Higher prices again.

I see that the new price for the K-1 is a pound shy of two grand. At the moment there's a free grip at some dealers. So another 229 pounds worth of kit if you want a grip? Full recommended retail in Australia is 1600 pounds body only. Again, one may question why four hundred pounds difference? If your there visiting and buy one, you also get a full 10% back as GST is refunded to non residents. So down to around 1455 pounds. The 550 pounds difference will cover the air fair....

Full price at B&H is 1374 pounds.

Bring it back to the UK and will you not get slapped with VAT and maybe import duty? Australia and USA both have lower purchase tax rates which would explain some of the price differences. Wex are selling the K1 for £1799.

The latest stock from Pentax has an RRP of £1999. Wex are probably selling their last stock of the older pricing. The fuss around my two actuation K-1 seems to have been a little bit premature it seems, right K10D?

Sorry, no, its £1999.

For the very many times I've previously travelled, I have yet to see anyone declare a camera upon re-entering the UK.

I remember back in the early eighties when customs officers were always checking passengers at entry but for whatever reason now, the checks are very few and far between.

Best regards

....and what do you do if it develops a fault ?

damn, you are right! I see Jessops has a range of lens deals with the K1 though.

Pretty sure Ricoh offers 1 year worldwide warranty. It is most certainly more hassle then buying it locally, but you can always send the camera for repairs straight to Japan, and they will honor it.

Its strange actually, as Pentax prices have started to drift up (Bodies and Lenses) we're starting to see some other kit reduce in price again, the pound does seem to have strengthened a little recently and isn't all that far off what it was v the Yen this time Last year (£1 = 154 Yen on 08/05/16 and its £1 = 146 Yen today).

Hopefully we'll start to see prices come down again.

There was a time when price rises on everything was the norm when inflation was running higher than now. We have got so used to prices dropping and special offers but if Ricoh is to stay in the camera business then maybe this is what is needed. It is also quite refreshing to have forked out a lot of money on an article at launch and not to see the price drop shortly afterwards and lose value. There is also the perceived value of something to consider, which is where Leica have been successful for years.

I've just clicked the missing like button!

Completely agree with the above. Ricoh also had to demonstrate that their product is valuable and worth something. The initial pricing was so damn cheap that any random consumer would have thought there was something 'bargain basement' about the K-1.

An initial RRP of £1999 wouldn't have been too much to ask either, for the amount of 'product' we're getting.

So basically Ricoh USA are happy to retail 626 pounds less than in the UK and still make a profit as well as the retailers. Still not on-board with the value for money when there's a significant price variation across different markets.

The initial pricing was possibly a "buy into the market" approach to establish a decent market share/response. We saw huge variations with the 645Z pricing between the UK and other markets so the K-1 is not a one off example.

That said, the UK price is what it is. Travel these days is cheap and with such price differences around the world, opportunity for a bargain is always possible.

Best regards

It has always been the same, but not just with Pentax. UK prices are always, well nearly always, higher than the USA, but it does us no good when we add their sales tax, import duty, VAT, courier handling fees.....

In relation to other marques, I'm happy with the deal we get with Pentax via SRS Microsystems. As I don't actually want another make it's academic anyway, it is what it is.

Given how much the pound has dropped it is not surprising that prices are rising.