[OoKU]

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/japan/products/lens/images/K_Mount_Lens.pdf
No more message
Just add the new 553

[Mistral75]

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/japan/products/lens/images/K_Mount_Lens.pdf
No more message
Just add the new 553

Thank you for the link. It's interesting to note that the older non-PLM non-RE 55-300mm still appears on the roadmap.

[UncleVanya]

One thing that always annoys me is the lack of a key.

Yellow appears to be * optics, but green is shared by DA, DFA, FA, and FA limited. I would suggest that maybe a different color or notation for WR/AW would help more than * vs not star. Or calling out the limited line up vs everything else.

Pentax? Are you listening?

Also, given user experience with other lenses working well on full frame, why do they still only show three DA lenses with that ability and correction profiles for ff use.

[calsan]

I can guess the key:

Orange - DFA star.
Yellow - DA star
Dark Green - FA
Light Green - DA
Red - future product

So many lenses now. So little space in my house.

[Fogel70]

One thing that always annoys me is the lack of a key.

Yellow appears to be * optics, but green is shared by DA, DFA, FA, and FA limited. I would suggest that maybe a different color or notation for WR/AW would help more than * vs not star. Or calling out the limited line up vs everything else.

Pentax? Are you listening?

Also, given user experience with other lenses working well on full frame, why do they still only show three DA lenses with that ability and correction profiles for ff use.

It's actually two different greens. Darker green for D FA, FA and FA limited, and lighter green for DA and DA limited.

IMO the lens road map should hot contain too much details, that is something for the lens catalog instead. But they don't have translated the latest version of it to english.
http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/japan/support/catalog/pdf/lenses_accessories.pdf

[rod_grant]

So little space in my house

time to move.

[starbase218]

I still wonder when they will bring out replacements for the DA* line. HD coatings, better autofocus tracking, improved optics... all these things are now being applied to DFA lenses and some cheaper DA lenses. DA* is left in the dust... for how long?

[TechNeck]

The dark green seems to be officially FF lenses, lighter green APS-C lenses.

The one and only lens in "2016 or later" category is DA Wide Zoom ~14-28 mm for APS-C. No other lenses for 2016. I hope they can speed up the D FA UWA prime, as this is truly lacking from current setup for K-1.

Sometimes I wonder whom these lens maps are made as Ricoh/Pentax seems to introduce lenses that were ever in the road map.

[Joshua A]

I still wonder when they will bring out replacements for the DA* line. HD coatings, better autofocus tracking, improved optics... all these things are now being applied to DFA lenses and some cheaper DA lenses. DA* is left in the dust... for how long?

I really think that an updates DA* system should be released around Photokina this year, consisting of the new DA(DA*) wide zoom, an updated DA* Standard Zoom, and an updated DA* Telephoto Zoom. My preferred lineup would consist of a 'DA* 10-20mm f2.8 DC, DA* 16-50mm f2.8 DC, DA* 50-150mm f2.8 DC'. The new DA* lineup should not include the DA* 60-250m, due to it's near full frame coverage.

Honestly I think Ricoh/Pentax would be foolish not to reissue the DA* 60-250mm f4 as a D-FA* 60-250 f4. It's been shown that with the rear baffle removed it is;, optically a pro grade (roughly on par with a Canon EF 70-200mm f4 IS USM). A replacement in the form of a D-FA* 60-250mm f4 DC [ED] AW would be a affordable replacement to the D-FA* 70-200mm f2.8, especially if they update the exterior to match the new lenses (a metal exterior would help) and increase the speed of the AF system dramatically.

That said, Ricoh has recently patented a 100-300mm f4 zoom, and whilst I'd love both lenses to co-exist, and I hope that they do, it may not come to fruition.

[Zygonyx]

I like to get an updated roadmap the following week of a surprising and unpredictable announcement.
Please Ricoh, do it once every month !

[starbase218]

I really think that an updates DA* system should be released around Photokina this year, consisting of the new DA(DA*) wide zoom, an updated DA* Standard Zoom, and an updated DA* Telephoto Zoom. My preferred lineup would consist of a 'DA* 10-20mm f2.8 DC, DA* 16-50mm f2.8 DC, DA* 50-150mm f2.8 DC'. The new DA* lineup should not include the DA* 60-250m, due to it's near full frame coverage.

Honestly I think Ricoh/Pentax would be foolish not to reissue the DA* 60-250mm f4 as a D-FA* 60-250 f4. It's been shown that with the rear baffle removed it is;, optically a pro grade (roughly on par with a Canon EF 70-200mm f4 IS USM). A replacement in the form of a D-FA* 60-250mm f4 DC [ED] AW would be a affordable replacement to the D-FA* 70-200mm f2.8, especially if they update the exterior to match the new lenses (a metal exterior would help) and increase the speed of the AF system dramatically.

That said, Ricoh has recently patented a 100-300mm f4 zoom, and whilst I'd love both lenses to co-exist, and I hope that they do, it may not come to fruition.

The DA* 60-250 is optically a gem. It may be the best lens I have in terms of sharpness, contrast, etc. Its only downside in terms op optical formula is that it has really bad focus breathing, and as such the maximum magnification is not so good. But that's a reasonable compromise I think. (still, if it's possible to improve this aspect with little or no other impact, Ricoh, please do so!)

I did some testing on it yesterday evening, and it actually focuses faster than a 55-300, e.g. it goes faster through its focus range. Still, the 55-300 seems to be better for tracking, as established in this review. I think that probably has to do with the fact that there can be a small delay between the time you press the button and the time the lens actually starts to focus. When it has to do a lot of small adjustments (as is the case with tracking), those small delays matter more.

As for that patent, I have yet to see if it's going to develop into a real lens. It seems likely, but not all patents do.

I don't care so much about an f/2.8 wide-angle zoom. I think f/4 is just fine there. Maybe the new wide-angle zoom will be a DA* lens, who knows? That might even persuade more people to upgrade from their 12-24s, since you get weathersealing too. But otherwise, a new 16-50 and 50-150 (please don't make it as big or heavy as the Sigma) would be great. Coincidentally, 150mm is where the D-FA 150-450 can take over (when you're in that territory, the size advantage of APS-C lenses matters less I think).

[totsmuyco]

I'm going to be an APS-C shooter for life. I would still like to have a WR 80-400 with super fast focusing and probably an f3.5 - 5.8 opening. I'm just dreaming out loud and I hope Pentax hears me.

[thibs]

I'm going to be an APS-C shooter for life. I would still like to have a WR 80-400 with super fast focusing and probably an f3.5 - 5.8 opening. I'm just dreaming out loud and I hope Pentax hears me.

Why would the DFA 150-450 be inappropriate in this context?
It's not as if an APS version would be smaller...
The wider part? The 150-450 is excellent, I wouldn't want a worse (even slightly) lens to get it down to 80mm...

[Joshua A]

The DA* 60-250 is optically a gem. It may be the best lens I have in terms of sharpness, contrast, etc. Its only downside in terms op optical formula is that it has really bad focus breathing, and as such the maximum magnification is not so good. But that's a reasonable compromise I think. (still, if it's possible to improve this aspect with little or no other impact, Ricoh, please do so!)

I did some testing on it yesterday evening, and it actually focuses faster than a 55-300, e.g. it goes faster through its focus range. Still, the 55-300 seems to be better for tracking, as established in this review. I think that probably has to do with the fact that there can be a small delay between the time you press the button and the time the lens actually starts to focus. When it has to do a lot of small adjustments (as is the case with tracking), those small delays matter more.

As for that patent, I have yet to see if it's going to develop into a real lens. It seems likely, but not all patents do.

I don't care so much about an f/2.8 wide-angle zoom. I think f/4 is just fine there. Maybe the new wide-angle zoom will be a DA* lens, who knows? That might even persuade more people to upgrade from their 12-24s, since you get weathersealing too. But otherwise, a new 16-50 and 50-150 (please don't make it as big or heavy as the Sigma) would be great. Coincidentally, 150mm is where the D-FA 150-450 can take over (when you're in that territory, the size advantage of APS-C lenses matters less I think).

I think it is important for Ricoh/Pentax to offer the most comprehensive zoom range across their mount lineup. That would mean including a DA* APS-c trinity (10-20 2.8, 16-50 2.8, 50-150mm 2.8), two full frame trinities (15-30 2.8, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8) (14-24 f4, 24-100 f4, 100-300 f4) and a 645 trinity (28-45 4.5, 35-100 4.5, 100-300 4.5). Along with first party smart adapters for adapting 645 lenses to the K series cameras with AF and aperture control, and an AF and AE adapter for adapting K-Mount lenses to a high end Q series camera; this would make Pentax into a leading brand in terms of lens range and would fill the supertelephoto void in the interim (example, the 560mm f5.6 DC lens on a pro level Q body would equal a 2,600mm lens equiv' lens, quite impressive IMO) Just my thoughts...

[boriscleto]

Thank you for the link. It's interesting to note that the older non-PLM non-RE 55-300mm still appears on the roadmap.

I don't find it surprising. The new lens only works with a small subset of Pentax cameras for now.