Is Pentax’s DSLR lineup shrinking? Rumors hint that this DSLR is discontinued

One of the only major brands still focused on DSLRs is the subject of new rumors after a DSLR was marked as discontinued at one retailer.

US retailer B&H has labeled the Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome as discontinued.

Importantly, one retailer's discontinuation doesn’t always mean the camera will be unavailable everywhere. Case in point? B&H also has the discontinued label on the color K-3 Mark III, but the DSLR is still available to order directly from Pentax in the US.

The K-3 Mark III Monochrome hasn’t moved to the brand’s list of discontinued products on parent company Ricoh’s US website either. However, the black-and-white camera doesn’t appear to be available to order directly from the manufacturer, nor is it available at competing retailer Adorama.

In Europe, Pentax’s website lists the K-3 Mark III as out of stock in the color and Monochrome models. However, in Japan, the K-3 Mark III is listed among the discontinued DSLRs, while the Monochrome is still among the available models.

While the reports of the discontinuation of the Pentax K-3 Mark III in both the original and Monochrome are conflicting, if the K-3 series exits the lineup, that leaves Pentax with two DSLRs: The full-frame Pentax K-1 Mark II released in 2018, and the crop-sensor Pentax KF announced in 2022.

Discontinuing the K-3 Mark III Monochrome, if the change extends beyond one retailer, is also notable because cameras with a black-and-white sensor are harder to come by than their color counterparts. Along with the K-3 Mark III Monochrome, other colorless cameras include the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, the Leica M11 Monochrom, and the Leica Q3 Monochrom.

While Pentax experimented with mirrorless back when the format first came out with the Pentax Q lineup, the company has since declared a focus on DSLRs. As the text on the Pentax K-3 III page reads, “Pentax believes in the future of SLR photography.”

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