[MossyRocks]

If you want exotic, go for this!

Don't tempt me although that is a rather slow lens

[Pål Jensen]

I think the most cost-effective route for Pentax would be to contract Sigma for doing a rebadge of its 500mm f/4.5 EX DG HSM for the Pentax brand, perhaps adding WR and the Pentax HD coatings. This lens sells for around $5,000 I believe, and worth from all reports I've seen. Actually a very good price for what it is. Maybe $5,500 for the Pentax branding with said upgrades.

I believe its more likely that Pentax will cooperate with Tokina for long telephotos, like they have done with the 50/1.4 and probably the 85/1.4. That will increase the production volume of the lenses and reduce the developing cost for Pentax.....

---------- Post added 11-21-19 at 02:22 PM ----------

Since no one who is commenting on the A Star 400 f 2.8 owns one or most likely never used one,

Few have used it. It must be among the rarest of Pentax lenses...

[normhead]

I guess I'd go with the DA*55 1.4 and DA 35 2.4 for that type of work, but really, shooting in hotels is a thing? It's all about the light.

What's the market size like for people living in motels?

[MossyRocks]

Since no one who is commenting on the A Star 400 f 2.8 owns one or most likely never used one, I will comment. This lens cost me $3,800 in 1987. It was and still is one of the finest lenses Pentax has made, manual focus or partial Auto with the AF 1.7. You can use it for macro ( imagine a 10 foot minimum focus distance macro! ) landscape, and sports/ wildlife. The lens is no better than the person behind the camera, but with a good camera and an experienced user this lens tops all current Pentax long prime or zoom offerings for image quality.......My opinion after over 20 ( more years than that, time flies when your having fun) years of use, others may have a different opinion. That's life! With luck and good locations my lens payed for itself in 1 year. It is heavy and difficult at times, the price one must pay to get many images the are only possible with a long telephoto. It's really that good..... Will most Pentax users ( what's left of them ) pay for an autofocus version? Not likely, but I would in a second....

---------- Post added 11-20-19 at 06:49 PM ----------

I see Kerrow and Mossy have jumped in as 400 f 2.8 users, past and present. I stand corrected on my no one who has used one earlier comment....

I agree with this and lenses like this are really not a consumer lens or even a lens for most professionals as they are something you really need to know what problem you are trying to solve. For how I'm using it autofocus would be a worthless feature although the rear converter A 1.4x-L converter is now on my list of gear to acquire. A 560mm f/4 that would be free of CA wider open (about f/4.7 is where I would probably be at) than the current DA 560/5.6 is wide open would be a nice trick to add but at that point I will really need an equatorial mount. The tracking from astrotracer is barely cutting it at 400mm and at 560mm I would probably have to go down to 10 seconds so a loss of a stop of exposure time there plus the loss of a stop from the 1.4x converter so that problem will need to be solved.

[pres589]

I guess I'd go with the DA*55 1.4 and DA 35 2.4 for that type of work, but really, shooting in hotels is a thing? It's all about the light.

What's the market size like for people living in motels?

Simply giving you the backstory. I'm living temporarily in a hotel post-move to Baltimore where I've taken a new job; my things are all in a warehouse save for what I chose to bring in the car, so I'm pretty space limited. And you don't even like the DA 35 f2.4...

I did bring my K-5 II and DA 15 to document whatever I end up renting when I find somewhere I like, along with the DA 18-135.

[normhead]

Simply giving you the backstory. I'm living temporarily in a hotel post-move to Baltimore where I've taken a new job; my things are all in a warehouse save for what I chose to bring in the car, so I'm pretty space limited. And you don't even like the DA 35 f2.4...

I did bring my K-5 II and DA 15 to document whatever I end up renting when I find somewhere I like, along with the DA 18-135.

30 years ago I did that moving to Timmins, replacing a guy who had a heart attack in Feb. It's not ideal.
The first 6 weeks I was in Timmins the temperature never rose higher than -20ºC and often was -40ºC, a temperature that has the rare distinction of being the same in both F and C.

My housing situation wasn't resolved until the summer when my wife and kids came up and we could do some house hunting together.

[SteveinSLC]

That would be way down the priority list for me, and I'd imagine for Pentax, because of such limited sales.
On the other hand, I wonder about an update of the F/FA 250-600. They might be able to do that with a lot less investment. And as mentioned above, there's less need for a 2.8 aperture these days with higher ISO performance being so good.

[redpit]

That would be way down the priority list for me, and I'd imagine for Pentax, because of such limited sales.
On the other hand, I wonder about an update of the F/FA 250-600. They might be able to do that with a lot less investment. And as mentioned above, there's less need for a 2.8 aperture these days with higher ISO performance being so good.

I have been told from a very reliable source that it is very difficult to update the F/FA 250-600/5.6, as it was very complicated lens to manufacture (the most complicated of the Pentax arsenal). If you think about it the DFA 150-450 on APS-Cs is equivalent to 225-675/4.5-5.6, so this lens can be considered the FA* 250-600/5.6 replacer.

I would love a 400/2.8 (for what i do) but even if such a lens was released by Pentax I couldn't afford it. I think the DFA* 300/2.8 is the most probable tele prime release along with the 2 standard FF Tcs. The 300mm is a popular focal length for many kinds of photography not only wild life or sports.

[cmohr]

I have been told from a very reliable source that it is very difficult to update the F/FA 250-600/5.6, as it was very complicated lens to manufacture (the most complicated of the Pentax arsenal). If you think about it the DFA 150-450 on APS-Cs is equivalent to 225-675/4.5-5.6, so this lens can be considered the FA* 250-600/5.6 replacer.

I would love a 400/2.8 (for what i do) but even if such a lens was released by Pentax I couldn't afford it. I think the DFA* 300/2.8 is the most probable tele prime release along with the 2 standard FF Tcs. The 300mm is a popular focal length for many kinds of photography not only wild life or sports.

I love the DFA 150-450. My only caveat to that is, I wish they had just made it 2inches longer physically, so it was both internal focus and internal zoom, therefore, no breathing when zooming, increasing the WR exponentially.

[redpit]

I love the DFA 150-450. My only caveat to that is, I wish they had just made it 2inches longer physically, so it was both internal focus and internal zoom, therefore, no breathing when zooming, increasing the WR exponentially.

That would be great if possible! I've never thought about that but now that you mention it a DFA 150-450 like the DFA* 70-200 would make this excellent lens even greater.

[redpit]

Now that I'm thinking about the thread title and the DFA* 70-200, the question that came to me is whether Pentax will ever release a long DFA* tele at all that will make the difference in IQ in comparison with the DFA 150-450 and don't get into the DA 560/5.6 category. It has to be a different beast to differentiate with the existing offerings and also close gaps in Pentax inventory.

The 300 or 400/2.8 and the 600/4 are such lenses, while the quite popular 500/4 I think is a bit closer to the 560/5.6.

[cmohr]

That would be great if possible! I've never thought about that but now that you mention it a DFA 150-450 like the DFA* 70-200 would make this excellent lens even greater.

Would have been worth it, even if a constant 5.6. Again would have been more on my list.
That being said, it didn't stop me buying it, it's a fire cracker of a lens regardless.

[Ontarian50]

As for bringing back the 250-600mm zoom, be careful what you wish for.
A fellow I knew some years ago, loved his Pentax PZ-10, and liked to photograph his daughter's softball games. After leafing through the Pentax brochure, he decided the 250-600mm was just the ticket for better shots on the baseball diamond.
He had some overtime money saved up, so he went to where he bought the camera and inquired about the 250-600mm, expecting it to be expensive and a special order item. The fellow behind the counter looked at him and said something like "we'd have to special order it, but I think it's very expensive". My friend replied that he expected as much, but was prepared to spend, well ... would it be $2,000, or $3,000? The sales guy came back a few minutes later after consulting the price lists, and said "it's $15,000."

Needless to say, his overtime savings didn't stretch that high.

[normhead]

I bid $2000 for one at an RCMP auction 8 years ago. It eventually went for $7,000.

I saw one that had only been used 10 times on kijiji about the same time for $5000. I saw the ad an hour after it was posted. Someone had driven to the guy's house and picked it up with $5000 cash before i even contacted the guy.

[SteveinSLC]

They do pop up on eBay from Japan and Korea sellers some. Taking a bit of a chance on that front...but I've thought about it.
On APS-C(i.e. my KP), the 600 end would get me all the way out to 900 equivalent.