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04-11-2011, 04:35 PM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Loren E Quote
Seeing as the patent specified that this was a * lens
The patent didn't specify that. The part of the page which is Japanese-language only states that it is merely a guess from the blog author that it's a DA * lens, and I have to agree with Adam here, I don't see that being the case. This is a 14x zoom; I'm not aware of any Star zooms with more than a ~4-5x range. There's little chance of making a lens with this kind of range offering the quality of a Star lens, before you even consider the implications for weather sealing, etc.

You can see the full text of the equivalent US patent application here:

HIGH ZOOM-RATIO ZOOM LENS SYSTEM - Google Patent Search

This, if produced, would almost certainly be intended as a consumer zoom.

04-11-2011, 05:05 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by kevinschoenmakers Quote
Who is the target audience for a professional grade lens with amateur grade specifications?
Ask Canon users that bought the 70-300L.
04-12-2011, 12:44 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jodokast96 Quote
Ask Canon users that bought the 70-300L.
Indeed. People do pay a lot of money for premium super zooms

I think the point is that super zooms are normally optically questionable because on the whole they are cheap. It's not simply the fact that they are hard to design.

But super zooms can be very good - look at the Bigma - but in order to be good they are expensive.

I'm not sure Pentax could market a 25-350 for £900 unless they gave it a DA* designation - people wouldn't pay that unless they were assured of the quality. It's also the case that variable apertures do not mean a lens is optically less capable than a fixed aperture lens.

If however this is indeed a consumer lens then it does need to be a DA* - point is people assume super zooms are poor and so need a little marketing help. Canon would have a harder time selling the 70-300L without the L designation even if it was optically identical.

Last edited by Caat; 04-12-2011 at 12:50 AM.
04-12-2011, 05:23 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by dankoBanana Quote
its a cropped format Bigma .. same fl but smaller and WR
whats there not to like?
True it is close to being a cropped format Bigma. A Bigma is a odd range (only one company makes anything in this range) and making it a cropped version will make it even odder.

04-12-2011, 02:36 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by DaveBlack Quote
Very odd lenses the DA*25-350 and the DA12-35. I just don't see a market for either lenses, but especially the 25-350. If they do release such lenses I will not like the direction Pentax is heading with their lenses.
While a 12-35mm wouldn't make much sense because of redundant overlapping with longer zooms in the family, I'm still very interested. I think a lot of people recognize how the DA* 16-50mm falls short of the mark when it is used at it's widest settings. My 16-50mm simply couldn't perform at 16mm through 20mm without insane chromatic aberration.

Then again, the DA 12-24mm gets good marks, and more than compensates for the wide-angle failings of the DA*. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If Pentax never released a 12-35mm I'd be a little disappointed, but it's certainly not the end of the world.
04-13-2011, 12:42 AM   #21
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The 12-35mm could be a normal zoom for many due to its rather long end (for being a WA. I would certainly be interested if it performed good optically and wasn't too big. An unique offer compared to other brands.

25-350 would also be unique but make much less sense.
04-13-2011, 04:25 AM   #22
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If I am wrong about the DA* designation of the patent that is my oversight, I assumed this was safe as it was specified as a * lens in every report on every site I have seen rumors of it on, unlike the 12-35 which was reported to be sport the WR designation and not be a * lens.

Anyways, in regard to a super zoom variable aperture being high quality and weather resistant, how about the canon 28-300 L? That lens made me think a 25-350 DA* was not unreasonable, seemed like sound reasoning (granted I know a lot of people would say the 28-300 is best suited to full frame, which canon has and Pentax doesn't, but I wouldn't mind complementing such a lens on a 1.5x camera with an UWA to get the extra reach. Jus sayin

04-13-2011, 04:49 AM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jodokast96 Quote
Ask Canon users that bought the 70-300L.
Apples and oranges.
04-13-2011, 04:58 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by MRRiley Quote
I'm with Adam... * lenses so far have been constant aperture... and frankly if they changed that it would make a lot of people serious unhappy. I buy the * lenses for 2 things... the weather sealing and the constant aperture.
I couldn't help laughing when I saw Canon painting a 70-300 white and trying to pull writing "L-glass" on it... especially after seeing reviews saying it's no better than a Tamron 70-300... If Pentax was to sell short on the DA* line, it would cripple the image of that line.
04-13-2011, 05:30 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by Loren E Quote
If I am wrong about the DA* designation of the patent that is my oversight, I assumed this was safe as it was specified as a * lens in every report on every site I have seen rumors of it on, unlike the 12-35 which was reported to be sport the WR designation and not be a * lens.
I dug into it a bit, and all of those rumors seem to trace back directly to that Japanese post.
04-13-2011, 05:35 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by DaveBlack Quote
I do hope that Pentax will release a DA*135-400/F4.0 and a DA*11-16F/2.8.
I've given up on the DA*11-16/2.8 and finally decided to get an alternative, i.e. the Sigma 8-16... Which doesn't say I might not replace this in time, but I'm not counting on that...

The DA*135-400/4 is one that will find it's place in my bag easy, provided the price is ok. Keeping up hopes is good, though this doesn't seem the point of focus for Pentax given their releases the last few years... So again not counting on it too much...

Wim
04-13-2011, 06:52 AM   #27
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Nothing wrong with the lens as described. Especially since 350 is longer than anything they currently manufacture. But I really think they need to extend their range more than 50 mm. With no available Tele Converter, 400 mm or 500mm primes would be the next order of business, from my perspective.
04-13-2011, 09:00 AM   #28
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I would be happy with an updated DA 55-300mm that included the quieter DC focus motor and maybe even WR (like the new 18-135 lens). An extra 50mm longer would also be nice.

I do agree with Ishpuini and normhead about the need for an extended range lens/lenses. The guy I bought most of my lenses from moved to Canon for this reason.
04-13-2011, 09:27 AM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ishpuini Quote
I've given up on the DA*11-16/2.8 and finally decided to get an alternative, i.e. the Sigma 8-16... Which doesn't say I might not replace this in time, but I'm not counting on that...

The DA*135-400/4 is one that will find it's place in my bag easy, provided the price is ok. Keeping up hopes is good, though this doesn't seem the point of focus for Pentax given their releases the last few years... So again not counting on it too much...

Wim

I am still holding out for a DA*11-16. Just incase I give up hope how do you like the Sigma 8-16? Even a re-release of the DA12-24 with WR treatment would be nice.

I had a Sigma 120-400 in an internet shopping cart but decided to keep on waiting for super-telephoto from Pentax. I kept hearing how the Sigma is a little soft at the long end and is better stopped down a little. So I decided to wait a little longer for a Pentax lens that is of better quality than the Sigma.

The long end of the 25-350 zoom just isn't long enough to interst me.
04-13-2011, 02:21 PM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by kevinschoenmakers Quote
Apples and oranges.
How is the Canon not a "pro" grade lens with consumer grade specs?
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