Well what D'you know???

I for one will be interested too in 16 -85 (£349 3 Jan 2016 SRS) and 20 - 40 comparisons (£429 4 Jan 2017 SRS) when next as cheap as Camera Pricebusters quote. The 20 40 seems the best prospect for my late purchase K3 II (£699 before they went up). Limited funds mean I have to be patient thus disinterest in KP as overpriced.

Overpriced is relative BIll and I think we'll see that when and indeed if they replace the K3 II but I do think that the price of the KP will fall when the newbie, whatever it is comes out. With the recent increase in price of the K1 to a much more realistic £1999 and the list price of the KP falling to say £999 (I know you think this is still too much!) There is a bit of wiggle room for the K3 II replacement price to be a bit lower than the halfway house of £1500. With discounting we may start to see the KP down to maybe £899 pretty soon after a new K3 launch, to fill the gap between the K70 and the K3 III and hopefully the new K3 III will go for around £1300? All conjecture of course!

I've had a 20-40mm before and if you take it as the replacement for a 21/35/40 ltd's (Ignoring the 35's macro ability) it is indeed a very good lens but as a zoom somewhat frustrating to use, it's always neither wide enough or long enough but thats just me! (Landscape shooters eh?) I get OCD about not changing lenses in the summer due to the pollen, which is daft I know! Though as a ltd zoom it's a real winner, optically as good as the 21, not quite as good as the 35 or 40. Not really in the game for me now, as I just picked up a perfect green ring 21mm for £175. It's looking more and more like the 16-85 for me, as I've kind of lost faith in the 16-50, nothing else out there seems to be weather sealed... I live in Cumbria...

It's on it's way back, I got SRS here in the UK to test their stock on the KP and they all do it!
So thats that then, so 16-85 or 20-40? All opinions are welcome.

I also have the 12-24 and the 50-135, so the Ltd would slot in nicely, however I've just picked up a bargain 21mm, which would immediately become superflous, so I'm leaning toward the 16-85 and picking up the cheaper green ring Ltd's as and when I can for a super lightweight and super quality kit for the mountain hikes,21mm F3.2/35mm or 40mm F2.8 (I don't macro!) and the 70mm F2.4,
these would pretty much replace the 16-50mm for lens speed...

Hi Jules, I note 20 40 LTD £509 until 12th June at SRS. Not the cheapest they've done it but much better.

I've sent Doug a begging email to try to get swapsies! Here's hoping
This has really knocked my confidence in SDM, how you doing with that 55-300 WR PLM RE?
If it's any good I might just trade in my 50-135mm F2.8 for one, nowhere near as bright I know but certaintly versatile in focal length terms...

The 55 -300 PLM is excellent optically (see my gallery on here) and improves AFC on my K3II considerably.

The zoom ring can be stiff new (see John's review) and I had a failure of the retraction stop which required a replacement (very straight forward from Amazon - replacement smoother action too). Focux ring is very smooth but continuous action means no infinity stop as with 18 135 and I guess the 16 - 85.

The lens is f4.5 to 100mm and F 5.6 to 260mm.

Is it tough enough for heavy or pro use? Not sure as it's lightness makes you wonder.

Thankyou for that info Bill, so it stays at F5.6 most of the way thru it's zoom range, that might not be too bad after all? I'm seeing some good results from it on the American forum too, you seem to be really enjoying it and it fits very well with my "lighter" weight ethos, I'll keep it on the hot plate for now do some more looking into it and see if it sizzles!
You'll not like this quote I just read over in the American forum, this guy has a habit of being right a lot of the time...
"Is a price around 1700 - 2000 $€ OK for an upper APS-C class than K-3 ll line?"
Best regards Asahi Man...

Hi Jules, I think you are right. I'm guessing £1600 for the new APS-C flagship

I tactically bought a late K3II recently, just as i did with the K3 just as the K3II was about to be announced (both at £699 from SRS less trade in). I'm therefore OK for another few years barring failures. I find by the time I trade in the camera is showing signs of fatigue. My K5 for example started to display loose control wheels, grip trim coming away etc. I take around 6000 shots a year and take out with me on most daily (dog) walks and all holidays.

IF the K3II replacement is as suspected above the price of (say) the 'new' Nikon 7500 then Pentax will cease to be my automatic upgrade path.
The value for money/non crippled features/high build quality combination has kept me with Pentax through the cheap KX & KR (didn't like dusty mirrors instead of prisms) , the excellent K5, then K3 and Mk II until now. Shame if they spoil that.

Bill, the problem we have is that at £1600, they arn't going to sell, in my local Camera shop there is a second hand D500 and a 200-500mm lens, for just shy of £2300, if I shot anything moving these days thats where my money would go.
I think it is inevitable that the price of a new K3 will be above the D7500 but it will have to be well below the price of the D500, unless they are going to update all the SDM lenses to DC at the same time, and I can't see that happening anytime soon TBH, who other than a Pentax user would want it.
They have either to just become a niche outdoors/travel camera maker, or they have to at least try to play catch up but that will take some big bucks, and some very good lawyers to avoid patent infringments, I'm hoping that they drop the K70 down to entry level and what a good entry level it would be! Drop the KP price a bit to take up the middleish ground which would allow them to put the K3 in at about £1300, well below the price of a D500/7DMKIII, no more KS1's, focus on quality.
At least everyone makes lenses to fit Nikons Bill... Sigh

A lot of conclusions jumped to here! Traditionally Pentax have offered more than the other brands for less cash - the K1 is still cheaper than the D810 even at the new price. No reason to think that would change.

I think Jules is on the right track. The KP came in (£1099) much dearer than the K3II (even at £849 up from £699) but lower spec shutter, battery, processing speed etc. With the K1 at two grand (fair point as to its value) then the new APS-C flagship would logically be between the two. Thus the Asahiman report having credence.

What is open to debate (with the weak pound to yen) is if initial RRP eases as in the past or if Ricoh decide to stick to high(er) prices apart from once or twice a year as with Black Friday?

Exactly what I said, the new K3 will be more than the old one but significantly less than the Canikosony triumvirate...
K1 price is to fish in the K3 users to get em to buy a cheap FF and some pricey and heavy glass, then when they've unloaded it all BAM! K3 MKIII...

Ha!Ha! .... People complaining now about the price of a non-existent camera that has no price or specification and may never exist

Ricoh must be seriously considering throwing in the towel

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I think we'll have the Friday madness a couple or three times a year for a bit Bill but surely in the end that will only hurt them because folks will only buy when they know there is a fire sale coming up?
Hopefully when the politics calms down a bit the pound might spring back too but by then we'll all be speculating about the K3 mkIV!

Got a 20-40 Ltd inbound in the next week now, many thanks to SRS for the support and Customer service, first rate as always!
Back on track: I hope Ricoh fix the problem with the KP and 16-50mm speedily even if they don't even admit it because it's very real...

Yep Algi, thats froums for ya!