DFA*50 1.4 coming

**Rondec** · 01-04-2018, 09:51 AM

72 mm isn't too bad. Talking 60 to 70 dollars for a decent polarizing filter. A lot better than the filters for the DFA 24-70.

normhead · 01-04-2018, 10:17 AM

I was in Fredericks of St. Catherines yesterday looking for a tripod head, and asked the owner about the new 50 1.4. His answer, "I don't sell enough 1.4 lenses to keep them in stock, in fact, they just don't sell." If you come out with one lens a year and it's not one dealers can get excited about, that's not encouraging.

Wheatfield · 01-04-2018, 11:08 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by normhead

I was in Fredericks of St. Catherines yesterday looking for a tripod head, and asked the owner about the new 50 1.4. His answer, "I don't sell enough 1.4 lenses to keep them in stock, in fact, they just don't sell." If you come out with one lens a year and it's not one dealers can get excited about, that's not encouraging.

What's even less encouraging is that, except for a very small minority, Pentax's user base seems completely content with the moribund lens line now that Ricoh has thrown us what looks more and more like a bone with the K1.

**pres589** · 01-04-2018, 11:29 AM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

What's even less encouraging is that, except for a very small minority, Pentax's user base seems completely content with the moribund lens line now that Ricoh has thrown us what looks more and more like a bone with the K1.

Yeah, the 85mm lens makes sense to work on, this one is a lot harder to make a case for I think.

I don't know if I would agree with the Pentax user base being "completely content" with the lens situation overall. Maybe more like "well, we have to work with what's available". My thought is that the FA 50 will go away eventually and it's going to be DA 50 plastic, big boy money for the DA*55, and then this thing.

Wheatfield · 01-04-2018, 11:36 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pres589

Yeah, the 85mm lens makes sense to work on, this one is a lot harder to make a case for I think.

I don't know if I would agree with the Pentax user base being "completely content" with the lens situation overall. Maybe more like "well, we have to work with what's available". My thought is that the FA 50 will go away eventually and it's going to be DA 50 plastic, big boy money for the DA*55, and then this thing.

At this point, I really don't care what focal length gets released, I would just like some indication from Ricoh that they are halfways serious about the brand.

Kunzite · 01-04-2018, 11:37 AM

Moribund lens line? On a topic dedicated to a new lens?

Doundounba · 01-04-2018, 12:01 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Rondec

Spend more time on the photo threads, less on news and rumors.

+1 to that! Most threads on News and Rumors wind up feeling like a battle between the trolls and the bullies, with people on both sides posting stuff I find really grating. I wish we had a more fine-tunable private reputation system than the binary ignore or don't-ignore choice we currently have - a system where I could see content from people which I consistently (privately) up-vote float upwards in the UI and content from people I consistently down-vote would sink down, so to speak...

Wheatfield · 01-04-2018, 12:19 PM

Originally posted by Kunzite

Moribund lens line? On a topic dedicated to a new lens?

Ironic, no?

normhead · 01-04-2018, 12:36 PM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

Ironic, no?

After talking to two dealers yesterday Fredericks and Henry's in St. Catherines, and seeing the poll, 1000 views and 17 planning to buy, I'm willing to proclaim this release as pretty much dead to the camera world, including the Pentax camera world, until better evidence is presented.

It's funny how some are willing to view us as "complacent" when in many categories and Focal Lengths (last time I checked) Nikon and Canon had very similar gear to what Pentax has. Although Pentax has less choice. I guess every body is complacent.

Especially if paying $1000 more for a lens that will add practically nothing to your IQ, because your images are viewed or printed at sizes where the differences are not detectable, makes us complacent. Not so sayeth I. Everyone says you have to have modern lenses that take advantage of modern sensors. There are zero comparisons to show us what that actually means. Maybe we are just folks who want to see what we'd be getting before we buy, and if it would make any difference to our own personal photography. Complacency has nothing to do with it. That's just diligence.

**BigMackCam** · 01-04-2018, 12:54 PM

For those still contributing to this long-running thread, can I ask a question?

Is the delayed availability of this lens actually stopping you from producing the photographs you want to take?

I don't ask this rhetorically, and I'm not trying to create friction... It's a genuine question and I'm interested in the responses.

The reason I ask...

I'm invested in Sony A-mount as a result of buying my bargain-basement Hasselblad HV a while back. The lens choices and third-party lens support for A-mount are very limited in a very similar way to Pentax (perhaps more so), with the point in Pentax's favour being that lenses are still being developed, and there's a larger back-catalogue of older glass to plunder. Back to the A-mount, I have a set of prime and zoom lenses that covers me well for pretty much any situation. Yes, some of them are older Minolta AF models from the 1990s, but they take *great* photos when used with even the modicum of ability I bring.

I'm quite certain there are far better lenses than some of mine, but that really doesn't bother me if I can take photos that look great. So... a second part to the question:

If the lack of availability of this or any other lens really is stopping you from taking the photographs you want, why is that - and is there truly no piece of compatible glass - modern or vintage - that will do the job?

Again, I stress that I'm not trying to create friction - I'm genuinely interested to know.

Thanks in advance

normhead · 01-04-2018, 01:30 PM - **2 Likes**

The delayed availability of this lens means Pentax probably isn't working on lenses I actually want. I want the three lenses so far announced to be out so there can be announcements I could possibly be interested in. But it's more curiosity. We all know what the big Sigma lenses are like, these are the first prime lenses released since the K-1 and the first "designed to take advantage of high res FF sensor" lenses. ever. (Given the amount of time the K-1 has been out, that just seems wrong.)

Kenspo says we need them. I've been waiting a long time to find out why. So it's both important or un-important. Un-important in that they are probably too expensive for me to buy more than one of them. Important, in that Pentax releases are so rare, each one signals a "new direction" the company might be taking. This is even more important given the lack of Sigma and Tamron support for new releases. I'm curious. Are these lenses just catching up with what's already available on multiple other platforms, or is Pentax going to try and go one better than what other companies currently produce. We are looking for what the lens represents, more than the actual lens.

Apart from that I don't care. I'm unlikely to spend the amount of money it's likely to cost on a FL I have three of a 1.7 a 1.4 and a DFA 2.8 macro.I'm interested in knowing if the company ever plans to release another affordable piece of consumer glass in a focal length I'd be interested in.

IMHO this glass should have been out a year ago... by now they should be working one something more exotic like a WR 20mm ƒ4 PLM. More of what I don't have, not more of what I already have covered three or four different ways in primes and even more redundancy if I include zooms.

We are all killing time waiting to see some results, trying to keep our interest in what Pentax is doing alive. Although at this time I'm really concerned that Pentax may never get around to making another lens I want, while I'm alive if ever. Everyone is looking for signs of life.

If this lens is being held back because Pentax isn't selling enough lenses to fund it's development then fine, they should just say that and scrap it. If that's not the case, it's hard to make up reasons for what they are doing. But that doesn't stop us from trying to understand it.

I guess we could all do what a lot of other people have done and just go totally negative about the whole process. It's a "Let's try and keep interest alive" thread. Honestly if pentax can make some Zeiss quality AF lenses {like the M and K 20s) , I'm sure we will all be thrilled, especially if they can beat the Zeiss prices, and I and many others would buy one of them, like people now buy the FA limiteds.

Right now we are all just waiting for clues of any kind into what Pentax might produce in K-1 primes. That keeps interest in the lens high, even if fioks don't plan to buy it and dealers don't think they can sell it.

I realize people who invest in multiple systems don't really care, they can probably find whatever they want already. However, that's not a Pentax oriented perspective.

**BigMackCam** · 01-04-2018, 01:37 PM

Thanks, Norm... that's exactly the kind of measured and helpful answer I was looking for. So... you're more interested in knowing what (and how) Ricoh / Pentax is doing, and seeing progress generally, as opposed to worrying about this specific lens to fulfill your requirements. Is that a fair summary?

If so, I wonder how many are in that same boat? And, if that's the case, I wonder if Ricoh / Pentax is even working on the right lenses to satisfy K-1 users' demands?

Interesting. Thanks again

house · 01-04-2018, 01:42 PM - **1 Like**

The cause of all the cerfuffel is that camera gear is a trust businesses. Your investment (time & money) hangs on the continued development of the product line.

Pentax is terrible at managing trust and expectations because they barely communicate. A steady release of new products is important even when you're not buying them.

You could argue that photography might be approaching a commodity phase where everything is good enough for most people and new releases become minority upgrades.

normhead · 01-04-2018, 01:49 PM

Originally posted by BigMackCam

Thanks, Norm... that's exactly the kind of measured and helpful answer I was looking for. So... you're more interested to know what (and how) Ricoh / Pentax is doing, and seeing progress generally, as opposed to worrying about this specific lens to fulfill your requirements. Is that a fair summary?

If so, I wonder how many are in that same boat? And, if that's the case, I wonder if Ricoh / Pentax is even working on the right lenses to satisfy K-1 users' demands?

Interesting. Thanks again

That would be it in a nutshell.

Kunzite · 01-04-2018, 01:50 PM - **1 Like**

Norm, for the record my answer to your question, do I plan to buy the D FA* 50mm f/1.4, is no.
I will buy that lens totally unplanned.

01-04-2018, 01:30 PM - 2 Likes	#2366
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	The delayed availability of this lens means Pentax probably isn't working on lenses I actually want. I want the three lenses so far announced to be out so there can be announcements I could possibly be interested in. But it's more curiosity. We all know what the big Sigma lenses are like, these are the first prime lenses released since the K-1 and the first "designed to take advantage of high res FF sensor" lenses. ever. (Given the amount of time the K-1 has been out, that just seems wrong.) Kenspo says we need them. I've been waiting a long time to find out why. So it's both important or un-important. Un-important in that they are probably too expensive for me to buy more than one of them. Important, in that Pentax releases are so rare, each one signals a "new direction" the company might be taking. This is even more important given the lack of Sigma and Tamron support for new releases. I'm curious. Are these lenses just catching up with what's already available on multiple other platforms, or is Pentax going to try and go one better than what other companies currently produce. We are looking for what the lens represents, more than the actual lens. Apart from that I don't care. I'm unlikely to spend the amount of money it's likely to cost on a FL I have three of a 1.7 a 1.4 and a DFA 2.8 macro.I'm interested in knowing if the company ever plans to release another affordable piece of consumer glass in a focal length I'd be interested in. IMHO this glass should have been out a year ago... by now they should be working one something more exotic like a WR 20mm ƒ4 PLM. More of what I don't have, not more of what I already have covered three or four different ways in primes and even more redundancy if I include zooms. We are all killing time waiting to see some results, trying to keep our interest in what Pentax is doing alive. Although at this time I'm really concerned that Pentax may never get around to making another lens I want, while I'm alive if ever. Everyone is looking for signs of life. If this lens is being held back because Pentax isn't selling enough lenses to fund it's development then fine, they should just say that and scrap it. If that's not the case, it's hard to make up reasons for what they are doing. But that doesn't stop us from trying to understand it. I guess we could all do what a lot of other people have done and just go totally negative about the whole process. It's a "Let's try and keep interest alive" thread. Honestly if pentax can make some Zeiss quality AF lenses {like the M and K 20s) , I'm sure we will all be thrilled, especially if they can beat the Zeiss prices, and I and many others would buy one of them, like people now buy the FA limiteds. Right now we are all just waiting for clues of any kind into what Pentax might produce in K-1 primes. That keeps interest in the lens high, even if fioks don't plan to buy it and dealers don't think they can sell it. I realize people who invest in multiple systems don't really care, they can probably find whatever they want already. However, that's not a Pentax oriented perspective. Last edited by normhead; 01-04-2018 at 01:54 PM.

01-04-2018, 01:37 PM	#2367
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,670	Thanks, Norm... that's exactly the kind of measured and helpful answer I was looking for. So... you're more interested in knowing what (and how) Ricoh / Pentax is doing, and seeing progress generally, as opposed to worrying about this specific lens to fulfill your requirements. Is that a fair summary? If so, I wonder how many are in that same boat? And, if that's the case, I wonder if Ricoh / Pentax is even working on the right lenses to satisfy K-1 users' demands? Interesting. Thanks again Last edited by BigMackCam; 01-04-2018 at 02:20 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Diglloyd reviews DA 35, DFA 50 and DFA 100 Macro lenses on the K-1	Matchete	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	19	06-09-2016 09:18 AM
Sigma 50/1.4 EX vs. Pentax FA 50/1.4 and DA 55/1.4	DonovanDwyer	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	17	01-24-2014 12:54 PM
For Sale - Sold: Sigma 10-20mm/4, Pentax FA 50/1.4, DFA 100mm/2.8 Macro	Alam	Sold Items	5	11-20-2011 03:02 PM

01-04-2018, 09:51 AM	#2356
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,652	72 mm isn't too bad. Talking 60 to 70 dollars for a decent polarizing filter. A lot better than the filters for the DFA 24-70.

01-04-2018, 10:17 AM	#2357
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	I was in Fredericks of St. Catherines yesterday looking for a tripod head, and asked the owner about the new 50 1.4. His answer, "I don't sell enough 1.4 lenses to keep them in stock, in fact, they just don't sell." If you come out with one lens a year and it's not one dealers can get excited about, that's not encouraging.

01-04-2018, 11:08 AM - 1 Like	#2358
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Originally posted by normhead I was in Fredericks of St. Catherines yesterday looking for a tripod head, and asked the owner about the new 50 1.4. His answer, "I don't sell enough 1.4 lenses to keep them in stock, in fact, they just don't sell." If you come out with one lens a year and it's not one dealers can get excited about, that's not encouraging. What's even less encouraging is that, except for a very small minority, Pentax's user base seems completely content with the moribund lens line now that Ricoh has thrown us what looks more and more like a bone with the K1.

01-04-2018, 11:29 AM	#2359
pres589 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Wichita, KS Photos: Albums Posts: 4,529	Originally posted by Wheatfield What's even less encouraging is that, except for a very small minority, Pentax's user base seems completely content with the moribund lens line now that Ricoh has thrown us what looks more and more like a bone with the K1. Yeah, the 85mm lens makes sense to work on, this one is a lot harder to make a case for I think. I don't know if I would agree with the Pentax user base being "completely content" with the lens situation overall. Maybe more like "well, we have to work with what's available". My thought is that the FA 50 will go away eventually and it's going to be DA 50 plastic, big boy money for the DA*55, and then this thing.

01-04-2018, 11:36 AM - 1 Like	#2360
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Originally posted by pres589 Yeah, the 85mm lens makes sense to work on, this one is a lot harder to make a case for I think. I don't know if I would agree with the Pentax user base being "completely content" with the lens situation overall. Maybe more like "well, we have to work with what's available". My thought is that the FA 50 will go away eventually and it's going to be DA 50 plastic, big boy money for the DA*55, and then this thing. At this point, I really don't care what focal length gets released, I would just like some indication from Ricoh that they are halfways serious about the brand.

01-04-2018, 11:37 AM	#2361
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	Moribund lens line? On a topic dedicated to a new lens?

01-04-2018, 12:01 PM - 1 Like	#2362
Doundounba Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Montréal QC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,351	Originally posted by Rondec Spend more time on the photo threads, less on news and rumors. +1 to that! Most threads on News and Rumors wind up feeling like a battle between the trolls and the bullies, with people on both sides posting stuff I find really grating. I wish we had a more fine-tunable private reputation system than the binary ignore or don't-ignore choice we currently have - a system where I could see content from people which I consistently (privately) up-vote float upwards in the UI and content from people I consistently down-vote would sink down, so to speak...

01-04-2018, 12:19 PM	#2363
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Originally posted by Kunzite Moribund lens line? On a topic dedicated to a new lens? Ironic, no?

01-04-2018, 12:36 PM	#2364
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	Originally posted by Wheatfield Ironic, no? After talking to two dealers yesterday Fredericks and Henry's in St. Catherines, and seeing the poll, 1000 views and 17 planning to buy, I'm willing to proclaim this release as pretty much dead to the camera world, including the Pentax camera world, until better evidence is presented. It's funny how some are willing to view us as "complacent" when in many categories and Focal Lengths (last time I checked) Nikon and Canon had very similar gear to what Pentax has. Although Pentax has less choice. I guess every body is complacent. Especially if paying $1000 more for a lens that will add practically nothing to your IQ, because your images are viewed or printed at sizes where the differences are not detectable, makes us complacent. Not so sayeth I. Everyone says you have to have modern lenses that take advantage of modern sensors. There are zero comparisons to show us what that actually means. Maybe we are just folks who want to see what we'd be getting before we buy, and if it would make any difference to our own personal photography. Complacency has nothing to do with it. That's just diligence.

01-04-2018, 12:54 PM	#2365
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,670	For those still contributing to this long-running thread, can I ask a question? *Is the delayed availability of this lens actually stopping you from producing the photographs you want to take?* I don't ask this rhetorically, and I'm not trying to create friction... It's a genuine question and I'm interested in the responses. The reason I ask... I'm invested in Sony A-mount as a result of buying my bargain-basement Hasselblad HV a while back. The lens choices and third-party lens support for A-mount are very limited in a very similar way to Pentax (perhaps more so), with the point in Pentax's favour being that lenses are still being developed, and there's a larger back-catalogue of older glass to plunder. Back to the A-mount, I have a set of prime and zoom lenses that covers me well for pretty much any situation. Yes, some of them are older Minolta AF models from the 1990s, but they take great photos when used with even the modicum of ability I bring. I'm quite certain there are far better lenses than some of mine, but that really doesn't bother me if I can take photos that look great. So... a second part to the question: If the lack of availability of this or any other lens really is stopping you from taking the photographs you want, why is that - and is there truly no piece of compatible glass - modern or vintage - that will do the job? Again, I stress that I'm not trying to create friction - I'm genuinely interested to know. Thanks in advance

01-04-2018, 01:42 PM - 1 Like	#2368
house Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 3,306	The cause of all the cerfuffel is that camera gear is a trust businesses. Your investment (time & money) hangs on the continued development of the product line. Pentax is terrible at managing trust and expectations because they barely communicate. A steady release of new products is important even when you're not buying them. You could argue that photography might be approaching a commodity phase where everything is good enough for most people and new releases become minority upgrades.

01-04-2018, 01:49 PM	#2369
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	Originally posted by BigMackCam Thanks, Norm... that's exactly the kind of measured and helpful answer I was looking for. So... you're more interested to know what (and how) Ricoh / Pentax is doing, and seeing progress generally, as opposed to worrying about this specific lens to fulfill your requirements. Is that a fair summary? If so, I wonder how many are in that same boat? And, if that's the case, I wonder if Ricoh / Pentax is even working on the right lenses to satisfy K-1 users' demands? Interesting. Thanks again That would be it in a nutshell.

01-04-2018, 01:50 PM - 1 Like	#2370
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	Norm, for the record my answer to your question, do I plan to buy the D FA* 50mm f/1.4, is no. I will buy that lens totally unplanned.