Originally posted by biz-engineer With the latest lens designs from Ricoh (DFA15-30,DFA24-70,DFA28-105) I'd be very surprised if Ricoh would release a new 300 f2.8 or 400 f4. IMHO, they just think that the DFA150-450 covers up to 450 and the DFA560 cover the 600mm range, that's it, which is about right when considering that most amateur photogs won't spend $4000 into a lens. It's kinda self fulfilling prophecy as the category of people who'd buy a 400 f4 or 600 f5.6 most likely get those from Canon or Nikon already. If you consider a $4000 lens the camera mount compatibility isn't an issue, the cost of the camera body being cheap in comparison.
I am guessing you do not spend a lot of your photography time shooting wildlife. My interest in wildlife photography has overtaken my other photography interests and I am saddled with a relatively poor current telephoto offering from Pentax. I do have the Sigma 500 4.5 prime along with the Sigma 150-500 zoom. When I go out to shoot wildlife I will take the Sigma 500 95% of the time over zoom. I use the zoom where I may encounter tight situations like at zoos or photographing kids sports.
I did evaluate and even used the 560 for a brief time and found that the Pentax 560 had some drawbacks or I would have bought it in addition to the Sigma 500.
If Pentax wants to attract new photographers with an interest in wildlife , photographers who generally do spend a lot of money on lenses, they will need to provide good lenses for wildlife photography. If Pentax wants to keep their customers who spend a lot of time shooting wildlife and long for more capability they will need to provide better telephoto lenses and certainly better AF.C and tracking.
Annually I go to Conowingo Dam to photography eagles that migrate there in numbers every Novemeber. There is a section called the million dollar mile where photographers are lined up shoulder to shoulder with long lenses. Here my Sigma 500 looks like a point and shoot in comparison to the majority of rigs on the river. Out of the hundreds, maybe thousands of photographers I've seen at Conowingo over the years I have only met one other Pentax shooter and know of another one from the forum who goes there. Sure there are some professional photographers there but 99% are amateurs. Pentax could write off this group of amateur photographers who spend a lot of money on lenses. This is also a segment of photographers probably not thinking of replacing their gear with a smart phone, rather this is a segment of photographers who look for more. They look and spend more for more reach; they look and spend more for focus capability, and they spend more money to satisfy their interests.
My hope is Ricoh wants a piece of this high end action which I am guessing comes with high end margins and profit. If they feel the 150-450 and 560 address the needs here then Pentax will continue to be the very rare bird along the million dollar mile and the one or two Pentax birds there may indeed dwindle to maybe one from time to time.