[Alizarine]

Whatever the end result is, though, the next three years are going to be a thrill ride.

the direction Pentax is taking, with these lenses... I agree. I just hope they surpass the Canikon cheapfastglass quality

[pghwarrior23]

Wow! That new super long lens looks really sweet!! Can't wait to see the price!

[Alizarine]

Hmm just wondering...

If let's say Pentax just copied the optical formula of the old 1.7 and transferred it to a plastic-build, AF lens body... is that possible?

[ElJamoquio]

Quite possible. However some of the lenses used to be manufactured with lead, and in some (most? all?) countries it's not permitted any more.

Still quite possible with minor changes to the shape of the lenses, but then it depends on your definition of 'copied'.

[Asahiflex]

All these DA, Q, and K-01 lenses make it awfully hard for me to believe a FF is to be announced May-Sept as the rumors suggest.

The K-01 lens is only for the K-01 system indeed (because of the deep protrusion), but the two DA's are definitely suitable for FF bodies.

[jeffshaddix]

The K-01 lens is only for the K-01 system indeed (because of the deep protrusion), but the two DA's are definitely suitable for FF bodies.

True, and I realize that several DA lenses like the DA*55/1.4 are FF compatible (at least with respect to vignetting), but then I wonder why they weren't designated DFA to begin with. Edge IQ perhaps? Or was it just a firm commitment to the APS-C line? If the latter, I wonder (if FF is truly in the works) how they will handle designating which (if any) DA lenses are officially FF compatible.

[thibs]

It was commitment IMO.
Transition will probably look something like 'compatible lenses: All F, FA, DFA and selected DA lenses'.

Ok, it doesn't solves the problem but for marketing blabla

If only Ricky could bring back aperture simulator...

[eurostar]

The K-01 lens is only for the K-01 system indeed (because of the deep protrusion), but the two DA's are definitely suitable for FF bodies.

It just come to me that allowing the reflex to keep up the mirror in a fixed position, to use the camera only in live view, would allow to use the "K-01 only" lenses with any reflex. Problem would be with a low charge battery oif the juice run out, but maybe they could but a mechanical stop for the mirror. Or they simply plan to phase out the reflex cameras in a short term.

Also, if they do the new lenses with a FF cover circle, they could create an APS-C tilt-shift mirrorless camera to use them.

[Unsinkable II]

Yay! An adaptor so that the Q can take K lenses! I may have to get a Q now for telephoto. They're only GBP350 now...

Due to the crop, it should turn 300mm into effectively 1,680mm! The new 560mm would be over 3,100mm! Paps are going to love that! Then add the 1.4TC....!

[octavmandru]

OK, looks like Ricoh is decided to give us what we've been waiting for a few years. It appears they are willing to invest in the projects that must have been shelved since forever. The price of the 560 should be arr. 2000+ and proves how serious they are about Pentax.
Even if no FF, I'm more than happy with the situation.
When I remember that just a few weeks ago we feared the K-mount extinction...

[zapp]

I honestly don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities, although I really hope it's not (and deep down don't think it is). Sony had a 500/8 mirror lens (that covered FF). Maybe this is a 560/5.6 mirror lens that covers a crop sensor. In a way, it wouldn't surprise me as that would make it a ~$500 lens instead of a ~$2500 lens.

A 5.6/560 would be a large aperture mirror lens. The cheap stuff was at least one stop slower - Tamron 8/500, Sigma 8/600 (or whatever the actual numbers were), etc. Only Vivitar made something similar with the 4.5/450 which was not exactly cheap. 5.6/560 actually sounds like a glass only lens and may be the start of more tele photo lenses. Intelligent design would derive a 5.6/560 from a 2.8/280 - as a previous Leica user a focal length of 560 mm makes me feel at home :-)
As investments go - get yourself a new tripod to support this lens!!!

[thibs]

It just come to me that allowing the reflex to keep up the mirror in a fixed position, to use the camera only in live view, would allow to use the "K-01 only" lenses with any reflex. Problem would be with a low charge battery oif the juice run out, but maybe they could but a mechanical stop for the mirror. Or they simply plan to phase out the reflex cameras in a short term.

Also, if they do the new lenses with a FF cover circle, they could create an APS-C tilt-shift mirrorless camera to use them.

No it would not.

[Caat]

All the developments in the last few days points very heavily to investment in the R&D required for a FF camera.

I think in the next five years or so the interchangeable lens camera market will probably look like:

1) M4/3s, NEX, Samsung mirrorless cameras, occupying a range from budget entry up to expensive advanced amateur (we’re are just starting to see the introduction of the upper range now)
2) High end enthusiast APS-C models like the D300s, 7Ds, K-5s etc – but these will have to shrink in size and grow in features. K-5 is probably already there. This market will slowly shrink and then disappear but probably over a much longer timescale
3) Enthusiast FF models. This segment basically doesn’t exist at the moment to my mind. Sony tried to created it with the A900 but didn’t follow it up aggressively enough. I think that prices need to drop to £1500 for new machines. Again these will need to be K-5 sized I think to differentiate themselves from the full on pro models – as well as being much cheaper.
4) Fully fledged professional level cameras: Nikon D800 to D4, Canon etc. Eventually the D800 class will merge into the 3) class – eventually.

I don’t see entry level APS-C DSLRs surviving much longer than 5 years except perhaps in the form of cameras like the K-01 – i.e. cheap, small bodies that act as second cameras for serious amateurs with existing lenses for a more substantial model. Canon and Nikon probably have the user base to make this viable for them but they don’t have the camera. Pentax have the camera but not necessarily the userbase. I don’t see these cameras being bought by many people coming to a mount with no previous lenses. By going mirrorless Pentax has allowed the future possibility of slimmed down second bodies that are much more compact than any DSLR that’s ever been made.

Pairing that with FF cameras that slot into 3) above may be a nice little niche. I think Nikon and Canon will move towards this to but Pentax actually have a head start on them with compact lenses and the embryo of a compact second body camera range.

In the more near term a cheap (<£2000, preferably hitting £1800) FF camera in September would send the right message, but can Pentax really achieve this now? I think the marketing problem of lens compatibility is solved by an auto-crop mode and a list of compatible lenses. These latest lens announcements don't point clearly at FF but I think they are indicative of Ricoh getting serious about investment - even if the telephoto has been in development for ages.

[kindakaa]

The new lens is very similar to Pentax DA 40mm Limited

[bossa]

That 50' has a plastic mount.. count me out of that one. The 'Tele' looks cool though. If it's as decent as an apochromatic refractor then it should be killer.