[aurele]

no, what Pal is saying is with a FF, Pentax could have a lineup of body that cover the very beginner (Q and K-01) to the extreme photo worker (FF and 645D).

of course it lacks lenses for now. But we never know, with Ricoh and it's "filling the gap"

[gazonk]

Is what you are saying,
Pentax 7 Full Frame lenses are more "diverse"
than Canon and Nikon's combined 108 Full Frame lens options available in 2012 ?

Are you telling us that Canon and Nikon's combined 0 (ZERO) 645 format lens options are more "diverse" than Pentax's palette of 15 lenses?

Just applying your flawed logic...

[aurele]

guys, keep it cool

(btw : in fact there is 11 lenses that are compatible FF

- 31 ltd
- 35f2
- 35f2.4
- 40 ltd
- 43 ltd
- 50 f1.4
- 50 macro
- 77 ltd
- 100 macro
- 200 f2.8
- 300 f4
- 60-250 (Patent said it is designed for FF)

... oh, just lacks some 28's, 24's, 20's, and maybe a 17FE and your done with a FF lineup. just saying ...)

[Samsungian]

How many K Mount lenses can anyone mount on 645D ?

Zero

In USA, Pentax offers just One instock 645D Lens, the 645D 25mm lens remains vaporware:

Medium Format Lenses



But you're right just the ONE 645D lens available beats Zero offered from Canon and Nikon.

Instead of offering any medium format lenses, the majority of Canon and Nikon lenses made today are sold and described as "full frame" capable. Pentax owners say Full Frame 24x36 is Niche market, yet Canon and Nikon offer a vast array of Full Frame 24x36 glass. More to come this year, Pentax is not only company with product rumors due to flesh out at CP+ next week in Japan.

Personally, I'm excited to see Canon's 200-400mm f4 launch.
I'd add I'm also excited to see Nikon's D800 launch,
both coincidentally are rumored to be Full Frame, 24x36.

Are you telling us that Canon and Nikon's combined 0 (ZERO) 645 format lens options are more "diverse" than Pentax's palette of 15 lenses?

Just applying your flawed logic...

I did not know this answer, you made my curious Pal, so I looked them up.



Canon offers 55 Full Frame Lenses:


SLR Lenses


Nikon offers 53 Full Frame lenses:


SLR Lenses



Pentax offers 7 Full Frame lenses:


SLR Lenses


Is what you are saying Pal,
the Pentax 7 Full Frame lenses are more "diverse"
than Canon and Nikon's combined 108 Full Frame lens options available in 2012 ?

---

Last edited by Samsungian; 02-03-2012 at 06:04 AM.

[gazonk]

How many K Mount lenses can anyone mount on 645D ?

Zero

In USA, Pentax offers just One instock 645D Lens, the 645D 25mm lens remains vaporware:

Well, Pentax USA seems to have a marketing problem, here even stores that are not particularly eager at marketing Pentax have as many as 13 in their price list.

[eddie1960]

Well, Pentax USA seems to have a marketing problem, here even stores that are not particularly eager at marketing Pentax have as many as 13 in their price list.

Japan also has a large number listed but Canada very few (more in stores here than the US though). If you live in NA and have a 645D you are buying new old stock still at dealers, used or ordering from japan.
I'm not surprised. Hoya released the 645D because ti was ready to go pretty much before they came along. they updated some things added the most affordable sensor and released it with the 1 lens relying on past users for sales and used lenses for the market, but it gave them a good high profile camera for marketing (which they then never took advantage of because marketing costs money)
Perhaps Ricoh is looking at a new 645 roadmap as well. they have a history of where most bodies were sold so they will supply lenses there first

[Pål Jensen]

Is what you are saying,
Pentax 7 Full Frame lenses are more "diverse"
than Canon and Nikon's combined 108 Full Frame lens options available in 2012 ?

Never said that at all. Read again!
I was talking about the most diverse interchangeable lens CAMERA selection. Not lens selection.

[Pål Jensen]

Personally, I'm excited to see Canon's 200-400mm f4 launch.
.

You may indeed but it is a totally irrelevant lens for 99.99% of Nikon and Canon users and hardly one to use as an example. It will be heavy and very expensive and out of reach for most. The zoom range is limited and of limited value (it exist probably because it is just as expensive to make a 400/4 prime). It will be the largest, heaviest, most expensive 200/4 lens on the planet. The 100-400/5.6 makes more sense for most...

[Samsungian]

I suspect Canon's 200-400mm will sell quite well.
Its been an obvious hole in the EOS System line up since 2003 when Nikon offered their first version 200-400mm f4 AF.

Great to see it in testing in Africa a couple weeks back:

APERTURE ACADEMY - Fine Art Photography Gallery, Digital Photography Workshops: Canon 200-400mm and 600mm prototype lenses first sightings...and the new 5D Mark III?


Looks like Nikon has made three autofocus versions of 200-400mm currently selling for $6,999 at B&H.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II Lens 2187 B&H Photo

According to my favorite Nikon lens data site it appears Nikon has made and sold:

"18,176" 200-400mm f4 lenses since July 2003.

All appear to have sold as 200-400mmf4 VR II is rarely instock at B&H.
It also plays well with Nikon AF 1.4x Teleconverters including when used wide open, something else Pentax chooses to not make available for USA market current K Mount owners in 2012:
Vaporware Teleconverter(s)


Nikon Lens Serial Nos


I clipped the info from above link at photosynthesis site


AF-S 200-400/4 G IF-ED VR Japan 5+ MA-M switch, red "VR" 200001 200034 - 203216 3216 Jul 03 - 2005
AF-S 200-400/4 G IF-ED VR Japan 5+ 2006 series 300001 300115 - 310458 10458 2006 - 2010
AF-S 200-400/4 G IF-ED VR II Japan 5+ AM-MA-M switch, Nano Coat, VRII, gold "VR" 200001 200023 - 204508 > 4508 Apr 10 - >


Pål,

I suppose its also pointless to mention,
Canon offers four Tilt Shift lenses and Nikon has three.

Pentax offers no Tilt Shift lenses in any of their "diverse camera" formats today.

You may indeed but it is a totally irrelevant lens for 99.99% of Nikon and Canon users and hardly one to use as an example. It will be heavy and very expensive and out of reach for most. The zoom range is limited and of limited value (it exist probably because it is just as expensive to make a 400/4 prime). It will be the largest, heaviest, most expensive 200/4 lens on the planet. The 100-400/5.6 makes more sense for most...

By the way,
Funny you mention 100-400mm Eos,
as the 200-400mm f4 Canon images from Aperture Academy were shot with 100-400mm Canon at 400mm setting.
Great details huh ?

Made me rethink the 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS L Canon.

I hasten to add the 100-400mm IS L is a full frame coverage lens.
Using crop math, on smaller 1.6x sensor Canon Dslrs,
like the $899 60D or the $1,300 7D,
then one has a 160-640mm f4.5-5.6 IS L for...

$1,439 delivered and always in stock for immediate purchase.


Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens 2577A002 B&H

Sadly,
100-400mm Canon is yet another lens hole in the Pentax 2012 lineup,
across all their camera formats.

[eddie1960]

I suspect Canon's 200-400mm will sell quite well.
Its been an obvious hole in the EOS System line up since 2003 when Nikon offered their first version 200-400mm f4 AF.

Great to see it in testing in Africa a couple weeks back:

APERTURE ACADEMY - Fine Art Photography Gallery, Digital Photography Workshops: Canon 200-400mm and 600mm prototype lenses first sightings...and the new 5D Mark III?


Looks like Nikon has made three autofocus versions of 200-400mm currently selling for $6,999 at B&H.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II Lens 2187 B&H Photo

According to my favorite Nikon lens data site it appears Nikon has made and sold:

"18,176" 200-400mm f4 lenses since July 2003.

All appear to have sold as 200-400mmf4 VR II is rarely instock at B&H.
It also plays well with Nikon AF 1.4x Teleconverters including when used wide open, something else Pentax chooses to not make available for USA market current K Mount owners in 2012:
Vaporware Teleconverter(s)


Nikon Lens Serial Nos


I clipped the info from above link at photosynthesis site


AF-S 200-400/4 G IF-ED VR Japan 5+ MA-M switch, red "VR" 200001 200034 - 203216 3216 Jul 03 - 2005
AF-S 200-400/4 G IF-ED VR Japan 5+ 2006 series 300001 300115 - 310458 10458 2006 - 2010
AF-S 200-400/4 G IF-ED VR II Japan 5+ AM-MA-M switch, Nano Coat, VRII, gold "VR" 200001 200023 - 204508 > 4508 Apr 10 - >


Pål,

I suppose its also pointless to mention,
Canon offers four Tilt Shift lenses and Nikon has three.

Pentax offers no Tilt Shift lenses in any of their "diverse camera" formats today.






By the way,
Funny you mention 100-400mm Eos,
as the 200-400mm f4 Canon images from Aperture Academy were shot with 100-400mm Canon at 400mm setting.
Great details huh ?

Made me rethink the 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS L Canon.

I hasten to add the 100-400mm IS L is a full frame coverage lens.
Using crop math, on smaller 1.6x sensor Canon Dslrs,
like the $899 60D or the $1,300 7D,
then one has a 160-640mm f4.5-5.6 IS L for...

$1,439 delivered and always in stock for immediate purchase.


Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens 2577A002 B&H

Sadly,
100-400mm Canon is yet another lens hole in the Pentax 2012 lineup,
across all their camera formats.

While I agree Canon and Nikon both offer much deeper broader lens assortments (particularly at the specialty end) it has a lot to do with having 80%+ of the market between them for over a decade. the huge number of users means there will still be a pretty large number of users for any specialty lens as well.
To be able to rival this depth of assortment Pentax ricoh needs to pick and choose offerings and develop market share so the release of the others makes sense. Thing is once the share grows enough (and camera assortment is there) then you will see sigma et all offering more assortment as well for PK. it's about recovering from the lost market share under Hoya and that will take at least 2-3 years if not longer. I do however belive it can happen under Ricoh who seem committed to the business rather than just focusing on making it viable for a decent resale

The next few years I think will feel more like the glory days in film with the number of announcements that are likely to happen. The negative in all this may well be no longer feeling as unique from the pack as people will know the name again, and the ability to get insanely good low prices on old lenses will decline further (though new lenses coming on stream at missing focal lengths may actually drop the price on some of the old glass