A nice K-3 deal has just gone up at Adorama (free 50mm lens and flash + K-3 for $649.00):

Pentax K-3 DSLR Camera Body 15530

While the deal surely won't last, it's nice to finally get a break from the stubborn price tag of $749 at US authorized dealers.

[Adam]

I would make no assumptions with regard to black friday pricing. With a free lens and flash the K-3 is already way cheaper than its closest competitor (D7100), and it's quite possible that things won't get any better than this.

My guess would be that we might see the K-3 body only for $599 or $549 without the freebies, but at the end of the day you're getting the same value, if not slightly worse. I would expect BF discounts to focus on the newer K-3 II or K-S2.

Adam
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[mee]

So you're saying it may be possible to see K-3 II for $649 on BF? If so then sign me up, please.

[Adam]

So you're saying it may be possible to see K-3 II for $649 on BF? If so then sign me up, please.

It probably won't fall that low, but $699-799 wouldn't be surprising given the current pricing in the mid-$800's. Again, it all depends!

[mee]

Oh I was trying to be humorous..

But I think 700 is in the realm of possibility.. unless they decide to keep the price around 850 and just tack on a bunch of addons..

[Jpeachee]

I just tried the link and the deal does pop up but goes away in a couple of seconds. Guess they changed their minds?

[UncleVanya]

I just tried the link and the deal does pop up but goes away in a couple of seconds. Guess they changed their minds?

I've seen that on bag deals when they run out of stock and stop the sale.

---------- Post added 09-23-15 at 04:19 PM ----------

I have also seen it on mobile - my browser is working fine on my chromebook - link appears active and allowed me to add one to my cart (which I removed...).

[sculptor666]

deal is still there, i just pulled the trigger on one... something to hold me over until the ff comes out... hope i did the checkout right to get the forums paid!

[goldenarrow]

Just got it today. The camera box has a new SKU sticker ("K-3 (Black) Body Kit") plastered over the original one. And the 50mm and FG200 flash were packed in separate boxes each. All the typical USA paperwork and accessories are there (except the USB cable which we all knew ahead of time is not included).

Tried my old micro-USB cable and it did not fit but a mini-USB cable does fit that I use to charge my Verizon 4G hotspot, so I will not have to buy another cable other than for convenience. Put in two (different) SanDisk cards, slot 1 is 64GB micro+adapter Extreme, and slot 2 is an old Ultra 16GB. Took only about a dozen shots total with the 50mm DA and a Sigma 70-200. Fits well in my hand, better feel than the K-5II. The plastic on the body feels thinner (vs. K-5II) but the camera still feels solid underneath.

Thanks to PF's shutter count and manufacture date web page, Shutter count of 2 when I took one jpeg (big jpeg, 13+MB!). Someone must have taken it out of the box at the store and took a shot and put it back, although I did not see any smudges on the lcd. Firmware is 1.11. Seems OK so far, will update it later. Manufacture date is 2015:01:15. s/n 6104438. So, somewhat old stock but still a later number in the series compared to the PF serial number database. Were there any known issues in that serial number range?

And what was that first picture? Vanna, still good looking after all these years...(can you guess the final puzzle? He could not.)

[timautin]

So I ordered a 150-450 and a K3 (+ free DA50 + free flash), I'm from France. In their order confirmation email, I saw that I can have to pay taxes (ok, 20%) and maybe import duties?? Does someone know if a camera + lenses + flash can be subject to import duties in France?
I'm considering to cancel my order, because with the 20% tax it is still (a little bit) interesting, but if I also have to pay 10-20% import duties, it won't. At all... :/

[bxf]

So I ordered a 150-450 and a K3 (+ free DA50 + free flash), I'm from France. In their order confirmation email, I saw that I can have to pay taxes (ok, 20%) and maybe import duties?? Does someone know if a camera + lenses + flash can be subject to import duties in France?
I'm considering to cancel my order, because with the 20% tax it is still (a little bit) interesting, but if I also have to pay 10-20% import duties, it won't. At all... :/

You may want to try this: New Import Duty & Taxes Calculation | DutyCalculator I'm not sure if the duty is the same for cameras and lenses, so you may want to check separately. Note that you are able to perform a limited number of calculations for free.

I'd be very curious to know where in the EU you can buy the K-3 at a price that is competitive with the Adorama deal, even after paying the sales tax.

[goldenarrow]

The EU is an unelected, out-of-control bureaucracy (that is where the problem lies). Are used cameras also taxed like that??? Maybe barter is the way to go, if you can find a good used one. The problem is, the State has so much control now, that you might be considered doing something "wrong" if you tried to get around the obscene taxes.

[bxf]

The EU is an unelected, out-of-control bureaucracy (that is where the problem lies). Are used cameras also taxed like that??? Maybe barter is the way to go, if you can find a good used one. The problem is, the State has so much control now, that you might be considered doing something "wrong" if you tried to get around the obscene taxes.

True, but try to bring something into Canada or Australia as a returning traveller. Having lived in all three places, I can tell you these two countries scrutinize the value of your imports with much greater determination than EU customs agents.

[timautin]

Thanks for your advices. After doing some search, I found that (for France) there is no import duties for a body, but there are for a lens (6.7%). Plus the VAT (20%).
So I called Adorama and removed the 150-450 from my order ( :'( ), as indeed, the K3 price is still interesting even with the 20% VAT (and with a bit of luck, I won't pay the tax...).

I'll try to remember to come back here to let you know how did it ended once I receive it!

[jpzk]

I was interested and almost went through the process but then I though of checking some Canadian outfits first:

The Adorama deal at $649.00 USD takes it to $954.86 Cdn (includes shipping and taxes).
The price for the K3 -- body only -- at two Canadian stores is at between $892.00 to $923.00 Cdn, including taxes AND a two years Cdn warranty.
Granted, there is no bundled offer (i.e.: no flash; no lens) but I think it would be wiser to deal directly with a Canadian store, for me anyway.
Blame the large US-Canada currency difference at this time ... awful !

Nonetheless, for US customers, that is still a great deal at Adorama.

JP

[les3547]

A nice K-3 deal has just gone up at Adorama (free 50mm lens and flash + K-3 for $649.00)

Thanks for the heads up. Since I'm sticking with APS-C, I was waiting for the big sell off that will precede the FF release to buy a used K-3, but of course a new one is better, and this deal finally got me to buy (though not sure what I'll do with the flash and 50mm I don't need). I've not bought a new camera since the K-7, which means I have a lot enjoyment to look forward to.