Hmm...as you say JohnX...all down to interpretation. My interpretation though would be that If I had spent several hundred pounds on a camera or lens that went faulty after less than two years then it definitely wasn't fit for purpose or of merchantable quality...and the rest of the EU agree!

In the interests of being more ecologically friendly and encouraging longer ownership of stuff i'd suggest to politicians that EVERY electrical/electronic consumer item costing over say £500 should be required by law to come with a 5 year manufacturers warranty...many do last this long anyway so its not that unreasonable as some may argue. Would help to do away with some of the 'lemons' out there though.

That's very interesting Mag07..thanks for that. Does it apply to literally every consumer good (that's not a grey import) or just consumer electronics?

The downside is ironically that for Pentax Pro dealers (and similar status other brands) it is one more nail in their coffin. I would be prepared to pay slightly more to support a Pro Dealer when comparing two identical products...even now after what you have just told me...but given the huge disparity in pricing we are talking about here comparing like for like (both with a 2 yr warranty) it can only be a matter of time before its just not profitable at all for dealers to sell one make or another due to Amazon abusing their market position.

Ricoh may have to increase their warranty to 3 years like Sigma or 5 years like Tamron or Samyang if they want to stay in business through their Pro dealership.

P.S. Before I forget i'll make a note of Directive No. 1999/44/EC for future reference!

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that Amazon only gave 12 months warranty.


This is my concern, and i'm sure that after this year others will stop selling Pentax, further reducing choice for the consumer. Once the trade has gone to Amazon that transaction is gone, the money has been spent. I've no problem with fair competition but am concerned that Amazon is distorting the UK market to its advantage through unfair competition.
[/quote]One off deals are a possibility John...its just strange that Amazon seem to 'bag' the middle ground with the 18-135s attached...same last year with their K50/18-135 deal. Other Pentax dealers might as well flag up their websites that it isn't worth their while selling these products as Amazon have 'cornered' the market yet again.

Also John the Amazon deal isn't just a few quid off the Pentax Pro Dealer price...it murders it so much it leaves the impression that for the other 360 days of the year or so Ricoh is over-charging its customers massively. £403.33 + VAT today but if you weren't quick enough or had the cash to hand then you will have to pay £582.50 + VAT tomorrow at Park Cameras or Wex Photographic...even more at SRS. They must think we're complete muppets.

Much as I like Pentax branded products, the way that Ricoh are treating potential customers is really beginning to grate.

Another Christmas and another Amazon Lightning Deal...

Does anyone know where Amazon are sourcing this stock from? For the next 3 hours they have the Pentax K-S2 + 18-135WR lens for an unbelievable £484! To put this in context Pentax Pro dealers like SRS, Park Cameras et al are currently selling it for typically £700 give or take a few quid.

I appreciate that buying off a Pro dealer gives a 2 year warranty, but really the cost of an extra year on this package should only be an extra £20-£25 or so .

What is going on? the options are:

1. Amazon is selling Grey stock imported from outside the EU (but presumably with Ricoh's consent)

2. Amazon is selling official EU stock at bargain basement prices. I can't believe they are not making a profit on this...which begs the question why is the price gap not much lower between Amazon and Pentax Pro dealers. Even outside these Lightning deals Amazon often undercuts the Pro dealers by more than the reduced cost of an extra years warranty.

Are the Pro dealers ripping us off or is Amazon not paying import tax/duties on the stuff it sells? If this is the case why are HMRC not doing something about it.

I like a bargain as much as the next person but NOT if it means that our specialist photo dealers are put out of business and the only retailer left is Amazon...just in time for the new TransAtlantic trade deal being negotiated in secret between the EU and the US.

What are other peoples thoughts on this?

I haven't used any of those lenses! However i've seen many images from them (with the exception of the Sigma 500...only a few from that) and have read many comments from users and the 150-450 seems a really sharp and impressive lens that looks like it will allow a bit of extra cropping without much loss in image quality. The 560mm is a fine lens but is quite a beast size/handling wise and is twice the price of the 150-450...plus it is bright white and will stand out like a sore thumb on the hills without some sort of a lens jacket.

Start another thread asking for some images from owners of these lenses so you can compare the quality between the 150-450 and 560.

Have you considered the Pentax 150-450 ? Sharper than the Sigma 150-500 I believe, will operate in Scottish weather and much cheaper and more versatile than the other two options you mention.

Cheers for that Rob...for about £725 - £750 (depending on how much they want for the 1.4HD at any given moment..it's very good value.

Karlo

Congratulations Rob. Talk about leaving it to the last minute though!

Incidentally, how do you find the Tamron 70-200 f2.8 / Pentax 1.4HD combo for planes? Have you tried it on MF? Would be interested as its a potentially very useful range and seems to offer a lot of flexibility.

regards

Karlo

This lens does seem good value for money even here in UK, on a price/performance basis. In a way it is surprising it hasn't sold more widely given that it is close to the focal length of one of the best selling 35mm film lenses by focal length...the 135mm. 85 x 1.5 on a Pentax APS-C comes out at about 128mm. I think its biggest drawback is its bulk. I suspect very few shots are taken wide open...Samyang might have been better making the lens smaller on a f2.8 - f3.5 wide end. Personally the manual focus doesn't bother me.

Some nice shots there Lawrence. My favourites are more the mountain shots than the dusty track.

Thanks for sharing this unusual combination with us.

Karlo

A very enjoyable set...so much variation and as Andrew says "full of detail and with terrific contrast".

Karlo