[zapp]

Shut up???? LOL They are not saying anything. The only people saying anything are complaining rumor mongers. Pentax will release when they are ready. Or never release, who knows.

Pentax only mentioned the 85 in their road map and showed a 50 mm mockup telling us about the 85 mm at the same time - the message is out and Pentax published it. Now we only get silence. Why not be silent until you have something.

Why they did so, because Sigma and Canon were rolling out 85 mm long before Pentax could deliver anything. The 50s rolled out long before. A good strategy by Pentax to tell potential buyers that something may happen, but this startegy should not become their main marketing instrument. I like my Pentax and I am happy to wait for lenses, but this startegy ticks me off. Pentax may lose as many frustrated people waiting for new glass as they may gain by telling us long before delivery....

[clackers]

Why they did so, because Sigma and Canon were rolling out 85 mm long before Pentax could deliver anything. ..

Neither the Sigma or Canon are available in K-mount.

Until the Pentax is released (and I think like the K-1 itself they should take as long as the designers and production plant supervisors say to the bosses they need, not rush to market without testing), you already own the DFA70-200, DA*55, D FA 24-70 and the Limiteds - they're very good!

[pres589]

Pentax won't gain any sales with showing of these marketing prototypes. What these pieces can do is keep folks already carrying Pentax products interested and feeling supported.

[clackers]

Pentax won't gain any sales with showing of these marketing prototypes. What these pieces can do is keep folks already carrying Pentax products interested and feeling supported.

The order from Ricoh's president to his divisions about the current financial situation ... do not try to increase market share, try to break even.

[pres589]

The order from Ricoh's president to his divisions about the current financial situation ... do not try to increase market share, try to break even.

Right, there's also that, but I'm speaking from a rational customer point of view; how many folks are going to be standing there in $Camera_Shop and see a K-1 there and say outloud "you know, they showed a couple mockups at a show, and there was some tape on them... eh, I'm sure they'll be along soon, I'll buy this nearly $2k USD camera and then just wait for these lenses". You have to buy into a system as it stands today unless you are prepared to build or modify the parts you want to get added to the system. Same with device drivers and alternative operating systems, same with speed parts on a motorcycle that the parts weren't really meant for, etc. So if I really wanted some bad mofo 50 or 85mm lenses, and wanted full frame digital, and I wasn't married to k-mount, I think I'd have a hard time not giving a real hard look at the Sigma Art line and some kind of Canon body. Otherwise you're going the mod route and you call Fenwood or Digitalis or some other shop and talk about what it's going to take to bolt Zeiss glass to the front of a K-1. The average pro-sumer is not buying a K-1 with the hope of an eventual mother-of-all-85mm lens release.

My two cents, worth probably much less, but I think you know what I'm talking about.

[Pål Jensen]

Whereas it is nice to have a complete lens line-up, precious few people are buying 85mm lenses, let alone a 1.4 one....
I for one think it is nice that they show lenses they intend to market at some point in the future...

[thibs]

Sure but the opposite is true too:
Would you buy a K-1 if there was no newer DFA lens either announced or roadmapped?

Better have'em roadmapped, no?

[jatrax]

Pentax only mentioned the 85 in their road map and showed a 50 mm mockup telling us about the 85 mm at the same time - the message is out and Pentax published it. Now we only get silence. Why not be silent until you have something. Why they did so, because Sigma and Canon were rolling out 85 mm long before Pentax could deliver anything. The 50s rolled out long before. A good strategy by Pentax to tell potential buyers that something may happen, but this startegy should not become their main marketing instrument. I like my Pentax and I am happy to wait for lenses, but this startegy ticks me off. Pentax may lose as many frustrated people waiting for new glass as they may gain by telling us long before delivery....

I think you are reading more into this than there is. If this was Sony or Canon, I would agree with you as both of those companies are marketing driven. I can see them playing that game to forestall a competitor. I do not see that happening at Pentax or Ricoh. Neither company has much of a marketing department to begin with. Pentax has always been an engineering driven company and to think they would suddenly start playing marketing games is a bit of a stretch in my opinion.

The road map has always been just that, a map of what they are working on. It clearly states 2017 or LATER. People can read all they want into that but it still means simply "we are working on these lenses and they MIGHT be released someday".

You miss the point that there is NO competition for lenses for the K-1. So why would they worry, or hurry? No Sigma, no Tamron, certainly no Canon or Nikon glass is going to steal any sales from them. I think you are finding things in this road map that are simply not there. No tricks, no marketing ploys, just some engineers who were happy to share what they are working on.

---------- Post added 08-18-17 at 08:08 AM ----------

The average pro-sumer is not buying a K-1 with the hope of an eventual mother-of-all-85mm lens release.

And this is exactly why there is no rush on the 85 or 50. Very, very few people will ever buy either one anyway.

[pres589]

Sure but the opposite is true too:
Would you buy a K-1 if there was no newer DFA lens either announced or roadmapped?

Better have'em roadmapped, no?

To make this brief, my thought is that folks are not buying K-1's because of a roadmap. They're buying bodies based on the lenses that they can use with that body. The roadmap is for the folks already in the fold, the hardware you can buy today is what may draw new people in. What would potentially help sell more bodies is to have more glass on the shelf with good reviews and shots shared online, etc etc. Roadmaps, demo shells at shows, etc are an extremely weak substitute.

[biz-engineer]

Pentax only mentioned the 85 in their road map and showed a 50 mm mockup telling us about the 85 mm at the same time - the message is out and Pentax published it. Now we only get silence.

All I can tell is that the teasing works well, Pentaxians hanging on a lens that they don't need. Frankly speaking, who needs a fast prime lens with exceptional quality and image rendering, it is only by desire.

I put K-1 on sale, because I'm tired of waiting when I can buy myself 50, 85 \ 1.4 ... I need these lenses now !!! It's very bad that there is no information when the lenses go on sale ((Also I need 24-70 \ 2.8 (Tamron do not want)

[mee]

Not really. The fine print says maybe someday and subject to change. Pentax has had a lens road map for a long time, use it as a guide rather than anything definite because it can and will change. I admire them for even publishing it because as soon as they miss some implied deadline they get blasted by people who think it is some sort of release schedule. It is not, just a guide to things they are working on that might someday see the light of day. Or Not.

Well that's reassuring.


"Here is this super great product, we know you want it. We might release it... one day... if we feel like it."

[clackers]

So if I really wanted some bad mofo 50 or 85mm lenses, and wanted full frame digital, and I wasn't married to k-mount, I think I'd have a hard time not giving a real hard look at the Sigma Art line and some kind of Canon body.

(Shrugs). Not many people other than me ever looked at the 35mm Sigma Art mofo lens, Pres.

I've got one, but Pentaxians don't prefer those kinds of lenses, that's why Sigma got out of the K mount market. And quite frankly, the real rivals to these new DFAs are going to be the existing FA Limiteds, either new or used, some of the best lenses ever made.

Buy a Canon 6D and get a Sigma 50mm and 85mm, neither of which are image stabilized? Nuh, not me. Someone else maybe.

My two cents, worth probably much less, but I think you know what I'm talking about.

(Laughs)

[clackers]

I put K-1 on sale, because I'm tired of waiting when I can buy myself 50, 85 \ 1.4 ... I need these lenses now !!!

??

I have 50, 85 f1.4 on my K-1 already.

You can't need them as much as you claim, Al!

??

I have 50, 85 f1.4 on my K-1 already.

You can't need them as much as you claim, Al!

DFA 85 \1.4 ?

FA 85 \ 1.4 is a good lens, but it is not sold new ....