[ogl]

Pure misinformation and this thread looks very provocative

[normhead]

Give the guy a chance to present some supporting documentation then delete the thread. It serves no useful purpose.

[BigMackCam]

When Hoya sold Pentax to Ricoh, he did not sell the lens production factory. Ricoh Pentax To Produce Lenses Must Pass Hoya's Lens Factory. At the same time, hoya is still the major shareholder of Tokina. This is why Pentax's DA*16-50，DA10-17，DA*50-135 have a Tokina version with the same optical structure. Since PENTAX was acquired by Ricoh in 2012, there were no Pentax-intrinsed lenses released except for a few lenses that worked with Tamron. Because hoya always holds Pentax's patent rights. The difficult production of DFA*50 had a lot to do with hoya's intentional obstruction. Hoya once again awarded Pentax's lens patents to Tokina (New Tokina 50/1.4). It is foreseeable that hoya will not produce DFA*50 for Pentax before the launch of Tokina 50/1.4 in June.

You've had some very robust responses... which is understandable, as this is pretty provocative stuff without any links to reliable information sources.

I'll let the thread run for now, but I'd advise future subject matter like this should be framed as enquiry, rather than statements, to avoid spreading misinformation to other forum members

[stevebrot]

I think this is made up information.

No source means conjecture and I agree with Rondec.

Just basic logic makes this nonsensical.

Don't bother. The OP is used to this kind of nonsensical statements.

What a load of nonsense! Every bit of it.

I add my voice to the chorus.

Perhaps the motivation is to start a rumor and gain notoriety and a link from Pentax Rumors? I suggest that the mods create a category titled "Wild Speculations" for this sort of thread. We can think of it as a black hole of sorts.


Steve

[stevebrot]

I'll let the thread run for now, but I'd advise future subject matter like this should be framed as enquiry, rather than statements, to avoid spreading misinformation to other forum members

...or to the world in general.


Steve

[BigMackCam]

Moved to correct forum, as neither news nor rumour (thanks for the report)

[gaweidert]

The D FA 50mm f1.4 is an extremely complex optical design. More elements than some zoom lenses. The D FA 70-200 F2.8 lens missed it's target release date too. Seems that the results were worth it.

In the ancient days of film, fast lenses existed for only one reason. To aid manual focusing in low light conditions. You focused your image, checked the hyperfocal distance scale on the lens, set the lens to the desired f-stop and made the shot, All one has to do was look at the old reviews in Popular and/or Modern Photography magazines to see this. People knew this and expected it.

CAD programs have greatly aided lens design and significantly reduced cost. Lens design requires a complex series of calculations and when these had to be done manually it may take several people a year or more to complete them using slide rulers. There is a reason early zoom lenses were considered consume quality only. Shortcuts were taken in the calculations to save money and things like APO glass were unheard of outside of highly specialized lenses used in certain intelligence gathering systems. Computers have allowed for much more complex designs and we are reaping the benefits of this. Fifty years ago this lens was simply not a feasible consumer product for a 35mm camera and way to much overkill for larger film formats.

The problem today is the need to get image quality that was once the reserve of large format film cameras out of a sensor the size of a 35mm film image. This can only be accomplished using very high quality optics and this comes at a price.

I'm sure that the delay will be worth it.

[normhead]

The D FA 50mm f1.4 is an extremely complex optical design. More elements than some zoom lenses.

The problem today is the need to get image quality that was once the reserve of large format film cameras out of a sensor the size of a 35mm film image. This can only be accomplished using very high quality optics and this comes at a price.

I'm sure that the delay will be worth it.

Having done some numerical calculations in my lens design class, just looking at that diagram makes me shudder and a little sick to my stomach. I'm sure glad they didn't put that sucker on my exam.

[Kunzite]

A certain troll from some other place told me that a ~15 elements lens cannot possibly beat an 8 element Super Takumar from 1964. Unless if it's a Leica made for m4/3.

We are too tolerant of trolls.

[biz-engineer]

Hoya produces lens elements and those are bought by many different company's. Also Ricoh-Imaging that makes lenses with it. It's a business that sells lens elements and not complete lenses as we buy them in stores.

Best answer so far.

[Kunzite]

A good answer, but incomplete. Is Ricoh Imaging using Hoya glass? Most likely; but are they using only Hoya glass? Are they buying blanks and grind their own lenses? Are they also making their own glass in some cases?

[stevebrot]

Are they also making their own glass in some cases?

Probably not, though they might be casting their own aspheric elements. Thanks for mentioning that Hoya makes glass. To expand a little further, Hoya is the largest maker of optical glass on the planet, IIRC. It highly likely that ALL the major Japanese lensmakers use Hoya product in the form of ingots, it not actual blanks. Hoya is to Japanese lenses as Schott is to European lenses.


Steve

[Kunzite]

Nikon bought Hikari Glass, perhaps that explains their glass making capabilities (there was an article on Imaging Resource, a visit in a Nikon glass/lens factory).

We need an insider. But not here, this thread should be killed and buried IMHO.

[BigMackCam]

Folks, however much we may disagree with the OP's post or question the validity of the statements, let's not get personal, please. We have forum rules to prevent that, and I've already had to ban one member from the thread.

Thanks in advance

[BigMackCam]

Since the OP logged in a short while ago and hasn't provided any further information, I'm closing the thread.