[loveisageless]

I had a real surprise today when I went to my local camera store. I was looking for a part for my tripod. The sales clerk asked me what I shoot with and I said "Pentax". He broke into a big smile and informed me that they will be stocking the K-1 and they already had the DFA 24-70mm and some other Pentax lenses in stock. I live in the San Francisco bay area (east bay) and we have not had a brick and mortar store carry Pentax since Wolf camera closed and the last Pentax they carried was the K10D. The sales clerk was really enthusiastic about the K-1. He said all of their staff are itching to get their hands on one. They have 3 coming in and only one is spoken for so far. They offered to send me an email when they arrive. If one comes in before B&H ships, I may cancel with B&H and support a local merchant who is willing to give Pentax a chance. It would be worth the sales tax. The manager said Pentax has become a distributor they can work with again. The camera store is Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley, CA.

[jatrax]

The manager said Pentax has become a distributor they can work with again.

Welcome news.

Might have taken the k-1 to get their foot back in the door.

[promacjoe]

You're lucky, There Used to be dozens of brick-and-mortar Camera stores, all over the county. But the last brick-and-mortar store that was in this area closed last year. now I don't know of one within 100 miles of My location. it's big box stores or the Internet only.

Support your local store as much as you can. They are worth having.

[bobmaxja]

IF everybody in the USA continue to buy from B&H, Adorama and Amazon , most B&M store have no reason to stock Pentax. Look just on this site at all the promotion to buy frm B&H. Sorry but everybody can complaint that Pentax is not in store but the key fault is the buyer them self.

[interested_observer]

I have not checked the Pentax website, but as they add stores, it would be nice to list them - as they use to do (search by zip code). That is what distributors do - don't they - support the retailers!!!

[LaurenOE]

I had a real surprise today when I went to my local camera store. I was looking for a part for my tripod. The sales clerk asked me what I shoot with and I said "Pentax". He broke into a big smile and informed me that they will be stocking the K-1 and they already had the DFA 24-70mm and some other Pentax lenses in stock. I live in the San Francisco bay area (east bay) and we have not had a brick and mortar store carry Pentax since Wolf camera closed and the last Pentax they carried was the K10D. The sales clerk was really enthusiastic about the K-1. He said all of their staff are itching to get their hands on one. They have 3 coming in and only one is spoken for so far. They offered to send me an email when they arrive. If one comes in before B&H ships, I may cancel with B&H and support a local merchant who is willing to give Pentax a chance. It would be worth the sales tax. The manager said Pentax has become a distributor they can work with again. The camera store is Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley, CA.

Good store...I have been there a few times.



---------- Post added 04-24-16 at 09:09 PM ----------

IF everybody in the USA continue to buy from B&H, Adorama and Amazon , most B&M store have no reason to stock Pentax. Look just on this site at all the promotion to buy frm B&H. Sorry but everybody can complaint that Pentax is not in store but the key fault is the buyer them self.

If it wasn't for B&H and Adorama in the USA, there would be no Pentax here.
They have been loyal Pentax vendors long after others went away.

B&H especially, would go out of their way to buy accessories that could only be bought in Japan.

Never once when calling or being in the B&H store, was I ever looked down upon for my Pentax choices.

So like the K1 being here because of loyal Pentaxians, the same Pentaxians reward loyalty by continuing to buy from stores that have been here the whole time.

[mike.hiran]

Good store...I have been there a few times.



---------- Post added 04-24-16 at 09:09 PM ----------



If it wasn't for B&H and Adorama in the USA, there would be no Pentax here.
They have been loyal Pentax vendors long after others went away.

B&H especially, would go out of their way to buy accessories that could only be bought in Japan.

Never once when calling or being in the B&H store, was I ever looked down upon for my Pentax choices.

So like the K1 being here because of loyal Pentaxians, the same Pentaxians reward loyalty by continuing to buy from stores that have been here the whole time.

That's a different take on the situation and you're completely right. We had a store in town that stocked a lot of Pentax, but they just couldn't compete with the pricing from B&H and Adorama so they dropped Pentax. Frustrating for everyone involved, I'm sure. I remember when Pentax began to try to enforce MAP, that was a disaster. Personally, I think it was a mistake in implementation - Pentax needed to recognize what street price was at the time and have MAP be somewhat close to that. If they wanted to eventually have MAP protect margins at stocking stores, they'd have to do that by gradually increasing MAP over time....

But I know the K-1 is bringing a lot of attention to Pentax. Hopefully it brings buyers and retailers along...

[Davidparis]

That's a different take on the situation and you're completely right. We had a store in town that stocked a lot of Pentax, but they just couldn't compete with the pricing from B&H and Adorama so they dropped Pentax. Frustrating for everyone involved, I'm sure. I remember when Pentax began to try to enforce MAP, that was a disaster. Personally, I think it was a mistake in implementation - Pentax needed to recognize what street price was at the time and have MAP be somewhat close to that. If they wanted to eventually have MAP protect margins at stocking stores, they'd have to do that by gradually increasing MAP over time....

But I know the K-1 is bringing a lot of attention to Pentax. Hopefully it brings buyers and retailers along...

All that is true...but can you imagine the volume these stores would have to move in order to compete with the on-line sources for Pentax, while the average Joe thinks that Canikon is the only "serious" choice for DSLRs? Pentax is still relegated to the "second-tier" level in most consumer's minds. This doesn't bother me a bit. I personally wouldn't be caught dead with a Canon or a Nikon. I acquired my skill and experience with Pentax and will remain loyal unless some miracle happens or Ricoh closes shop forever. It'll take more than the K-1 and probably a few decades for Pentax to shed its current psychological positioning even if the equipment is top level. The on-line stores have kept Pentax alive and have given it momentum and some sustainable, if modest, market share. On the other hand, handling a Pentax seen on the same shelf as Canikon in a B&M store may indeed cause the average Joe to hesitate and consider the brand before just blindly going for a knee-jerk Canikon purchase. I'll continue to support Pentax whenever and wherever I find them.

[biz-engineer]

Same here, some shops who had stopped distributing Pentax APSC (but still selling 645D/Z) will be distributing Pentax K-1.
But it depends. Some shops in Austria are amazingly "anti-Pentax", selling Nikon and Canon , and basically Pentax is banned, not allowed, whatever the value proposition.

[normhead]

I love being able to drop into the local camera store for a gabfest, but, I don't spend enough to support them. They are basically a Nikon store, they don't carry any Canon DSLR bodies but have some Pentax and Canon and Sony point and shoots. I do have the odd print made by them, but, they are very expensive. It costs me more for an 11x14 from them than it does for a 20x30 on line. We have them do a couple of prints a year, just to be doing our fair share, but it I can't imagine the business I bring them has any effect on their bottom line.

[Apet-Sure]

My hope is that if the K-1 gains inroads into the 'top-notch DSLR' market, photographers will think 'hey, I wonder if their APS-C cameras are this good too'. I will be meeting with my local photo club tonight. So far I'm the only Pentax user. Maybe not for long??

[RobA_Oz]

I imagine the main attraction of the K-1 is a higher margin, associated with a selling price significantly higher than Pentax APS-C cameras, but the margins on some of the even more expensive Canon and Nikon models (not to mention Sony and Fuji) are probably high, too. Given the K-1 competes heavily on buyer value, it'll be interesting to see how sales progress, because regardless of how good the per unit margin looks, the long-term attraction is the product of the two.

[photoramone]

I guess that it's a sort of "catch 22" with the Pentax brand and local camera shops. They don't sell enough of them to be profitable enough to keep them in their shops. Adorama and B&H become the default source for ANYTHING that's "NOT CANIKON". It really lowers the sales numbers for all those items that folks can't hold in their hands before buying. I think Pentax is truly special, just by the nature of the fact that they are staying in the game, despite the fact that their real value is often just "TRUSTED-TO-BE" and often purchased, sight un seen. For example, I have purchased four of the more recent Pentax bodies without ever touching them first... Am I a FOOL for this kind of buying, or a dedicated PENTAXIAN. I don't think one can be both. I'm now anxiously awaiting my own personal K-1.. PENTAXIAN forever, whether I get to manhandle it first or NOT.. RJM

[Barry Pearson]

I had a real surprise today when I went to my local camera store. I was looking for a part for my tripod. The sales clerk asked me what I shoot with and I said "Pentax". He broke into a big smile and informed me that they will be stocking the K-1 and they already had the DFA 24-70mm and some other Pentax lenses in stock. I live in the San Francisco bay area (east bay) and we have not had a brick and mortar store carry Pentax since Wolf camera closed and the last Pentax they carried was the K10D. The sales clerk was really enthusiastic about the K-1. He said all of their staff are itching to get their hands on one. They have 3 coming in and only one is spoken for so far. They offered to send me an email when they arrive. If one comes in before B&H ships, I may cancel with B&H and support a local merchant who is willing to give Pentax a chance. It would be worth the sales tax. The manager said Pentax has become a distributor they can work with again. The camera store is Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley, CA.

In the UK, there is a good bricks-n-mortar store. It is SRS, which I know others here use too. Not only is it a dedicated photography equipment store, but it concentrates most on Pentax, Canon, and Nikon, especially Pentax! It even runs a Pentax rental service.

The problem is that it has just one outlet, which happens to be about 3 and a half hours from me. So, while I would like to drop in, I buy from them online.

(There is another store, Wex Photographic, which also stocks Pentax. That too appears to have just one outlet (?), but also sells online. There are probably other stores too).

In the UK, the problem isn't that Pentax has been completely abandoned by bricks-n-mortar stores. It is that only a few such stores are good Pentax stockists; and those stores also have online services. I hope that more local stores start stocking Pentax. But I wouldn't think general stores would start stocking the K-1; I assume only (near) dedicated photographic stores would.

---------- Post added 25th Apr 2016 at 03:05 PM ----------

For example, I have purchased four of the more recent Pentax bodies without ever touching them first... Am I a FOOL for this kind of buying, or a dedicated PENTAXIAN. I don't think one can be both. I'm now anxiously awaiting my own personal K-1.. PENTAXIAN forever, whether I get to manhandle it first or NOT..

I typically not only buy Pentax cameras and lenses before handing; I typically pre-order, so I'm buying before proper reviews!

One argument is that I trust Pentax cameras and lenses; after all, I've used rather a lot of them in the last 49 years!

Another argument is that Pentax are so slow matching the competition that I need to take risks before it is too late; I'm 69!

[csa]

IF everybody in the USA continue to buy from B&H, Adorama and Amazon , most B&M store have no reason to stock Pentax. Look just on this site at all the promotion to buy frm B&H. Sorry but everybody can complaint that Pentax is not in store but the key fault is the buyer them self.

Many of us do not have any B&M stores to purchase from. The nearest photo store to me is around 100 miles away, the next one is more than double that distance. Would I like to see a local camera store? Of course, but it's not going to happen in this area. The last one closed more than 20 years ago! Thanks, but I'll continue supporting B&H & Adorama.