[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I've noticed that the prices on all Pentax lenses seem to be up by a considerable
amount. Yes, it's most evident among the shorter lenses (FA 50/1.4s are going for more
than B&H's new price on ebay -- $209-- and B&H is sold out.) If you missed the
thread about Pentax digital on the Leica forum, go take a look. The *istD and *istDS
have revived the brand. I guess that's a good thing.
Paul
The M* and A* 300's are still quite pricey.
John Forbes wrote:
Also, the long wait for a Pentax DSLR resulted in some defections to
other brands, which depressed demand for Pentax glass between say
2002 and 2003, while putting quite a lot of used lenses onto the
second-hand market.
That process has presumably slowed or reversed, and digital buyers
have pushed up demand for wide-angles, though not for longer teles.
I recently paid quite a lot for a 20mm, and just missed bidding on a
K 300mm f4 which went for very little.
John
On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 11:22:27 -0700, Joseph Tainter
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
"I have noticed a sudden increase in pentax prices lately. It can't all
be because of the istDs...."
A few months after the release of the D there began to be a run on
Pentax primes. It still continues, and I suspect that DS owners will
soon try to join in after they decide which zoom to buy. Note that
Pentax autofocus primes have virtually disappeared from KEH. Here's
what I think has happened:
1. People who bought the D care about image quality and can afford
Pentax primes. They began to buy FA primes.
2. Pentax, meanwhile, had stopped production of all, or at least
most, FA lenses (but maybe not FAJ lenses).
3. Existing stocks began to run out. Look at Pentax USA's web site
and see how few primes are now listed.
4. Pentax got caught by surprise. It was in the middle of shifting
lens production to Vietnam and was planning the new DA and D FA
lines. Pentax did not anticipate that suddenly the old FA primes
would be in strong demand. Existing stocks have sold out, or nearly
so, and they are no longer being produced.
5. Nguyen is ill again this winter.
6. Ebay prices began to shoot up.
Joe
--
I can understand why mankind hasn't given up war.
During a war you get to drive tanks through the sides of buildings
and shoot foreigners - two things that are usually frowned on during peacetime.
--P.J. O'Rourke
Also, the US dollar is down considerably lately, so international
bidders will tend to push the prices up when things are priced in USD.
