[gazonk]

Yes that seems likely. If the lens was coming before the end of the year it would make sense to market it at the same time as Pentax's new high-end body - even if the availability was going to be later.

Since the lens was scheduled for "2013 or later", I think it must have been originally planned for the K-3. Pentax doesn't seem very keen on selling the 16-50, otherwise a high end K-3 kit option with that lens would have been natural.

So why is the lens delayed? Unforeseen problems? Or maybe a shift of focus: They're working hard on FF kit zooms instead?

[Alizarine]

So why is the lens delayed? Unforeseen problems? Or maybe a shift of focus: They're working hard on FF kit zooms instead?

if taking the cue from the K-3 (still APS-C, but with a giant leap in specs, at least on paper), perhaps... a new motor? and thinking if they should make it HD also?

[Caat]

Since the lens was scheduled for "2013 or later", I think it must have been originally planned for the K-3. Pentax doesn't seem very keen on selling the 16-50, otherwise a high end K-3 kit option with that lens would have been natural.

So why is the lens delayed? Unforeseen problems? Or maybe a shift of focus: They're working hard on FF kit zooms instead?

I would think that were the 18-70 going to be 'turned into' a FF lens it would have been removed for the roadmap. And I would have thought a new highend zoom for the K-3 would be similar priority to a FF zoom - given that the K-3 would be expected to sell a lot more units than a FF Pentax, and the existing installed user base of K-7s to K-5II/s.

It may be a delay due to thinking about how high end they want to make it - redesigning the focus motor, whether to use HD AND Aerobright, what to brand it as (DA* etc).

Or it may be as slightly rumoured that there are two new cameras coming next year - and if one is a higher-end APS-C (rather than FF) this lens may be for that camera. Although I find that unlikely.

[gazonk]

And I would have thought a new highend zoom for the K-3 would be similar priority to a FF zoom - given that the K-3 would be expected to sell a lot more units than a FF Pentax, and the existing installed user base of K-7s to K-5II/s.

I agree.

It may be a delay due to thinking about how high end they want to make it - redesigning the focus motor, whether to use HD AND Aerobright, what to brand it as (DA* etc).

A decision to use a different motor design which delayed the project is quite probable. A delay because of insufficient optical qualities is less probable - the optical design has probably been finished for quite a while.

Or it may be as slightly rumoured that there are two new cameras coming next year - and if one is a higher-end APS-C (rather than FF) this lens may be for that camera. Although I find that unlikely.

Even higher-end than the K-3 sounds unlikely. The K-50 wasn't a really new camera, so I'm guessing the next cameras in line could be a K-50 upgrade and a 645D II.

[Mistral75]

At least one K-mount lens is to be announced before year end.

[Caat]

A decision to use a different motor design which delayed the project is quite probable. A delay because of insufficient optical qualities is less probable - the optical design has probably been finished for quite a while.

Yes. One would expect the optical design to be fixed by now - unless they are experimenting with something like fluorite elements (wasn't Sigma's fluorite like technology co-developed with Hoya? [not that that means any such IP was also sold to Ricoh along with Pentax]).

Even higher-end than the K-3 sounds unlikely. The K-50 wasn't a really new camera, so I'm guessing the next cameras in line could be a K-50 upgrade and a 645D II.

I completely agree. There isn't much space above the K-3 for a higher end APS-C camera. And the 645D is due an upgrade.

[Mistral75]

(...) the 645D is due an upgrade.

At CP+?

[Asahiflex]

At CP+?

What would you do if you were Ricoh? Announce both the 645D + the FF there or only the 645D at CP+ and the FF at Photokina 2014?

But it would be fun if they announced two FF's at CP+: the FF 645D and the FF K-1

[Caat]

At least one K-mount lens is to be announced before year end.

In which case the 18-70 is probably the best candidate on the roadmap - unless the 1.4 TC counts as a lens.

[Caat]

At CP+?

Dunno!

[gazonk]

What would you do if you were Ricoh? Announce both the 645D + the FF there or only the 645D at CP+ and the FF at Photokina 2014?

But it would be fun if they announced two FF's at CP+: the FF 645D and the FF K-1

What about the FF 67D?

[Asahiflex]

What about the FF 67D?

Fun aside: is the 67 II still available new outside of Japan? Does it still have a following? And lastly: would a Digital 67 make sense in this day and age (even when the lenses are AF and not MF like they are now)?

[Mistral75]

What would you do if you were Ricoh? Announce both the 645D + the FF there or only the 645D at CP+ and the FF at Photokina 2014?

But it would be fun if they announced two FF's at CP+: the FF 645D and the FF K-1

If I were Ricoh, I would announce the successor to 645D at CP+, taking into account the large number of 645 and 645D in Japan, and the 24x36 XRD-1 at Photokina.

But I'm not sure a successor to 645D is ready to be announced. The problem is the sensor. Pentax are currently sourcing their medium format sensor from Truesense Imaging. No new sensor has been proposed by Truesense Imaging to anyone (including Hasselblad) since November 2011 when the Kodak division known as Kodak Image Sensor Solutions was bought by Platinum Equity and incorporated as Truesense Imaging.

The new sensors recently proposed by Truesense Imaging are meant for video applications (machine vision, intelligent transportation systems, surveillance applications and more): a 4K 4/3" 12 Mpixels CMOS sensor, a 2K 4/3" 4 Mpixels CCD sensor and a FullHD 1" CCD sensor. Nothing even remotely related to medium format photography sensors.

New CMOS and CCD Image Sensors from Truesense Imaging Target High Performance Imaging Applications - Truesense Imaging, Inc.

Pentax (and even more Hasselblad) need to find another source for their medium format sensors. In the medium format world there seem to appear two alliances, the first one between Phase One and Canon, the second one between Hasselblad, Sony, Zeiss, Ricoh Pentax and Fuji.

Remember that:

• Hasselblad Stellar and Lunar are re-looked Sony cameras (RX100 and NEX-7 respectively)
• Hasselblad new CEO is the former CEO of Carl Zeiss AG in Japan; he is the one who has negotiated the Carl Zeiss - Sony licence agreement concerning the Carl Zeiss ZA autofocus lenses in Sony Alpha mount
• Zeiss lenses are highlighted on Hasselblad Lunars and Stellars
• Fuji is behind the H series of Hasselblad and their lenses
• It seems that Fuji is the Japanese subcontractor manufacturing the Zeiss Touits for Carl Zeiss AG (hence the existence of Touits in Fujifilm X mount).

In addition to the above, I heard of Sony Sensors working on medium format CMOS sensors.

[Caat]

I wonder whether Samsung continued working on medium format CMOS sensors

[Barry Pearson]

In which case the 18-70 is probably the best candidate on the roadmap - unless the 1.4 TC counts as a lens.

I want both!

(When do I want them? Now!)