What (feasible) lens is missing from Pentax's lineup?

asw66 · 07-03-2009, 10:22 PM

I'd really like to see a 12mm rectilinear prime, as small and fast as possible.

gnaztee · 07-03-2009, 10:43 PM - **1 Like**

Well, many folks on here (including me) have been pining for a DA 135/3.5 (similar to the M 135, which was very small). Beyond that, they could certainly add an 18-125 or something similar as a kit lens, and begin weather-sealing some of the existing lenses.

Votesh · 07-03-2009, 10:55 PM

DA* 85mm 1.4 and DA* 200mm 4.0 Macro. They already have 2 optical designs for each, so would just need to design weather sealed lens bodies and work out the SDM focusing.

I'd also like a Tilt/Shift lens option.

Wheatfield · 07-03-2009, 10:56 PM

I can think of a few.
An 88mm, probably a good candidate for a DA instead of a Limited, so it could be reasonably fast, perhaps a 1.7 or so and a 135mm. This I would think would be a good candidate for a Limited, and sacrifice a little speed for a lot of size. A maximum aperture of 3.2 would be good, faster would be nicer as long as the lens didn't turn into a Goliath.

F16 · 07-03-2009, 11:07 PM

Affordable primes

PentHassyKon · 07-03-2009, 11:09 PM

Based on lenses they've already done in MF:

50mm 1.2
85mm 1.4
135mm 1.8
200mm 2.5

These 4 come to mind quite readily, who knows why they don't just reissue them. Heck, I bet some of us wouldn't mind them being MF

xjjohnno · 07-03-2009, 11:23 PM

I would easily find a place for a Bigtax, something like a 100-500mm lens that has capable tele zoom performance at the longer range.

**Miguel** · 07-03-2009, 11:47 PM

400mm f 5.6 for photographing birds and wildlife. That's really the starting point for serious bird shooting these days. Of course the retail cost would be > $2000US.

I wonder how many current DA* 300mm lens owners would purchase one of those?

A 400-600mm would be a real luxury. But awesome.

M

dugrant153 · 07-04-2009, 01:37 AM

One lens...

DA*30mm F1.4 or even F2

and · 07-04-2009, 01:55 AM - **1 Like**

DA* 11-16 f2.8 based on the tokina lens to complement 16-50 and 50-135.

Cosmo · 07-04-2009, 03:35 AM

DA* 11-16mm f/2.8 (which may become a reality)
FA* wider than 31mm, about 20mm f/1.8 would be great. (Pentax are going to make a 20mm f/2.8 DFA)
FA* longer then 77mm, about 120 f/1.8 would be great.
Tilt and shift lenses. I'd love to see a 60mm f/4 DFA lens

I'm wondering if bringing back the FA* 80-200mm f/2.8 would be a bad idea.

DA* telephotos above 500mm.
DA* telephotos above 200mm that are f/2.8

There is a small telephoto issue, Pentax have loads of amazing telephotos from the FA series, lots of long and very fast telephotos, why don't they just put them back into production with a new lens coating for digital? They don't need to develop new lenses, they already have the designs of loads of great lenses.

Peter Zack · 07-04-2009, 03:51 AM

Originally posted by PentHassyKon

Based on lenses they've already done in MF:

50mm 1.2
85mm 1.4
135mm 1.8
200mm 2.5

These 4 come to mind quite readily, who knows why they don't just reissue them. Heck, I bet some of us wouldn't mind them being MF

EXACTLY!! Add a 300 f2.8 with 2 matched TC's (good for all DA/DA*lenses) at 1.4 and 2 and you've got it. I wouldn't mind the 14mm at f1.4 or 1.7 though.

bdery · 07-04-2009, 05:06 AM

There are differences between what I would like, what would be nice, and what would sell well.

What I would like:

not much really. Pentax have all the bases covered. Maybe fast short teles, or more water sealed lenses, would get me to purchase more new lenses. But I like my kit as it is.

What would be nice:

more limiteds, wide ultrafast lenses, a 70-200, non STAR equivalent to those sexy zooms (50-135, 60-250, etc). Many people can't afford those but the ranges are very elegant.

What would sell:

more water sealed lenses, more limiteds or STAR lenses (the profit margins on those must be ludicrous), more SDM lenses.

borno · 07-04-2009, 06:36 AM

A 400mm f4 would be nice or a 500mm f4. Since pentax US wouldn't fix the 300mm f2.8 I got I'm going to save for a Sigma 500mm or go Canon for a long lens. (I don't really want to go though) I hope they announce something soon and that it won't take as long as the 60-250mm.

lithos · 07-04-2009, 07:29 AM

Anything designed and built by Pentax- NOT Tokina. What Hoya should be doing is having Pentax engineers into Tokina, if they must be completely integrate, not just saying "Well, we've got lens makers, we only need Pentax's camera engineers."

Would boost Tokina's sales to other brands, at least.

16-50 f2.8 zooms that aren't the lens-buying equivalent of Russian roulette. The big "pro-grade" primes, the first with HSM, and it's got more QC problems than James Hardie Indusries.*

Be a good start.

And, as Dugrant mentions, a 30mm f1.4, or even f1.7. No, now a star lens. Absolutely not. And certainly not a Limited lens. For starters, there's already the 31mm Limited (and I've nothing against it.)

No. This 30mm f1.x is to be the People's Prime. It should cost the same (or less, since they keep telling us that APS-C lenses are cheaper to make...) as the FA 50. That means, yes folks, plastics.

Plast barrels and rings, but, of course, metal lens mount. 52mm filter ring. Screw drive focusing. Seven or eight aperture blades.

That would be awesome.

*Obscure, Commonwealth legal system-based pun, that.

07-03-2009, 10:22 PM	#1
asw66 Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 347	What (feasible) lens is missing from Pentax's lineup? I'd really like to see a 12mm rectilinear prime, as small and fast as possible.

07-03-2009, 11:47 PM	#8
Miguel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Near Seattle Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,743	400mm f 5.6 400mm f 5.6 for photographing birds and wildlife. That's really the starting point for serious bird shooting these days. Of course the retail cost would be > $2000US. I wonder how many current DA* 300mm lens owners would purchase one of those? A 400-600mm would be a real luxury. But awesome. M

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07-03-2009, 10:43 PM - 1 Like	#2
gnaztee Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 772	Well, many folks on here (including me) have been pining for a DA 135/3.5 (similar to the M 135, which was very small). Beyond that, they could certainly add an 18-125 or something similar as a kit lens, and begin weather-sealing some of the existing lenses.

07-03-2009, 10:55 PM	#3
Votesh Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 817	DA* 85mm 1.4 and DA* 200mm 4.0 Macro. They already have 2 optical designs for each, so would just need to design weather sealed lens bodies and work out the SDM focusing. I'd also like a Tilt/Shift lens option.

07-03-2009, 10:56 PM	#4
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	I can think of a few. An 88mm, probably a good candidate for a DA instead of a Limited, so it could be reasonably fast, perhaps a 1.7 or so and a 135mm. This I would think would be a good candidate for a Limited, and sacrifice a little speed for a lot of size. A maximum aperture of 3.2 would be good, faster would be nicer as long as the lens didn't turn into a Goliath.

07-03-2009, 11:07 PM	#5
F16 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: U.S. Posts: 104	Affordable primes

07-03-2009, 11:09 PM	#6
PentHassyKon Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 415	Based on lenses they've already done in MF: 50mm 1.2 85mm 1.4 135mm 1.8 200mm 2.5 These 4 come to mind quite readily, who knows why they don't just reissue them. Heck, I bet some of us wouldn't mind them being MF

07-03-2009, 11:23 PM	#7
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	I would easily find a place for a Bigtax, something like a 100-500mm lens that has capable tele zoom performance at the longer range.

07-04-2009, 01:37 AM	#9
dugrant153 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,059	One lens... DA*30mm F1.4 or even F2

07-04-2009, 01:55 AM - 1 Like	#10
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	DA* 11-16 f2.8 based on the tokina lens to complement 16-50 and 50-135.

07-04-2009, 03:35 AM	#11
Cosmo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 488	DA* 11-16mm f/2.8 (which may become a reality) FA* wider than 31mm, about 20mm f/1.8 would be great. (Pentax are going to make a 20mm f/2.8 DFA) FA* longer then 77mm, about 120 f/1.8 would be great. Tilt and shift lenses. I'd love to see a 60mm f/4 DFA lens I'm wondering if bringing back the FA* 80-200mm f/2.8 would be a bad idea. DA* telephotos above 500mm. DA* telephotos above 200mm that are f/2.8 There is a small telephoto issue, Pentax have loads of amazing telephotos from the FA series, lots of long and very fast telephotos, why don't they just put them back into production with a new lens coating for digital? They don't need to develop new lenses, they already have the designs of loads of great lenses.

07-04-2009, 03:51 AM	#12
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Originally posted by PentHassyKon Based on lenses they've already done in MF: 50mm 1.2 85mm 1.4 135mm 1.8 200mm 2.5 These 4 come to mind quite readily, who knows why they don't just reissue them. Heck, I bet some of us wouldn't mind them being MF EXACTLY!! Add a 300 f2.8 with 2 matched TC's (good for all DA/DA*lenses) at 1.4 and 2 and you've got it. I wouldn't mind the 14mm at f1.4 or 1.7 though.

07-04-2009, 05:06 AM	#13
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	There are differences between what I would like, what would be nice, and what would sell well. What I would like: not much really. Pentax have all the bases covered. Maybe fast short teles, or more water sealed lenses, would get me to purchase more new lenses. But I like my kit as it is. What would be nice: more limiteds, wide ultrafast lenses, a 70-200, non STAR equivalent to those sexy zooms (50-135, 60-250, etc). Many people can't afford those but the ranges are very elegant. What would sell: more water sealed lenses, more limiteds or STAR lenses (the profit margins on those must be ludicrous), more SDM lenses.

07-04-2009, 06:36 AM	#14
borno Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: md-usa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,580	A 400mm f4 would be nice or a 500mm f4. Since pentax US wouldn't fix the 300mm f2.8 I got I'm going to save for a Sigma 500mm or go Canon for a long lens. (I don't really want to go though) I hope they announce something soon and that it won't take as long as the 60-250mm.

07-04-2009, 07:29 AM	#15
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	Anything designed and built by Pentax- NOT Tokina. What Hoya should be doing is having Pentax engineers into Tokina, if they must be completely integrate, not just saying "Well, we've got lens makers, we only need Pentax's camera engineers." Would boost Tokina's sales to other brands, at least. 16-50 f2.8 zooms that aren't the lens-buying equivalent of Russian roulette. The big "pro-grade" primes, the first with HSM, and it's got more QC problems than James Hardie Indusries.* Be a good start. And, as Dugrant mentions, a 30mm f1.4, or even f1.7. No, now a star lens. Absolutely not. And certainly not a Limited lens. For starters, there's already the 31mm Limited (and I've nothing against it.) No. This 30mm f1.x is to be the People's Prime. It should cost the same (or less, since they keep telling us that APS-C lenses are cheaper to make...) as the FA 50. That means, yes folks, plastics. Plast barrels and rings, but, of course, metal lens mount. 52mm filter ring. Screw drive focusing. Seven or eight aperture blades. That would be awesome. *Obscure, Commonwealth legal system-based pun, that.