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 > >
