[Des]

That's a great deal.....it's almost worth buying one to see if they really will have them available.

I just did. Thanks for the tipoff @DeKay.

Have been dithering about a 16-85 for some time but the price seemed too high (a bit over $A800 from dcxpert on sale).

Will sell either the K-3ii or my K-S2. (Or both, if I develop a fancy for the K-3iii.) Even if the date slips from 12 April to say end of April, it's still a very good deal.

Mind you, I am half expecting an email saying, "Sorry, it was a mistake ... we've refunded your money." Or a series saying "Estimated delivery now Dec 2021 ... now Apr 2022 ... now Dec 2022 ...".

---

Last edited by Des; 03-02-2021 at 09:25 PM.

[carlb]

I just did. Thanks for the tip @DeKay.

Have been dithering about a 16-85 for some time but the price seemed too high (a bit over $A800 from dcxpert on sale).

Will sell either the K-3ii or my K-S2.

Mind you, I am half expecting an email saying, "Sorry, it was a mistake ... we've refunded your money." Or a series saying "Estimated delivery now Dec 2021 ... now Apr 2022 ... now Dec 2022 ...".

I almost did as well except I sold my K3 because it wasn't as comfortable as my KP or the K-1 (oh.....and I already have enough camera's).

And I think you might be right about getting an email but please keep us updated!!

[Des]

I almost did as well except I sold my K3 because it wasn't as comfortable as my KP or the K-1 (oh.....and I already have enough camera's).And I think you might be right about getting an email but please keep us updated!!

I sold my K-3 because I preferred the KP particularly for its high ISO. I loved the feel of the K-3.

Will keep you posted.

Pentax K-50 with 18-55 WR Lens $499Pentax K-s2 for $599

What are the chances of a shipment of K-50s or K-S2s really being on the way (as distinct from in a box in a backroom of CRK)?

As I read it the K-S2 comes with a DA-L 18-50 WR lens. At $A599, with a genuine warranty, that's not a bad deal - certainly when compared with $1149 for a K-70 body only. I see used K-S2s for sale on Gumtree or the like asking $A650!

[dbs]

Considering that the 16-85 is currently listed at $1038, you gets it at a discount and they throw in a K3II for free!

Hi De

Just had a look at the site.
First time i've seen the K3 11 on the site for months.
The KP and K 70 are now only aus $ 100 apart ..... wt and gone up ofcourse.
The joys of retail in Oz

[DWS1]

It doesn't surprise me. After the the KP had been out 6-9 months, I seem to recall reading in a thread someplace on here that the head guy for Ricoh/Pentax sales in Europe had said in an interview they intended for the KP to replace the K3ii as the APS-C flagship model, but the customers didn't see it that way. I remember a lot of talk on here about about it not being a flagship camera also. Going forward, I expect to only see 3 cameras from Pentax. A consumer APS-C, a flagship APS-C, and a Full frame flagship with updated models replacing current cameras.

[disconnekt]

Ummmm...perhaps if the retro clue was to a Ricoh model like the one above from my shelf. FWIW, I don't get the part about the grip. Those were pretty much unknown before the need for big batteries to support AF and build-in winders.

Steve

Ayyyye, I have the same camera! Well, the Sears version anyway 😆

---------- Post added 03-02-21 at 10:07 PM ----------

Being on the Ricoh Japan website it is not a rumor. I’m guessing the replacement will be around the corner, but not before the K-3Iii has been selling for a few months. Will the price go down? Or will it go up like the K-30 did after it was discontinued? Ricoh did not raise that price but so many resellers did. Anyway I’m happy I just got my second KP.

Unlike the other camera companys (Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.) who leak stuff months ahead of time, with Pentax any question about a release/replacement/price is pretty much a "who knows". With Pentax, any info thats "leaked" is pretty much announced like 2/3 days later because of "how close to the chest" they keep everything

[Sandy Hancock]

I suspect they have lots of built up inventory, and need to re-tool the factory for full production of the K-3 Mark III.

The KP is still a great little camera, which will continue to sell for a while yet....

[leekil]

Maybe when the K-3 III comes out, the K-3 II will get a price bump and be the cheaper model?

[stevebrot]

I seem to recall reading in a thread someplace on here that the head guy for Ricoh/Pentax sales in Europe had said in an interview they intended for the KP to replace the K3ii as the APS-C flagship model, but the customers didn't see it that way.

That claim has been difficult to verify as being legitimate, even at the time. The only problem is that both models were current for a couple of years before the K-3II was EOL. If the KP was intended as a flagship replacement for the K-3II, it failed to fulfill that mission both by specification and market acceptance. My opinion is that it was intended as an upmarket, high-touch model, but the market niche proved unprofitable. That does not mean it sucks (it does not and has a very loyal user base), only that ROI was not encouraging.


Steve

[ffking]

Just anecdotally, for sure, but I've been seeing a lot more love around here for the KP than when it was issued -maybe, as suggested above, there was a mismatch between what it cost to produce and what people were prepared to pay and that's been addressed by price drops, but a lot was to do also with it being not what people wanted as a replacement to the K-3 - it's simply a different type of camera.

Now, it looks to me to fit into the Pentax fold much better than the K-70, which is really just an old-fashioned entry level (though a higher entry point than some) and won't have the distinctive niche the KP does in the line-up.If they can't afford to make it at the price people are prepared to pay, that would, of course be a problem, but I'd rather see a KPii and drop the K-70

[jersey]

IF there will be KP Mk II or K-70 Mk II at all. Pentax may as well do what most (all?) other companies are doing and move away from entry and low level cameras at all and keep only "flagships" both for FF and APS-C. Under Ricoh they are masters of keeping costs as low as possible to get max money from their investments.

[Paul the Sunman]

Something really strange is going on! The Pentax Australia website has the following listed for delivery 12/04/21 (that’s 12th March for our US affiliates)

12/04/21 is 12th of April. It's not March, even in America.

---------- Post added 03-03-21 at 07:50 PM ----------

I suspect they have lots of built up inventory, and need to re-tool the factory for full production of the K-3 Mark III.

The KP is still a great little camera, which will continue to sell for a while yet....

I'm not sure they have many of anything in stock, after a year of severely reduced production. The KP may be gone forever.

[Cerebum]

I suppose, given the shrinking market, the move to mirrorless and Pentax nestling into its niche, it makes sense to trim the line. In some ways it makes sense to keep the k70 (price point), in others it makes sense to keep the KP (something a bit different that is recognisably the little brother of the K3iii). the K70 is probably cheaper to produce, either way I guess the KP had to go at some point. C'est la vie

[Papa_Joe]

On the german website of Ricoh the KP is still listed for sale.
My local dealer is clearly pulling out of pentax stock and sells the KP for EUR 899,- which is EUR 200,- cheaper then the official retail price. I am very tempted to get one. It is a facinating camera. On the other side I never had two working Pentax SLR at the same time, my K-70 is only one year old.

[D1N0]

Yet the K-70 is still alive. The KP was the K-3 II successor after all, but Ricoh retracted the and came with the K-3 III. I think now there should be a camera that falls in between the K-70 and the KP. (Basically a cheaper version of the KP) The K-5 AF of the K70 is now over ten years old...