[zapp]

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8 years, I feel old now.
The lens could need an update. AF is old style, no focus limiter..., but Pentax needs a bunch of other lenses first. I would not expect an update any time soon.
Price/performance wise this is one of the best lenses in the lineup. As long as it sells well Pentax will not change anything.

[Erictator]

I LOVE my DFA100 WR optically, size wise, etc. It is an awesome lens formula and I do hope they dont mess with it too much.

If they do anything, all it really needs is improved AF to make it more of an all purpose lens. But then again... you see how well all purpose fighter jets always work out for the airforce...

Not sure how they would go about improving AF without changing ratios witch make manual focusing harder, or going away from screw drive because I am not certain how KAF4 and PLM would work in a macro environment, or ext tubes, etc.

But at any rate, with better AF and new HD coatings would be the most I would want to see touched, just a minor refresh. The rendering of this lens is special as-is.
We shall see...
Eric

[BrianR]

"Re-skinning" it with the latest doo-dads would be nice, just so long as they don't decide to redesign the optics into something massive (compare it with the Canon 100mm macros for example). I think the compact design is a major draw for this lens. While we're dreaming, my wish list would include - transmitting magnification to the camera to store in the exif and also transmitting the effective aperture (this could be a toggleable option). These may be impossible with the current lens mount communication, but that's my wish!

Before that, I'd rather see a DFA*200mm macro with all the bells and whistles. Expensive, large, no-holds barred awesomeness is my expectation. And some damn extension tubes so anyone wanting automation doesn't have to scrounge. Some glass-less HD-TC's would be a start. This hole in the macro lineup is madness imo.

[UncleVanya]

It has recently gotten easier to find autofocus extension tubes:

for Pentax K PK 25mm Auto Focus AF Close-up Macro Extension Tubes KOOKA KK-P25 | eBay

for Pentax PK Auto Focus Close-up Metal Macro Extension Tubes Set 20+36mm KK-P56 | eBay

[BrianR]

It has recently gotten easier to find autofocus extension tubes:

for Pentax K PK 25mm Auto Focus AF Close-up Macro Extension Tubes KOOKA KK-P25 | eBay

for Pentax PK Auto Focus Close-up Metal Macro Extension Tubes Set 20+36mm KK-P56 | eBay

Reviews of the KOOKAs were discouraging: https://www.pentaxforums.com/accessoryreviews/kooka-kooka-kk-p25-copper-macr...ion-tubes.html. I'd be willing to pay a good deal more for something trouble free that I'd have for the life of my K-mount usage.

[biz-engineer]

for Pentax K PK 25mm Auto Focus AF Close-up Macro Extension Tubes KOOKA KK-P25 | eBay for Pentax PK Auto Focus Close-up Metal Macro Extension Tubes Set 20+36mm KK-P56 | eBay

From the US.

[sculptor666]

definitely need modern extension tubes that don't vignette on ff.

[bladerunner6]

Yes, I agree, there is no much drawback in having 200mm instead of 100mm, the reverse is not true.

Size, weight and price would be big drawbacks for a lot of people. A Sigma 180 Macro weighs 1.6kg, is 204 mm long and costs $1700 USD. The 180 Tamron is much light and less expensive: it weighs 940g, is 165 mm long and costs $740, but it is only a max of f3.5.

The Pentax only 340g, is 63.5 mm long and costs $547.

The median household income in the US is about 57K. A $1700 lens is pretty expensive for someone in that bracket.

[Doundounba]

If they do anything, all it really needs is improved AF to make it more of an all purpose lens. [...]

The thing is to improve AF they would likely go with an internally focusing design, and those are (usually) huge lenses. Look at the recently released Sony 100mm, coming in at 700 grams; the latest Sigma 105mm, at 726 grams; or even the MF Samyang 100mm, at 710 grams. The D-FA 100mm WR is 340 grams - less than one-half of those beasts! I for one much prefer what I have now with the D-FA and would not want to shoot a system that forces a 700+ grams 100mm macro on me.

Also, (as I've said before) I think Pentax could really make a splash by releasing an MP-E 65mm competitor. Canon is all by itself with that lens, which has absolutely no peer. For me, Pentax could make the range more useful by giving me 1:3 to 3:1 (instead of 1:1 to 5:1). Make it F/4 instead of F/2.8 to save some weight, and make it just a tad longer (like 80mm instead of 65mm) for a bit more working distance. Give it WR, which I don't think the MP-E has, and you're golden.

And yes, there's a need for "official" Pentax extension tubes...

[JensE]

And yes, there's a need for "official" Pentax extension tubes...

Like those ??????????????????????? | RICOH IMAGING ?

[monochrome]

Auto Extension Tube Set K at Boz's page
Auto Extension Tube Set K at Pentax Forums

[Scorpio71GR]

I have the DFA 100 Macro WR version. It is an excellent lens however there are things I miss. I wish there was a focus limiter. The focus clamp would be nice for more precise macro focusing. If Richoh wants to stay competitive they need to start releasing lenses with DC motors. I still have my Tamron 90mm Macro since it has an apeture ring. I have always been perplexed that Pentax never released a set of extension tubes with A contacts. Optically the DFA 100 is superb. The build quality is like that of a limited. The screwdrive focus is and lack of a focus limiter are major drawbacks.

[Doundounba]

Like those ??????????????????????? | RICOH IMAGING ?

It's a bit unclear, but these seem to be the old ("K") extension tubes with only aperture coupling. Ideally, you'd want something with screwdrive and SDM plus all KAF4 contacts. Of course, you can get extension tubes with just the physical mount (not very useful), with aperture-only coupling, and non-Pentax ones with A-contacts plus aperture coupling. I have the former two. There's also the Kooka 25mm tube, which I think has everything, but whose quality is unknown. But getting a full set of official, "modern" Pentax extension tubes would still be really nice. It shouldn't cost much to develop either...

[BrianR]

It shouldn't cost much to develop either...

I'll volunteer at the factory to smash out the glass out of the HD Pentax-DA AF Rear Converters as they come off the line.

It's seriously mystifying. Unless they're planning radical changes to the k-mount in the near future, the time for extension tubes is now. The time of my buying would also be now, or in as many months as it takes me to save up for them.

[FantasticMrFox]

In general, Pentax should go through the whole line-up and re-release any lens that is optically good with in-lens AF (DC or PLM), WR and HD coatings. Naturally that takes some time, and in some cases the optical construction may make in-lens AF impossible.