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11-15-2016, 08:35 AM   #1
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Buy Camera links are often dead ends

Many of the Reviews I have been looking at have a link to Buy Now, but those links take me to a B&H or Adorama page that tells me the camera is no longer available. The dead links are a disappointing waste of time, and train users to not click on the site sponsors links because a Google or Amazon search is more likely to return useful results.

11-15-2016, 02:02 PM   #2
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Are these all for discontinued bodies, or for current ones, too?

I'll fix any errors there might be- just let me know where you encountered issues.

We also have a new system which will automatically redirect you to eBay if an item is discontinued, but it isn't in place in older reviews, which just have direct links.
11-16-2016, 09:31 AM   #3
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Adam,

Some of the models I am looking at may be discontinued or perhaps near the end of their life (?) - but it’s hard for me to know for sure.

For example, when I look at your webpage:
Pentax K-mount DSLRs - Pentax Pentax Digital Cameras - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications
… and click on the [Buy Camera] link next to the K-3, it takes me to this page:
Pentax K-3 DSLR Camera Body 15530 B&H Photo Video

So B&H says the K-3 is “discontinued” - however, your web page for the Pentax K-3 shows: “In Production” = “Yes"
Pentax K-3 - Pentax K-mount DSLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

Here is what I see when I click [Buy Camera] for the K-S1:
pentax ks-1 | B&H Photo Video (worthless, I’m sure you will agree)

Some models are known to be discontinued, like the K-5II, K-5IIs, K-30; your [Buy Camera] links for those models all go to dead-end B&H pages.
11-17-2016, 05:22 PM   #4
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Thanks. I've gone ahead and marked the K-3 as discontinued, as stock ran out just last month. The K-S1 looks like it ran out just this week, so I've likewise marked it as discontinued. Amazon still seems to carry it, so I've put in a link to them.

I'm leaving all other direct links intact as long as those pages clearly indicate "discontinued". In the not so distant future, there will ll be a system to streamline all this and show the different options at different retailers.

Ultimately, though, once a camera discontinued is the best avenue for acquisition is either second-hand from a private seller, or through alternative outlets such as ebay or lingering stock at lock stores. It's disappointing to not always be able to pick up the camera you want, but that's life


Adam
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11-18-2016, 03:49 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
Thanks. I've gone ahead and marked the K-3 as discontinued, as stock ran out just last month. The K-S1 looks like it ran out just this week, so I've likewise marked it as discontinued. Amazon still seems to carry it, so I've put in a link to them.

I'm leaving all other direct links intact as long as those pages clearly indicate "discontinued". In the not so distant future, there will ll be a system to streamline all this and show the different options at different retailers.

Ultimately, though, once a camera discontinued is the best avenue for acquisition is either second-hand from a private seller, or through alternative outlets such as ebay or lingering stock at lock stores. It's disappointing to not always be able to pick up the camera you want, but that's life
I said "reviews" in my original post, but the page which has the highest density of dead-end [Buy Camera] links is not the "review" page for each model, but this one:
Pentax K-mount DSLRs - Pentax Pentax Digital Cameras - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications
... which is a summary of all the various Pentax dSLR models. Notice that this page does not indicate which models have been discontinued. Also notice the [Buy Camera] links on this page for such models as the K-30, K-5 II and IIs, K-50, K-500, etc. - none of which will take you anywhere useful.

Except for the dead-end [Buy Camera] links, I like this page because it gives a good overview of the entire Pentax digital SLR line, in chronological order. It's a great reference, and it can act as a sort of "shopping list" for someone who wants to see what options exist among new and used Pentax dSLR bodies.

I would like this list page even better if a bit more info was added for each model. Since each model is linked back to a page with full specifications, there is no need to junk up this summary page with too many details, but some of the more significant specs like sensor megapixels and production dates would help put each model in context with the bigger picture.

As a user of the forum, it would be nice if Pentax Forums provided links to the used camera market for discontinued models, but if you have limited staff, forget about it. Instead of trying to keep a bunch of links to the used market up-to-date, maybe a link to a brief overview - How To Buy A Used Camera - would be more helpful, and it would need to be updated much less often.

Last edited by runswithsizzers; 11-18-2016 at 03:56 PM.
11-18-2016, 04:06 PM   #6
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We're actually working on an overhauled camera and lens database interface. If you click in to any camera, you'll get our latest specs, including whether or not it's discontinued. I'm not sure why, but the discontinuation year isn't showing up, so that's something we'll have to fix.

Until then, you may find the side by side specs comparison useful:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-cameras-compared/

Thanks for all the suggestions!
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