Pentax USA decided not to sell the MZ-3 when it came out - I believe that their thinking was that it was too close in specs to the MZ-5N and that the higher price was not justified.
The MZ-3 was intended for the Japanese domestic market only - their line-up was to be the MZ-5 (not 5N) and the MZ-3. When the Press Release was issued the response from the European distributors was over-whelming - they basically demanded the model. Asahi Optical was reluctant to increase production (and perhaps to lose their Japanese exclusivity)and so agreed to supply Europe with the MZ-3 ONLY together with the 43mm lens (at least initially). I don't know about other markets - perhaps Pentax Canada carried it or CR Kennedy in AUS or in some other Asian markets (I would guess that it was sold in Singapore). Pat _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
