New Pentax Cameras Make Us All Richer!

**ffking** · 03-04-2019, 01:09 AM

Just in the interests of a scientific approach, there was a mention of Canon earlier, but i'd it just Pentax or all DSLRs and their lenses at the moment? I would expect there to be something of a glut of used DSLRs & lenses all all makes around at the moment as people jump on mirrorless - or wait for mirrorless...?

RonHendriks1966 · 03-04-2019, 02:43 AM - **1 Like**

Just wait until Marie Kondo starts clearing all those unused camera's closets around the world. There are millions of unused Canikony camera's waiting for a trip to ebay.

Jonathan Mac · 03-04-2019, 04:40 AM

Used gear does fluctuate in value over periods of months. If used prices come down then that's better for most Pentax users. I had expected the opposite when the FF came out but apparently not.

DeadJohn · 03-04-2019, 08:00 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by biz-engineer

For that you have to thank the folks who created as much FUD as possible on PF and DPR forum, when Ricoh does not promote stong, all those troll do a good job at marking Pentax less attractive.

I put primary blame on Ricoh. The are feeding uncertainty and doubt due to long gaps between products.

For example, the top of their APS-C line (K-3 series) has been discontinued for a long time yet no firm commitment on a replacement. Discontinuing a product with no replacement for months or years leads people to think that the replacement is never coming.

Another example, wide angle primes. Full frame excels at wide angle. Pentax has the 31mm Limited, nothing wider even though the K-1 came out nearly 3 years ago. Something's on the roadmap, but lack of reliable information and Ricoh's recent history (roadmapped products come out at the high end of estimates or later) means there's lots of uncertainty.

blind-bat · 03-04-2019, 10:03 AM

Quite frankly my opinion is that lots of the stuff going up on the marketplace is either not priced correctly or it is generally older stuff that only interest certain type of photographers. The stuff that is sought after is not on the marketplace for long as long as it is price below that of the big auction site.

Take-5-JB · 03-04-2019, 11:34 AM - **2 Likes**

I hate that Sigma and Tamron have abandoned Pentax as a mount for newer glass. Pentax mount glass costs more on comparable existing pieces. And everyone wants to abandon classic mounts when they go to mirrorless. At least Pentax is backwards compatible.

The purchasing slump you see is probably due to economics. My wife and I are paying $748/mon more for health insurance, with near identical coverage, than we were in 2017. I had cancer and she has asthma. We have two aging dogs one of which has diabetes. Property taxes are rising and infrastructure failing. The people making $50 - $200K/year are getting squeezed here in the US. So, fewer people indulge and splurge in their hobbies or small businesses.

JB

**mikesbike** · 03-04-2019, 12:12 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Wasp

For me, the elephant in the corner of the room is the Canon EOS 200D. Here in South Africa I can get a dual lens EOS 200D kit for half the price of a new KP. I haven't crossed shopped them but the value proposition is on Canon's side. Just saying...

There isn't a lot of Pentax gear on the local market. To make it worse, sellers in the local classifieds have an inflated sense of the value of their gear. There is a K5 II (body only) on offer for about the same price as a brand new EOS 200D. Don't even get me started on the EOS 2000D and 4000D. All plastic, yes, but when you compare the price to used Pentax gear there is lot of thinking to be done.

I disagree. The pricing for Pentax gear is among the best values to be found. There is absolutely no comparing the Canon EOS 200D AKA EOS Rebel SL2 with even the Pentax entry-level K-70, which is priced in a similar range here in the US. The K-70 offers WR construction, thumb and finger 2-dial operation, a professional-level expensive pentaprism VF with 100% frame coverage, 14 bit RAW capability, pixel shift technology, and much much more, let alone comparing it to a Pentax body of pro-grade magnesium alloy construction and controls set like the K-5 II or certainly the very advanced-featured KP.

To get a 2-dial design and WR construction in a Canon DSLR, the price starts in the $1,000 USD range for the body alone, and likewise another $1,000 for a lens having WR construction.

Coming out with a new DSLR model every year does not guarantee an enhanced interest in the general population, or an upswing in the market for used lenses.

We have come to an era of diminishing returns in new models, so there is and should be a longer time gap in their appearance to bring any meaningful advancement at all.

On-line shopping, including such as Amazon, has greatly reduced the presence of local camera shops. I used to buy Pentax cameras and lenses right here in camera shops that no longer exist. The department-store type appliance establishments still remaining primarily handle only the fastest-moving biggest brand names and then their lower class of products.

Fenwoodian · 03-04-2019, 02:53 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by mikesbike

We have come to an era of diminishing returns in new models, so there is and should be a longer time gap in their appearance to bring any meaningful advancement at all.
.

Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras.

**mikesbike** · 03-04-2019, 04:35 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Fenwoodian

Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras.

I have checked out those systems and am underwhelmed. Not that they don't have some strong points. We had a discussion in other threads comparing, which was posted by someone considering them. I also have a friend who shoots with a very recent Oly model and lens, an f/2.8 all-around lens which is remarkably small, but with some downsides compared with APS-C DSLRs. I have done some shooting with his gear. Also looked at the Fuji APS-C system. I invariably have found I like my KP's controls and feature set better.

ZombieArmy · 03-04-2019, 09:38 PM

Originally posted by Fenwoodian

Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras.

So incredible you didn't name a single one.

**Merv-O** · 03-04-2019, 09:53 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Fenwoodian

Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras.

I tried the Nikon 850...it's a large heavy unit--pics were not an improvement over my K-1 and in fact, felt less substantial--more plasticky and costs $1,000 more....Olympus are good, but they're also 4/3rds sensors...state of the art but small sensors nonetheless with less resolution power.

Lumix (Panasonic partnered with Leica) has a new mirrorless T/L Leica mount camera, but the body alone costs 600 more than the K-1 ii and, it only sports 24mp.

So Fenwood--I have seen, I have touched and I have shot others--for the money, for my style of work and for the inherent quality of lenses and legacy compatible glass, Pentax wins .

What else you got? Reading stats alone is very misleading. In the late 1960's American muscle cars had Hemis and 500 hp engines, yet sports cars of that era (Porsche, BMW's etc), with much less on paper, were the more balanced vehicles....think about it and then tell me your going to leave Pentax because of these offerings. In my opinion, Pentax wins the Feng Shui harmony battle with any other marque except Leica.

Dericali · 03-05-2019, 02:27 AM

Originally posted by Fenwoodian

.
Some of my livelihood is from buying/repairing/selling camera lenses. For each of the last 7 years I've bought and sold 5 figures worth of camera lenses.

Lately, I've found it difficult to sell K mount lenses (and most other Pentax gear too) either on Ebay or here in the Pentax Forums marketplace.

If you follow the marketplace here, I'm sure that you've noticed many ads that read "REDUCED" OR "REDUCED AGAIN". That's because Pentax gear is just not selling (unless a seller is willing to take an unsolicited low ball offer). For example, of the last 10 items I listed here I withdrew 8 of them because they would not sell.

A few years ago, after the release of the Pentax K3ii and then the Pentax K-1, Pentax gear that I was selling almost always sold (and for a fair price). But now that other camera brands are coming out with ever new cameras (and Pentax is not) Pentax gear is not selling as well and when it does sell, it's selling price is very low (e.g. K-1 sold for $800, 31 ltd lens in $400s, no offers at all on Zeiss ZK lenses).

I couldn't switch systems now without taking a huge financial loss. These days I'd take a huge hit on selling my used Pentax gear (if I could even sell it at all).

So, let's all cheer for Pentax to release some new revolutionary "super" camera bodies (e.g. K3ii and K1 - don't put K70/KP/K1ii in the "revolutionary" category) in the near future. When/if that happens, our Pentax lenses/batteries/misc-accessories will go up in value which will enable those of us with lots of Pentax gear more "options" (sell current Pentax gear and upgrade; sell current Pentax gear and switch brands).

Like it or not, until Pentax releases their next generation of cameras, many of us will be stuck with the gear we have right now (because we can't/won't invest more into lour photography hobby). Maybe that's OK with some of you, but I prefer to have options...

.

Maybe Pentax buyers mainly want the new lenses that have been released. e.g. DFA on FF. Have you tried selling many of these? I don't see a lot sitting on the market place.
Definitely it's a shrinking pond, but there are new lens out there that are great quality, so I'd guess that will impact the attractiveness of lenses that were attractive to buyers say 5 years ago.

officiousbystander · 03-05-2019, 03:58 AM

I've just bought a brand new KP. For some reason it was priced below a new K70. And for a little bit more I also sprung for the battery grip. Why would anyone pay retail when prices are all over the place? You just need to be patient.
This is my first new Pentax since my K5. No doubt there'll be some obvious IQ benefits especially in low light.
What surprises me is how there's constant raves about the Sony A6xxx and the Fujifilm while the KP et al languish. Ironically they're probably too cheap. Pentax should have kept everything the same and targeted the top end of the market. This is how marketing works isn't it?
The best Pentax can do is feature on the Mattias Burling underrated camera series.

You Tube

It's a double edged sword. It's like being in the 'Where are they now' file.

You Tube

**Merv-O** · 03-05-2019, 03:59 AM

Originally posted by jumbleview

I have some excess of Pentax lens which I would happy to sell, but indeed it has a small economical sense now. But the main problem for me lays in the fact I cannot buy a new APS-C camera. What I want is the camera with the quality of KP and its articulated screen + integrated GPS of Pentax K3II. Pentax for sure can produce it, but for some (probably economical) reason does not want. Especially frustrating is the fact there is no expected future APS-C announced. KP customization is just ridiculous. Let us wait what all this 100 years celebration brings in the next ten months. If nothing, there will be not much sense to wait any longer.

Buy a discount KP (700-800) and purchase the GPS-1 unit for about $160.00. Voila, better sensor, better screen, better IQ & GPS for less than a new K-3ii five years ago...Use KP for 100,000 shots get new APS-c Pentax thereafter (in2021), etc.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat !!!!

**jumbleview** · 03-05-2019, 07:06 AM

Originally posted by Merv-O

Buy a discount KP (700-800) and purchase the GPS-1 unit for about $160.00. Voila, better sensor, better screen, better IQ & GPS for less than a new K-3ii five years ago...Use KP for 100,000 shots get new APS-c Pentax thereafter (in2021), etc.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat !!!!

Nope. I owned GPS-1 unit. For Astro-tracer it should be OK, but my goal is to have geo-tagging and for that purpose, GPS-1 is not that good. It occupies hot shoe. Each time you need a flash you have to detach it. It needs a battery and you never know when it depleted. Camera you can leave turned on all time: it will switch itself, but not that unit. And it quite a big and cumbersome.

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03-04-2019, 01:09 AM	#31
ffking Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Old South Wales Posts: 6,038	Just in the interests of a scientific approach, there was a mention of Canon earlier, but i'd it just Pentax or all DSLRs and their lenses at the moment? I would expect there to be something of a glut of used DSLRs & lenses all all makes around at the moment as people jump on mirrorless - or wait for mirrorless...?

03-04-2019, 02:43 AM - 1 Like	#32
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Just wait until Marie Kondo starts clearing all those unused camera's closets around the world. There are millions of unused Canikony camera's waiting for a trip to ebay.

03-04-2019, 04:40 AM	#33
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,894	Used gear does fluctuate in value over periods of months. If used prices come down then that's better for most Pentax users. I had expected the opposite when the FF came out but apparently not.

03-04-2019, 08:00 AM - 1 Like	#34
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,833	Originally posted by biz-engineer For that you have to thank the folks who created as much FUD as possible on PF and DPR forum, when Ricoh does not promote stong, all those troll do a good job at marking Pentax less attractive. I put primary blame on Ricoh. The are feeding uncertainty and doubt due to long gaps between products. For example, the top of their APS-C line (K-3 series) has been discontinued for a long time yet no firm commitment on a replacement. Discontinuing a product with no replacement for months or years leads people to think that the replacement is never coming. Another example, wide angle primes. Full frame excels at wide angle. Pentax has the 31mm Limited, nothing wider even though the K-1 came out nearly 3 years ago. Something's on the roadmap, but lack of reliable information and Ricoh's recent history (roadmapped products come out at the high end of estimates or later) means there's lots of uncertainty.

03-04-2019, 10:03 AM	#35
blind-bat Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NYC Posts: 256	Quite frankly my opinion is that lots of the stuff going up on the marketplace is either not priced correctly or it is generally older stuff that only interest certain type of photographers. The stuff that is sought after is not on the marketplace for long as long as it is price below that of the big auction site.

03-04-2019, 11:34 AM - 2 Likes	#36
Take-5-JB Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: South Carolina Posts: 236	I hate that Sigma and Tamron have abandoned Pentax as a mount for newer glass. Pentax mount glass costs more on comparable existing pieces. And everyone wants to abandon classic mounts when they go to mirrorless. At least Pentax is backwards compatible. The purchasing slump you see is probably due to economics. My wife and I are paying $748/mon more for health insurance, with near identical coverage, than we were in 2017. I had cancer and she has asthma. We have two aging dogs one of which has diabetes. Property taxes are rising and infrastructure failing. The people making $50 - $200K/year are getting squeezed here in the US. So, fewer people indulge and splurge in their hobbies or small businesses. JB

03-04-2019, 12:12 PM - 2 Likes	#37
mikesbike Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Southeastern Michigan Posts: 4,549	Originally posted by Wasp For me, the elephant in the corner of the room is the Canon EOS 200D. Here in South Africa I can get a dual lens EOS 200D kit for half the price of a new KP. I haven't crossed shopped them but the value proposition is on Canon's side. Just saying... There isn't a lot of Pentax gear on the local market. To make it worse, sellers in the local classifieds have an inflated sense of the value of their gear. There is a K5 II (body only) on offer for about the same price as a brand new EOS 200D. Don't even get me started on the EOS 2000D and 4000D. All plastic, yes, but when you compare the price to used Pentax gear there is lot of thinking to be done. I disagree. The pricing for Pentax gear is among the best values to be found. There is absolutely no comparing the Canon EOS 200D AKA EOS Rebel SL2 with even the Pentax entry-level K-70, which is priced in a similar range here in the US. The K-70 offers WR construction, thumb and finger 2-dial operation, a professional-level expensive pentaprism VF with 100% frame coverage, 14 bit RAW capability, pixel shift technology, and much much more, let alone comparing it to a Pentax body of pro-grade magnesium alloy construction and controls set like the K-5 II or certainly the very advanced-featured KP. To get a 2-dial design and WR construction in a Canon DSLR, the price starts in the $1,000 USD range for the body alone, and likewise another $1,000 for a lens having WR construction. Coming out with a new DSLR model every year does not guarantee an enhanced interest in the general population, or an upswing in the market for used lenses. We have come to an era of diminishing returns in new models, so there is and should be a longer time gap in their appearance to bring any meaningful advancement at all. On-line shopping, including such as Amazon, has greatly reduced the presence of local camera shops. I used to buy Pentax cameras and lenses right here in camera shops that no longer exist. The department-store type appliance establishments still remaining primarily handle only the fastest-moving biggest brand names and then their lower class of products.

03-04-2019, 02:53 PM - 1 Like	#38
Fenwoodian Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,874 Original Poster	Originally posted by mikesbike We have come to an era of diminishing returns in new models, so there is and should be a longer time gap in their appearance to bring any meaningful advancement at all. . Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras.

03-04-2019, 04:35 PM - 1 Like	#39
mikesbike Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Southeastern Michigan Posts: 4,549	Originally posted by Fenwoodian Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras. I have checked out those systems and am underwhelmed. Not that they don't have some strong points. We had a discussion in other threads comparing, which was posted by someone considering them. I also have a friend who shoots with a very recent Oly model and lens, an f/2.8 all-around lens which is remarkably small, but with some downsides compared with APS-C DSLRs. I have done some shooting with his gear. Also looked at the Fuji APS-C system. I invariably have found I like my KP's controls and feature set better.

03-04-2019, 09:38 PM	#40
ZombieArmy Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 3,210	Originally posted by Fenwoodian Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras. So incredible you didn't name a single one.

03-04-2019, 09:53 PM - 1 Like	#41
Merv-O Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Philadelphia Photos: Albums Posts: 2,098	Originally posted by Fenwoodian Are you serious? You obviously are not aware of the incredible new features that Pentax's competitors have come out with lately! Check out the latest bodies from Oly, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony - you'll be amazed. Better yet, try out these cameras. I tried the Nikon 850...it's a large heavy unit--pics were not an improvement over my K-1 and in fact, felt less substantial--more plasticky and costs $1,000 more....Olympus are good, but they're also 4/3rds sensors...state of the art but small sensors nonetheless with less resolution power. Lumix (Panasonic partnered with Leica) has a new mirrorless T/L Leica mount camera, but the body alone costs 600 more than the K-1 ii and, it only sports 24mp. So Fenwood--I have seen, I have touched and I have shot others--for the money, for my style of work and for the inherent quality of lenses and legacy compatible glass, Pentax wins . What else you got? Reading stats alone is very misleading. In the late 1960's American muscle cars had Hemis and 500 hp engines, yet sports cars of that era (Porsche, BMW's etc), with much less on paper, were the more balanced vehicles....think about it and then tell me your going to leave Pentax because of these offerings. In my opinion, Pentax wins the Feng Shui harmony battle with any other marque except Leica.

03-05-2019, 02:27 AM	#42
Dericali Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Berlin Posts: 298	Originally posted by Fenwoodian . Some of my livelihood is from buying/repairing/selling camera lenses. For each of the last 7 years I've bought and sold 5 figures worth of camera lenses. Lately, I've found it difficult to sell K mount lenses (and most other Pentax gear too) either on Ebay or here in the Pentax Forums marketplace. If you follow the marketplace here, I'm sure that you've noticed many ads that read "REDUCED" OR "REDUCED AGAIN". That's because Pentax gear is just not selling (unless a seller is willing to take an unsolicited low ball offer). For example, of the last 10 items I listed here I withdrew 8 of them because they would not sell. A few years ago, after the release of the Pentax K3ii and then the Pentax K-1, Pentax gear that I was selling almost always sold (and for a fair price). But now that other camera brands are coming out with ever new cameras (and Pentax is not) Pentax gear is not selling as well and when it does sell, it's selling price is very low (e.g. K-1 sold for $800, 31 ltd lens in $400s, no offers at all on Zeiss ZK lenses). I couldn't switch systems now without taking a huge financial loss. These days I'd take a huge hit on selling my used Pentax gear (if I could even sell it at all). So, let's all cheer for Pentax to release some new revolutionary "super" camera bodies (e.g. K3ii and K1 - don't put K70/KP/K1ii in the "revolutionary" category) in the near future. When/if that happens, our Pentax lenses/batteries/misc-accessories will go up in value which will enable those of us with lots of Pentax gear more "options" (sell current Pentax gear and upgrade; sell current Pentax gear and switch brands). Like it or not, until Pentax releases their next generation of cameras, many of us will be stuck with the gear we have right now (because we can't/won't invest more into lour photography hobby). Maybe that's OK with some of you, but I prefer to have options... . Maybe Pentax buyers mainly want the new lenses that have been released. e.g. DFA on FF. Have you tried selling many of these? I don't see a lot sitting on the market place. Definitely it's a shrinking pond, but there are new lens out there that are great quality, so I'd guess that will impact the attractiveness of lenses that were attractive to buyers say 5 years ago.

03-05-2019, 03:59 AM	#44
Merv-O Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Philadelphia Photos: Albums Posts: 2,098	Originally posted by jumbleview I have some excess of Pentax lens which I would happy to sell, but indeed it has a small economical sense now. But the main problem for me lays in the fact I cannot buy a new APS-C camera. What I want is the camera with the quality of KP and its articulated screen + integrated GPS of Pentax K3II. Pentax for sure can produce it, but for some (probably economical) reason does not want. Especially frustrating is the fact there is no expected future APS-C announced. KP customization is just ridiculous. Let us wait what all this 100 years celebration brings in the next ten months. If nothing, there will be not much sense to wait any longer. Buy a discount KP (700-800) and purchase the GPS-1 unit for about $160.00. Voila, better sensor, better screen, better IQ & GPS for less than a new K-3ii five years ago...Use KP for 100,000 shots get new APS-c Pentax thereafter (in2021), etc. Wash, Rinse, Repeat !!!!

03-05-2019, 07:06 AM	#45
jumbleview Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Concord, CA Posts: 1,068	Originally posted by Merv-O Buy a discount KP (700-800) and purchase the GPS-1 unit for about $160.00. Voila, better sensor, better screen, better IQ & GPS for less than a new K-3ii five years ago...Use KP for 100,000 shots get new APS-c Pentax thereafter (in2021), etc. Wash, Rinse, Repeat !!!! Nope. I owned GPS-1 unit. For Astro-tracer it should be OK, but my goal is to have geo-tagging and for that purpose, GPS-1 is not that good. It occupies hot shoe. Each time you need a flash you have to detach it. It needs a battery and you never know when it depleted. Camera you can leave turned on all time: it will switch itself, but not that unit. And it quite a big and cumbersome.