[Kunzite]

That's what I was saying for a while, but you did it much better

[Mistral75]

That's what I was saying for a while, but you did it much better

Sometimes I indulge myself in doting the i-s and crossing the t-s.

[Uluru]

Roadmaps and patents are like palm reading. A mysterious DA wide zoom has been siting on the roadmap for 4+ years, maybe more, and lenses that were shown later, it seems, appeared before it. When the indication was "2012 or later', then in 2016 the text goes, "2016 or later", then it is "yeah, see ya later".

[Uluru]

On the other hand, Pentax has just achieved a record that deserves a serious cheer; during the last six years, Pentax has issued only one new prime lens for the K-mount, DA560. More like a super-telephoto monster prime, conceived in 2009 or before. But nevertheless, this deserves a serious congratulations to Ricoh, and their visionary management of the Pentax K-mount optics strategy. To which address can I send them some flowers?

[Kunzite]

An impressive record, given that as of today, Ricoh didn't had control of Pentax for 6 years.
Aren't you tired of Pentax-bashing?

[BigMackCam]

On the other hand, Pentax has just achieved a record that deserves a serious cheer; during the last six years, Pentax has issued only one new prime lens for the K-mount

DA50 f/1.8 - released May 2012.

DA Limited primes - updated with rounded aperture blades and new HD coatings in August 2013 (not new lenses, admittedly, but they were already excellent - the updates made them better still).

APS-C is well catered for with primes, according to the Pentax design philosophy of compact + high quality.

Now that the K-1 is released, I'm sure we'll see some updated and/or new primes further down the line.

[noelpolar]

On the other hand, Pentax has just achieved a record that deserves a serious cheer; during the last six years, Pentax has issued only one new prime lens for the K-mount, DA560. More like a super-telephoto monster prime, conceived in 2009 or before. But nevertheless, this deserves a serious congratulations to Ricoh, and their visionary management of the Pentax K-mount optics strategy. To which address can I send them some flowers?

Wow.... 3 likes now!

[Kunzite]

@BigMackCam:
Yes, but he said "new prime lens" to specifically exclude the DA 50mm f/1.8, and the HD Limiteds. He's also intentionally ignoring the state of the APS-C lens range, as well as the lens roadmap stating that new D FA primes are expected.

[BigMackCam]

@BigMackCam:
Yes, but he said "new prime lens" to specifically exclude the DA 50mm f/1.8, and the HD Limiteds. He's also intentionally ignoring the state of the APS-C lens range, as well as the lens roadmap stating that new D FA primes are expected.

Ah, right

Well, I agree that Ricoh / Pentax deserves congratulations. We have great DA primes, some excellent modern zooms covering most of the important focal lengths, excellent FAs (especially the Limiteds) which - although due updates at some point - are still impressing users, and of course the all-important development and release of the K-1, which had to be Ricoh's priority.

I'm a "glass half full" kind of chap.

Good times

[D1N0]

The DA 50mm was a new prime. The 50's before were 1.7 and there had not been a DA 50 yet.

[Nicolas06]

Standard practise for professionals officially sponsored by Canon and Nikon.

For pro photographer, the price of an expensive lens is small compared to the price of the car he use or the shop/studio he owns. Most professional activities require investment, even if that just a place, salary for employees or a vehicle.

And that's for the easy jobs where you can do it all by yourself quite easily. Imagine you have a speciality in civil nuclear applications. I remember hearing of a startup in that area, wanting to design small nuclear power plan. Hey that is difficult and require some real investment and relations.

What I just want to say is I expect many pro photographer to make 30K, 50K, 100K a year, their gear may be 10K-20K but if they buy it over a 3 year period and counting they can deduce it from taxes, that not that much.

Albeit in many situations people are employees of agencies or other stuff like that. The agency pay for the gear and you take what is available.

[Fat Albert]

*Somebody* sure is desperate for attention!

[Uluru]

DA50 f/1.8 - released May 2012.
DA Limited primes - updated with rounded aperture blades and new HD coatings in August 2013 (not new lenses, admittedly, but they were already excellent - the updates made them better still).
Now that the K-1 is released, I'm sure we'll see some updated and/or new primes further down the line.

DA50 f/1.8 is not a lens. That is a K-mount toy lens.
And this is not a joke; when Pentax issued Q with a bunch of toy lenses, Ricoh toyed around with the idea of toy lenses for the K mount. A big, big mistake. In the world of photography only certain things pass as the lenses, but this ain't that, so let's rather forget it.

All the same, recoating and repainting of certain lenses in the lineup is not same as issuing new designs. Say, during the 2017, Pentax may come out with DA200/2.8, but which has new coatings, a DC motor and tweaked design: that is a new lens. But same motors (or lack of them — same screwdrive as before), same basic performance, optical formula unchanged, but only changed coating, which is not anything radical .. well, that is still the same lens.

[Nicolas06]

DA50 f/1.8 is not a lens. That is a K-mount toy lens.
And this is not a joke; when Pentax issued Q with a bunch of toy lenses, Ricoh toyed around with the idea of toy lenses for the K mount. A big, big mistake. In the world of photography only certain things pass as the lenses, but this ain't that, so let's rather forget it.

All the same, recoating and repainting of certain lenses in the lineup is not same as issuing new designs. Say, during the 2017, Pentax may come out with DA200/2.8, but which has new coatings, a DC motor and tweaked design: that is a new lens. But same motors (or lack of them — same screwdrive as before), same basic performance, optical formula unchanged, but only changed coating, which is not anything radical .. well, that is still the same lens.

Who care? We don't buy the design but the actual result. If an old design is great, then so be it. Pentax release quite a few lenses recently, some of their own design, some from tamron but that still 5 DFA in short time frame. before they release a few of interresting DA lenses: modern cheap prime with DA35 and DA50, update of DA ltd, DA20-40, DA16-85... Improved 55-300.

Myself I am into ltd, and migrated to the FAltd. You'd say they show Pentax can't marke that anymore. But my point is if Sigma, Canon or Nikon were making theses lenses today they be 1.4 or 1.2, they be optically perfect, they be huge. They'd have worse bokeh, they have different colors rendering due to modern coating. That's simply not the same product. It would not be better, just different and even more expensive...

There interresting things for everybody, the consumer that want something light/cheap and the pro that want the best. And there more to come. Like a few more perfect design for the ones that are after that.

Some think we always need something new, but that only valid if what available is no good. We have already a lot more than many with the limited serie, the cheap WR kit lenses and some decicated APSC lenses like 50-135 or 60-250...

[surfar]

DA50 f/1.8 is not a lens

Looks and feels like a lens to me!

K-mount toy lens.

Its a great "TOY" on the K1!