So I've recently seen some of the "leaked" photos of a new Sony Alpha-mount 18-135mm lens, and it looks
very, very familiar. If the specs and images are correct, it has the "rear focus ring," non-screwdrive "SAM" (DC?) motor, and same filter size, number of elements, etc. as the Pentax DA 18-135mm. Obviously, looking at the photos below, the Sony has a zoom lock and an MF/AF switch (whereas the Pentax has the "quick-shift" clutch), but this makes me wonder... WHO really designs & makes all these lenses?
And just to stir the pot a bit more, Nikon has also been selling a very similar lens (different # of elements from the DA 18-135, though) for a while:
My guess is that these all come from
Tokina, maybe based on their older 16.5-135mm design. We all know that lens designs are commodities, and that Pentax both licenses other companies' designs and rebadges their own lenses liberally (see the Samsung GX range, and things like the Tokina 12-24mm f/4). Really, the DA 18-135mm design and mechanics are so... different... from other Pentax DA lenses (rear focus ring, the new "DC" motor), that I started wondering about this when it first came out.
The reality is that there are only so many ways to make a good lens (both optically competent and cost-effective to produce) and this is expensive R&D to do, so they are quickly patented, but we as consumers are constantly crying out for "more choices" and improved models of lenses. Not to mention the odd but commonly-held belief that the number of lenses offered by your camera brand (the "system") determines how "good" your choice of camera is. (If you ever want to read some serious complaining, look in the "lens roadmap" threads!) DSLR lenses are also a good long-term revenue generator for the camera manufacturers.
So what's my point?
Pentax has long been known as one of the better lens designers and manufacturers, but by necessity it seems some of their lenses aren't "Pentax" at all, and perhaps worse, some of their really unique designs are sub-licensed and end up cheaper for other mounts (the 10-17 fisheye, the DA 35 macro, and the 50-135 stand out here). Would you, personally, prefer to wait longer for new lenses in order to get more of the ones that Pentax is well-known for designing (the FA and DA Limiteds and "iconoclasts" like the upcoming 560mm f/5.6) or prefer the broader choice of having the same lenses everyone else has (like the 18-250 and maybe the 18-135 now) but paying higher prices for them with the Pentax SMC and labels?
Last edited by panoguy; 03-26-2012 at 08:00 AM.