[Mistral75]

While offtopic: I'm glad to own that lens. Did it reach that amount because of my samples in the Takumar club topic??? :P

I envy you, not only for this lens (which is not listed in your signature) but also for the Takumar 83mm f/1.9 (you happen to like Sonnars ) and, above all, the Macro Apo-Lanthar .

[Franky2step]

so, the future zoom went from DA* to just DA?

[Fogel70]

so, the future zoom went from DA* to just DA?

Pentax most expensive K-mount lens is "just" a DA.

[Andi Lo]

Pentax most expensive K-mount lens is "just" a DA.

I wonder if there's a reason why? That lens seem to fit all the definitions of a DA*, just like the DFA 100 fits almost all the descriptions of a limited.

[Jonathan Mac]

I wonder if there's a reason why? That lens seem to fit all the definitions of a DA*, just like the DFA 100 fits almost all the descriptions of a limited.

Not quite all of them - the AF motor works!

[monochrome]

I wonder if there's a reason why? That lens seem to fit all the definitions of a DA*, just like the DFA 100 fits almost all the descriptions of a limited.

Not quite all of them - the AF motor works!

Maybe it will be a HD DA Limited ZOOM instead of a DA* and they're holding their cards close to their vest.

[Asahiflex]

The reason is plain and simple: Ricoh wants to get rid of the * designation. Good riddance, I'd say. The star is a nuisance in today's information age, where it's mainly used as a wildcard. Try searching for a star lens. It's just as much a big PITA as it was when Pentax called their cameras *ist. Now it's a good time to break with tradition and offer a new designation for high end lenses.

[monochrome]

The reason is plain and simple: Ricoh wants to get rid of the * designation. Good riddance, I'd say. The star is a nuisance in today's information age, where it's mainly used as a wildcard. Try searching for a star lens. It's just as much a big PITA as it was when Pentax called their cameras *ist. Now it's a good time to break with tradition and offer a new designation for high end lenses.

Well that takes all the fun out of it. Too logical and un-Pentaxy

[Andi Lo]

Well that takes all the fun out of it. Too logical and un-Pentaxy

un-pentaxy must be the word of the day :P

[Alizarine]

un-pentaxy must be the word of the day :P

I second the motion haha

though I really wonder where on earth did Pentax get the name "*ist"....
'twas a good call on naming the main camera line "K" though, it supports the existence of the mount, as well as getting away from Canon's #D and Nikon's D# format (and in recent years, the omission of the "D" altogether)

I guess in that sense the * designation is going away. This makes me worry though, since the * lenses were associated with being the top-tier lenses of Pentax, like Canon's L line. If they're going to replace it with just "HD" (a very, very overused term nowadays)... the names won't sound as original anymore (OK, names aren't that big an issue compared to the lenses themselves, of course!).

[Alizarine]

Eh, the "Limited" designation has about as much cachet these days as the * does, and without the problems presented by the "*" designation.

The biggest difference between them is the weather sealing (at least for the DA* line, I don't think the A* ~ FA* lenses had any). As for the "smc" replacement, which I guess was mentioned somewhere before... won't completely happen, as the HD designation was reserved for premium lenses only, like Aero Bright (which, anyway, is never printed, though it exists).

[monochrome]

The biggest difference between them is the weather sealing (at least for the DA* line, I don't think the A* ~ FA* lenses had any). As for the "smc" replacement, which I guess was mentioned somewhere before... won't completely happen, as the HD designation was reserved for premium lenses only, like Aero Bright (which, anyway, is never printed, though it exists).

Changing the coating is a function of how many vacuum evaporators Ricoh installs, at $1,000,000 per, and the relative depreciation of the current coating equipment used for SMC and Aero Bright. If the old stuff is fully depreciated (and also worn out) there's nothing keeping Ricoh from converting entirely to HD.

[Uluru]

Main strategic asset of the K-mount are its lenses. If there's a mean to uplift the perception of already good lenses, Ricoh will do it. I mean, any sensible company buying Pentax thinking long-term would do it too. The "HD" buzzword is the rebranding exercise in the realm of lenses, which doesn't just describe a new coating, but a whole set of improvements that:

• justify higher price, which was necessary to achieve reasonable levels of profit
• perception of great quality

HD coating story also tries to fill the void caused by lack of any other news, and as such it is understandable many users think of it as "well, so what?". Like the old coating was bad? No, it wasn't, but the new buzzword was needed, to put the Pentax again in the headlines.

I cannot recall any other lens manufacturer raising this same level of "fuss" about the new coating — which would be a normal, silently performed procedure in the continuous improvement cycle. However, not many of them needed urgent rebranding and a new level of self-awareness like Pentax brand does need right now.

[monochrome]

Main strategic asset of the K-mount are its lenses. If there's a mean to uplift the perception of already good lenses, Ricoh will do it. I mean, any sensible company buying Pentax thinking long-term would do it too. The "HD" buzzword is the rebranding exercise in the realm of lenses, which doesn't just describe a new coating, but a whole set of improvements that:

• justify higher price, which was necessary to achieve reasonable levels of profit
• perception of great quality

HD coating story also tries to fill the void caused by lack of any other news, and as such it is understandable many users think of it as "well, so what?". Like the old coating was bad? No, it wasn't, but the new buzzword was needed, to put the Pentax again in the headlines.

I cannot recall any other lens manufacturer raising this same level of "fuss" about the new coating — which would be a normal, silently performed procedure in the continuous improvement cycle. However, not many of them needed urgent rebranding and a new level of self-awareness like Pentax brand does need right now.

Pentax, though, has a long history of pioneering coatings as a brand differentiator.

[Fogel70]

Eh, the "Limited" designation has about as much cachet these days as the * does, and without the problems presented by the "*" designation.
If the "Zoom Limited" on the roadmap is the indication of things to come, I wouldn't be disappointed at all. And I was under the impression that the "HD" was the designation for the SMC replacement, which implies it will eventually be used on the entire lens lineup, so you'd need something else to differentiate the high-end line.

It's most likely "AW" that is going to be used for for high end lenses.
Which they have already used on 645 lenses since 645D was released and also on DA 560/5.6