[Kunzite]

Apparently the estimated 1.4 Billion dollar price tag (the internal estimate on what it would cost) slowed them down a bit. What people don't seem to understand, it that 1.4 billion, ultimately has to come from us.

Spending $3.5k CAD this year on my K-1 and DFA 28-105, I have done my fair share. The rest of you whiners need to step up to the plate.

I've done my part too - the K-1, D FA 28-105 and a D FA 150-450.
We should have a rule: one complaint for every product bought in the last 5 years. Now, that will increase the sales!

[Rondec]

Do you think the colors are more vibrant or have more "punch" on the DA*50-135 as opposed to the FA 77 or are they about the same?

The 50-135 has more neutral colors. The FA limiteds feel just a little warmer to me, if that makes sense. Both have good contrast, which I think is probably more important than colors. The FA 77 has better rendering of out of focus areas, for what it is worth.

[normhead]

Actually I'd say Ricoh Imaging will move slower, for the following reasons:

Still, they'll move faster than my ability to buy

And that's all that matters. As long as there's stuff I'd like that I don't own, why would I need them to make something else, to add to my "I can't buy that yet." list?

[monochrome]

Pentax executives said right up front at some point, they intend to compete with Canon and Nikon, (as they have in the distant past). They just didn't say when.

After that comment was made (12/2012) the parent company went through a downsizing / reorganization. I imagine the current business goals are somewhat different. The alternative full-line camera company need not capture 25% of the market (but 10% will do just fine, thank you very much).

PApparently the estimated 1.4 Billion dollar price tag (the internal estimate on what it would cost) slowed them down a bit. What people don't seem to understand, it that 1.4 billion, ultimately has to come from us.j

Spending $3.5k CAD this year on my K-1 and DFA 28-105, I have done my fair share. The rest of you whiners need to step up to the plate.

If Pentax didn't put $500 of my money in their war chest... there's something wrong with them

The trouble with being such a small company is, they can only make money on what they currently produce. If I land the FA 20 or 20-35 I'm looking for, they don't make a cent. But without being a bigger company, it's hard or them to fill the demand in every niche they create. The old glass made it possible for them to sell me the camera, but their lack of producing lenses for my needs will make it hard for them to finance the development of the lenses I want.

Of the 3 lenses I bought specifically for the K-1, only 1 was bought new from Pentax. That ultimately means less development down the line. They are in a tough spot. It did mean a payday for some other people, like the people who were selling the other two lenses I bought.

They will not uncripple the mount. That consigns all manual lenses to weirdsmobiles like me. I suspect there will come a day - maybe sooner than we think - that the screw drive motor disappears from flagship FF cameras. Screw drive could be embargoed to APSc since it can contribute to smaller lenses.

FF would drop screw drive to generate lens cash flow, which could be used for investment in competitive AF and other shortcomings. I can already here the howling.

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Last edited by monochrome; 01-14-2017 at 10:50 AM.

[eddie1960]

After that comment was made (12/2012) the parent company went through a downsizing / reorganization. I imagine the current business goals are somewhat different. The alternative full-line camera company need not capture 25% of the market (but 10% will do just fine, thank you very much).

They will not uncripple the mount. That consigns all manual lenses to weirsmobiles like me. I suspect there will come a day - maybe sooner than we think - that the screwdriver motor disappears from flagship FF cameras. Screwdriver could be embargoed to APSc since it does contribute to smaller lenses.

FF will have to drop screwdriver to generate lens cash flow, which could be used for investment in competitive AF and other shortcomings. I can already here the howling.

I can see e next production of the fa LTD 31/43/77 getting bigger with SDM WR and no screw drive and probably eliminating the aperture ring , as long as they keep the optical design that gives the character
Not sure how many are left from the last run which is now a number of years back

[luftfluss]

They will not uncripple the mount. That consigns all manual lenses to weirsmobiles like me. I suspect there will come a day - maybe sooner than we think - that the screwdriver motor disappears from flagship FF cameras. Screwdriver could be embargoed to APSc since it does contribute to smaller lenses.

FF will have to drop screwdriver to generate lens cash flow, which could be used for investment in competitive AF and other shortcomings. I can already here the howling.

A decade ago there was much howling in Nikonland when they removed the mechanical focus motor from the lower-end bodies. A few years later, hardly anybody cared.

[monochrome]

I can see e next production of the fa LTD 31/43/77 getting bigger with SDM WR and no screw drive and probably eliminating the aperture ring , as long as they keep the optical design that gives the character
Not sure how many are left from the last run which is now a number of years back

All three FA Limiteds are currently in production and have been since January, 2016. The FA Limiteds are the counter to my argument - they could keep making K-1's forever just for the FA Limiteds and secondary market lenses.

[monochrome]

A decade ago there was much howling in Nikonland when they removed the mechanical focus motor from the lower-end bodies. A few years later, hardly anybody cared.

Assuming PLM can only drive light, polycarbonate, rear element groups for focusing, dropping the internal focus motor from - well, Pentax doesn't have a low end range. Would they make mid-range PLM only?

It would be far more bold a move to make a new camera without an aperture control lever.

[mecrox]

I would forget about the past 50 years and would, instead, consider FF K-mount a very young system if looking for modern lens offerings... much like Sony was 3 or 4 years ago. It has taken them YEARS to get the lens selection in check... I don't think Ricoh is going to move much quicker.

And it will never rival Canon or Nikon unless they somehow eat a large amount of marketshare (and warrant an abundant selection of lenses). We're probably always going to be a bit smaller than those guys in quantity.. but hopefully not in quality of whatever they do offer.

There's no need to offer a lens catalogue approaching that of Canon or Nikon. It would never be financially feasible and besides, the 80/20 rule likely applies when it comes to which lenses sell to how many customers. However, Pentax does need a clear, well-communicafed program of forward lens plans - the much-maligned roadmap, probably. And they need to make enough lenses of their own design. Otherwise folks might put off a purchase for fear of buying into a zombie brand (no development appears to be happening) and/or conclude that they would be better off buying another brand of body and then, much more cheaply, the Tamron originals from which the Pentax lenses are rebranded. The K1 is a winner but it would be a pity if lack of progress on new lenses caused it to run out of steam in the market. Don't forget that Sony had the advantage of the adapter craze to get them started. Pentax doesn't have that.

[eddie1960]

All three FA Limiteds are currently in production and have been since January, 2016. The FA Limiteds are the counter to my argument - they could keep making K-1's forever just for the FA Limiteds and secondary market lenses.

They are but lenses are produced in batches there was a point in Hoya days where fa LTD were depleted and almost stopped , they finally did a run. I'm not sure what size run makes them viable, but if you are going to eliminate screw drive they have to be revamped (even if they don't a level of wr would be really a good addition particularly for guys shooting landscape with a k1.
The only Hingis that would seriously tempt me back to dslr is the 31/43/77 on the k1 (a nice 20-24 would really make it it tempting). For longer I would be happy with a smaller f4 70-200 range
I am tempted to get the 77 to use manual on my Fuji

[monochrome]

I imagined the FA Limiteds were restarted just to sell with K-1. What comes next is pure speculation, but whatever it is, they'd be insane to stop the FA Limiteds. New coatings alone would change the character even if the lens formula was carried forward.

I think it more likely they do a modern 24, 28, 35, 85 or 135 (assuming they don't replace the DA*55 with a 'true' 50) before they redo the FA Limiteds. Of course that might just argue for a larger batch.

[mee]

There's no need to offer a lens catalogue approaching that of Canon or Nikon. It would never be financially feasible and besides, the 80/20 rule likely applies when it comes to which lenses sell to how many customers. However, Pentax does need a clear, well-communicafed program of forward lens plans - the much-maligned roadmap, probably. And they need to make enough lenses of their own design. Otherwise folks might put off a purchase for fear of buying into a zombie brand (no development appears to be happening) and/or conclude that they would be better off buying another brand of body and then, much more cheaply, the Tamron originals from which the Pentax lenses are rebranded. The K1 is a winner but it would be a pity if lack of progress on new lenses caused it to run out of steam in the market. Don't forget that Sony had the advantage of the adapter craze to get them started. Pentax doesn't have that.

I agree.. that's what I said too (outside of the adapter).

[eddie1960]

I imagined the FA Limiteds were restarted just to sell with K-1. What comes next is pure speculation, but whatever it is, they'd be insane to stop the FA Limiteds. New coatings alone would change the character even if the lens formula was carried forward.

I think it more likely they do a modern 24, 28, 35 and 135 (assuming they don't replace the DA*55 with a 'true' 50) before they redo the FA Limiteds. Of course that might just argue for a larger batch.

A revamped fa*24 as a dfa would be a nice release , not quite as big as the sigma art and f2 is fast enough in these days of ISO 3200 looking better than some of the 400 films

[Kunzite]

The problem is not only with the lenses they're currently selling, but also with those which we are using - even after replacing all screw-drive lenses, it might be "cheaper" to continue integrating AF motors in cameras than losing sales to those of us who would want to use their screw drive lenses (with AF). They don't want us to cling on our older cameras.
Same for the mechanical aperture, which is much more difficult to get rid of - considering those who bought new, expensive D FA lenses.

[mee]

I imagined the FA Limiteds were restarted just to sell with K-1. What comes next is pure speculation, but whatever it is, they'd be insane to stop the FA Limiteds. New coatings alone would change the character even if the lens formula was carried forward.

But you say this as someone who appreciates these lenses for what they are. Is it safe to say the market, as a whole, does as well?

I think it more likely they do a modern 24, 28, 35 and 135 (assuming they don't replace the DA*55 with a 'true' 50) before they redo the FA Limiteds. Of course that might just argue for a larger batch.

Agreed. Only because they are common focal lengths.. almost 'industry standard' today. I'm actually surprised we don't have a 135mm f/fast already. Not that I want one, but that seems to be a rather common length. That and 85mm.