[KxBlaze]

So the K5, Kr and DAL 35mm have been leaked but is that it or do we expect that Pentax has actually kept some secrets and will announce more at Photokina? If they do announce more items it will probably be lenses right? I would love some more DAL primes (I cannot afford DA primes and cannot find an F 28mm).

[youky63]

DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 WR in on the road too. But a bit expensive for a kit lens...
And a WA for 645D is expected. Maybe also a new 645D body?

[mickey]

Plus a few compacts, and the launch of the 645D earlier.
I'd be surprised if Pentax has anything else. It's been a busy year.

[rvannatta]

DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 WR in on the road too. But a bit expensive for a kit lens...
And a WA for 645D is expected. Maybe also a new 645D body?

while I assume the early purchasers of the 645D body are folks who have
a lens family for that mount already, failure to provide a material choice of lenses for a camera that features interchangable lenses seems like malpractice.

I guess one of the things I completely don't understand about Pentax is what it's lens vision is. they have a long history of making some very good glass and have done a very good job of protecting the backwards compatibility of the glass but they seem almost reluctant to make more glass.

While perhaps the zooms can be reinvented and made better, the primes made over the last 30 years are almost without exception 'good glass', or at least the few that aren't are well known. there isn't a whole bunch of R & D required to re-release some of these fine designs.

[gazonk]

failure to provide a material choice of lenses for a camera that features interchangable lenses seems like malpractice.

huh? Which failure?

[paperbag846]

Look at it this way:

Pentax brings in far less dough than Nikon or Canon, which have very healthy lines of lenses.

The Pentax lens line really only have some very specialized holes (nothing superlong), and holes in the consumer lens section (few sub-300 dollar lenses).

However due to the smaller volume of sales, Pentax can only afford to make so many lens models.

Lets put it this way- profits would be higher for pentax if they made 1000 of lens A, and sold 80% of them, then if they made 500 of lens A and 500 of lens B, and sold 80% of them, even if both lens A and B cost the same to make, and cost the same to buy.

This is because each lens must be made in parallel... they need one machine configured for the production of each lens, etc.... for every lens produced, overhead goes up. I believe this is why Pentax only makes 2 camera bodies (entry / pro).

The 645D has some new lenses for it... but not many. They aren't going to sell more anyways. he backwards compatibility should help move the bodies out of the shops... and when the user base grows, they can invest more into lens production (not development).

Same goes for their ASP-C line. They can only afford so man lens models, so I would expect the introduction of new lenses to supplant older lenses.... not to "add" to the family.

[m8o]

So the K5, Kr and DAL 35mm have been leaked...

I thought the K-r info was officially releases, not 'leaked'.

[janneman]

I thought the K-r info was officially releases, not 'leaked'.

as was the DA35/2.4.
K-5 still rumor, although more solid than than 18-135. Also talk of new flash but that will not appear soon enough to be unveiled at photokina I think.... (rumored somehwere in 2011 so announcing that now will cause much "ohh nooo")
Now, about my DA*30/1.4 ????

[KxBlaze]

I thought the K-r info was officially releases, not 'leaked'.

It was intially leaked then officially announced by Pentax, same for the DAL 35mm. I think the K5 though has only been leaked and not officically announced yet.

But I really wish they would make more glass. There is no doubt in my mind that Pentax primes are some of the best out there and do keep them to a relatively small # isn't fair for me, lol. I NEED more.