New HD DA Limited lenses

cfraz · 08-28-2013, 04:24 PM

Originally posted by Uluru

It hasn't dawned to many is that what we're witnessing right now is a total re-branding and redesign of Pentax.

I agree we're seeing rebranding in action. But I think many others see that as well, and that's what is upsetting them. Red stripe instead of green: "Oh the humanity!" Or in another thread a crappy little point and shoot camera with the Ricoh logo instead of Pentax - "Oh this can't be happening. Now I can't use Pentax in my business any longer."

The irony is that those making the most noise about the changes are the same folks who seem to think Pentax have done nothing right in at least the last decade, that Pentax management are all cluless dolts, that every new product released in recent memory is fatally flawed, and that anyone who likes anything with the name Pentax on it is a mindless fanboy.

It's curious indeed that those who hate Pentax so passionately go so ballistic at the idea that Pentax is going to be different.

bossa · 08-28-2013, 04:32 PM

Pentax is now just a product line within another company that also happens to make cameras - that's the reality. They've merged the cameras departments and are in the process of redefining PENTAX as a brand - they have to do that if they want to have a future. PENTAX cannot remain the same and be successful and they've just been very lucky to survive this long under the circumstances. Next years model of the same car you own might take a few weeks to "learn to like" but eventually most people accept the changes and so it must be for Pentax to go forward.

I'm looking forward to one of those tasty HD DA 40's for my K-5 and K-01.

How would you have reacted had Nikon or Canon bought PENTAX instead of Ricoh?

**monochrome** · 08-28-2013, 04:34 PM

Originally posted by cfraz

It's curious indeed that those who hate Pentax so passionately go so ballistic at the idea that Pentax is going to be different.

And continue to (claim to) own Pentax gear and cme here to talk about it.

Uluru · 08-28-2013, 04:57 PM

To address the colour scheme of the HD limiteds, and how it's abruptly and without second thought compared to "Canon".
What was surprising to me is that for so many people who complained, and who — apparently — take on a serious investment in photography, there are so many nearly blind among them.
Or, at least, their memory is fading. Or they never ever actually understood anything about Pentax lenses, Canon lenses, Nikon lenses, etc. I don't know for sure, but just to make a statement with a proof that there isn't such thing as a "Canon lens colour". The "Canon colour" is all over the place, to be more precise, signifying different lineups and their purposes. I wonder if Canonians have ever complained about the EF 70-300, for example, and its green ring "stolen from Pentax; why is Canon denigrating its lens to a, a .. good Lord .. a Pentax level?". Or something else ridiculous like that.

Last edited by Uluru; 08-28-2013 at 05:03 PM.

bossa · 08-28-2013, 05:17 PM

Originally posted by dcshooter

As it's always been. Remember, even the initial sale of Pentax Corp. to Hoya was a grab for the immensely more profitable medical imaging division, and the Pentax brand is still used by TI Asahi to sell Total Stations and other surveying equipment.

There has NEVER been a company named "Pentax" that has just made cameras.

It was NEVER a product line within the offerings of another camera manufacturer.

melvis2 · 08-28-2013, 05:20 PM

Originally posted by theperception2008

Taken with the mark I SMC Pentax DA Limited 35 Macro f2.8.
If the first version was this sharp then the HD coatings should only be better...

P.s. off topic: Any one want to guess where the leaf was at when the photo was taken? No one has guessed it yet that has seen the photo.

Lawn mower seat.

redrockcoulee · 08-28-2013, 05:20 PM

My Pentax bag has the name in red as do the straps in our three digital cameras. The name is silver on the straps of my film SLRs. My 28 mm has a silver band, the 50 has no band but the 50 is in red and by DA lenses have green bands. It appears to me that Pentax colour is NOT BLUE.

I wonder how many minutes of time taken from developing new flashes or cameras were used up on the colour change or should it be measured in seconds? I doubt the change in coating affects the development of new lenses at all, the coating was used on other lenses already so improving these DA limiteds and perhaps saving production costs at no real cost to the lenses or cameras that some people NEED. There was a change in barrel colour between the F and FA series as well and even the A on the aperture ring on my two F series lenses are different colours, silver and green but on the A series I beleive it was red.

bxf · 08-28-2013, 05:23 PM

Originally posted by bossa

It was NEVER a product line within the offerings of another camera manufacturer.

And if Leica, rather than Ricoh, had bought Pentax?

**southlander** · 08-28-2013, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by cfraz

How was ride? Maybe the dealer made a mistake and instead of the Super Responsive model, they gave her the Shake Reduction model instead.

Ha! No, Toyota made a big thing of their 'Super Responsive' engines at the time. It's gone into my pantheon of gutless cars. Up there with an automatic Gemini circa 1980 (that's one only the Aussies here might know - essentially a sluggish 1.6 litre Isuzu motor with a Trimatic auto trans behind it that was also fitted to V8s. Once the internal friction of the trans was dealt with by the motor, there was precious little left for turning the back wheels). 1980's Subarus make an entry as well. My brother and father had a couple - Subaru had the audacity to call my father's a Sportswagon. Powering up for an overtaking move was commenced about 1/2 mile before the intended overtaking point.

**crewl1** · 08-28-2013, 06:09 PM

I have always admired the photos taken using the DA15 LTD and the beautiful star patterns from light sources.
Will the rounded blades of the HD versions affect this feature?

johnmflores · 08-28-2013, 06:30 PM

Originally posted by theperception2008

Taken with the mark I SMC Pentax DA Limited 35 Macro f2.8.
If the first version was this sharp then the HD coatings should only be better...

P.s. off topic: Any one want to guess where the leaf was at when the photo was taken? No one has guessed it yet that has seen the photo.

Windshield of a car after an ice storm?

theperception2008 · 08-28-2013, 07:33 PM

Originally posted by johnmflores

Windshield of a car after an ice storm?

, John you are right, it was my windshield after a sub zero C* evening. I found the leaf on my windshield fallen maybe 10 mins before I went out to the car.

lytrytyr · 08-28-2013, 07:42 PM

Originally posted by southlander

Up there with an automatic Gemini circa 1980 (that's one only the Aussies here might know)

"Chevette" in the US.

Adam G · 08-28-2013, 10:14 PM

Originally posted by dcshooter

And there is no "Ricoh Red" ring.

Uluru · 08-28-2013, 10:37 PM

It is most likely Ricoh GR's lens is coated with ABC and HD.

However, despite all this "newness" Ricoh Imaging is announcing for Pentax, we should not be fools and not believe this is also a carefully organised campaign to give an good excuse to make products more modern looking, but most importantly, raise prices.

Although I like the refresh for future's sake, and I think it's worth it, I also agree with what Mike Johnston wrote on his webpage: "Sorry, I didn't know what the announcement was going to be when I wrote that. Turned out it was Pentax announcing a bunch of "new" lenses...which are the old lenses with a red band around them and a couple of other alleged refreshmentations. (Including supposedly "better" coatings, which I flat don't buy. There was nothing wrong with Pentax's lens coatings before...they were and are among the best.) Seemed like a manufactured press event to me, so I passed on announcing it. Except in this reply, I guess."

So, is the GR lens so much better than Nikon's from Coolpix A? By construction that results in corner sharpness at max aperture, maybe by a fraction, but by the coating alone ... I don't think so.

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08-28-2013, 04:24 PM	#301
cfraz Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 521	Originally posted by Uluru It hasn't dawned to many is that what we're witnessing right now is a total re-branding and redesign of Pentax. I agree we're seeing rebranding in action. But I think many others see that as well, and that's what is upsetting them. Red stripe instead of green: "Oh the humanity!" Or in another thread a crappy little point and shoot camera with the Ricoh logo instead of Pentax - "Oh this can't be happening. Now I can't use Pentax in my business any longer." The irony is that those making the most noise about the changes are the same folks who seem to think Pentax have done nothing right in at least the last decade, that Pentax management are all cluless dolts, that every new product released in recent memory is fatally flawed, and that anyone who likes anything with the name Pentax on it is a mindless fanboy. It's curious indeed that those who hate Pentax so passionately go so ballistic at the idea that Pentax is going to be different.

08-28-2013, 04:32 PM	#302
bossa Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Posts: 4,546	Pentax is now just a product line within another company that also happens to make cameras - that's the reality. They've merged the cameras departments and are in the process of redefining PENTAX as a brand - they have to do that if they want to have a future. PENTAX cannot remain the same and be successful and they've just been very lucky to survive this long under the circumstances. Next years model of the same car you own might take a few weeks to "learn to like" but eventually most people accept the changes and so it must be for Pentax to go forward. I'm looking forward to one of those tasty HD DA 40's for my K-5 and K-01. How would you have reacted had Nikon or Canon bought PENTAX instead of Ricoh?

08-28-2013, 04:34 PM	#303
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by cfraz It's curious indeed that those who hate Pentax so passionately go so ballistic at the idea that Pentax is going to be different. And continue to (claim to) own Pentax gear and cme here to talk about it.

08-28-2013, 04:57 PM	#304
Uluru Banned Join Date: May 2010 Location: Back to my Walkabout Creek Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,535	To address the colour scheme of the HD limiteds, and how it's abruptly and without second thought compared to "Canon". What was surprising to me is that for so many people who complained, and who — apparently — take on a serious investment in photography, there are so many nearly blind among them. Or, at least, their memory is fading. Or they never ever actually understood anything about Pentax lenses, Canon lenses, Nikon lenses, etc. I don't know for sure, but just to make a statement with a proof that there isn't such thing as a "Canon lens colour". The "Canon colour" is all over the place, to be more precise, signifying different lineups and their purposes. I wonder if Canonians have ever complained about the EF 70-300, for example, and its green ring "stolen from Pentax; why is Canon denigrating its lens to a, a .. good Lord .. a Pentax level?". Or something else ridiculous like that. Last edited by Uluru; 08-28-2013 at 05:03 PM.

08-28-2013, 05:17 PM	#305
bossa Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Posts: 4,546	Originally posted by dcshooter As it's always been. Remember, even the initial sale of Pentax Corp. to Hoya was a grab for the immensely more profitable medical imaging division, and the Pentax brand is still used by TI Asahi to sell Total Stations and other surveying equipment. There has NEVER been a company named "Pentax" that has just made cameras. It was NEVER a product line within the offerings of another camera manufacturer.

08-28-2013, 05:20 PM	#306
melvis2 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Knoxville TN Photos: Albums Posts: 179	Originally posted by theperception2008 Taken with the mark I SMC Pentax DA Limited 35 Macro f2.8. If the first version was this sharp then the HD coatings should only be better... P.s. off topic: Any one want to guess where the leaf was at when the photo was taken? No one has guessed it yet that has seen the photo. Lawn mower seat.

08-28-2013, 05:20 PM	#307
redrockcoulee Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Medicine Hat Posts: 2,306	My Pentax bag has the name in red as do the straps in our three digital cameras. The name is silver on the straps of my film SLRs. My 28 mm has a silver band, the 50 has no band but the 50 is in red and by DA lenses have green bands. It appears to me that Pentax colour is NOT BLUE. I wonder how many minutes of time taken from developing new flashes or cameras were used up on the colour change or should it be measured in seconds? I doubt the change in coating affects the development of new lenses at all, the coating was used on other lenses already so improving these DA limiteds and perhaps saving production costs at no real cost to the lenses or cameras that some people NEED. There was a change in barrel colour between the F and FA series as well and even the A on the aperture ring on my two F series lenses are different colours, silver and green but on the A series I beleive it was red.

08-28-2013, 05:23 PM	#308
bxf Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Lisbon area Posts: 1,660	Originally posted by bossa It was NEVER a product line within the offerings of another camera manufacturer. And if Leica, rather than Ricoh, had bought Pentax?

08-28-2013, 05:58 PM	#309
southlander Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Adelaide Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,364	Originally posted by cfraz How was ride? Maybe the dealer made a mistake and instead of the Super Responsive model, they gave her the Shake Reduction model instead. Ha! No, Toyota made a big thing of their 'Super Responsive' engines at the time. It's gone into my pantheon of gutless cars. Up there with an automatic Gemini circa 1980 (that's one only the Aussies here might know - essentially a sluggish 1.6 litre Isuzu motor with a Trimatic auto trans behind it that was also fitted to V8s. Once the internal friction of the trans was dealt with by the motor, there was precious little left for turning the back wheels). 1980's Subarus make an entry as well. My brother and father had a couple - Subaru had the audacity to call my father's a Sportswagon. Powering up for an overtaking move was commenced about 1/2 mile before the intended overtaking point.

08-28-2013, 06:09 PM	#310
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	I have always admired the photos taken using the DA15 LTD and the beautiful star patterns from light sources. Will the rounded blades of the HD versions affect this feature?

08-28-2013, 06:30 PM	#311
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Originally posted by theperception2008 Taken with the mark I SMC Pentax DA Limited 35 Macro f2.8. If the first version was this sharp then the HD coatings should only be better... P.s. off topic: Any one want to guess where the leaf was at when the photo was taken? No one has guessed it yet that has seen the photo. Windshield of a car after an ice storm?

08-28-2013, 07:33 PM	#312
theperception2008 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Łódź, Poland and Riverside, California, U.S.A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 488	Originally posted by johnmflores Windshield of a car after an ice storm? , John you are right, it was my windshield after a sub zero C* evening. I found the leaf on my windshield fallen maybe 10 mins before I went out to the car.

08-28-2013, 07:42 PM	#313
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	Originally posted by southlander Up there with an automatic Gemini circa 1980 (that's one only the Aussies here might know) "Chevette" in the US.

08-28-2013, 10:14 PM	#314
Adam G Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 143	Originally posted by dcshooter And there is no "Ricoh Red" ring.

08-28-2013, 10:37 PM	#315
Uluru Banned Join Date: May 2010 Location: Back to my Walkabout Creek Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,535	It is most likely Ricoh GR's lens is coated with ABC and HD. However, despite all this "newness" Ricoh Imaging is announcing for Pentax, we should not be fools and not believe this is also a carefully organised campaign to give an good excuse to make products more modern looking, but most importantly, raise prices. Although I like the refresh for future's sake, and I think it's worth it, I also agree with what Mike Johnston wrote on his webpage: "Sorry, I didn't know what the announcement was going to be when I wrote that. Turned out it was Pentax announcing a bunch of "new" lenses...which are the old lenses with a red band around them and a couple of other alleged refreshmentations. (Including supposedly "better" coatings, which I flat don't buy. There was nothing wrong with Pentax's lens coatings before...they were and are among the best.) Seemed like a manufactured press event to me, so I passed on announcing it. Except in this reply, I guess." So, is the GR lens so much better than Nikon's from Coolpix A? By construction that results in corner sharpness at max aperture, maybe by a fraction, but by the coating alone ... I don't think so.