The Pentax K-3 III is available in US???

[manual_focus]

The Pentax K-3 III is available and part of Ricoh Imaging Americas plans for 2025, according to company president Ken Curry.

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/articl...maging-americas-2025-plans.html#ixzz8xnkPhWAA

What does this mean?

Personally, this is a very weak comment that says almost nothing. Is this simply Pentax trying to freeze the market so they can sell the last of their stock or does Ricoh/Pentax have a real inter-company information problem?

Yes, if you want to buy a new Pentax K3iii in the US you still can for $1,700 but only if it is a black body. Here is what I found.

B&H Photo is the only camera store that that I found that has it listed as "In-stock". Amazon (sells directly from Pentax/Ricoh) says they have 18 left and "more on the way". Adorama says Temporarily On Backorder Expected Availability: 03/2025. Sam's, Newegg, etc state they have no bodies in their stores but you can order one "on-line".

For the US market there does appear to be say 20-30 new bodies that "are available" with a possibility of more to come in March/April of this year. Nothing from anyone in Pentax as to what the future will be.

Decisions, decisions

PS

On ebay, there are two Japanese stores with New bodies for around $1,400 but only in Chrome and for one store it is their last one.

 

[henricoo]

Pentax gear now is only bought by long time Pentax users already having lots of gear. This population is aging and shrinking. Also, DSLR-technology has plateaued the last five years and the K3-iii is the most modern flagship DSLR available now. So it could easily stay in production for many more years from that point of view. I think it is very unlikely there will be a new APS-C flagship like a K3-iv or so, the iii is not outdated at all. There is market potential for a K1-iii, adding the K3-iii steroids in it. If we don't hear anything this year about a K1-successor I think Pentax is fading out in the business.

 

[seventhdr]

If you read through the full thread on PentaxForums on this topis, you will find that PentaxForums eached out to Ricoh Imaging USA who replied that the K-3 III is still available and that they plan to have it in their lineup throughout 2025.

So I don't think that this is a case of "Pentax is Doomed!" just yet.

Regards

Chris Stone

 

[James O'Neill]

The Pentax K-3 III is available and part of Ricoh Imaging Americas plans for 2025, according to company president Ken Curry.

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/articl...maging-americas-2025-plans.html#ixzz8xnkPhWAA

What does this mean?

Personally, this is a very weak comment that says almost nothing. Is this simply Pentax trying to freeze the market so they can sell the last of their stock or does Ricoh/Pentax have a real inter-company information problem?

Having worked for a multi-national, the national top person doesn't make those kind of statements without being pretty sure of their facts, and doesn't say things that come into conflict with head office if they want to stay in their job.

SO. Either Ricoh HQ have kept the US in the dark and K-Mount is going the way of 645
OR It's a statement, that there's a supply hiccup, I don't have he the details but expect one of my products will be some form of K3-iii - perhaps as k3-iiiS but not a k3-iv , because he won't say k3-iii when the product is becoming a iv, an he won't pre-announce that.

 

[KiloHotelphoto]

I think the US still has old inventory in stock and once they are gone it will be listed as discontinued.

The US rep for Ricoh knows what's left in stock and what their average sales per month are so they may have a full year of inventory around that's why they say it's part of their 2025 lineup.

 

[egk4260]

The Pentax K-3 III is available and part of Ricoh Imaging Americas plans for 2025, according to company president Ken Curry.

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/articl...maging-americas-2025-plans.html#ixzz8xnkPhWAA

What does this mean?

Personally, this is a very weak comment that says almost nothing. Is this simply Pentax trying to freeze the market so they can sell the last of their stock or does Ricoh/Pentax have a real inter-company information problem?

Having worked for a multi-national, the national top person doesn't make those kind of statements without being pretty sure of their facts, and doesn't say things that come into conflict with head office if they want to stay in their job.

SO. Either Ricoh HQ have kept the US in the dark and K-Mount is going the way of 645
OR It's a statement, that there's a supply hiccup, I don't have he the details but expect one of my products will be some form of K3-iii - perhaps as k3-iiiS but not a k3-iv , because he won't say k3-iii when the product is becoming a iv, an he won't pre-announce that.

The same statement from Ricoh Imaging Americas was quoted in Petapixel. “Still available” is not the most reassuring choice of words. In any event, the DSLR market in Japan is essentially extinct and what remains is essentially Canon. Monochrome version apparently in a somewhat better position. The camera is built in the Philippines. Ricoh may simply be redistributing shipments that would have been directed to Japan where they don’t sell to the EU and the Americas where there may be backorder situations, where 80-90% of DSLR are now sold, and where DSLR still has an ILC market share of almost 25%.

 

[manual_focus]

If you read through the full thread on PentaxForums on this topis, you will find that PentaxForums eached out to Ricoh Imaging USA who replied that the K-3 III is still available and that they plan to have it in their lineup throughout 2025.

Here is the actual quote

"We cannot provide comment on the business in Japan, but we can confirm that the PENTAX K-3 III is still available in the U.S. and is part of our plans for 2025,” said Curry.

My read is Cury said "There are K3iiis in stock.", and he has most of them. Further, he hopes to sell them this year but nothing beyond that.

 

[Mistral75]

(...) The camera is built in the Philippines. (...)

Vietnam nowadays. The Cebu factory closed a few years ago.

 

[The Squirrel Mafia]

Well! My gear plans for this year are probably still going to stand. I should be able to buy the K-3III color & D-BG8 battery grip by the end of this year. I'm really hoping that Ricoh gets busy during the next 5 years. I want updated DA* lenses. :-D

 

[Mistral75]

What the president of Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp said only means that they have some stock of K-3 Mark III cameras and expect to sell K-3 Mark III cameras in 2025. Nothing more.

Which is kind of stating the obvious:

1. "The PENTAX K-3 III is still available in the U.S": indeed, it is. Note the qualification: "still".
2. "[It] is part of our plans for 2025": hopefully it is and they're not planning to keep the available units in warehouses and stores.

If the opposite of a statement is (1) false or (2) absurd, then the statement has no weight.

 

[James O'Neill]

The Pentax K-3 III is available and part of Ricoh Imaging Americas plans for 2025, according to company president Ken Curry.

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/articl...maging-americas-2025-plans.html#ixzz8xnkPhWAA

What does this mean?

Personally, this is a very weak comment that says almost nothing. Is this simply Pentax trying to freeze the market so they can sell the last of their stock or does Ricoh/Pentax have a real inter-company information problem?

Having worked for a multi-national, the national top person doesn't make those kind of statements without being pretty sure of their facts, and doesn't say things that come into conflict with head office if they want to stay in their job.

SO. Either Ricoh HQ have kept the US in the dark and K-Mount is going the way of 645
OR It's a statement, that there's a supply hiccup, I don't have he the details but expect one of my products will be some form of K3-iii - perhaps as k3-iiiS but not a k3-iv , because he won't say k3-iii when the product is becoming a iv, an he won't pre-announce that.

The same statement from Ricoh Imaging Americas was quoted in Petapixel. “Still available” is not the most reassuring choice of words.

"Hi I'm the president for this territory and my business plan for 2025 includes selling the K3-iii" is clear cut. Either that's what they are going to sell, or they will be getting a new president.

In any event, the DSLR market in Japan is essentially extinct and what remains is essentially Canon. Monochrome version apparently in a somewhat better position. The camera is built in the Philippines. Ricoh may simply be redistributing shipments that would have been directed to Japan where they don’t sell to the EU and the Americas where there may be backorder situations, where 80-90% of DSLR are now sold, and where DSLR still has an ILC market share of almost 25%.

Its possible but fairly unlikely that what has gone out of stock is Japanese packaging and the camera is being made and shipped to other territories. Whether the number of people who want to buy a Pentax has held up or crashed in Japan (separate from from the number of people who want an SLR as their new camera, but will buy what the retailer pushes or the reviews say is best) is something we can't know.

 

[James O'Neill]

What the president of Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp said only means that they have some stock of K-3 Mark III cameras and expect to sell K-3 Mark III cameras in 2025. Nothing more.

Which is kind of stating the obvious:

1. "The PENTAX K-3 III is still available in the U.S": indeed, it is. Note the qualification: "still".
2. "[It] is part of our plans for 2025": hopefully it is and they're not planning to keep the available units in warehouses and stores.

If the opposite of a statement is (1) false or (2) absurd, then the statement has no weight.

That's an odd way to interpret it.

1. "Still" does not not narrow the meaning in the way "for now", "at the moment". It is emphasizing, there has been no change in availability status. 'We have stock of" implies until it runs out.

2. Selling the K3-iii is something which figures in their business plan and sales activities it isn't just letting the final stock drift out of the warehouse.

The two say that as far as he is concerned the K3-iii will be an active product for most of the year ahead, possibly beyond.

 

[RBIV]

What the president of Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp said only means that they have some stock of K-3 Mark III cameras and expect to sell K-3 Mark III cameras in 2025. Nothing more.

,,,

Agree.

I see this as a meaningless statement as regards the more important concern, i.e. is the K3iii an "active product" meaning in production, possible future firmware updates, along with potential body upgrades. Nada. Nothing there.

As an owner of Pentax gear, I couldn't care less how many K3s are in the U.S. warehouse. Not even a squeak about new lenses.

Were I a potential buyer of Pentax gear, that statement, combined with the Japanese statement, would have me thinking potential "close out" prices ahead in 2025.

 

[James O'Neill]

What the president of Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp said only means that they have some stock of K-3 Mark III cameras and expect to sell K-3 Mark III cameras in 2025. Nothing more.

,,,

Agree.

I see this as a meaningless statement as regards the more important concern, i.e. is the K3iii an "active product" meaning in production, possible future firmware updates, along with potential body upgrades. Nada. Nothing there.

Does it matter if the K3-iii is/was built continuously, or in large batches ? "In production" makes assumptions which probably aren't valid. The K1 has been out of production since the K1-ii came out and still gets firmware updates - including enhancements not just bug fixes. Parts in the K1-ii have been unavailable for years, so there isn't a production line making a few K1-ii units every day (batches are probably packed for different countries, and run through firmware update, final test and date setting) but who cares? The 645 wasn't moved to discontinued for years after the last one was made and firmware updates were frozen while it was still on the price list.

As an owner of Pentax gear, I couldn't care less how many K3s are in the U.S. warehouse. Not even a squeak about new lenses.

If you bought something recently enough that it's still in warranty, Ricoh care, if you might buy something soon they care. If you were a customer in 2021 ... not so much.

Were I a potential buyer of Pentax gear, that statement, combined with the Japanese statement, would have me thinking potential "close out" prices ahead in 2025.

So you're not a potential buyer then? You've got the camera, unless they launch some new product to temp you, your wallet is closed. I'm either going to switch to Fuji MF or buy a K1-iii if Ricoh deliver it, but we're all in the same boat, we have all we want from the current price list, and wondering what plans we might need to make for a world where you can't buy a new K mount DLSR and/or the technology difference to other brands is too big to ignore.

 

[DougOB]

(...) The camera is built in the Philippines. (...)

Vietnam nowadays. The Cebu factory closed a few years ago.

When did that happen? My K-3iii was made in the Philippines.

Thx,

Doug

 

[Mistral75]

(...) The camera is built in the Philippines. (...)

Vietnam nowadays. The Cebu factory closed a few years ago.

When did that happen? My K-3iii was made in the Philippines.

Thx,

Doug

Around March 2023 IIRC. The Lapu-Lapu plant in the province of Cebu was still listed as the main manufacturing plant in the FY2021 accounts (April 2021 - March 2022) and wasn't listed in the FY2022 accounts.

"I heard that the Cebu Plant will no longer manufacture Pentax cameras in the future. All manufacturing processes shall be transferred to Vietnam where lenses are made."

Posted by wed7, who lives in Manila, on 17 March 2023 on Pentax Forums.

 

[manual_focus]

(...) The camera is built in the Philippines. (...)

Vietnam nowadays. The Cebu factory closed a few years ago.

When did that happen? My K-3iii was made in the Philippines.

Not sure when. Results of Google Pentax Cebu factory search.