Mixed feelings about new lens

[F8&Bthere]

It was nice while it lasted, but with the US/Canada currency exchange back to where it probably should be and with inflation of prices, some lenses are starting to be outrageously unaffordable again.

I can't figure it out- a lens like a Pentax 12-24mm/f4 going to $1300. It's not that fast, not weather sealed, not their * line. What gives? Pentax is not Canikon and IMO their greatest achievement as the underdog has been their unique and affordable line of lenses. Not anymore.

The DA 35mm Ltd macro I bought last summer for CA$390 is now like $699. It's good, but not THAT good.

I had a 55-300mm I had won on eBay from prodigital2000 in Ontario for a decent price, and they didn't have it in stock, and suddenly couldn't get it. almost 45 days later I canceled the order, and during the entire process I had changed my mind about what kind of lens would serve me best in addition to what I already have, and decided to go wide instead of long.

I'm not much of a birdy guy. And I leave for Europe soon- so I decided that I want to have a lens to get in as much of that interesting old architecture as I can.

So I went to a camera shop in Calgary. I went in thinking the 16-45mm/f4 for $399 but was wondering if it was going to be wide enough. While there I ended up deciding on the Sigma 10-20mm. But I just can't figure out why the darn thing is so expensive. $699. It's far from being fast (f4 - 5.6), it's built okay but nothing to rave about, Sigmas are made in Japan but have a reputation for a lot of sample variation and quality control issues, and in particular with regards to the Pentax mount version- there's no focusing motor like there is on the Nikon/Canon/Sigma version.

Now I kinda wish I had the money and crystal ball last summer to go on a LBA spree while the currency was nearly at par. I actually noticed that even Canadian retail stores were priced quite reasonably. In some cases, buying from the bigger US retailers or off eBay were actually the same or even more expensive with the shipping/customs cost (not to mention risk or hassle in the event of a shipping problem, bad copy or warranty issue).