[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I think the DA* 300/4 is at $1399. Then the insult of a 1 year warranty on top of that, they have a problem.

I tried to buy a DA* 300 last year and three shipments were damaged by UPS. What surprised me is how flimsy the Pentax packaging was for this lens. It comes in a nylon bag with practically no padding and this sits inside the box with some cardboard to sustain it (it was crumbled under the weight of the lens in the first two packages - the third package was so damaged that I didn't even accept it). I would have expected a styrofoam contour case to keep the lens tight inside the box. Of course, the lens caps and the hood were always loose when I was opening the package - it's a wonder that the coating didn't get scratched. A lens of that price and quality deserves better packaging. I was very disappointed at the time, but now I think it was all for the better.

[UrsaMajorMinor]

Pentax would be well served by not only supporting their own cameras but by also supporting other camera makers. Pentax should make its lenses available in Nikon, Canon and Sony mounts. (Asahi) Pentax was originally an optical house that manufactured lenses.

A lot of people love Pentax for shooting legacy lenses on but there is no money for Pentax in used lenses. One of the many benefits of the MILC cameras like M4/3 and Sony NEX is that practically any legacy lens can be mounted to them, negating one of the selling points of Pentax.

New lens sales are where it's at. Unfortunately, the K-mount is not selling in numbers like the Nikon F mount, Canon EOS or even the Sony Alpha. Pentax could continue with its own K-mount cameras and lenses, but also produce lenses for the much larger markets of the other camera manufacturers.

Imagine shooting the FA Limiteds (or DFA) on Nikon, Canon or Sony DSLR's. Tapping these camera markets would really bring badly needed sales and profits in for Pentax rather than going it almost alone with the K-Mount.

[Kunzite]

Talking about history? Should Canikon start making lenses for German cameras, selling them to the American soldiers stationed in their harbors?

If I were Pentax, I would rather have those who want Limiteds to buy into the K-mount system, instead of having my own customers migrating to Canikon in mass.

And btw, a bad idea repeated one billion times won't become a good idea.

[mecrox]

Pentax primes must be the main reason folks choose to shoot Pentax, so if you made them available on other mounts chances are that sales of Pentax bodies would fall off a cliff. Besides, Pentax would lost the ability to keep prices high via lock in. And if Canonikon decided to protect their businesses by shutting out unapproved accessories with a kind of trusted computer module for cameras, the whole plan would blow up. I'd be surprised if something like this wasn't already in the Canonikon labs, just in case something unexpected appears which might threaten to take their businesses down. I could see Pentax lens sales happening only if the company failed and this was the last remaining way of salvaging something from the wreck.

[bossa]

Pentax primes must be the main reason folks choose to shoot Pentax, so if you made them available on other mounts chances are that sales of Pentax bodies would fall off a cliff. Besides, Pentax would lost the ability to keep prices high via lock in. And if Canonikon decided to protect their businesses by shutting out unapproved accessories with a kind of trusted computer module for cameras, the whole plan would blow up. I'd be surprised if something like this wasn't already in the Canonikon labs, just in case something unexpected appears which might threaten to take their businesses down. I could see Pentax lens sales happening only if the company failed and this was the last remaining way of salvaging something from the wreck.

So it's OK for Pentax to make FF lenses but not FF cameras? Strange concept.

[mecrox]

So it's OK for Pentax to make FF lenses but not FF cameras? Strange concept.

Not really. All the main outfits have some FF lenses in their line-ups which date from the days of film. That they happen to be capable of FF implies nothing about whether a company should or shouldn't have a line of FF cameras. They are just old designs pressed into service in a new era.

[Rondec]

Well, they did have a Tokina version of the same lens (now discontinued), and there is the Sigma 50-150/2.8 which has gotten some very good reviews.

The thing about the Sigma 50-150 is that Sigma stuck it in the same size body as their 70-200 f2.8, meaning that there is no decrease in size.

[Rondec]

Pentax would be well served by not only supporting their own cameras but by also supporting other camera makers. Pentax should make its lenses available in Nikon, Canon and Sony mounts. (Asahi) Pentax was originally an optical house that manufactured lenses.

A lot of people love Pentax for shooting legacy lenses on but there is no money for Pentax in used lenses. One of the many benefits of the MILC cameras like M4/3 and Sony NEX is that practically any legacy lens can be mounted to them, negating one of the selling points of Pentax.

New lens sales are where it's at. Unfortunately, the K-mount is not selling in numbers like the Nikon F mount, Canon EOS or even the Sony Alpha. Pentax could continue with its own K-mount cameras and lenses, but also produce lenses for the much larger markets of the other camera manufacturers.

Imagine shooting the FA Limiteds (or DFA) on Nikon, Canon or Sony DSLR's. Tapping these camera markets would really bring badly needed sales and profits in for Pentax rather than going it almost alone with the K-Mount.

I agree with Kunzite, it's a bad idea. It was bad enough when a large number of lens designs were licensed to Tokina in order to help pay the rent. If you want a DA 35 limited equivalent, it is available for Nikon. Same with several other DA lenses. Anyway, at the prices Pentax is selling their lenses for, I am not sure why folks who shoot Canon or Nikon would be interested.

[jsherman999]

The thing about the Sigma 50-150 is that Sigma stuck it in the same size body as their 70-200 f2.8, meaning that there is no decrease in size.

The new one, yes - the old one (non-OS, HSM II) is almost the exact same size as the Pentax 50-135.

I also don't see much advantage to an apsc-only 50-150 f/2.8 that's the same size as a FF 70-200...

[Blue]

I tried to buy a DA* 300 last year and three shipments were damaged by UPS. What surprised me is how flimsy the Pentax packaging was for this lens. It comes in a nylon bag with practically no padding and this sits inside the box with some cardboard to sustain it (it was crumbled under the weight of the lens in the first two packages - the third package was so damaged that I didn't even accept it). I would have expected a styrofoam contour case to keep the lens tight inside the box. Of course, the lens caps and the hood were always loose when I was opening the package - it's a wonder that the coating didn't get scratched. A lens of that price and quality deserves better packaging. I was very disappointed at the time, but now I think it was all for the better.

I got mine a little over 2 years ago and it was packaged better than that. I need to go get my box out of storage and take a look.

[luftfluss]

I've been ignoring the pricing situation for a few days and doing other things... so I looked around on Amazon and Froogle this morning, and noticed that some lens prices have dropped since last week. Or am I seeing old stock that is not subject to the price increase?

PS. the Sears marketplace has a 3rd party vendor named "H and B Digital"(!) and they will ship me a 60-250/4 for $2000 + $551 shipping!

[Docrwm]

Pentax would be well served by not only supporting their own cameras but by also supporting other camera makers. Pentax should make its lenses available in Nikon, Canon and Sony mounts. (Asahi) Pentax was originally an optical house that manufactured lenses.

A lot of people love Pentax for shooting legacy lenses on but there is no money for Pentax in used lenses. One of the many benefits of the MILC cameras like M4/3 and Sony NEX is that practically any legacy lens can be mounted to them, negating one of the selling points of Pentax.

New lens sales are where it's at. Unfortunately, the K-mount is not selling in numbers like the Nikon F mount, Canon EOS or even the Sony Alpha. Pentax could continue with its own K-mount cameras and lenses, but also produce lenses for the much larger markets of the other camera manufacturers.

Imagine shooting the FA Limiteds (or DFA) on Nikon, Canon or Sony DSLR's. Tapping these camera markets would really bring badly needed sales and profits in for Pentax rather than going it almost alone with the K-Mount.

As I recall they do (did?) make a Pentax - L version of some lenses for use with Leica cameras.

[Docrwm]

I've been ignoring the pricing situation for a few days and doing other things... so I looked around on Amazon and Froogle this morning, and noticed that some lens prices have dropped since last week. Or am I seeing old stock that is not subject to the price increase?

PS. the Sears marketplace has a 3rd party vendor named "H and B Digital"(!) and they will ship me a 60-250/4 for $2000 + $551 shipping!

Well, you are in NJ after all........

[Rondec]

I've been ignoring the pricing situation for a few days and doing other things... so I looked around on Amazon and Froogle this morning, and noticed that some lens prices have dropped since last week. Or am I seeing old stock that is not subject to the price increase?

PS. the Sears marketplace has a 3rd party vendor named "H and B Digital"(!) and they will ship me a 60-250/4 for $2000 + $551 shipping!

I would definitely jump on that Sears deal! Sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity!

[eddie1960]

As I recall they do (did?) make a Pentax - L version of some lenses for use with Leica cameras.

they made one limited run of the FA43 in Leica thread mount (m39). the rumour is the actual assembled and body of that lens was Cosina with optics and optical design from Pentax. I came with an OVF for use on leica cameras since none of the frame lines would show a 43mm FOV. It's pretty highly regarded. I think Digitalis on the Forum owns one.

Steven Goudy discusses it on his FA43 page

Pentax 43/1.9 Limited