[alamo5000]

I would like to hear from the peanut gallery. Yes, it's all 110% speculation but I would like to hear what you *THINK* Ricoh/Pentax will come out with in regards to a wide angle full frame prime.

(if this needs to be moved to a different sub forum you have my blessing.... just move it)

For the purposes of this informal speculative poll let's say 'wide angle' is 24mm and wider.

What aperture do you think it will have?

Do you think it's going to be built like a FA Limited lens or the infinitely less popular FA 50mm plastic?

If they did a 24mm f1.4 or f1.8 that would be great. Same thing for a 20mm f1.4 or f1.8.... I would hope we would have 4 or 5 amigos and not just three.

Of course all would be auto focus.

My opinion is that Pentax/Ricoh is doing great in the camera department but since all their effort has been focused there they have been lazy in the lens department.

What do you think they will wind up with in the 24 and wider prime arena?

[northcoastgreg]

If they did a 24mm f1.4 or f1.8 that would be great. Same thing for a 20mm f1.4 or f1.8.... I would hope we would have 4 or 5 amigos and not just three.

If they do a 24 f1.4 it will be a DFA* lens rather than an amigo.

If they stick to the roadmap, I think we'll mostly likely see a DFA* 24 f1.4. However, while I think a 24mm lens is most needed (it would fill a hole in the APS-C lineup as well), a 24 f1.4 lens would be large and expensive. A 24 1.8 or 2.0 (an amigo!) would probably make more sense. A 20 2.8 would make a nice addition as well, but there's nothing like that on the roadmap.

Despite the desirability of a wide angle prime, I still contend that the biggest hole in the lineup is lack of a wide angle zoom with filter rings. Pentax would sell great many more DFA 18-35 f4-5.6 than they would 24 f1.4's. And the zoom might end up weighing less than the prime!

[jatrax]

Not sure where Ricoh is going to go with Limited line. Maybe nowhere.

For wide angle I think DFA*24 f/2 and DFA 20mm f/2.8 or maybe f/4.

But I agree with @northcoastgreg a replacement for the FA 20-35 f/4 would be very welcome. DFA 18-35 f/4??? With filter rings and really nice manual focus ring.

[OneDurs]

I don't know anything about anything. But an ultra wide angle suitable on apsc with WR would be #1 on my wish list. Like a 12-24 WR or so.. .. That doesn't exist right?

[ramseybuckeye]

The D FA roadmap tells a little, but less than the regular roadmap. I will guess that 24/2 and 20/1.4 are the ones represented on the roadmap. But Pentax likes to throw a few surprises in.sometimes so I would look for a budget 24/2.8 or 3.2 but more likely 28/2.8. Just to be different that 24 may be a 23 or 25 and the 20 a 19 or 21. After all, who else makes 31 and 43mm lens?

[stevebrot]

Assuming the lens is meant to fill the FF wide angle (non-premium, non-fast) prime slated for early 2017, the obvious hole is at 28mm.

HD Pentax-D FA 28/2.8 DC WR

Steve

[tvdtvdtvd]

A 28/2.8 or 28/2.0 would fill the niche for a classic wide angle starter point. Being that we're in the 21st century and everyone is
expecting something more, a 24mm might be more likely. I would MUCH rather see a 24mm 2.0, (or even 2.8 or a nice, tidy,
compact 3.5 limited), than a spec sheet pissing match competitor like a 24/1.4. There is just no reason a 24mm needs to be that fast,
or that ridiculously large. A 20/2.8 somewhere down the road would also be much appreciated.

[alamo5000]

For the purposes of this informal speculative poll let's say 'wide angle' is 24mm and wider.

Just sayin'.

That said I wouldn't wince at a 28mm. It was my favorite focal length on crop but there isn't that much difference between 28 and 31 if you ask me. Not enough to warrant extra space in the bag....

[alamo5000]

A 28/2.8 or 28/2.0 would fill the niche for a classic wide angle starter point. Being that we're in the 21st century and everyone is
expecting something more, a 24mm might be more likely. I would MUCH rather see a 24mm 2.0, (or even 2.8 or a nice, tidy,
compact 3.5 limited), than a spec sheet pissing match competitor like a 24/1.4. There is just no reason a 24mm needs to be that fast,
or that ridiculously large. A 20/2.8 somewhere down the road would also be much appreciated.

I would take a 24 and a 20 all day long. I would hope they would be at least 1.8 but I could live with 2 or even 2.8

[les3547]

A 28/2.8 or 28/2.0 would fill the niche for a classic wide angle starter point. Being that we're in the 21st century and everyone is expecting something more, a 24mm might be more likely. I would MUCH rather see a 24mm 2.0, (or even 2.8 or a nice, tidy,
compact 3.5 limited), than a spec sheet pissing match competitor like a 24/1.4. There is just no reason a 24mm needs to be that fast,
or that ridiculously large. A 20/2.8 somewhere down the road would also be much appreciated.

I feel the same way. In fact, a bulky 24mm for the sake of speed seems against the logic of the importance of depth of field for typical wide angle photography.

Pentax's future road map listed a wide angle and an ultra-wide angle lens planned. A 28mm wide angle doesn't give us much more than the superb FA 31, but 24mm (the limit of WA) is unoccupied. So my logic tells me a 24mm is the most likely upcoming WA, and something 20mm or below is planned for the UWA.

[Wild Mark]

For a wide angle I do not understand the fascination with super fast lenses. f2 is about as fast as I would ever want. The reason I say this is one of the main reasons for a fast lens (not the only reason) is to improve critical focus (reduced depth of field). But you dont shoot wide open as you are more than likely looking for lots of depth .....

Anyway, that is my two bobs worth

[monochrome]

Trophy lenses often don't make business sense. I'd love to know the net revenue from the 28~105 compared to the 24~70 and 70~200.

[stevebrot]

That said I wouldn't wince at a 28mm. It was my favorite focal length on crop but there isn't that much difference between 28 and 31 if you ask me. Not enough to warrant extra space in the bag....

Assuming the 31 is in the budget. The FA 31/1.8 Limited was originally released along side the 28mm offering, not in lieu of. Now if Pentax were to release updated HD D FA 31/1.8 DC WR at a price point similar to the very excellent 28mm offerings from Nikon or Canon, that would be excellent. The current FA 31 is twice that money.

For a K-1 owner wanting a true wide angle capable of doing landscape and interiors with minimum distortion or reasonable crop options to final dimensions, 24mm is way overkill and the FA 31/1.8 is overly expensive. There is a reason why the 28mm was a part of the classic kit and why the various K-mount 24mm lenses are fairly rare used. The 24mm focal length is a little too wide for general use. The relative rarity of 24mm and 20mm lenses used is the result of poor sales back-in-the-day.

Oh...BTW...I too can't figure out why so many people seem to feel that any future wide angle must be f/1.4 or even f/1.8. In case they have not noticed, even with a high magnification viewfinder it is fiendishly hard to use unaided manual focus at 24mm or even 28mm on FF. AF does not help since even the best AF points for PDAF have a focus sensitivity of f/2.8...yes, 2 stops slower. Yes, there is live view and that is an excellent option for on-tripod work in other than bright conditions.


Steve

[Nessie]

Oh...BTW...I too can't figure out why so many people seem to feel that any future wide angle must be f/1.4 or even f/1.8.

I can answer this in one word: astrophotography.

[Wild Mark]

I can answer this in one word: astrophotography.

I still think f2 to f2.8 is ample for this photography.