The Pentax Okay-3 Mark III DSLR has been formally discontinued in Japan however Ricoh Imaging tells PetaPixel that the digicam stays to be had in america and is a part of the corporate’s 2025 product lineup.
Previous this week, Eastern website online Asobinet reported that the Pentax Okay-3 Mark III have been indexed as discontinued at quite a lot of digicam shops and had totally bought out at some outlets.
On Ricoh Imaging’s Eastern website online, the Okay-3 III may be now indexed as discontinued, leaving simply 3 DSLR cameras as lively merchandise: the Pentax Okay-1 II, the Pentax KF, and the Pentax Okay-3 III Monochrome, the corporate’s black-and-white most effective digicam launched in 2023.
When a digicam is discontinued in Japan, it isn’t at all times the case that the product is discontinued in other places at the moment. Other markets have various ranges of client call for, present inventory, and product methods. Every now and then a digicam or lens is discontinued in a single marketplace and survives indefinitely in other places.
PetaPixel contacted Ricoh Imaging Americas Company to peer what’s occurring with the Okay-3 III stateside. The corporate introduced the next commentary:
We can’t supply remark at the trade in Japan, however we will be able to verify that the Pentax Okay-3 III continues to be to be had within the U.S. and is a part of our plans for 2025.
As for the discontinuation in Japan, it’s price having a look at nearer. The Pentax Okay-3 III is the corporate’s flagship APS-C DSLR and was once at the beginning introduced in March 2021. That’s not very way back within the grand scheme of items, and certainly no longer a very long time when discussing a product being discontinued, even supposing most effective in a single marketplace.
With the elimination of the Okay-3 III from Pentax’s lineup in Japan, there are actually simply 3 DSLRs, most effective two of which might be thought to be conventional fashions. The Okay-3 III Monochrome, whilst nice, could be very area of interest.
Ricoh Imaging Japan nonetheless has reasonably a little bit else on be offering, together with the highly regarded GR III and GR IIIx compact cameras, a host of water-resistant WG-series fashions, and 2024’s Pentax 17 half-frame movie digicam.
Technically, it’s also imaginable to get 3 infrared-equipped cameras in Japan: the Okay-70 IR, 645Z IR, and KP IR. On the other hand, they’re special-order merchandise designed for analysis establishments and govt businesses. They can’t merely be bought via simply somebody.
So, for now, it’s good-bye to the Pentax Okay-3 III in Japan. American photographers can nonetheless acquire the digicam, even though one can be forgiven for asking, “for the way for much longer?”
Symbol credit: Pentax