[Roob-N-Boots]

Calling the 50 a "standard" lens is the most obvious tip off.

That's the first thing that popped in my head.

[twitch]

The Q also has a standard lens, it means nothing for the possibility of a FF body.

[rvannatta]

What's this new screwless SDM-only mount? Did I miss something buried in all of today's Pentax news?

It doesn't exist on a camera body yet. The marketers in trying to say that the K-01 supported both the classic screw drive and SDM said
that it had a KAF2/KAF3 mount. This raised a question as the KAF3 mount on a camera body is previously unknown. it's a delusional marketers term for a KA2 mount--i.e. one with 2 electric contacts inside for the SDM drive, -- but no 'F' which is the letter added to the mount terminology when Focusing via a driveshaft is supported.

[rvannatta]

Wow, I just realized a few more things! The DA 50 is due this year, meaning it could well be available as a bundled lens with a FF camera, as Pentax likes to offer a prime bundle most of the time.

And they also chose a single focal length of long prime to develop, as I was thinking.

Furthermore, the DA High Magnification Zoom Lens might be like the Nikon 24-120/4, as I was thinking they should do (but didn't mention) yesterday. Canon also has their 24-105/4, and these are very useful lenses. I sure hope it is - in my mind this is a key lens for both Canon and Nikon. However, it may just be a slower zoom, as I was thinking at first. I hope it's not. A constant aperture lens would be so much better. And they already have the DA18-135, plus slower third-party glass (such as Tamron) has been available in FF for a long time. But no one else (that I know of) offers this excellent zoom range in an f/4 lens, except Canon and Nikon.

Also, the 1.4x AF TC is a great idea. I wasn't satisfied with the Tamron 1.4x AF TC, and I think it's out of production anyway. So far I've opted for the old Pentax A 1.4x glass instead. And let's be honest - even if many of us don't use our TC often, we'll go out and buy one, because we think we need it in our kit!


Boy, hasn't it been a LOOOOONG time since Pentax released a lens roadmap? Many of us were getting worried during the Hoya years.

well they are going to have to invent a market for the long zoom. I lately sold the Pentax-F 35-135 exemplar on ebay and managed to get $75
for it. Those things were quite in fashion in the early AF era---- but they don't sell now....

As for the 550---- pentax needed a long lens Now if they find the balance between fast and affordable.

[DSims]

well they are going to have to invent a market for the long zoom. I lately sold the Pentax-F 35-135 exemplar on ebay and managed to get $75
for it. Those things were quite in fashion in the early AF era---- but they don't sell now....

The Pentax F 35-135 is nothing like the premium constant f/4 24-105/120 zooms from Canon and Nikon. I don't know the sales figures on the Nikon, but the Canon 24-105/4 L is very popular. Both these lenses sell for over $1000.

[StepOne]

i saw a 50 in that roadmap, i hope they get in line with the others and it is a cheaper version, that would help the sales i think. Does not say anything about SDM though.

[CTR01]

Any thoughts regarding the price of the x1.4 TC?

[DSims]

The Q also has a standard lens, it means nothing for the possibility of a FF body.

The Q Standard Prime is 8.5mm, which is equivalent to 47mm on FF, therefore "standard," just as the DA35/2.4 is roughly "standard" on an APS-C body.

[Emacs]

I'm glad to see no FA or DFA lenses on there. In a perfect world, that would quiet the FF daydreamers, but I know it won't. There's no way Pentax/Ricoh should go anywhere near FF for at least a decade, even then only providing their market share increases enormously in that time & FF sensor prices drop dramatically.

Dude, APS-C DSLR time is already over. No FF ≡ Death.

[Emacs]

The word "Limited" in the 2013 Zoom limited is an odd one

It was as odd to apply this word to cheap pancake optics

[DSims]

I agree with those who are reading the tea leaves of the lens road map
and seeing full frame (even though they are using the DA placeholder
(how could they really do anything else without tipping their hand?).

Calling the 50 a "standard" lens is the most obvious tip off. I think
it would be easiest for them just to ramp production back up for the
FA50 1.4.

That "high magnfication" zoom lens looks like a the old FA 28-200mm
(or something new with a similar range).

The word "Limited" in the 2013 Zoom limited is an odd one. If you look
above that range at the lenses already available you already see 3 DA
zooms that cover that focal length range, along with an FA Prime
Limited and 2 or 3 other DA primes. I just don't see needing a limited
range zoom down there for an APS-C.

Similarly, the "DA Wide Zoom" is only slightly longer than the DA
12-24mm. That would only be needed if the sensor size was larger. It
would either be a 14-28mm rectilinear full frame zoom, or they are
bringing back that lens that only Pentax produced way back when, the
F17-28 fisheye. It seems more likely to me that it be a rectilinear
that would sell.

I believe more than ever that a full frame could be announced at CP+
for delivery later this year. Also to be announced there are probably
all three of the 2012 lenses on the road map. Keep in mind that any
new full frame lenses could also be used on APS-C cameras, the same
way that we use the older glass now.

Very good points, cheekygeek.

I don't think a full frame will be announced soon, since Pentax usually announces cameras close to the release date (less than 2 months). Maybe sometime before February next year. The most optimistic possible, I think, is in "4-5 months" when the "K30/K300" is supposedly going to be announced. As rumors sometimes get mixed up (especially months ahead of time), there's a small possibility this will actually be a FF camera.

But if I'm wrong, and they're actually going to have one soon, I'll be very happy.

[blende8]

During the time of the introduction of the K5 there were rumors of a 560/5.6. Asking about this at the Photokina 2010, it was not denied, but said to have been canceled by Hoya because it was expected of not bringing immediate profit.

[Ishpuini]

I've been hoping for a 135-400 for so long... Great to see some hope restored, though 2013 is still some time to wait, and a lot can happen in the mean time. I could use it now... Same for the TC...

That limited zoom is interesting to say the least. I'm sure many here will remember Richard Day was dreaming of this before he left us for Nikon.

I wouldn't read too much in the presence of the 50mm standard. Even though it's obviously not standard on APS-C, there's so many people citing the lack of a cheap standard 50 as one of the major problems in Pentax's lens offering. I guess this is just Pentax recognizing a market demand, their calling it standard is to be seen in the same vain imho.

But I do wonder about that 560/5.6 (let's call it that as suggested by Blende8). I like the alliteration in the numbers! Sounds very Pentax like. Great for birding, so perhaps I might get it for that. I've always had a special place in my heart for birds, and I always carry a bird book when traveling (so I have bird books on many regions of our world). But for some reason I've never gone beyond the FA*300/4.5 (occasionally with the Tamron 1.4x TC) to capture them and only do so on holiday. I do have some nice results, but 560mm would be so much nicer, and the cost of this lens may motivate me to rekindle my birding interest in my own country again...

Perhaps I should skip the next flagship DSLR for once. That would be a first. Esp since the 16MP 14bit RAWs of the K-5 are already proving a considerable burden for my aging computer, so a next DSLR will certainly require the investment of replacing that PC as well, making it harder to allocate the funds for all this precious glass...

Regardless, it's great to have the lens roadmap back!

Wim

[TOUGEFC]

The roadmap looks good, but it didnt have the lens I was wishing for .... DA* 135mm :ugh:

[Alizarine]

or a DA 85 1.8 or 1.4 at least... or 28-105 f/4