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01-18-2018, 06:21 PM   #1
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Interesting KEH prices on Nikon D800, Canon 5D3, etc

KEH just yesterday had a bargain D800 for $999. It's gone today, but you can still get a bargain one for $1,079 and a LN- for $1,429. Add to that D800 an EX+ 24/1.8 for $648 and you've got a body and great landscape lens for less than a K-1 usually runs. (Yes, you can buy the K-1 used for a bit less than $1,800, but it will take you a while to find one.)

So that's like getting a 36meg camera with great image quality that also autofocuses, with a top lens, for less than the Pentax body alone.

Continuing in that vein, the D750 is just $1,359 in EX condition. That's like the more-nimble K-1 Mark II that a lot of people fantasize about -- for a lot less money.

KEH is also listing a LN D7500 for $1,169. That's not a whole lot more than the KP, and it has good autofocus AND the same hi-ISO sensor as the D500. Want an even better price? Go to the Nikon refurb site and it's $1,149.

Thinking Canon? You can get a bargain 6D now for $792. That's incredible FF image quality for less than the price of a used K-3II, and speedier AF than the best of Pentax. The 5D3, the 6D's grown-up cousin, is down to $1,542.

Of course, you'd have to jump ship.

Why am I posting this? Not entirely sure, except that people who have well-defined photographic needs should know that Pentax is no longer the bargain solution.


Last edited by bkpix; 01-18-2018 at 06:48 PM.
01-18-2018, 06:31 PM - 1 Like   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by bkpix Quote
Why am I posting this? Not entirely sure, except that people who have well-defined photographic needs should know that Pentax is no longer the bargain solution.
Erm I fear that you will probably get very heated replies to this, so definitely proceed with caution! But I just wanted to point out that you are comparing used/refurb prices of other cameras (some of which are very old) to current Pentax models. Personally, I wouldn't buy a beaten up camera, either, even if it was cheap. Better to get a K-5 IIs in good condition in the $300's if you want a bargain

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01-18-2018, 06:51 PM - 1 Like   #3
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The "Like New" K-3 II + "Like New" Battery Grip + 2 yr Mack Warranty that my family bought me for Christmas cost less than that "bargain 6D".

That 6D's "incredible FF image quality" has a DXO sensor score of 82, similar to (and even less than) some APS-C cameras.

I wonder if any of those D800's made it to either of Nikon's recalls?

Why not compare the D7500 with the K-3 II? They are the more similar rivals. The KP is on its own path.

Pentax makes very good-looking DSLR's.

Edit: I don't mean to imply that the deals the OP found aren't good. I just don't find them persuasive.

Last edited by luftfluss; 01-18-2018 at 07:14 PM.
01-18-2018, 08:12 PM - 2 Likes   #4
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I know someone who has a 6D. The DR is so "incredible" that he brackets everything he shoots.

01-18-2018, 08:50 PM   #5
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The K-1 price is listed at $1,799 currently at B and H (new, body only).
01-18-2018, 09:29 PM   #6
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It is true that the used market can be higher for Pentax due to supply and demand.
01-19-2018, 01:03 AM   #7
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As Adam says, this isn't really a like-for-like comparison. These are used prices for ageing - and in some cases - legacy models. The Pentax cameras you're comparing them to are brand new, current and have only been around for a couple of years or less. When they're replaced in the product line-up, you'll start to see used prices drop accordingly, though as UncleVanya says, supply and demand will dictate by how much.

For the very high image quality and feature set offered by the K-1 and KP, they represent excellent value for money - while the older K-3II, undoubtedly due for replacement, is still a phenomenally good camera. I'd go so far as to say the K-1 and K-3II remain the bargains they've always been, with little to compete from other manufacturers in terms of capability vs cost. The KP's pricing isn't so clear cut for me, though it's by no means unreasonable for what it offers.

But yes - if you're prepared to go with older used equipment (and there's nothing wrong with doing so - it's just a different approach), there are great deals to be had with any brand

01-19-2018, 03:39 AM   #8
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I don't find this particularly interesting. Except maybe to point out that Pentax bodies are keeping their value better these days than they used to. There are fewer K-1s on the used market at this point because it is the first Pentax full frame camera and most of the folks who purchased one actually enjoy shooting with them and won't move on until there is a follow up full frame camera ready for release. If anything, these used prices point out how good the new price is for the K-1.
01-19-2018, 11:43 AM - 1 Like   #9
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I would agree great values can be found in the used market for all brands. I got myself an A7R in “fair” condition for “cheap” because I could not justify paying more than $800 for a camera body, but I really want the resolution the 36 mp sensor provides.
Now I have a FF body for my Pentax lenses, using manual focus only for landscapes and portraiture. It has no IBIS, PS, astrotracer, GPS, but it’ll do for now.

Last edited by LightBug; 01-19-2018 at 03:45 PM.
01-19-2018, 03:25 PM - 2 Likes   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by bkpix Quote
KEH just yesterday had a bargain D800 for $999. It's gone today, but you can still get a bargain one for $1,079 and a LN- for $1,429. Add to that D800 an EX+ 24/1.8 for $648 and you've got a body and great landscape lens for less than a K-1 usually runs. (Yes, you can buy the K-1 used for a bit less than $1,800, but it will take you a while to find one.)

So that's like getting a 36meg camera with great image quality that also autofocuses, with a top lens, for less than the Pentax body alone.

Continuing in that vein, the D750 is just $1,359 in EX condition. That's like the more-nimble K-1 Mark II that a lot of people fantasize about -- for a lot less money.

KEH is also listing a LN D7500 for $1,169. That's not a whole lot more than the KP, and it has good autofocus AND the same hi-ISO sensor as the D500. Want an even better price? Go to the Nikon refurb site and it's $1,149.

Thinking Canon? You can get a bargain 6D now for $792. That's incredible FF image quality for less than the price of a used K-3II, and speedier AF than the best of Pentax. The 5D3, the 6D's grown-up cousin, is down to $1,542.

Of course, you'd have to jump ship.

Why am I posting this? Not entirely sure, except that people who have well-defined photographic needs should know that Pentax is no longer the bargain solution.
I agree with you.

Except I would never touch a Bargain rated camera body as my main (or backup) camera. Bargain rating means it is in pretty rough shape.

D810 in EXcellent condition is still around 1800 dollars. Same price as a brand new K-1. Choice is yours but yes there is a lot of choice out there today.

Oh and you don't have to 'jump ship' -- you can use multiple brands. There is no law against it.
01-19-2018, 03:43 PM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by mee Quote
Oh and you don't have to 'jump ship' -- you can use multiple brands. There is no law against it.
Absolutely!

Actually, if funds allow (which is often possible if buying used / older gear), shooting multiple brands can offer a very nicely fine-tuned experience. There's stuff I really enjoy doing more my with Pentax equipment, and other stuff I enjoy more with my Sony gear. Together, my cameras and lenses make quite a package (for me), even if lens purchases aren't quite so efficient...

Does this make me a bad person?

Last edited by BigMackCam; 01-19-2018 at 05:40 PM.
01-19-2018, 04:14 PM   #12
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I've always bought new, except for my very old Leica Rangefinder. It's worked out, but was in pretty good shape and the price of a new Leica Rangefinder wasn't something I could justify back then....or even now.

I've generally stayed away from relatively expensive deals on used anythings. Too much of a gamble for this old sod (me). I'm remembering some of the really great deals I got on pre owned automobilia ...that I still regret.

Save up, buy the best 'new' you can afford was a dictum I learned early, through 'experience'. To the OP...thanks for the advisory on some deals out there, but I'll pass.

I'm quite happy with my purchased new, K-1, K5 and K10D. I've had the K-5 since 2011, the K10D since 2007. Lots of use with them and they still work wonderfully. My view is that the per year cost of these cameras over the many years I've had them and used them (and continue to use them) , is quite low per year.

I also know ...as the only owner from new...how they've been taken care of, what they've been subjected too, etc...which is important to me. I take care of them very well and they've lasted.

With my K-1 bought new in Feb. 2017...so far...so good.

Taking a chance on something used by someone or someone(s) and paying good money for it is not my kind of gamble. I know, I know.... that's me and others may differ.

Last edited by lesmore49; 01-19-2018 at 04:19 PM.
01-19-2018, 05:10 PM   #13
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A couple things to add to the conversation here. What got me going on this was thinking about adding a high-res (as in 36Mpixel+) body to my arsenal for landscape/portrait work. I could buy a K-1, which I've shot with, but realized it could be quite a bit less expensive to look at Nikon. Jury's still out, so to speak.

I know some people are wary of used gear. My experience over many years of buying from KEH is that they rate condition very conservatively. A "bargain" body or lens typically arrives without a blemish, and I've never had a piece of used equipment bought there fail, though a used KP I bought last fall from B&H is back to them for warranty repair.
01-19-2018, 05:18 PM - 2 Likes   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
Absolutely!

Actually, if funds allow (which is often possible if buying used / older gear), shooting multiple brands can offer a very nicely fine-tuned experience. There's stuff I really enjoy doing more my Pentax equipment, and other stuff I enjoy more with my Sony gear. Together, my cameras and lenses make quite a package (for me), even if lens purchases aren't quite so efficient...

Does this make me a bad person?

Yes indeed. Plus it gives one a better feel for different systems which can be beneficial in discovering which one(s) work for them and in what capacity.

But one thing is for sure.. Nikon lens release buttons are in the wrong location and the lenses twist off the camera in the wrong direction. I've been using Pentax for so long.
01-19-2018, 05:28 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by bkpix Quote
A couple things to add to the conversation here. What got me going on this was thinking about adding a high-res (as in 36Mpixel+) body to my arsenal for landscape/portrait work. I could buy a K-1, which I've shot with, but realized it could be quite a bit less expensive to look at Nikon. Jury's still out, so to speak.

I know some people are wary of used gear. My experience over many years of buying from KEH is that they rate condition very conservatively. A "bargain" body or lens typically arrives without a blemish, and I've never had a piece of used equipment bought there fail, though a used KP I bought last fall from B&H is back to them for warranty repair.
One plus I've mentioned before, in a few other threads, is the K-1 has IBIS so all your lenses have 'optical' stabilization. With Nikon only a very few primes offer it (VR is their term) and a lot of the Nikkor zooms do. Even Sigma doesn't seem to offer IS/VR/OS(Sigma term is OS) on a lot of their primes but does on their zooms. If you're shooting landscapes on a tripod it is no biggy since it should be disabled in that application anyways. But something to consider from someone who is currently one foot in Nikon and another in Pentax.
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