Huge Price Increases on Pentax Lenses

Unbelievable increases at SRS as per title...

150-450...£1949
70-2000...£2029
60-250...£1319
100 macro...£529
50-135...£1049
16-50...£969
DA 200...£879
DA 300...£1149

Gobsmacked.

The pound has lost something like a third of it's value in a year, since the referendum. Price rises on imported goods are inevitable.

It's a nightmare situation which I've mentioned would happen a few times over the last couple of months, but the issues with the value of the pound have brought this on. I've no doubt other retailers will follow very shortly.

I'm working on some schemes with Pentax to try and alleviate this situation.

If anyone wants anything then please contact me and I'll see what I can do.... I've got a degree of flexibility for forum members.

Sorry.....but they are very believable, and i for one am not gobsmacked.

But this has nothing to do with SRS who in the long run have always delivered good pricing on top of great service.

Using Camera Pricebuster for 300mm F4 as an example I'm not surprised either. Prices go up and down like yoyos so you just have to buy right.

Lowest Price Price When Shop
Today £899.00 29 Jun 2017 Amazon.co.uk
Last 90 Days £699.00 14 May 2017 SRS Microsystems
Best Ever £629.00 27 Mar 2015 SRS Microsystems

I will enjoy my recent new K3 II for £699 from SRS, my new 55- 300 PLM for £249 from Amazon in December and my used 20 40 LTD coming in the morning for £350 used (£849 back in 2014 I think)

All credit to Chris at SRS for looking after so many of us so well when he and his excellent staff can.

Not accurate on the timing I am afraid. Since the referendum the pound has lost about 9% against the Japanese Yen. Declines against most currencies are around 12-15% over the last year. The current woes for Sterling started a good 12 months prior to the referendum.

But agree, every manufacturer has a pinch point where they go for a big wholesale price hike.

I accept that currency rates are not favourable for UK importers at the moment, however I think this is being used as an excuse to profiteer at UK consumers' expense...similar to what happened to the consumers in every country that converted to the Euro a few years back.

I've just looked at the exchange rates for the £ against Euro, Dollar, Yen and Yuan/Renimbi for the past 12 months and then for a date about a week and a half before the Euro referendum vote last year. The £ had been on the up for a while...historically very high values before dropping just before the referendum and then subsequently dropping afterwards. Over the past 12 months against those four mentioned currencies £'s drop has been generally within 12-15% range as Peter mentioned above.

We HAD price rises of typically 10-15% on most imported consumer items though earlier this year...so strictly speaking these further rises shouldn't be necessary or if so shouldn't be any more than 2-3% just to tidy up.

With particular reference to Ricoh they are not helping their cause by adding these increases to their already idiotic 'yo yo' pricing policy where prices change within a typical month by 20-25% up and down .

Used MF PK fit lenses from the 1970s - 1990's have never looked such good value compared to newer offerings from Ricoh.

Pentax aren't immune, neither are other brands......

wish I'd pulled the trigger already on the 150-450 but on the other hand the K-1 has not been used yet....

That would be the bargain of the year!

150-450 still £1699 at most retailers (Jessops, Park, Castle, Bristol etc.) Unusual for SRS to be £250 dearer than those. Wex and Clifton are same as SRS.

There is far more at play in deciding wholesale prices than simply current currency rates. Indeed versus the Japanese Yen the current level is very close to the average exchange rate over the last eight years.

Profiteer ? Pentax are producing camera equipment. If it was food or clothing or energy supply you could possibly level that accusation, but cameras ? We have a choice to buy or not. These are luxury items..... ahem..... I mean.... vital survival items when discussing with the other half of course.

[quote:3496ace15f="JAK"]
That would be the bargain of the year!

Yeah...only realised the typo after returning from my evening meal...after I got the call to say "tea's ready!" had to rush the comment and post in a hurry.

The decline of the pound started with the announcement of the referendum rather than the date of the vote itself. Uncertainty over the future has caused the price rises.

When the referendum on Scottish independence was announced, the country lost billions of income before the vote even took place.

Chris has warned a few times in the last few months that anybody wanting to purchase should do so ASAP, so this is not a surprise.

Shameless plug, the one in the classifieds looks great value now

I guess we can expect a rise in the reatail price of camera bodies to be not to far in the distance....

Fake news, the pound actually rose in value all through and after the 2014 referendum, the only way Scotland can lose 'billions' is bye way of the Westminster goverment and the Barnett Formula, but thats a discussion for another place.