[robgo2]

Wow, is this a joke? When people say "micro-contrast," they mean the graph on the MTF chart corresponding to say, 30 line-pairs per mm. By "macro-contrast", they mean the graph on the MTF chart correspond to say, 10 line-pairs per mm.

MTF Chart Guide | sigmaphoto.com

Educate yourself.

I believe that microcontrast actually refers to the rendering of fine detail within areas of similar tone. You can read about it in this article:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/lens-contrast.shtml

Rob

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Last edited by robgo2; 07-03-2011 at 10:22 AM.

[rparmar]

I sold DA35/2.8 macro without any regrets. It's only ONE lens which I ever sold without regrets.
Rather mediocre lens as universal lens.
Worse than my FA LIMITED in terms of bokeh, resolution and sharpness.
It's the VERY GOOD lens to shoot macro jewelry or close macro object.
35 mm is rather short for good macro. The bokeh is from really bad till average.
AF speed is no very good.
If we compare this lens with real LIMITED serie lenses, we can see easily that
LIMITED mark at this lens is just marketing trick. They put rather ordinary macro lens in metal body and called it LIMITED.
Tokina 35/2.8 macro is almost 1.5-2 times cheaper. Built very good.

P.S.
There is no such term "micro-contrast" - it's fiction.

Sorry you had a bad copy of the DA35 Limited. Sorrier still you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! Wanting fast AF in a macro lens? Saying micro-contrast does not exist? Saying one Limited lens is a marketing trick when obviously the nomenclature in the first place is a marketing trick? And how does that equate to optical quality?

We are so off-topic, but I'd hate anyone to actually believe your derision for even one moment. Here's an example of the excellent rendering of both in-focus and OOF areas, the colour, detail, etc.


The Pink Dominion

[Ubuntu_user]

Great News! Ricoh is a camera company...Hoya was....well, not a camera company.

My Squirrels are celebrating, not only do they see this as good for their favorite camera brand, Pentax, of course, but they are grateful that that poor old blind man chained in the Hoya QC room can now retire and go fishing! Squirrels reported that he took a real beating after the sensor stain issue.....but it wasn't his fault at all, like he said, he "didn't see a thing".

Best Regards!

Good attitude there, Rupert! I like it!!!

[rparmar]

this kind of comment is pure troll ogl, between you and emacs i am ready to scrap reading anything on this forum

Instead, use the Ignore list.

[Ubuntu_user]

Sorry you had a bad copy of the DA35 Limited. Sorrier still you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! Wanting fast AF in a macro lens? Saying micro-contrast does not exist? Saying one Limited lens is a marketing trick when obviously the nomenclature in the first place is a marketing trick? And how does that equate to optical quality?

We are so off-topic, but I'd hate anyone to actually believe your derision for even one moment. Here's an example of the excellent rendering of both in-focus and OOF areas, the colour, detail, etc.


The Pink Dominion

Beautiful photo. You make LBA rear its unrelenting face at me...

[Blue]

The Ricoh 2010 annual report, latest available (and the one you read?), shows a free cash flow of about US $1.2 billion. That's money that can be used for investment purposes, paying down debt, etc. Things like buying Pentax for about USD $124 million - about one tenth of free cash flow. Plenty of money left over for even a latte.

The 2011 annual report does not seem to be available yet - just a "flash report" with some very high-level income statement items. FY 2011 was not as good as 2010 for Ricoh but then there were hiccups in the Japanese economy, I think. The company was still profitable but sales and profits were both down from 2010.

Speaking of having cash available for acquisitions, the flash report shows that at end of fiscal year 2011 Ricoh had cash and cash equivalents of more than USD $2.2 billion. Again, enough left over for a good Kona.

Nor do I understand why you believe that public companies would not have "reserves". Microsoft is a prime example - they appear to have more cash than they can find good use for. Literally.

Fact: Ricoh can afford Pentax and bought it precisely because it's a fine maker of cameras and associated equipment with a respected name and a loyal following.

Why do we try to make this more complicated??

Actually, the complete corporate financial structure at that level is quite complex especially factory in pension funds, physical assets, operating capital etc. However, my earlier "quip" about the cup of coffee had to do with this.

Global 500 2010: Global 500 401-500 - FORTUNE on CNNMoney.com

The acquisition of Pentax alone will equal nearly half the profit margin from 2010. Then of course they will have to have operating capital. At this point it is unclear if the Philippine factory or the Vietnam factory are included etc. The good news is that Ricoh is a Global 500 company at 402 in 2010. Samsung, Sony and Fuji have been discussed in various threads and Apple and Canon are there for reference. Nikon nor Hoya appear in the 500.

32 Samsung Electronics 108,927 (revenue in millions) 7,562(profit in millions)

69 Sony 77,696 (revenue in millions) -439(profit in millions)

197 Apple 36,537(revenue in millions) 5,704(profit in millions)

216 Canon 34,292 (revenue in millions) 1,407(profit in millions)

359 Fujifilm Holdings 23,497 (revenue in millions) -414(profit in millions)

402 Ricoh 21,716 (revenue in millions) 300 (profit in millions)

[glanglois]

Actually, the complete corporate financial structure at that level is quite complex especially factory in pension funds, physical assets, operating capital etc. However, my earlier "quip" about the cup of coffee had to do with this.

Global 500 2010: Global 500 401-500 - FORTUNE on CNNMoney.com

The acquisition of Pentax alone will equal nearly half the profit margin from 2010. Then of course they will have to have operating capital. At this point it is unclear if the Philippine factory or the Vietnam factory are included etc. The good news is that Ricoh is a Global 500 company at 402 in 2010.

Current net profit is not necessarily a good indicator of ability to make an acquisition, particularly of a complementary and profitable business. Businesses must take a longer view than that.

But this discussion is getting out of hand and I don't have time to write a precise of what's in Ricoh's public docs.

Rather than the CNN snapshot you linked to, I'll refer those interested in the financial side to Ricoh's Web site, where you can dig into 2010 annual report, FY 2011 snapshot figures, and even guidance for 2012 - guidance that did not include a Pentax acquisition.

The annual report also discusses their product development thinking. If it isn't just fluff, I think it's good news for us.

[Blue]

Current net profit is not necessarily a good indicator of ability to make an acquisition, particularly of a complementary and profitable business. Businesses must take a longer view than that.

But this discussion is getting out of hand and I don't have time to write a precise of what's in Ricoh's public docs.

Rather than the CNN snapshot you linked to, I'll refer those interested in the financial side to Ricoh's Web site, where you can dig into 2010 annual report, FY 2011 snapshot figures, and even guidance for 2012 - guidance that did not include a Pentax acquisition.

The annual report also discusses their product development thinking. If it isn't just fluff, I think it's good news for us.

This discussion is getting out of hand because you took a quip about a cup of coffee and are trying to turn it into a master's thesis. Lighten up Francis. Keep in mind, when the get the company, they have to run it.

I should have put my special stamp on the quip.




Edit: Perhaps I should have said after the acquire Pentax and run it, they won't be able to by a cup of coffee. < (that is a joke )

[glanglois]

This discussion is getting out of hand because you took a quip about a cup of coffee and are trying to turn it into a master's thesis. Lighten up Francis. Keep in mind, when the get the company, they have to run it.

I should have put my special stamp on the quip.

:sarcasm:

I'll keep that in mind.

I jumped in owing to my frustration with the general level of knowledge shown by too many posts. You ended up getting the response but it was really intended for a group. Had I seen a sarcasm icon (which still does not appear on my monitor for some reason), I probably would have responded to a different post by someone else.

While not quite a thesis, it still seems that the notes I made have helped some here. Two have told me so and I appreciate that.

Edit: for some reason, the sarcasm thingie appeared. Thanks - makes more sense now!

[RonHendriks1966]

Wow it the size like Heineken, that isn't bad.

[grhazelton]

I'm wondering where speculation the Ricoh-Pentax purchase turned into a mini-flame war on various Pentax lenses?? Could this be continued in another venue and the rest of us can get back to our various speculations?

Inquiring minds want to know....

[maciek_w]

Two quotes from the Reuters feed make me feel this deal will not be making PENTAX able to compete with the big guys any time soon:

"Pentax is the world's tenth largest digital camera brand by shipments, with just 1.5 percent of the market, according to research firm IDC. "

"Copier and printer-maker Ricoh, (...), also has a digital camera business, but sales are too small to feature in global data."

Interesting thing is what sense do the folks at Ricoh see in this deal and what of their own assets will they use as a leverage for making this move to be a success. Is it brand? Is it distribution (which they have in their core products, which is a completely different business). Leaves me wondering...

Let us be surprised!

[rparmar]

Beautiful photo. You make LBA rear its unrelenting face at me...

Thanks Uu. I only traded the DA35 Macro because I cannot afford to keep every lens I like, and I got the rather essential DA12-24 in exchange.

I'm wondering where speculation the Ricoh-Pentax purchase turned into a mini-flame war on various Pentax lenses??

It happened because some are using this news to complain about the quality of Pentax products in general, or specific lenses in particular. Of course it is terribly off-topic and their logic sucks.

But then again it is a good excuse to post photographs on a photography forum. Besides, many of the on-topic posts are time-wasting as well, so it all comes out in the wash.

[Blue]

I'm wondering where speculation the Ricoh-Pentax purchase turned into a mini-flame war on various Pentax lenses?? Could this be continued in another venue and the rest of us can get back to our various speculations?

Inquiring minds want to know....

That stuff was part of the speculation. If you haven't figured it out, our Russian friends think that Pentax sucks and sukked worse under Hoya and will continue to suck. Some of us merely expressed a difference in opinion with that assessment.

[rawr]

Some of us merely expressed a difference in opinion with that assessment.

ie were successfully trolled. LOL