[Spodeworld]

I'm wondering if the move to mirrorless by most camera manufacturers will leave Pentax even further out in the wilderness as new lenses get developed by third party manufacturers. I know that they are already kind of frozen out, but I think it will be even harder since the designs will be for mirrorless, and that probably will even make it more difficult to rebrand lenses.

[Pål Jensen]

I wouldn't call it wilderness. Third party lenses are not very desirable (with few exceptions) and sell primarily on price. There are enough cheap lenses to be had for Pentax new and used....
Whats needed are more Pentax lenses.

[Madaboutpix]

I'm wondering if the move to mirrorless by most camera manufacturers will leave Pentax even further out in the wilderness as new lenses get developed by third party manufacturers. I know that they are already kind of frozen out, but I think it will be even harder since the designs will be for mirrorless, and that probably will even make it more difficult to rebrand lenses.

Neither news (any longer) nor rumour but most probably ... well ... fact, at least in the long run. But I'm okay with that as I like Pentax glass.

[Kunzite]

I guess there will be a few boutique lens makers - manual focus stuff - and that would be it.
I don't expect either Sigma, Tokina or Tamron to release a new SLR lens ever again. There is a very slight chance, depending on the evolution of the mirrorless market - and Pentax' - that they'll become desperate for small sales, but I really wouldn't count on it.

I'm fine with using only Pentax lenses, of course.

[LennyBloke]

I believe there are very few third-party manufacturers for Leica - perhaps Pentax (Ricoh) will be happy to have their own market to themselves?

I couldn't be happier with the latest lenses I have purchased from Pentax and look forward to the next few

[ProfessorBuzz]

Many of the third party lenses were and are pretty disappointing. Notable exceptions are the Sigma full frame primes (I have the 35mm) and the Sigma 150-600 Sport. I'd say it's not really an issue unless you are looking for cheap.
The sales of MILC and DSLR continue to be poor, and so are the sales of the third party lenses. The volumes just aren't high enough to keep some of these companies around, and the knock-off stuff from China is pretty poor quality.
One can hope things will progress, but am not convinced that MILC is the future - it seems to be tapped out already, and the smartphone has killed the camera except for us nuts.

[jatrax]

Third party glass has always been an issue and becomes more so as the market shrinks.

Customers want cheaper alternatives, but that takes money away from the OEM. Which gives them less incentive to continue to invest in the mount themselves. In an expanding market that's not so bad and actually helps grow the mount but in a shrinking market every dollar that goes to a third party lens maker reduces the volume that Ricoh sees.


In the case of Pentax it seems the volume available for third party vendors has already dropped below economic viability. Combine that with the huge volume of legacy glass available and I doubt you will see much if any new third party glass going forward.

Whether that is a good or bad thing can be debated. Personally I don't see the attraction of third party glass. Every time I've tried one I have been disappointed. If budget is the only consideration then there are tons of old Pentax glass out there. And if the need is for something that Pentax doesn't have, like a tilt/shift, then I guess we accept reality and do without. Or switch brands.

[stevebrot]

I believe there are very few third-party manufacturers for Leica

Cosina/Voigtlander and Zeiss are the high quality alternative for Leica M along with options from 7-Artisans, Kipon, Meyer-Optik, TT Artisan, and Venus Optics.* Of course, Sigma is their partner for L-mount.


Steve

* B&H shows 44 non-Leitz options for Leica M vs. 45 for non-Pentax in K-mount.

[LennyBloke]

Cosina/Voigtlander and Zeiss are the high quality alternative for Leica M along with options from 7-Artisans, Kipon, Meyer-Optik, TT Artisan, and Venus Optics.* Of course, Sigma is their partner for L-mount.


Steve

* B&H shows 44 non-Leitz options for Leica M vs. 45 for non-Pentax in K-mount.

I stand corrected Steve

My meaning was more around the mass market manufacturers such as Tamron, Tokina, Sigma (apart from the L mount of course) - an enforced share of their market may be a good thing

[pschlute]

I'm wondering if the move to mirrorless by most camera manufacturers will leave Pentax even further out in the wilderness as new lenses get developed by third party manufacturers. I know that they are already kind of frozen out, but I think it will be even harder since the designs will be for mirrorless, and that probably will even make it more difficult to rebrand lenses.

Yes. Best you sell up while you can

[stevebrot]

I am no help at all in this matter in that I have have not purchased any lens new for over four years.


Steve

[universalfocus]

I'm wondering if the move to mirrorless by most camera manufacturers will leave Pentax even further out in the wilderness as new lenses get developed by third party manufacturers.

I´ve used third-party glass and cheap entry level lenses for many years now, because I was afraid to "sink" so much money into glass (I thought, I use a raw developer and retouch the images anyway), The cheap glass helped me to get started and to be able to explore some fields of photography, in which I couldn´t afford the Pentax lenses (like birding / wildlife).

It´s nearly 10 years since I´ve bought my 1st DSLR (K-5) and I´ve damaged only one lens (DA 50mm 1.8 was dropped and a part of the filter ring clipped away, but it still works) and one filter, so I´ve recently bought the D FA 28-105mm for the K-1 (I always had the feeling that the old glass couldn´t support the possibilities of the camera very well) and it´s much more comfortable and easy to use, plus the image quality is much better (probably because of the coating).

I´m still using old glass on the K-1 sometimes, because it has a certain charme (and I can´t afford the new alternatives yet ), but I don´t mind having only new Ricoh/Pentax glass in the future, instead of third party lenses, when it´s more reliable, has better build quality and is wotrh it´s price (like the D FA 28-105) even if that means that I can only buy a lens like the D FA 50 mm or the FA 77 limited every two years.

[Kozlok]

I like some of Sigma's glass. I have, and like, their 8-16, 10-20, and 18-35, and I prefer the 30/1.4 to my FA31 for most of what I use a 30mm prime for. The Sigma 70 is one of the sharpest lenses ever, and it also has an incredibly pleasing look to the images. The Sigma 24/1.8 is unique. Perhaps not spectacular in a traditional sense, but I have a ton of fun with it. I also quite like the Tamron 70-200.

[jersey]

It is not bad to have only Pentax lenses as it will increase Ricoh earnings and this is always a good thing. We can then dream about next generation APS-C or FF. And Pentax glass is very good and it compliments their cameras nicely.

That said I would not mind modern K lens from Zeiss.

[Frater]

and that probably will even make it more difficult to rebrand lenses.

You are probably referring to Pentax lenses which are rebranded 3rd parties, e.g. Tamrons? Yes, that lens supply source is dried up for ever for Pentax.

However, e.g. Tamron is/was known to make exclusive lenses for camera makers. Probably, Tamron and Tokina have designed and made Pentax lenses exclusively for Pentax, where it would still be a trade secret today, which seemingly "genuine" Pentax lenses would be custom made-to-order designs by Tamron or Tokina, i.e. just made for Pentax alone on Pentax explicit request.

This lens supply source wouldn't HAVE to dry up, if Pentax pays them enough

The problem though is, that the demand side for DSLR lenses will dry up foreseeably altogether, so that it wouldn't pay off any more for Pentax to purchase exclusive lens designs and the rights to patent those. Tamron, Tokina, etc. have all of their engineering under full steam for mirrorless designs. So they would ask for A LOT of money to divert some of their precious engineering time&resources back towards legacy stuff again, if they were asked by Pentax to do that?

So even if custom 3rd party help is still a possibility, I don't think there is a business case left (all external+internal costs versus all estimated revenues), to make that happen in the future?