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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 01-10-2013, 05:01 PM  
Where to buy pentax in South Korea?
Posted By crossmr
Replies: 8
Views: 4,966
Missed this thread and didn't know there were so many forums members in Korea. I'll relate my experiences for future searchers as well as this thread returns high in searches for Pentax Korea.

There is not a lot of Pentax in Korea. Korea is solidly a Nikon/Canon country and most retailers simply do not have Pentax anything in their store. If you want something you have to call ahead and they'll arrange to have that product there when you are there..sort of...

Recently I tried to by a Pentax mount Tamron 28-75 F2.8. I sent an e-mail via gmarket to one shop and asked if they'd have it in stock. I received a reply that they would, so I expected to go there the following weekend and look at it. Unfortunately that weekend I slammed by finger in a door and was otherwise occupied. The next weekend I went up there, and asked to see the lens. They didn't have it. The email just said "Come on down" nothing about calling first to make sure it was in stock, or that they were only going to keep it in the store for a couple of days before sending it back to their warehouse etc. I don't live that close to Yong-san takes me over an hour to get to their shop. We argued a little, he kept trying to sell me some 14-45 (give or take) f2.8, but I needed the very specific focal length of the Tamron.

So I started looking around Gmarket again and found another shop also selling it. Contacted them and told them I wanted to come and test the lens. They said sure come on down. I said okay, I'll be at your shop at 10 am. You'll have the lens right? They wrote back and said if you come at 11 it'll be better. So I said okay I'll be there at 11. You'll have that lens at that time right? Yes, come on down.
I got there at 11. No lens. I almost went over the counter at the guy. They turn around and tell me the lens wouldn't be there until 2 pm. Unfortunately I'd be at work at that time. Eventually I bought it from them, but not without more hassle. I needed it the next day, So I said okay you guys can send it quick delivery tonight? sure. Finally they get it, I transferred the money, 7 pm the guy finally calls with a tracking number. Will I get it in the morning? Yes sure,
3pm, still hasn't arrived, the delivery guy says he won't be there till 5:30, I had to shoot a hockey game starting at 5. Had to run to the next neighbourhood over to meet the delivery guy to get the lens. What a gong show. I wouldn't trust those guys as far as I could throw them. The only nice thing was that they gave me a further discount on what is very likely a grey market lens. So I got a lens normally retailing for 660,000 for 300,000 flat.

As for getting Pentax cameras themselves?
Don't bother shopping on Gmarket or anywhere else. The prices are ridiculously high. The K-30 body is going for around 1,100,000 on Gmarket right now. In America it's $624. Even with shipping and customs' fees I saved 300,000 by ordering it from B&H photo. I'd save much more if I was ordering a full kit with lens as those prices are even more inflated. You can use this Korean website to get a US address, and ship to Korea for much cheaper: Malltail It is a re-mailer. They get your package, you log onto the website, pay the shipping fee, and they send it on to Korea. When it gets to customs, you log onto the site and pay the customs fee there. I used it to get my K-30 Body just last week. Great site.

If you want to buy some local stuff, simple stuff, non-pentax specific stuff. Prices aren't bad here. Things like filters and that kind of stuff. I did get a Horusbennu (Korean company) 50mm prime F1.7 for pentax for only 50,000 on gmarket. That was a decent price and good lens. You can sometimes find second hand pentax lens, like older ones online. I got an old retro Vivitar 70-205 F3.8 lens from here: WE Love 35mm for Pentax. They have a big pentax lens section under "film camera" (it's just konglish). They're pretty easy to order from, their shop is in Daegu, but they ship pretty fast.
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