bit below the K-1 II.

Anyway, I hope that people will not take the pricing rumours too seriously and wait for the official pricing to be announced before making any rash decisions.

pkboy · 12-25-2020, 10:35 PM

All I can say is that if I were in the market for a new DSLR and the pricing between K-1 ii and K-3 iii were close, it'd be a tough decision for me.

The selling points (buying points?) for me would be FF vs 4K video given the type of things I like doing.

stevebrot · 12-25-2020, 11:06 PM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by JPT

Anyway, I hope that people will not take the pricing rumours too seriously and wait for the official pricing to be announced before making any rash decisions.

Ignore all Vloggers!

Steve

**BROO** · 12-26-2020, 01:39 AM

Originally posted by pkboy

All I can say is that if I were in the market for a new DSLR and the pricing between K-1 ii and K-3 iii were close, it'd be a tough decision for me.

The selling points (buying points?) for me would be FF vs 4K video given the type of things I like doing.

I am pretty sure Ooku indicated the price to be about 1700-2000 Euros a year or so ago.

Ooku
asahi man：
Is a price around 1700 - 2000 $€ OK for an upper APS-C class than K-3 ll line?
Best regards
Read more at: Seven months before the successor of the K3II? - Page 20 - PentaxForums.com

remember this？

Last edited by BROO; 12-26-2020 at 01:58 AM.

zzeitg · 12-26-2020, 01:49 AM

I am ready to pay about 1500 EUR (considering it's an APS-C camera). What we need is a reasonable and solid price, without any "dramatic" discounts, cashbacks etc..

**Michail_P** · 12-26-2020, 02:24 AM

Nice comparison presentation. Your catalog gives a nice image of the value -for -money factor. I agree about the FF /APS-C price comparison but we should have in mind that the K-3iii has some advanced features (autofocus, ISO) that are well beyond previous bodies. So it’s really a marketing strategy to set the price nearly as a FF.

Dan Rentea · 12-26-2020, 02:48 AM

Originally posted by Michail_P

Nice comparison presentation. Your catalog gives a nice image of the value -for -money factor. I agree about the FF /APS-C price comparison but we should have in mind that the K-3iii has some advanced features (autofocus, ISO) that are well beyond previous bodies. So it’s really a marketing strategy to set the price nearly as a FF.

At 250.000+ yen, K-3 Mark III would be in Nikon D780 price teritory (265,000 yen) at launch, because D780 is now cheaper. For a Pentax user with investments in Pentax lenses it probably doesn't matter too much, but it's an aspect to think about if you are not heavily invested in a brand or you just plan to invest in a system. D780 it's not a camera to ignore either if price it's a factor and K-3 Mark III will have the same price as Nikon or it will be even a little more expensive than D780.

totsmuyco · 12-26-2020, 03:48 AM

Despite the fact that it's being made here in the Philippines, it will be quite expensive here for sure. We still have to see what this baby can actually do. I mean will be at same level of the D500 or the D7500? The level of this camera will say if its too expensive or not.

**Rondec** · 12-26-2020, 03:57 AM

I do think it is interesting that prices in Japan are higher than in other places. So, 254,00 yen for a K-1 II corresponds to 2,450 dollars, but the K-1 II sells for 1,800 dollars. As a launching price, 1,800 dollars would be steep, but not crazy. 2,500 for an APS-C camera on launch would be pretty rough.

I'm sure that Pentax knows what they are doing, what prices are needed for the camera to sell in the different countries they deal in.

Kunzite · 12-26-2020, 05:42 AM

Like I said a while ago, we should start by comparing the prices we know. That is, for lenses.
The D FA* 70-200 f/2.8 Silver Edition has a list price of 310,000 yen:
K??????????????????????????HD PENTAX-D FA<sup>?</sup>???Silver Edition?3???????RICOH IMAGING
but that translated into $2099.95 at B&H (instead of $2,995). I see no reason to assume the K-3 Mark III would cost more; a bit less is more likely.
Like Rondec said, the price will be "steep, but not crazy".

As for comparing with other brands, you won't get anything out of it. Is that the Japanese street price, already discounted from day 1? Is it a Nikon Japanese list price, purely theoretical?
The "265,000 yen" D780 is more expensive than the "310,000 yen" D FA* 70-200mm Silver Edition, and than the "290,000 yen" D FA* 85mm Silver Edition.

**Madaboutpix** · 12-26-2020, 02:16 PM

No teeth-gritting here. As long as they keep the body street price on par with that of the K-1 II - which here in Germany hovers around €1,800 - or even a bit lower, I shall get there within a year or two after launch. Okay, unless some other vital bit of technology breaks down in our household.

shyrsio · 12-26-2020, 03:46 PM - **2 Likes**

I sincerely don't understand how people expect the price of this camera to be on par with the it's predecessor. I am aware that it would benefit us as users. Obviously this camera is a big leap for Pentax. it underwent a lot of R&D and a long testing period. Personally I appreciate the fact that Pentax is at last punching up at the big leaders on camera business.

**cartesio** · 12-26-2020, 03:51 PM

If I remember well, Takahashi said they wanted to produce a camera giving the same image quality as a FF one. If they get such a result, I think it is reasonable to choose a comparable price. Being smaller but equally ergonomic or better would be a plus.

bobmaxja · 12-27-2020, 02:44 PM - **1 Like**

Let's say a new K-1 III come soon with the same attribute of the K-3 III, I would expect the price to be in the 330,000-370,000 yen. Peoples who compare price of the old K-1 II are comparing apple and orange.

**jersey** · 12-28-2020, 08:22 AM

Yes, new K-1 Mk III will be a lot, lot more expensive. By the time it comes out there will be really no competition I think, no one is investing into DSLR so it reall will be in Leica position when it comes to offered experience. No one else will give something similar. And I think sonn K-3/3 will be the same, everyone is moving away from DSLR.

Unique things have unique price. Want something no one else is making? Pay for it.

12-25-2020, 10:26 PM - 8 Likes	#1
JPT Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,821	The price of the K-3 III (context/speculation, not inside info) This is some context and my thoughts on the price of the K-3 III. Various news reports and comments have referred to a USD price of anything up to 2,900 dollars. I’ve even seen some commenters take this figure and assume that the Euro price will be about 3,000 euros. This way of trying to convert a Japanese price to other markets has not been reliable in the past, and frankly it is just alarming people rather than informing them. The only clear bit of information we have about the price is the video statement from the Ricoh Imaging president Takahashi-san that the price would probably be “in the upper 200,000s”. This means between 250,000-299,000. What he is talking about here is the official price that would be on the Japan Ricoh Imaging Store before any discounts. Even in Japan, few will pay this price because the street price is typically 10% lower even on Day 1, and will go down from that over time. What seems fair is to make comparisons between the official price of cameras in Japan. It’s an apples-to-apples comparison of the basic price before discounts. You can then see what these existing camera actually cost in your market. So starting with other Pentax models, here are the official prices. I regret that I don’t have information about the K-3 or K-3 II. The list I have doesn’t go back that far. It seems that what the K-1 II retails for in your country could be a good indication of what the K-3 III will cost. So that would be USD 1,800 as far as I can see from B&H - way below the scare stories about the K-3 III. - Pentax K-3 Mark III (expected) - 250,000 to 299,000 - Pentax KP - 138,000 yen - Pentax K-1 Mark II - 254,000 yen The next question is whether this kind of price is reasonable for a crop sensor camera. Comparing to other high-end crop bodies, you can see there are plenty of competing models around the same official price. In fact you can argue that Pentax has been the outlier by not having a model in this range. - Pentax K-3 Mark III (expected) - 250,000 to 299,000 - Nikon D7500 - 159,000 yen - Nikon D500 - 259,000 yen - Fujifilm X-T4 - 225,000 yen - Fujifilm X-Pro3 - 236,000 yen - Fujifilm X-H1 - 259,000 yen - Panasonic G9 Pro - 227,000 yen - Panasonic GH-5 - 259,000 yen (GH-5 S - 324,000 yen) - Canon 90D - 162,000 yen - Canon 7D Mark II - 225,000 yen - Olympus E-M5 Mark III - 165,000 yen - Olympus E-M1 Mark III - 220,000 yen - Olympus E-M1 X - 365,000 yen - Sony a6600 - 176,000 yen Next up is whether it is reasonable for a high-end crop body to cost the same as a full frame body. I’ve heard comments like “That’s crazy! I could get a K-1 II for that price!”, which might be true. We can see that the low end Canon and Nikon DSLRs are around the same price points as the above crop cameras (BTW, I couldn’t find the price of the Nikon D610, but it was well below the D500). So there is a significant number of customers who are prepared to prioritize features and compact size, even when their budget would stretch to a basic full frame body. What confuses the matter is the fact that Ricoh was very aggressive with the K-1 (and II) pricing. It is so reasonable for the features it has, making it look very good value against anything. - Pentax K-3 Mark III (expected) - 250,000 to 299,000 - Pentax K-1 Mark II - 254,000 yen - Nikon D780 - 265,000 yen - Nikon D850 - 400,000 yen - Canon 6D Mark II - 243,000 yen - Canon 5D Mark IV - 467,000 yen Finally, I think it’s worth coming back to Takahashi-san’s statement. There was nothing forcing him to mention the price at all. So what was his intent? To me the only thing that makes sense is expectation management. If you are doing this, you would give a conservative price range you are confident you can hit the lower end of, not the higher end. Otherwise you are just going disappoint people again. So I expect that the price will be 250,000 yen or a bit under, and the price in most markets will work out to be a bit below the K-1 II. Anyway, I hope that people will not take the pricing rumours too seriously and wait for the official pricing to be announced before making any rash decisions.

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12-25-2020, 10:35 PM	#2
pkboy Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Lantau Island Posts: 890	All I can say is that if I were in the market for a new DSLR and the pricing between K-1 ii and K-3 iii were close, it'd be a tough decision for me. The selling points (buying points?) for me would be FF vs 4K video given the type of things I like doing.

12-25-2020, 11:06 PM - 3 Likes	#3
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by JPT Anyway, I hope that people will not take the pricing rumours too seriously and wait for the official pricing to be announced before making any rash decisions. Ignore all Vloggers! Steve

12-26-2020, 01:39 AM	#4
BROO Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2016 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 656	Originally posted by pkboy All I can say is that if I were in the market for a new DSLR and the pricing between K-1 ii and K-3 iii were close, it'd be a tough decision for me. The selling points (buying points?) for me would be FF vs 4K video given the type of things I like doing. I am pretty sure Ooku indicated the price to be about 1700-2000 Euros a year or so ago. Ooku asahi man： Is a price around 1700 - 2000 $€ OK for an upper APS-C class than K-3 ll line? Best regards Read more at: Seven months before the successor of the K3II? - Page 20 - PentaxForums.com remember this？ Last edited by BROO; 12-26-2020 at 01:58 AM.

12-26-2020, 01:49 AM	#5
zzeitg Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: South Bohemia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,017	I am ready to pay about 1500 EUR (considering it's an APS-C camera). What we need is a reasonable and solid price, without any "dramatic" discounts, cashbacks etc..

12-26-2020, 02:24 AM	#6
Michail_P Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Kalymnos Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,006	Nice comparison presentation. Your catalog gives a nice image of the value -for -money factor. I agree about the FF /APS-C price comparison but we should have in mind that the K-3iii has some advanced features (autofocus, ISO) that are well beyond previous bodies. So it’s really a marketing strategy to set the price nearly as a FF.

12-26-2020, 02:48 AM	#7
Dan Rentea Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Bucharest Posts: 1,716	Originally posted by Michail_P Nice comparison presentation. Your catalog gives a nice image of the value -for -money factor. I agree about the FF /APS-C price comparison but we should have in mind that the K-3iii has some advanced features (autofocus, ISO) that are well beyond previous bodies. So it’s really a marketing strategy to set the price nearly as a FF. At 250.000+ yen, K-3 Mark III would be in Nikon D780 price teritory (265,000 yen) at launch, because D780 is now cheaper. For a Pentax user with investments in Pentax lenses it probably doesn't matter too much, but it's an aspect to think about if you are not heavily invested in a brand or you just plan to invest in a system. D780 it's not a camera to ignore either if price it's a factor and K-3 Mark III will have the same price as Nikon or it will be even a little more expensive than D780.

12-26-2020, 03:48 AM	#8
totsmuyco Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Iloilo City Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,276	Despite the fact that it's being made here in the Philippines, it will be quite expensive here for sure. We still have to see what this baby can actually do. I mean will be at same level of the D500 or the D7500? The level of this camera will say if its too expensive or not.

12-26-2020, 03:57 AM	#9
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,663	I do think it is interesting that prices in Japan are higher than in other places. So, 254,00 yen for a K-1 II corresponds to 2,450 dollars, but the K-1 II sells for 1,800 dollars. As a launching price, 1,800 dollars would be steep, but not crazy. 2,500 for an APS-C camera on launch would be pretty rough. I'm sure that Pentax knows what they are doing, what prices are needed for the camera to sell in the different countries they deal in.

12-26-2020, 05:42 AM	#10
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	Like I said a while ago, we should start by comparing the prices we know. That is, for lenses. The D FA* 70-200 f/2.8 Silver Edition has a list price of 310,000 yen: K??????????????????????????HD PENTAX-D FA<sup>?</sup>???Silver Edition?3???????RICOH IMAGING but that translated into $2099.95 at B&H (instead of $2,995). I see no reason to assume the K-3 Mark III would cost more; a bit less is more likely. Like Rondec said, the price will be "steep, but not crazy". As for comparing with other brands, you won't get anything out of it. Is that the Japanese street price, already discounted from day 1? Is it a Nikon Japanese list price, purely theoretical? The "265,000 yen" D780 is more expensive than the "310,000 yen" D FA* 70-200mm Silver Edition, and than the "290,000 yen" D FA* 85mm Silver Edition.

12-26-2020, 02:16 PM	#11
Madaboutpix Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North Rhine-Westphalia Posts: 1,443	No teeth-gritting here. As long as they keep the body street price on par with that of the K-1 II - which here in Germany hovers around €1,800 - or even a bit lower, I shall get there within a year or two after launch. Okay, unless some other vital bit of technology breaks down in our household.

12-26-2020, 03:46 PM - 2 Likes	#12
shyrsio Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Tirana Posts: 780	I sincerely don't understand how people expect the price of this camera to be on par with the it's predecessor. I am aware that it would benefit us as users. Obviously this camera is a big leap for Pentax. it underwent a lot of R&D and a long testing period. Personally I appreciate the fact that Pentax is at last punching up at the big leaders on camera business.

12-26-2020, 03:51 PM	#13
cartesio Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 900	If I remember well, Takahashi said they wanted to produce a camera giving the same image quality as a FF one. If they get such a result, I think it is reasonable to choose a comparable price. Being smaller but equally ergonomic or better would be a plus.

12-27-2020, 02:44 PM - 1 Like	#14
bobmaxja Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Laval, Quebec Canada Posts: 2,171	Let's say a new K-1 III come soon with the same attribute of the K-3 III, I would expect the price to be in the 330,000-370,000 yen. Peoples who compare price of the old K-1 II are comparing apple and orange.

12-28-2020, 08:22 AM	#15
jersey Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: 3City agglomeration Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,058	Yes, new K-1 Mk III will be a lot, lot more expensive. By the time it comes out there will be really no competition I think, no one is investing into DSLR so it reall will be in Leica position when it comes to offered experience. No one else will give something similar. And I think sonn K-3/3 will be the same, everyone is moving away from DSLR. Unique things have unique price. Want something no one else is making? Pay for it.