Pentax K-3 III DSLR Discontinued in Japan But Not in the United States

The Pentax K-3 Mark III DSLR has been officially discontinued in Japan but Ricoh Imaging tells PetaPixel that the camera remains available in the United States and is part of the company’s 2025 product lineup.

Earlier this week, Japanese website Asobinet reported that the Pentax K-3 Mark III had been listed as discontinued at various camera stores and had entirely sold out at some retailers.

On Ricoh Imaging’s Japanese website, the K-3 III is also now listed as discontinued, leaving just three DSLR cameras as active products: the Pentax K-1 II, the Pentax KF, and the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome, the company’s black-and-white only camera released in 2023.

Ricoh Imaging Japan’s active products.

When a camera is discontinued in Japan, it is not always the case that the product is discontinued elsewhere at that time. Different markets have varying levels of consumer demand, existing stock, and product strategies. Sometimes a camera or lens is discontinued in one market and survives indefinitely elsewhere.

And its much longer list of discontinued DSLR cameras.

PetaPixel contacted Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation to see what’s going on with the K-3 III stateside. The company offered the following statement:

We cannot provide comment on the business in Japan, but we can confirm that the Pentax K-3 III is still available in the U.S. and is part of our plans for 2025.

As for the discontinuation in Japan, it is worth looking at closer. The Pentax K-3 III is the company’s flagship APS-C DSLR and was originally announced in March 2021. That is not very long ago in the grand scheme of things, and indeed not a long time when discussing a product being discontinued, even if only in one market.

With the removal of the K-3 III from Pentax’s lineup in Japan, there are now just three DSLRs, only two of which could be considered traditional models. The K-3 III Monochrome, while great, is very niche.

Ricoh Imaging Japan still has quite a bit else on offer, including the very popular GR III and GR IIIx compact cameras, a bunch of waterproof WG-series models, and 2024’s Pentax 17 half-frame film camera.

Technically, it is also possible to get three infrared-equipped cameras in Japan: the K-70 IR, 645Z IR, and KP IR. However, they are special-order products designed for research institutions and government agencies. They cannot simply be purchased by just anyone.

So, for now, it is goodbye to the Pentax K-3 III in Japan. American photographers can still purchase the camera, although one would be forgiven for asking, “for how much longer?”

Image credits: Pentax