New Pentax K7 with 18-55mm WR kit lists for $1300

It looks like we have a second Pentax K-7 kit invading the US market! As of today, J&R World has a new listing in pre-order status for the Pentax K-7 with the 18-55mm DA WR lens going for $1300. This was the bang for the buck bundle _if_ you wanted to get both the K7 and the 18-55mm WR lens five minutes ago, however...

... we have just checked the price at Amazon, and the Pentax K7 body-only is offered for $1099 with free shipping by Beach Camera. The previous low price of a few hours ago was around $1150 by Amazon herself. Amazon herself has dropped to $1132.

Or if you prefer extended warranties, B&H Photo has a Pentax K7 kit that includes a two-year extended warranty for $1160 (add to cart to see price). The warranty is not valid in Florida or Virginia. The extended warranty includes one free checkup during the warranty period.

So now the question becomes less about finances, and more about what you need and when you need it. The lens itself goes for around $168 at Amazon and $170 at Adorama, so you can save more by getting them piecemeal.

It also looks like we have to update the K7 stock-status matrix, which we will get to at some point. This was supposed to be a quiet Fauxtokina year with a difficult world economy, yet it feels like it is busier than an actual Photokina year on a good economy! Maybe it is because there are more interesting or intriguing or curiosity-factor cameras out now than ever before :)