The Pentax-DA 645 28-45mm is a Mammoth

One of the largest DSLR lenses we've seen to date

By PF Staff in Photokina 2014 on Sep 15, 2014

Left to right: Pentax 645 28-45mm F4.5 SR, 90mm F2.8 SR, 25mm F4, and 55mm F2.8 (click to enlarge)

Pentax / Ricoh displayed the recently-launched HD Pentax-DA 645 28-45mm F4.5 ED AW SR wide angle zoom at Photokina 2014. The technical specifications were released a while back and are available in our lens database. While we knew that this zoom is quite heavy at 1.47 kg (3.24 lbs) we hadn't imagined how sizable it would be. The 25mm F4 prime is already large, but is dwarfed by the much thicker and taller wide-angle zoom.  The difference in size is difficult to appreciate without a side-by-side comparison.

Even though the 28-45mm lens is already shipping, Pentax kept the lens secured in its display case today.

Three New K-Mount Lenses Coming

No new Pentax announcements at Photokina 2014

By PF Staff in Photokina 2014 on Sep 15, 2014

Pentax rumors leading up to Photokina were thin, and there turns out to be a good reason for this: Ricoh is not supplementing their recent camera releases with anything else.  In other words, Ricoh made no new product announcements today.

The Ricoh Imaging booth at Photokina 2014 will therefore focus on presenting the Ricoh WG-M1, Pentax XG-1, Pentax Q-S1, Pentax K-S1, Pentax K-3 Prestige, and Pentax 645Z cameras: the most recent additions to their product lineup.  We will give you an overview of the booth in a separate article, but remember that the show doesn't officially start for another 21 hours, so it is still subject to change.

For loyal Pentax followers— especially DSLR users— the lack of news might seem like a bit of a let-down.  But there's always a silver lining: Pentax/Ricoh engineers must be hard at work behind the scenes to get the next big thing ready for CP+.  Plus, we can't overlook prior 2014 announcements such as the Pentax 645Z, which while not targeted at your typical Pentax user, is a formidable product.

Despite the lack of official news, it looks like 3 new K-mount lenses are currently under development.  We expect to see prototypes on display tomorrow, but today, all we can report on for now are the corresponding labels:

Photokina 2014 - Pentax Lenses Under Development (K-mount)

These lenses must almost be ready for launch, as they've been present on the Pentax lens roadmap for at least 6 months.  They consist of a fast zoom lens (~70-200mm range), a superzoom lens (~100-400mm), and a walkaround zoom. 

We only have details on the latter, which was revealed in a "reference exhibit" press release at Photokina. It will be known as the HD Pentax-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR, slated for launch at the end of 2014.

Photokina 2014 Preview: What's in Store

Industry-wide announcement overview

By PF Staff in Photokina 2014 on Sep 14, 2014

Photokina 2014 is just around the corner, and news will come pouring in tomorrow (the day before the show opens to the public) as various press conferences and press tours take place.  We will be reporting on-site and will bring you the news as it is presented.  Our coverage will not be limited to Pentax news, though we plan to make the Pentax/Ricoh booth our focus.

Until then, here's a preview of products we expect to see at Photokina.  Many of them have already been announced, while others are expected tomorrow or later next week.  Products are listed alphabetically by manufacturer.

Photokina Predictions: Pentax Full-Frame Coming?

Member predictions from our forum poll

By PF Rumors in Photokina 2014 on Sep 10, 2014

We won't be seeing a full-frame camera from Pentax this year— at least that's what 409 out of 618 voters thought in a recent poll on the forum.  Despite the fact that this mythical creature manages to command more attention on our community than many actual products, it is quite probable that we still won't be seeing it until "maybe next year".

Photokina— the photo industry's largest trade show— kicks off in just under a week, so we will soon find out what Pentax has in store for enthusiast users.  We will of course be present at the show to report on the news as it unfolds, and our coverage will include a formal interview view Pentax representatives as in the past.  Don't worry— the full frame question has been asked and answered many times already, so more pertinent topics will instead be the focus of our discussion.

Bookmark our Trade Show News section to stay on top of the latest Photokina news

According to our official predictions thread, Pentax will announce new products within the following categories (in order of likelihood):

• K-mount DSLR lens
• Entry-level DSLR
• Q-mount lens

Photokina 2014 Coverage by PentaxForums.com

We will be reporting from the show starting on September 15th

By PF Staff in Photokina 2014 on Aug 21, 2014

The world's leading imaging fair, Photokina, is held every other year in Cologne, Germany.  It will be opening its doors to the public from Tuesday, September 16th until Sunday, September 21st, 2014; a special press preview tour is given on Monday the 15th.

We will be reporting on location at Photokina this year, and we plan to conduct a formal interview with Ricoh Imaging representatives during the show.  Expect to get a first look at the Pentax booth on September 15th!

As in 2012, we've set up a special photokina homepage where you will be able to browse our latest updates and photos from the show.  We plan to cover every Pentax product in-depth in addition to offering a selection of other industry news of interest. 

Be sure to also bookmark our trade show homepage which gives you a quick overview of current and past show news and interviews.