SDM 50-135mm unavailable

Just browsing through B&H. The 50-135mm is on back order. I can quite understand why when B&H sell them for $820 or 543 pounds.

WEX have them at 895 pounds.

I wonder what B&H buy them at from Pentax USA?

Seriously, if you think that any mass produced item is value for money at UK prices, try setting the alarm a little earlier and dream less.

Regards

Sure, but add 17.5% VAT and 7%-ish import tax and you're already up at £700. Thus £765 isn't THAT excessive for the 50-135, especially when you consider that corporation tax is higher in the UK than it is in the US.

EDIT: I of course mean that it isn't excessive in comparison to the US price. Charging more for a 50-135 than Sigma and Tamron charge for a 70-200 is an argument for another day.

Sigmas new 70-200mm f2.8 OS is apparently going to be over a grand.

Agree if you buy from within the UK. There are many people visiting the USA these days and can buy out of State to save State Tax.

Even if buy in shop you would only add 8.25% sales tax so hitting around 588 pounds. It still shows what the same items can be sold at a lot lower price.

The main Pentax dealer in Bahrain once told me that all photographic equipment ex works prices are very close within distribution networks.

That basically means that Pentax UK would not be paying a premium for the same kit as Pentax USA.

Think about it, both Adorama and B&H offer grey imports cheaper than the official USA importers prices, where do they buy the grey imports from?

Strange old game at the end of the day.

Regards

Be interesting to see what the USA price levels out at.

At that price, it must be better than every other 70-200 out there. I paid $450 for my Mk1 with full warranty, the new one is obviously going to be twice as sharp. I'm gonna need a better sensor to cope with it..

Regards

Aherm, have you tried comparing prices with the Tokina variant in a Nikon/Canon mount?

How about the 12-24mm?

Oh and it doesn’t matter whether you look at the US or UK, notwithstanding the widespread contention that the Pentax price hikes last year were greatly exaggerated in the UK.

I suppose it's squarely aimed at Canon/Nikon owners anyway and their new 70-200mm f2.8 offerings are both in the 2k range. It surprises me that Pentax don't have such a lens, it sells very well for the other 2 manufacturers.

Infact Canon have the 70-200mm f4, 70-200mm f4 IS, 70-200mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8 IS .. so four lenses in that range

Yes - they pay Pentax (Japan) the same price for the kit, but they are then charged import tax by the UK govt and have to charge 17.5% VAT at retail.