Originally posted by pinholecam Wait! Wait!
just wait!
Before we go into more big theories again and throw everyone off tangent.
Richard Bulter's response on DPR :
"The 100mm Macro is considerably longer than we'd usually use for our studio scene, so we'd prefer not to use that unless we have to.
We have just received a second copy of the 77mm from Ricoh, having had to rent the existing one from LensRentals. We'll be checking to see which copy is better and will make sure the best possible images are posted.
However, let us keep this in perspective. The K-1 studio shots look very good and it should be clear that having some softness in one corner cannot be the result of the camera body. We will do our best to get the best result we can but we're not going to go to increasing extremes in order to push for an unattainable degree of perfection.
Richard - dpreview.com
"
So I'd not read too much into the current results on DPR for now
I have a range of views on this...
- DPReview could have told LensRentals what they were going to do with the lens (especially when they publically thank LensRentals for the unit - just toss them under the bus, why don't you). LensRentals has a $100K optical bench that they could have run the lens through, aligning it - thereby providing as perfect a lens as possible.
- LensRentals apparently just pulled a 77Ltd off the shelf sending it out. They check their lenses and this one was OK (for just about all uses other than a critical review of a new body).
- Now, having said all of that - a lens off the shelf should be OK, but then again having an OK lens provide a basis for an early review of the K-1 on DPReview - letting everyone take pot shots (just reading the comments there had the full range of soup to nuts).
So, a randomly selected lens should be OK - representative results of what most folks will see. On the other hand, if you are going to do a critical review of a body, get the best lens available so as to ONLY show up any issues with the body. Then again, the Canon and Nikon folks (and there were some snide remarks in the comments) got what they wanted - another opportunity to take pot shots at anything Pentax.
So, the initial comment of Wait! Wait! just wait! - I think is a bit off the mark. Richard had a choice of options available to him. Also, DPR has not always been the most friendlies of places to anything Pentax in the past - so he is dragging a bit of history with him. He could have put forth a bit more of an effort.
I will say, that Pentax could have expected this. 85mm lenses appear to be one of the standard primes reviewers like to use. They could have made some custom 77's available for review (it would have been in their best interest) - and also, they could have considered including a new 85mm prime in the initial roll-out. In this respect Pentax is just being Pentax, and not thinking the entire introduction / roll-out process / approach out in advanced. Some malice of forethought does help.
That begs the question as to the pedigreed of the other lenses that were used?
There is enough egg on the face for everyone concerned here. It's impossible to make all the folks happy, all of the time....