https://www.keh.com/shop/pentax.html?dir=desc&order=price&ut...69326066468352

There are some pretty good prices on some lenses at KEH.

[Hmong_Xiong]

Pretty decent prices for the DA* 50-135 ~$424.15

[Another dyemention]

Oh. And you have to use the code "pentaxtic" at checkout for the discount.

[manishved]

As usual with KEH, they have jacked up the prices and are now offering discounts

[disasterfilm]

As usual with KEH, they have jacked up the prices and are now offering discounts

I don't think that happened this time. I cruise the site in the mornings looking for new additions, and everything I remember specific prices of has stayed put. But someone walked off with that $619 FA*300 f/4.5 for $526... grrrr beat me to it.

[7.62lew]

Thanks for the heads up! I got a nice lens I have been looking for for a really good price, cheaper than any currently on the marketplace or fleabay

[jab2980]

$312 for an Ex condition 30mm 2.8, $288 for a 85 2.0, and a whopping $101 for a M 28 3.5.... and those are all after the discount. I'd say the 30 and 85 are still about $30 high and the M 28 is about $55 too high.

[digitalandfilm]

The lens Hoods I needed are in the mail..

[DennisH]

Re: that FA*300, I bought and returned a bargain-graded copy of that lens from KEH a few months ago and returned it because it was grinding and displaying odd focus behavior. A similar graded copy showed up for the same price a few weeks later and was purchased. Now this one shows up with the same grade and price. I don't know if it's the same lens or not, but if someone here bought it, make sure you put it through its paces during the return period.

[disasterfilm]

I don't know if it's the same lens or not, but if someone here bought it, make sure you put it through its paces during the return period.

That's really good to know (and sort of a relief for me). Thanks so much for sharing. Hopefully it opens the buyer's eyes up wider than the afterglow of getting FA* quality glass at huge savings.

I know the Bargain KEH condition is supposed to indicate that imperfections won't affect IQ... I wonder if the same suggestion is true for lens function too. Hypothetical question in an otherwise-irrelevant thread.

Thanks again DennisH!

[Wheatridger]

Re: that FA*300, I bought and returned a bargain-graded copy of that lens from KEH a few months ago and returned it because it was grinding and displaying odd focus behavior. A similar graded copy showed up for the same price a few weeks later and was purchased. Now this one shows up with the same grade and price. I don't know if it's the same lens or not, but if someone here bought it, make sure you put it through its paces during the return period.

I think I owned that silver FA* too, briefly. The night the K-1 was announced, I tried to snag all the most desirable used lenses from the usual used sources. I actually had two 300 lenses, the FA* and the DA*. A quick test on my K5IIs showed me that the FA* suffered from much more flare, so I sent that one back. It worked well enough, but the DA* was on a whole other level of goodness.

---------- Post added 09-14-16 at 04:25 PM ----------

Overall, KEH has a pretty paltry assortment of K-mount lenses. Has the Great FF Lens Shortage really begun?

[disasterfilm]

Overall, KEH has a pretty paltry assortment of K-mount lenses. Has the Great FF Lens Shortage really begun?

So whoever bought that FA* should get it STD-tested, if it's been around PF that much? Haha.

This isn't the dregs of the shortage. I browse KEH weekly and sometimes daily looking for can't-miss deals. In January and before, it wasn't unusual if they had 150-200 lenses pop up under all the K-mounts. The worst of the FF drought for KEH was June, where there were sometimes less than 40 lenses available. They were back to 115 yesterday, 90 right now with the 15% off discount.

As predicted, selection and price for APS-C lenses is quite optimal right now for KEH and B&H/Adorama used. What's unpredicted though, is the rare vintage glass that's popped up. I had never seen a Pentax K 15mm before March. Then 2 showed up on B&H. And KEH has at least 1. There's been a handful of K 50 f/1.2's that go pretty quick. So I wasn't expecting the rare/vintage market to be as active as it is. That being said, their A 50 f/1.2 ain't gonna budge soon at the $650 it's listed for.

[Erictator]

I noticed this as well, and a lot of the rare / vintage stuff showing up on fleabay from japan lately. All I can figure is that some collectors have decided they will never get a better price than now, and /or some are trying to finance some of the new DFA pricey lenses by selling off their treasures.
Eric

So whoever bought that FA* should get it STD-tested, if it's been around PF that much? Haha.

This isn't the dregs of the shortage. I browse KEH weekly and sometimes daily looking for can't-miss deals. In January and before, it wasn't unusual if they had 150-200 lenses pop up under all the K-mounts. The worst of the FF drought for KEH was June, where there were sometimes less than 40 lenses available. They were back to 115 yesterday, 90 right now with the 15% off discount.

As predicted, selection and price for APS-C lenses is quite optimal right now for KEH and B&H/Adorama used. What's unpredicted though, is the rare vintage glass that's popped up. I had never seen a Pentax K 15mm before March. Then 2 showed up on B&H. And KEH has at least 1. There's been a handful of K 50 f/1.2's that go pretty quick. So I wasn't expecting the rare/vintage market to be as active as it is. That being said, their A 50 f/1.2 ain't gonna budge soon at the $650 it's listed for.