[ogl]

---------- Post added 10-26-17 at 08:19 PM ----------

It's huge

[biz-engineer]

It's huge

Only a bit smaller than a DFA24-70, it's just about the right size for a K1 body. If sharp wide open, that gives full sensor DR in many circumstances (as long as DoF allows). Lens speed is key to color definition, much more than sensor size; in that respect DXO chart are totally misleading many users. The bottom line is, lens speed is much more beneficial to IQ than sensor size, because it allows to shoot at lowest ISO is many more conditions regardless of the sensor size.

[Digitalis]

Only a bit smaller than a DFA24-70

The Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 is bigger and heavier than the Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II.

[ultraviolet]

Originally posted by JPT
This looks exactly like the mock-up shown at CP+ in February. No changes to the overall barrel shape or detailing. Apologies for the poor image. I really wasn't concentrating at the time.

Then . . .


and now . . .
The finish of the casing is smoother, the lettering is now engraved, the depth-of-field scale is an actual one and, last but not least, the piece of black tape is gone!

Also the focus ring rubber grip has 11 lines vs10 lines in the mock-up.

[Digitalis]

Also the focus ring rubber grip has 11 lines vs10 lines in the mock-up.

Oh my god. Lets start the conspiracy over which lens has more grippy focus nubs.

It's huge... is that a function of th ring motor?

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 has a ring type USM motor and it is compact, compared to what we are looking at with the Pentax D-FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM

[Wheatfield]

Nobody managed to launch a system with all lenses "that should have been available". Sony barely had 5 lenses...

A fast standard prime isn't every lens that should be available, it is a must be available lens.

[Kunzite]

I can make you a short list of "must be available" lenses, comprised of more than 5... with people's different ideas of what "must be available" we can easily surpass a dozen.
Ricoh Imaging had the right priorities: there already were several primes, so they've got the essential zooms first.

[ffking]

I can make you a short list of "must be available" lenses, comprised of more than 5... with people's different ideas of what "must be available" we can easily surpass a dozen.
Ricoh Imaging had the right priorities: there already were several primes, so they've got the essential zooms first.

Absolutely - they have actually been very rational and systematic - we sometimes lose track of this because of the sense of slow progress, which is more about incremental growth rather than throwing a bag of investment cash at the problem. The difficulty is for individual photographers who don't operate on the same timescale as corporations, and it sometimes feels, in the absence of news, like they've pulled the plug - but actually they're getting there, slowly but surely..

[beholder3]

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 has a ring type USM motor and it is compact, compared to what we are looking at with the Pentax D-FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM

No. That Canon only has an old-SDM-like micro motor, see Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM -- Technische Daten - Objektive ? Kamera- & Foto-Objektive - Canon Deutschland

And I'd personally say it is the worst 50mm lens on the market. And that means something when you look at the crappy 50-58mms Canon and Nikon still sell. Even the dated FA50 is better.

[Kunzite]

Quick question: what level of image quality should Pentax target, left or right?
Lens review data: Digital Photography Review

[Rondec]

A fast standard prime isn't every lens that should be available, it is a must be available lens.

I want Pentax to release more lenses, but I'm glad they didn't wait to release the K-1 until they had all of the lenses in place that they "needed." Truthfully, while they are not top end lenses, they do currently have the FA 50 f1.4, DA *55, FA 43 limited, and DA 50 f1.8. None of those have the quality or wide open performance this lens will have, but they do work on full frame and do cover the focal length.

[Kunzite]

If we go by what "must" be made and done, one could build a case for delaying all the D FA lenses until the ring-type SDM was ready - which means delaying everything until 2018. In other words, no sales for 3 years or more.
This obviously doesn't work.

[normhead]

A fast standard prime isn't every lens that should be available, it is a must be available lens.

When I got my K-1 I had the FA 50 macro on it for a solid week. I had my FA 50 1.7 in the cupboard, waiting for a low light situation and my 40 XS. I actually had "fast standard prime" covered really well without buying anything new. This was simply never an issue.

It's funny how people are comparing Pentax with so many options, I don't own the FA 50 1.4 or DA 50 1.8 or DA 55 1.4 There were more options available for the K-1 as a standard prime than Sony had lenses altogether.

People intent on challenging Pentax's release strategy say these lenses don't count because they aren't modern. They aren't modern but they are fully functional and relatively inexpensive.

We want modern primes is the call of those with a ton of money and those people consider it to be an obvious statement, but taken logically.
"We want a camera body to make better use of the Pentax glass we already own." is just as valid a viewpoint and probably more widely held.

One never hears when people are discussing Sony or whoever in the Johnny come lately area of the market "there's no low cost legacy options." I didn't buy a D810 because I couldn't afford the glass. With Pentax I don't have to. I bought an FA 28-200, DFA 28-105 and my Tamron 300 2.8. Everything else I use on the K-1 I already owned, including my DA*60-250, the DA* 200 2.8, my Sigma 70 macro. I owned some fantastic FF glass, before I bought the K-1. Most forum members do, or can buy some cheaply.

I'm guessing those who have the money for the DFA 15-30, DFA 24-70, and DFA 70-200 as well as a K-1 are few and/or between. For most of us it's fine if the new lenses are released slowly, because we can't afford to be buying 2 or 3 a year anyway.

I'm not saying everyone thinks this way. I'm just saying its pretty amazing how people can voice this kind of opinion without reference for those of us who really don't need another lens. There are more than two opinions here that are valid. At least give lip service to the other side of the equation. Personally I'm waiting for an FAJ 18-35 replacement. There's a lens that needs to be replaced with modern glass. It needs a bit of distortion correction and it needs to be a bit sharper. But I have a lens that works. So my attitude is "it would be nice, but if they don't come out with it before I die I won't suffer much because of that."

I am always caught off guard by those who have so much choice throwing tantrums , like there's nothing out there. It's out there, they just make up reasons why they can't use it. Or in the case of the 55 1.4, they just claim it isn't useful without even explaining why,

"It's not good enough for me." seems to be an acceptable excuse for not owning the FL you want. It's like a little kid refusing to use a $100 bycycle because he wants the $500 one. When a child does that we tend to think they are spoiled. I've never heard that term applied to those who want Pentax to have released every lens possible in modern glass when the K-1 was released. We try and humour them. Well up to now anyway.

It's great this lens will be released, because choice is good. But to say there's nothing... that's inaccurate.
Personally, I'm trying to find an excuse to need this lens, but it's just not happening for me. I like everything about it but the weight, Heavy correction, 1.4, ring motor everything topped out in terms of specs. I look forward to seeing images taken with it. But it's not for me personally, yet. Maybe after i see some images that I couldn't have taken with my other 50s.

I am aware folks like kenspo are waiting of this lens because what is out there honestly doesn't really work for them, but it's a rare person who shoots what kenspo does. Most of us are "around the house" type shooters.

[Wheatfield]

I want Pentax to release more lenses, but I'm glad they didn't wait to release the K-1 until they had all of the lenses in place that they "needed." Truthfully, while they are not top end lenses, they do currently have the FA 50 f1.4, DA *55, FA 43 limited, and DA 50 f1.8. None of those have the quality or wide open performance this lens will have, but they do work on full frame and do cover the focal length.

I’m starting to feel that Ricoh threw us a bone when they released the K1, with very little intention of releasing anything with any meat on it.

[photoptimist]

I’m starting to feel that Ricoh threw us a bone when they released the K1, with very little intention of releasing anything with any meat on it.

The K-1 is the meat! The K-1 is the turducken of cameras -- a K-5 stuffed inside a K-1 stuffed inside a pixel-shift 100 MPix body. The K-1 is a hearty feast of high performance that allows one to use millions of lenses of every description imaginable in a new a better way.

From my perspective, there no shortage lenses in the Pentax universe but there was a terrible shortage of Pentax FF camera bodies until the K-1.