Full-frame for free: Ricoh offers Pentax K-1 kit with 28-105mm lens in Facebook contest

posted Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 6:12 PM EDT

The Pentax K-1, the company's first full-frame DSLR, might have been a long time coming, but as we noted in our recent hands-on preview it looks to be one heck of a camera -- and at a really aggressive price, as well. But wouldn't it be even better if you could score yourself a K-1 for free?

Well as it turns out, one lucky person in the United Stated or Canada will be able to do just that next month, thanks to a contest launched recently by Ricoh Imaging Americas. And not only will they get the Pentax K-1 body, but also the new Pentax HD D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR lens to go with it! With list pricing set at US$1,800 or thereabouts for the K-1 body, and another US$500 or so for the lens, that brings the total prize value to a whopping US$2,300.

It's a pretty simple to enter the contest, but as well as being located in North America, you will need to be a Facebook user to take part, since it's being conducted on the Facebook page of Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. (For those who don't know of the link between the two companies, Pentax has been a Ricoh brand since mid-2011, when it was sold by then-parent, optical glass-maker Hoya Corp.)

To enter the Pentax K-1 giveaway, simply click the "Like" button in the header of the Ricoh Imaging page on Facebook, post a photo in the page's news feed, and tell the company "Why I shoot Pentax" in 1,500 words or less. The contest is open to all US and Canadian residents over the age of 21 (with the exception of those who're in Quebec). The deadline for entries is April 19th, and the winner -- whose entry will be selected based upon the quality of the photo and essay they've provided -- will be announced on April 26th.