[ChristianRock]

No, none of the above will happen.
1) and 2), who will buy the remaining stock, then?

That's why they dump stock before announcing something new. Wait for the 499 dollar fire sale.

3) and 4) PENTAX goal is to have small size lens and thus small aperture slow lens, anything larger like the Sigma 18-35, people will complain about the size.

Pentax has some larger lenses as well, like 16-50, 50-135 and 60-250.

See the latest review.... blind Pentaxian praise Pentax for the expensive and slow 20-40 in the Sigma 18-35 review.... why do all the things you suggest when you have people support you even when you do nothing??

Heie does love his Pentax stuff and is very enthusiastic about it. He's a good guy, though, from what I can tell, and he does know his stuff.

Others have had more negative views of the 20-40. But from what I've seen, stop it down and it's almost indistinguishable from the best DA Limiteds like the 35 2.8 macro. So, as with everything, get different opinions and make your own, which I guess would lie somewhere in the middle.

[starjedi]

That's why they dump stock before announcing something new. Wait for the 499 dollar fire sale.



Pentax has some larger lenses as well, like 16-50, 50-135 and 60-250.



Heie does love his Pentax stuff and is very enthusiastic about it. He's a good guy, though, from what I can tell, and he does know his stuff.

Others have had more negative views of the 20-40. But from what I've seen, stop it down and it's almost indistinguishable from the best DA Limiteds like the 35 2.8 macro. So, as with everything, get different opinions and make your own, which I guess would lie somewhere in the middle.

Thanks. You replied what I exactly want to argue :-).

My idea is that when FF is released, in a long term plan, Pentax should have two DA lines for current lenses

1) DA portability line
Basically it follows what current philosophy of Pentax. What they need to do is to further reduce the weights of lenses by changing it from ff compatible to aps-c only. I can imagine FF 31, 43 and 77 can be made as pancake lenses! Basically this line is APS-C only line and targets DSLR beginners up to semi-pro.

2) DFA performance line
Currently almost all the prime belongs to this line. In this line, Pentax can emphasize every feature to enhance the performance eg 50 1.2 or 85 1.4

....

[tvdtvdtvd]

It is fun indeed to ponder what one might do if they were suddenly, instantly in command of a multi-million dollar corporation.

I might be in the minority on this, but if I were Mr. Pentax I'd release a series of 21st century Super Takumars with modern optics.
Build quality of the original Taks, with K-mount and functionality of the A series, (they don't need to be auto-focus). Yeah, that
would rock, but it will never happen. I'm sure the Super Tak build would be cost prohibitive in today's world and far, far too
many people demand that auto focus.

[ChristianRock]

It is fun indeed to ponder what one might do if they were suddenly, instantly in command of a multi-million dollar corporation.

I might be in the minority on this, but if I were Mr. Pentax I'd release a series of 21st century Super Takumars with modern optics.
Build quality of the original Taks, with K-mount and functionality of the A series, (they don't need to be auto-focus). Yeah, that
would rock, but it will never happen. I'm sure the Super Tak build would be cost prohibitive in today's world and far, far too
many people demand that auto focus.

Still people would complain.

We now have this guy in another thread saying that since the Limited lenses are metal and Sony Zeiss is plastic and lighter (even though they're quite bigger), Pentax sucks and isn't portable.

Mr. Pentax would never please everyone.

But a modern line of manual focus Takumar lenses with revised optics and ghostless, HD coatings, at premium prices might not be a bad idea. It would compete with Leica and Zeiss and Voigtlander and be like what Ferrari is to FIAT and Lamborghini is to VW - a brand to lift your main brand. Of course, an all-mechanical, manual film camera that feels like a Leica and is as small as the MX would also be a necessity. Again, for premium prices for the conosseurs (we regular people already can buy cheaper MX or even LX cameras and happily shoot... or in my case, a great handling P30T...)

[starjedi]

Still people would complain.

We now have this guy in another thread saying that since the Limited lenses are metal and Sony Zeiss is plastic and lighter (even though they're quite bigger), Pentax sucks and isn't portable.

Mr. Pentax would never please everyone.

But a modern line of manual focus Takumar lenses with revised optics and ghostless, HD coatings, at premium prices might not be a bad idea. It would compete with Leica and Zeiss and Voigtlander and be like what Ferrari is to FIAT and Lamborghini is to VW - a brand to lift your main brand. Of course, an all-mechanical, manual film camera that feels like a Leica and is as small as the MX would also be a necessity. Again, for premium prices for the conosseurs (we regular people already can buy cheaper MX or even LX cameras and happily shoot... or in my case, a great handling P30T...)

It is not a bad idea but one caveat is that the lens industry is also evolving. One could not imagine the Otus 55 Otus 85 ten years ago. The latter opened a new era and standard for the industry. Yes. They are expensive now. But like what happening now, more and more manufactures will follow up and meet the similar standard ( eg sigma 50 art)... Takumar was very good in the past for sure but might not meet the higher standard in new digital era..

[tvdtvdtvd]

It is not a bad idea but one caveat is that the lens industry is also evolving. One could not imagine the Otus 55 Otus 85 ten years ago. The latter opened a new era and standard for the industry. Yes. They are expensive now. But like what happening now, more and more manufactures will follow up and meet the similar standard ( eg sigma 50 art)... Takumar was very good in the past for sure but might not meet the higher standard in new digital era..

Ah, but I asked Mr. Pentax for a Takumar build with modern optics, quite a different affair than simply rereleasing the original
Takumar lenses. Modern glass, modern coatings, all in that rock solid, silky smooth focusing barrel. Can't see how that would
disappoint from an image performance standard. It all boils down to what's more important, feel in the hand or fast focus?
For me, the feel of a smooth focusing metal barrel will always trump auto focus.

I really hate the feel of plastic barreled lenses and even the metal bodied, auto-focus limiteds have a 'mushiness' that simply
cannot compare to the well damped feel of an old Super Tak.

[starjedi]

Ah, but I asked Mr. Pentax for a Takumar build with modern optics, quite a different affair than simply rereleasing the original
Takumar lenses. Modern glass, modern coatings, all in that rock solid, silky smooth focusing barrel. Can't see how that would
disappoint from an image performance standard. It all boils down to what's more important, feel in the hand or fast focus?
For me, the feel of a smooth focusing metal barrel will always trump auto focus.

I really hate the feel of plastic barreled lenses and even the metal bodied, auto-focus limiteds have a 'mushiness' that simply
cannot compare to the well damped feel of an old Super Tak.

Yes. Old lenses were built like a tank and can last forever if there is no fungus and other lens issue like haze or cement.

[ChristianRock]

It is not a bad idea but one caveat is that the lens industry is also evolving. One could not imagine the Otus 55 Otus 85 ten years ago. The latter opened a new era and standard for the industry. Yes. They are expensive now. But like what happening now, more and more manufactures will follow up and meet the similar standard ( eg sigma 50 art)... Takumar was very good in the past for sure but might not meet the higher standard in new digital era..

That is why I said, revised optics with HD Ghostless coatings - it would have to have tweaks to the optical formula itself, I'm sure - If they only reissued the old lens, it would make no sense...

[stubyles]

I don't understand the lack of a 50/1.2, I have K and A versions. The A is almost permanently attached.

[starjedi]

I don't understand the lack of a 50/1.2, I have K and A versions. The A is almost permanently attached.

Not to mention an aps-c version 50/1.2 is much easier to make...

My explanation is that the old optics formula is not used any more due to existence of lead(pb). So they cannot reuse the old design and need to redesign the lens. That's a cost.

[stubyles]

Not to mention an aps-c version 50/1.2 is much easier to make...

My explanation is that the old optics formula is not used any more due to existence of lead(pb). So they cannot reuse the old design and need to redesign the lens. That's a cost.

Why is lead a problem, I'm not going to eat it!
It's a shame.
Mind you, I've got an A50/1.2 and A K version so I'm happy.

[starjedi]

Why is lead a problem, I'm not going to eat it!
It's a shame.
Mind you, I've got an A50/1.2 and A K version so I'm happy.

Great choice. Lead pollutes the environment and damages the children's mind. So from new century, many lead-glasses are out of production. It is reasonable despite that the lead glass is fine for all of us but the manufacture will create pollution... Anyway, without lead glass, one can still make good lenses or even better. Zeiss new lenses are example

[Na Horuk]

Well starjedi, Mr. Pentax, I wish you all the best and hope you get on that soon Sounds like a good plan, echoing what many have been saying for a long time now

[starjedi]

Well starjedi, Mr. Pentax, I wish you all the best and hope you get on that soon Sounds like a good plan, echoing what many have been saying for a long time now

Yeah. Hope there have some pentax staffs sit at corner and are listening to us...

[robjmitchell]

Once old stock is sold we will gradually see all lenses changed over to HD, thats because HD is not only better, but significantly cheaper than traditional SMC vacuum deposition coating.
I prefer my limiteds to remain screw drive, nothing to break down. But we should see some Fast DFA* weather sealed primes, in the vein of the DA*55.
If Ricoh has made a plan to go FF at some point, then it makes sense to stop all research on top quality DA lenses and focus on FF lenses that could be used on both. The exception being wide angles for APS-C.