[zapp]

In 2004 production of a lot of FA lenses stopped. For 15 years you cannot get something like the 1.4/85, the 4/200M, the 2/24 or something like the fast tele lenses. Even used 15 year old lenses don‘t really fill the gaps.

Let‘s wait for the 100th company anniversary and hope for the best.

[photoptimist]

We can hope for the best.

However, the accumulated supply of used lenses and the relative ease by which individuals can now buy and sell used equipment mean that new lenses face stiff competition from old ones.

No doubt, there is some demand by people who simply prefer brand new stuff or who want the latest and greatest features. But there are also a lot of people who never move beyond their kit lens zoom or who like the price, vintage performance, or challenge of older lenses. I doubt lenses are the cash cow they used to be when SLRs were young, zooms sucked, and everyone had to buy 3 or 4 new lenses to cover wide angle to telephoto shooting conditions.

[biz-engineer]

15 year anniversary

Anniversary expectation is pure customer thinking. From a business standpoint, I've never known a company that could afford to hold off product releases for a quarter or two for an anniversary. An anniversary would involve marketing gadgets and such, but not postponing product releases. I don't think there will be more on November 2019 than there was in the last quarters of the previous years. Fall of 2019 for Pentax, maybe on new camera model, maybe one lens, with lots of fluff around (such as KP IR, re-looking of the 35 f2, and of the 10-17) and that'll be it.

[Not a Number]

The HD DFA* 85mm f/1.4 is on the roadmap for 2019 or later.

[dbs]

Or later seems to be the norm.
Just how long is a piece of string. ?

[E-man]

Anniversaries often mean more to consumers than to manufacturers; case in point, Chevrolet and the Corvette. Not only did they not offer a 30th anniversary model in 1983, they skipped that model year altogether. 1982 was the final year for the 'C3' body style that was introduced in the late '60s and they just waited until 1984 to bring out the successor 'C4' body style.

[zapp]

Anniversary sounds better than oops 15 years without...

[biz-engineer]

For 15 years you cannot get something like the 1.4/85, the 4/200M, the 2/24 or something like the fast tele lenses. Even used 15 year old lenses don‘t really fill the gaps.

This makes sense, there was no immediate need of making full frame lenses until 2016, since Pentax remained apsc only for digital camera until the release of the Pentax K1. Pentax (under Hoya) released a number of apsc lenses, including the limited from 15mm to 70mm, 35 macro ltd, 16-85, 20-40, 18-135, 55-200, 55-300 and more. For the Pentax K1, Ricoh made 4 new lenses (150-450, 70-200) and borrowed other designs from Tamron, which was ok until 2016, mid 2017. It is for the last 2 years that Ricoh seem to have slowed down significantly more (if not totally) relative to the previous 15 years.

[angerdan]

1. In 2004 production of a lot of FA lenses stopped.
2. For 15 years you cannot get something like the 1.4/85, the 4/200M, the 2/24 or something like the fast tele lenses.
3. Even used 15 year old lenses don‘t really fill the gaps.
4. Let‘s wait for the 100th company anniversary and hope for the best.

1. Production stopped, but all produced FA lenses are still fully supported by all current bodies. And usually there are used copies in good condition available from Japan.
   Especially star-lenses are available used all the time, because the demand and readyness to pay for it are low (FA* 85mm, FA* 200mm Macro, FA* 24mm). Also the 300mm 2.8 is still available used and offer an focus limiter.
2. Which gap you believe isn't filled?
3. How many of the named lenses you already own and what do you miss with them?
4. There's a lot available, even supertele lenses like the DA 560mm. Which already is on the market for seven years now.

Pentax currently offers even more lenses than back in 2004!
Template:Pentax K-mount AF lenses timeline - Wikipedia