[wacrider]

Wich ones?

Well for bringing them into other lensmounts you probably need approval and a license to use those mounts. I wouldn't count on that.

Well Zeiss did it in Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Sony/Minolta mounts. Then you have the third party manufacturers which have been producing for a long time. So it must be possible.

As concerns models you'll would know better then me. I've only shot a handful and don't have that depth of knowledge. But I do know that I like the look of the ones I have which is a 50M and a 135SM. Not necessarily the top of the line per se'.

[RonHendriks1966]

Funny, I read this just before you added the 60-250, that is why I looked into the f2.8 range. One off my lenses on the wishlist is Sigma's 120-300mm/f2.8 since I want a longer f2.8 lens to use in sportsarena's where f4.0 isn't the best option (like in a swimming arena). The sigma is 3 kg so having it smaller, less reach and only APS-C would make it mayby 2 kg and that is attractive to me. A 1,4x TC would complete that series of DA* zoomlenses.

For discussion about this lens I opened a new thread to get some understanding about the how and about on a lens like this. I think it can be a very versatile tool in our lens line-up, only not for everyone to choose or use (as with alot of lenses).
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/146855-pentax-...ive-motor.html

Is it just me or would more people embrace a DM-WR series ?
Yes manual focus, with auto-aperture and APS-C format and modern lens disign and coating.
Could be even smaller than the m; better build than de A and maybe even WR
but at a reasonable price due the lack of AF.
Since Voigtländer stopt producing SL ii series and Zeiss forgot about us too,
we, MF lovers are depending on old and rare lenses for high quality.

Well Zeiss did it in Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Sony/Minolta mounts. Then you have the third party manufacturers which have been producing for a long time. So it must be possible.

As concerns models you'll would know better then me. I've only shot a handful and don't have that depth of knowledge. But I do know that I like the look of the ones I have which is a 50M and a 135SM. Not necessarily the top of the line per se'.

Also for this new lensline, DM-WR manual focus only I opened a new thread to discuss it. Seriously interested in how that turns out since it is totaly out my current sight since I only have AF lenses.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/146899-new-len...ocus-only.html

[abacus07]

Does Pentax have a big enough user base to support a full DA L (entry level) and DA limited (mid level) lineup in addition to the pro (or close to pro) level DA* and FA lines? Would it cannibalize the DA limited sales or would the DA L lineup be aimed at 3rd party manufacturers? Same question (enough of a user base) for creating a WR lineup of primes.

I voted mostly for expanding the DA L lineup or more WR versions (low cost lenses or weatherproofing is what I want). I don't shoot pro level photos and I mostly shoot in good light (not requiring the biggest apertures at a big increase in cost/weight). I also travel/hike/backpack a lot so if I'm going to spend the money I prefer to spend it on WR and not faster apertures.

It might help to list prospective prices of some of these lenses although it would be speculative. I figured most of the DA L series would be in the 200-250 price range. One of the forum's favorites that I voted for is the DA 24/2.0 WR. It would be expensive but I don't know if expensive is $500 or $800. If it becomes too expensive (approaching $1000) then I would be happier with a 28/2.8 ($300-$400?) even if it wasn't WR.

[RonHendriks1966]

• Does Pentax have a big enough user base to support a full DA L (entry level) and DA limited (mid level) lineup in addition to the pro (or close to pro) level DA* and FA lines?
• It might help to list prospective prices of some of these lenses although it would be speculative.

Well two good questions.

• I think that bringing out a new DA-L lens with every new entry-level camera introduction over the coming years is a good idea as long as they keep selling them. I think that there is a stop when the userbase doesn't pick them up. The 35mm/f2.4 salles great at start, so I guess it is profatable. Having a growing group of users will increase lens options. The three lensline, DA Ltd, DA* and FA Ltd are very different in the produced pictures with them, so it is not only competing with eachother but also partly having a different usergroup or purpose of use.
• I was working on such a pricelist, but that isn't very easy. I was thinking off putting them into groups, so not so very to the point as you are asking. Living in Europe doesn't make it easy to oversea US prices.

• A < $ 250 -> these are ofcourse the three DA-L lenses.
• B $ 250 – $ 500 -> 8mm/28mm/135-400mm/1,4xTC/2xTC
• C $ 500 – $ 1000 -> 24mm/50mm/100mm/70-200
• D $ 1000 – $ 1500 -> 20mm/85mm/105mm/135mm/400mm/28-70
• E $ 1500 - $ 2500 -> 200macro/500mm/80-200
• F > $ 2500 -> The long ends 300/600/135-270mm

If some-one is offering a help with this, you are more then welcome.

---

Last edited by RonHendriks1966; 06-08-2011 at 02:03 PM.

[northcoastgreg]

Looking through the list of lens, I just can't see Pentax making more than maybe one or two of the lens on the list. I can see a wide angle in somewhere in twenties and something around 135 (though it will f2.8 or slower, not 2.0). Perhaps, if we're real lucky, we'll see a 400/5.6. But more than half the lenses on the list would be more expensive than any lens Pentax currently makes. Unfortunately, they don't have a large enough user base to justify making those kinds of lenses, or having a line-up with so many offerings. It's no coincidence that the company with the largest user base offers the most lenses.

[jsherman999]

Looking at the list... It's interesting to note that the top two wished-for lenses (135 f/2 and 24 f/2) would be well covered in FOV/DOF with a full-frame body offering from Pentax (200 f/2.8 on FF = 135 f/1.8 equiv on aps-c, 35 f/2 on FF = 24 f/1.3 on aps-c)

Maybe we should wish for a FF "K-1" and just a refresh of the 35 f/2 & 50 1.7, and a re-introduction of the 24 & 20 primes... cheap-but-good DA-FF (or FA) 24 2.8, DA-FF 20 2.8, etc...

[pilgrimingvine]

Wouldn't mind seeing a fast standard prime.

Something like:
30mm or 35mm f1.4 or f1.8

[abacus07]

Looking through the list of lens, I just can't see Pentax making more than maybe one or two of the lens on the list. I can see a wide angle in somewhere in twenties and something around 135 (though it will f2.8 or slower, not 2.0). Perhaps, if we're real lucky, we'll see a 400/5.6. But more than half the lenses on the list would be more expensive than any lens Pentax currently makes. Unfortunately, they don't have a large enough user base to justify making those kinds of lenses, or having a line-up with so many offerings. It's no coincidence that the company with the largest user base offers the most lenses.

I think the big factor regarding how many lenses they will release in the next couple of years is whether or not they continue budget DA L prime lineup. They now have entry level cameras released in the $400-500 dollar range and it only makes sense to have more lenses available to those consumers in the $200-300 range. I know that doesn't represent the users here. But that is huge growth market imo. And at some point those consumers upgrade further to the K-7/K-5 and the DA lineup. There could easily be an 18, 35 (existing), 60 and short tele like the 90mm in a few years.

Is it possible that Pentax could start upgrading the DA limited lineup to include WR and further distinguish itself from a DA L lineup? Or is WR for primes overkill and something that consumers won't be willing to pay for?

[RonHendriks1966]

....something around 135 (though it will f2.8 or slower, not 2.0). Perhaps, if we're real lucky, we'll see a 400/5.6. Unfortunately, they don't have a large enough user base to justify making those kinds of lenses, or having a line-up with so many offerings.

Growt of userbase is very important. I don't think we will ever see a prime in the range 100-135mm/f2.8 since that is covert by the DA*50-135mm. There is also not much sence in bringing a 400/f5.6 since it is to close to DA*300, but I would love to see it.

Maybe we should wish for a FF "K-1"

That tooka wile to see that wish I would want it, but discussions about it in dslr-section.

Is it possible that Pentax could start upgrading the DA limited lineup to include WR and further distinguish itself from a DA L lineup? Or is WR for primes overkill and something that consumers won't be willing to pay for?

I do wonder how much extra costs are involved for turning say a DA 70mm/f2.4 Ltd. into a DA 70mm/f2.4 WR Ltd. or even give it a DC ringmotor?

[yusuf]

I would prefer "SDM II with high reliability" compared to "SDM II with faster focussing"

[RonHendriks1966]

I was looking into the numbers because I'm preparing an article about this survey and to my surprice we did reach a level of poll-entry's high enough to make some conclusions.

Base of this is the membersgroup off this forum. I was looking at the expectation off readers/members to fill in this poll and made the expectation that the bottom would be layed at members with at least 50 posts (that is just over 3000 members) so there is some kind of forum activity that is leading to this poll.

For that number we now have enough participants in the Poll. I will make an article over the coming days.

Very important:
Everyone is still invited to fill in this poll and contribute their ideas!

Think off having a better view off member choices when poll entry's where double.

[RonHendriks1966]

Just thought off one other option (that I would even buy). Poor men's macrolens. Not having a macrolens at all, and not interested I do want sometimes to get closer to things. So having a cheaper macro lens that not reaches a 1:1 magnification, but only half of that to 1:2 would be fine for me.

Make it:
DA-L 70mm/f4 1:2 macro

That would make a nice lens for $ 175 or so. I'll bet you Pentax would sell a lot off them.

[zackspeed]

So,i send this thread to my Pentax Germany bodys and to Pentax Europe.
In the same way i give the informations in this,my converterthread here and my converterthread in the german forum to my pentax japan body.
Will hope that something happend with all the informations.
same like the ideas for the firmware
Best regards,Andy

[KxBlaze]

I went for pure speed. I am happy with the focal length line up (maybe Pentax can add some more zooms) so a F 1.0 would be REALLY nice to have.

[RonHendriks1966]

For now a first start on conclusions coming out off the poll. This summary was made up at the time that 200 voters made there poll-entry's.

The easy answers:
One way to spend the R&D budget is to highest usergroup demand:

1. DFA*1,4x Tele Converter. There is currently no TC available for Pentax digital camera..
2. SDM-II design with more reliabillity and faster Auto Focus and implementing them into the current SDM lenses and future new SDM lenses.
3. DA 24mm/f2.0 WR is the highest rated lens in the survey. There is some logic to it, since it is an old an good lensdesign and there is no other prime in the widerange that futures WR.
4. DA*135mm/f2.0 is the second and last lens to stand out in the survey. A fast telelens that is good for concert, long lens portrait and sports (especially indoor sportsarena's) to name. An expensive lens, but with some good prospects among the Pentax userbase.

These four are among the readers of this forum favorite and there is a good reason to beleave that they will be appreciated among current and future Pentax DSLR users worldwide to some extend. Having an updated and improved SDM-II version to make up for shortcomings of the current SDM (AF-performance in current lenses on K-5 isn't up to the speed off the camera anymore) will be good for Pentax brand. The other three choices are specialty choices, but all three adding a complete new lenschoice (or the TC) to the Pentax lens-lineup.

Is this forum a good representation for the Pentax DSLR userbase? When you look at this https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5-forum/119323-k-5-owners-where-do-you-live.html you can see that there is a real tendency to USA and Europe and that Asia (and Pentax's homeland Japan) is less active on this forum. So there may be well some other choices to make since the preference of Asian usergroup coult be different.

There is still an invitation to all forummembers to contribute to the poll by leaving a message or vote on the poll when you didn't do that until now. Having a bigger pool of voters would be great to make some more conclusions to this poll outcome then the first in this message.