[Kunzite]

Yes its huge, it will not come cheap and its made for the FUTURE!!!

This might be the last 50mm f/1.4 to be made for K-mount. So indeed, it has to last a while
I've read in the past (I don't remember the details, but the information supposedly was from Pentax) that lenses are made for the future, not just for the current cameras.

---------- Post added 22-02-17 at 03:38 PM ----------

Lens was designed by Pentax, hence patent was granted to Pentax. By this logic D FA 24-70 is a jointly developed lens between Tamron and Pentax.

I just love how any announcement of new Pentax product, immediately gets received with whining chorus of people, that expected something tailored specifically for their taste. And of course, any lens release is accompanied by moaning about it being a Tamron/Sigma lens disguised by evil Ricoh as a Pentax.

Absolutely, they're Pentax designs.

Actually I think their taste, instead of some sort of a product (lens, camera, whatever) is for Pentax to die a horrible, slow and painful death. Perhaps by being hit with a spoon

You Tube

You Tube

[normhead]

Lens was designed by Pentax, hence patent was granted to Pentax. By this logic D FA 24-70 is a jointly developed lens between Tamron and Pentax.

I just love how any announcement of new Pentax product, immediately gets received with whining chorus of people, that expected something tailored specifically for their taste. And of course, any lens release is accompanied by moaning about it being a Tamron/Sigma lens disguised by evil Ricoh as a Pentax.

There are a pile of folks here who clearly didn't see the Pentax design team's video a while back answering questions and gleefully rubbing their hands together promoting their latest accomplishments.

Do people really think those guys would keep their jobs if they never designed any lenses?

Hoya let go a lot of the Pentax design team. Ricoh promised to hire as many as possible back.

[kenspo]

This might be the last 50mm f/1.4 to be made for K-mount. So indeed, it has to last a while
I've read in the past (I don't remember the details, but the information supposedly was from Pentax) that lenses are made for the future, not just for the current cameras.

As you know, even though i dont know EVERYTHING that goes on in Japan..Im not allowed to speak freely about everything..But you might have a point

[awscreo]

lol, people will never be happy)) Too big! Not fast enough! Too expansive! I'm for one just happy I'll have an opportunity to attach a modern 50mm to my K-1. Judging by comments in this thread, I've dodged a bullet by not going with 55 1.4 few months ago..

[aurele]

This lens is great news : new tech, new lens, Kaf4 mount, that will bring new customers !

Pentax is moving forward and that's great !

[Kunzite]

As you know, even though i dont know EVERYTHING that goes on in Japan..Im not allowed to speak freely about everything..But you might have a point

Did you just confirm the existence of a K-1 successor, with 50+MP and 4K video?

[aurele]

Did you just confirm the existence of a K-1 successor, with 50+MP and 4K video?

He can say yes, because between now and the next 10 years, a body will have the spec. Question is when ?

[normhead]

He can say yes, because between now and the next 10 years, a body will have the spec. Question is when ?

The Canon 51 MP FF sensor hasn't exactly set the world on fire. The tech is going to have to get better.

[mee]

The Canon 51 MP FF sensor hasn't exactly set the world on fire. The tech is going to have to get better.

When has a Canon sensor 'set the world on fire' ?

[normhead]

When has a Canon sensor 'set the world on fire' ?

Now , now, be nice.

[Kunzite]

When has a Canon sensor 'set the world on fire' ?

Indeed, Canon is not Samsung (albeit in Samsung's case it was not the sensors, but the batteries)

[mecrox]

Yes its huge, it will not come cheap and its made for the FUTURE!!!

If you dont like it, just go play and fiddle with your old glass. Let us others be happy about it. Just stop the whining!!!

Pentax need to think ahead too..not get stuck in the old days like many seems to be. Pentax wants to rise, not to only satisfy old timers.

Its made for FF and the future, so get over it when it comes to size. The times with the small fiddle glass for FF are over!!!! Quality ahead of size.


And btw..for all you negative people, i just get your head back in the sand..Let us that is positive and happy have our time


There..just had to get it out of my system!

I'm sure what you say is correct. And for modern FF prime lenses, the bar is now set very high indeed.But I still see this and similar lenses as trophy items. Yes, they will be genuinely worth it for some professional and fine art photographers, but beyond that one has to wonder at the sanity of buying one of these often extremely expensive behemoths. Some of them alone weigh more than say a KP with a regular prime lens on it. Sigma have just announced a WA prime which weighs far more than a K1. For most regular folks, these lenses are completely impractical and in fact unnecessary since a more run-of-the-mill lens will still deliver results most folks would consider tiptop.

Props to Pentax because no doubt their new lens will produce super results and be built as well as and probably better than most, but the market for this kind of item is really very small. And everyone and their dog is trying to pile into it while intoning Big is Beautiful, even the M43 crowd with their f1.2 primes at 1000-notes a pop - both an internet meme and a looming problem in find enough buyers to go round, I suspect. Thing is, once you get this large then medium format starts to beckon, and Messrs Hasselblad and Fuji will be happy to sell you a modern digital MF system which is not, honestly, going to be hugely larger. It will be interesting to see whether some of the top crowd, especially those whose work ends up in print and which all these big primes are aiming for, starts to peel off and trade up.

If I had a genuine need for it, I would buy this or a similar prime in a heartbeat. But short of turning professional, it's hard to see the sense. Still excellent to see it, though.

[Kunzite]

Those complaining that Pentax has no access, nor anything similar to Sigma's Art lenses might be partly at fault here

[mee]

Those complaining that Pentax has no access, nor anything similar to Sigma's Art lenses might be partly at fault here

'at fault' ? You mean 'thanked.'

I'm well pleased to see such a big chunk of glass at that aperture. It means Ricoh Imaging is designing proper modern lenses and is thinking to the now and future.

They said years ago they wanted to become a company offering premium products. This is what premium looks like. We all can agree that smartphones own the bottom portion of the photography market. But this is what the top portion looks like... where quality and speed matter more than size or price. It is a good thing because it is a viable place for Pentax and their 'giant' DSLRs. I'm glad they've decided to go this route as opposed to small and light at the sake of IQ. This lens (and subsequent ones) should sing on the K-1's 36MP FF sensor.

[normhead]

Those complaining that Pentax has no access, nor anything similar to Sigma's Art lenses might be partly at fault here

I really agree with Ricoh's plan here. For us lightweight guys, Pentax already has the glass to keep us happy. Excellent at APS-c small system components, and has more lightweight APS-c lenses than any other manufacturer. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by supplying more lenses to that market. That isn't going to get them back into the market.

The future is bigger, more corrected lenses. That is the market Pentax hasn't tapped. They need to produce "want to have " glass. Glass that people will buy a system now because they hope someday to have the funds to buy the lens they want. It may turn out that practically they never buy that glass, but that doesn't matter, as long as they buy in to Pentax because it's there.

Lenses like this are a benefit to Pentax, regardless of eventual sales, or how long it takes to break even, I am just thrilled to see it coming even though I have no intention of ever buying one.

However, the coming 20-24 is going to be a problem. I am going to need that lens, I have nothing in that range right now, and it's going to be bigger and more expensive than I want. The writing is on the wall. to me, getting a K-1 was a total splurge. A 20-24 WA might be the next one.

The DFA 28-105 is so much better on the K-1 than I expected, it's opening the door for the possibility of buying more "designed for a K-1" lenses.