We're Getting Cheap WR Lenses! Yeehaa!

vinzer · 05-20-2009, 08:09 AM

From DPReview:

"Along with the K-7 DSLR, Pentax has launched the smc PENTAX-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6AL WR and smc PENTAX-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6ED WR weather-resistant lenses. Treated with Super-Protect (SP) coating for dust resistance and designed with environmental sealing, both the lenses complement the latest Pentax weather-resistant DSLRs. Priced at $199.95 USD for the DA 18-55mm and $249.95 USD for the DA 50-200mm, the lenses will start shipping in July 2009."

I'm happy to see that Pentax isn't price-gouging us in general, only the local distributors.

And B&H's $1200 price for the K-7 is good, also, considering it's MSRP and could only go downhill from here on out.

kevinschoenmakers · 05-20-2009, 09:10 AM

Personal prediction: K200D+18-55WR will be a very popular combination.

ogl · 05-20-2009, 09:16 AM

I decided to buy new DA50-200 WR - I like bokeh and colours of this lens.
Pentax improved resolution of WR.

Kei · 05-20-2009, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by kevinschoenmakers

Personal prediction: K200D+18-55WR will be a very popular combination.

True that, K200d + 18-55 WR + 55-200 WR can be the cheapest WR kit. Using AA battery is a big plus too. I would predict the K200d will be a highly sought-after camera even tho is has been officially discontinued now.

ogl · 05-20-2009, 09:34 AM

smc PENTAX-DA 18-55mmF3.5-5.6AL WR
Lens Construction
• 11 elements/ 8 groups
• 1 aspherical element
• 1 super-low dispersion element

No ED in the name.

Is it mistake or DA18-55 really has 1 super-low dispersion element?

PENTAX has optimized the characteristics of these lenses — including lens coating, curvature and positioning of optical elements — to reproduce the finest possible digital images. As a result, they are practically free of flare and ghost images, and bring out the best in the PENTAX digital SLR camera bodies they are coupled with.

kevinschoenmakers · 05-20-2009, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Kei

True that, K200d + 18-55 WR + 55-200 WR can be the cheapest WR kit. Using AA battery is a big plus too. I would predict the K200d will be a highly sought-after camera even tho is has been officially discontinued now.

I didn't know it has been discontinued. That's either of these 2 options:

1) Stupid, a relatively cheap WR-kit would sell well.
2) An indication a new entry-level WR body is upcoming. Perhaps a WR K-M.

XATN3q · 05-20-2009, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Kei

True that, K200d + 18-55 WR + 55-200 WR can be the cheapest WR kit. Using AA battery is a big plus too. I would predict the K200d will be a highly sought-after camera even tho is has been officially discontinued now.

indeed, with the WR lens K200D will be the champ for cheap outdoor photo,

ogl · 05-20-2009, 10:28 AM

yes, pentax put 1 super-low dispersion element into DA18-55.

ajuett · 05-20-2009, 10:33 AM

I don't understand Pentax. Last year they bring out an affordable weather sealed body, the K200D, with no affordable WR lenses. This year they discontinue the K200d and bring out affordable WR lenses. The K-m should have been WR.

ogl · 05-20-2009, 10:38 AM

But there are a lot of users of K200D. I don't see any problem.
K-m is small to be sealed.

ajuett · 05-20-2009, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by ogl

But there are a lot of users of K200D. I don't see any problem.
K-m is small to be sealed.

There are a lot of K200D users, how many will toss their perfectly good non-WR 18-55, 50-200 lenses for these new WR models? The guts of the K-m should have been put in the K200D body. This would have also saved Pentax time designing and spending money on the new K-m body. This is a step sideways and 45 degree turn backwards.

Kei · 05-20-2009, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by kevinschoenmakers

I didn't know it has been discontinued. That's either of these 2 options:

1) Stupid, a relatively cheap WR-kit would sell well.
2) An indication a new entry-level WR body is upcoming. Perhaps a WR K-M.

I think there’s probably a new entry-level WR body in the line as well. However this new WR body won’t go as cheap as a the street price of K200d any time soon. So the K200d + the 2 WR lens will be the king of cheap WR kit for some time. A sub $1000 WR kit is unthinkable in all other brands and Pentax should really cash in on that.

Ajuett has nailed my thoughts, why would Pentax has the K200d last year but no cheap WR lens; now we have the lens but they discontinued the body. A new entry-level WR body is no where in sight and likely it won’t be as cheap. IMHO the WR lens should come out at least a year earlier.

GaryM · 05-20-2009, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by ogl

I decided to buy new DA50-200 WR - I like bokeh and colours of this lens.
Pentax improved resolution of WR.

I hope they improved the DA50-200. Maybe I got a bad copy, but mine is definitely lacking in sharpness even stopped down. My DA18-55 II on the other hand is excellent.

ken · 05-20-2009, 12:07 PM

Can these 2 WR lens work with contrast detect AF on k7 / k20d ?
How about face detection ?

RMabo · 05-20-2009, 12:42 PM

18-55 has super low dispersion element, yes.
It does not have ED element (Extra low dispersion).
Somehow, ED is actually higher grade than SP, and Pentax do use ED when the lens has ED, but not SP when the lens has SP. (probably because it would confuse everyone because the lenses has SP coating! SP = Super protective, a version of SMC, but SP is also = Super low dispersion element).

So ED <> super low dispersion, they are not the same thing.