[mee]

It makes you wonder what happened? It looks like Ricoh didn't even start working on these lenses until after the K-1 was introduced and that doesn't make any sense. The 50mm and 85mm are two of the easier lenses to design. With computer modeling a huge percentage of the work these days it shouldn't take more than 2-3 years to produce a great piece of glass. Right now it looks like the 50mm will be released 3 years after the K-1 was announced. Its hard to believe that was part of the original plan. Seems to be typical for Ricoh. The K-1 was released a year late. The D-FA* 70-200mm was a year late.

Yes, it does.

Perhaps the idea that the K-1 was a project pushed by engineering is true... if true, and also giving (assuming true) that they had a fight to convince management this was a good idea, perhaps that is all they could get? Once they realized it was selling well, they scrambled to get more lenses out? If your funding was really strict they might wait to see how well the K-1 sells before investing more in that system..

[redpit]

Yes, it does.

Perhaps the idea that the K-1 was a project pushed by engineering is true... if true, and also giving (assuming true) that they had a fight to convince management this was a good idea, perhaps that is all they could get? Once they realized it was selling well, they scrambled to get more lenses out? If your funding was really strict they might wait to see how well the K-1 sells before investing more in that system..

Yes but how well the K-1 sells depends on the glass that comes with it too! This is a vicious cycle that leaves no other alternatives but the decision to either invest on the FF system with all your strengths or just take it slowly but be realistic in that you will never be competitive that way and attract Casonikon pros and enthusiasts in Pentax...

[pres589]

It would be interesting to know what the current stock of FA50 1.4`s is like any if they plan to produce more at some point.

[sculptor666]

if all of the limiteds were designed for a ff image circle, i for one would be whining a bit less

[FantasticMrFox]

It makes you wonder what happened? It looks like Ricoh didn't even start working on these lenses until after the K-1 was introduced and that doesn't make any sense. The 50mm and 85mm are two of the easier lenses to design.

Yes, you would have thought these would have been under development from the second they decided to develop the K-1. Naturally, they made zooms a priority, given they had none for FF, but did have a bunch of reasonable primes, but still ... Tamron spared them a lot of work with the 15-30 and 24-70, so there were only three zooms left for them to do, one of them they already released when the K-1 didn't even have a name yet and just existed as a mockup.

So ... what have they been up to the whole time

[Kunzite]

It makes you wonder what happened? It looks like Ricoh didn't even start working on these lenses until after the K-1 was introduced and that doesn't make any sense. The 50mm and 85mm are two of the easier lenses to design. With computer modeling a huge percentage of the work these days it shouldn't take more than 2-3 years to produce a great piece of glass. Right now it looks like the 50mm will be released 3 years after the K-1 was announced. Its hard to believe that was part of the original plan. Seems to be typical for Ricoh. The K-1 was released a year late. The D-FA* 70-200mm was a year late.

The K-1 was announced on February 17, 2016. Initially it was supposed to be announced&launched by the end of 2015 - so it wasn't announced a year late but more like 4 months, if we believe the October rumor.

The D FA* 70-200 was delayed twice, citing "design change in order to achieve the extremely high quality of the star lens". This might be more significant than it seems at a first glance: it's the first truly high-end zoom they had in a while, and making it wasn't a smooth ride. The D FA* primes likewise will be the first fast, truly high end primes since the film era.
So we have the D FA* delay - was that a setback on the new lens' development as well? - and forcing the limits on what they did before.

I wouldn't say they're "easier lenses to design"; especially after taking a glimpse at the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 monster (14 elements!). The standards are very high.

We might get another hint on mee's post:

Perhaps the idea that the K-1 was a project pushed by engineering is true... if true, and also giving (assuming true) that they had a fight to convince management this was a good idea, perhaps that is all they could get? Once they realized it was selling well, they scrambled to get more lenses out? If your funding was really strict they might wait to see how well the K-1 sells before investing more in that system..

I don't subscribe to the on/off switch idea but it's likely that something changed after their management saw the K-1 project pays off. That couldn't happen earlier than summer 2016.
I'd say they had plans for more lenses in February 2016 (the CP+ 2016 roadmap), likely working on it. But maybe they were not going all out with the execution. Or maybe the initial plan was to launch "safer" (lower cost) lenses.

And yet another factor: new technology. KAF4 and PLM is now available; maybe they decided to incorporate one or both into the new lenses.

There are so many possibilities we can't even begin to guess, while only knowing the most basic specs (focal length and max aperture).

[keanex]

I'm really looking forward to the DFA 85/1.4. I have a Sigma 85/1.4 which I like, but I want something more comparable to the ART. I would love to see a DFA fast 35mm as well. At least give us a 1.8, though 1.4 is preferred.

[Kunzite]

Save money. If you think you've saved enough, save more. It will be worth it!

I'm most interested in the ultra-wide, by the way. The 15-30 is simply too large to my liking.

[TwoUptons]

I still have my fingers crossed for a DFA 24mm f2.8 plastic fantastic with WR.

I know that's not really on the roadmap, but that would be nice for both FF and aps-c...

-Eric

[clackers]

I'm simply disappointed that we've been waiting for a new road-mapped APS-C UWA for about seven years now and that almost 1.5 years of having put the five new DFA primes on the roadmap (February 2016) none of them has materialised. The last Pentax lens was released a year ago.

I know, I know, they're smaller than the big names, but that doesn't change the fact that this kind of speed just doesn't really cut it.

I don't think they're being punitive of you, FMF, my guess is economics.

Very surprising, considering Samsung completely abandoned the consumer camera business and released its last camera in early 2015, and last lens in 2014

I'm not aware of any rule that says if a company goes out of business its products stop working.

There must be a pressing financial need or something unsatisfactory about that mirrorless camera and its lenses (much lauded by DPR at the time, IIRC).

[angerdan]

I'm really looking forward to the DFA 85/1.4.
I would love to see a DFA fast 35mm as well.

Booth are on the roadmap for 2019.

[Mistral75]

Booth are on the roadmap for 2019.

The HD Pentax-D FA★ 85mm f/1.4 is on the roadmap with the mention "2019." So 2019 if there is no glitch. It has been slightly pushed back by the HD Pentax-D FA 70-200mm F4, appeared out of the blue on the latest roadmap with the mention "2019 Spring."

The Ultra Large Aperture Wide-Angle Single Focus Lens, supposedly HD Pentax-D FA★ 35mm f/1.4, is on the roadmap with the mention "2019 or later"; I don't expect it before 2020 though. Or later.

[Clarkey]

The K-1 was announced on February 17, 2016. Initially it was supposed to be announced&launched by the end of 2015 - so it wasn't announced a year late but more like 4 months, if we believe the October rumor.

The D FA* 70-200 was delayed twice, citing "design change in order to achieve the extremely high quality of the star lens". This might be more significant than it seems at a first glance: it's the first truly high-end zoom they had in a while, and making it wasn't a smooth ride. The D FA* primes likewise will be the first fast, truly high end primes since the film era.
So we have the D FA* delay - was that a setback on the new lens' development as well? - and forcing the limits on what they did before.

I wouldn't say they're "easier lenses to design"; especially after taking a glimpse at the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 monster (14 elements!). The standards are very high.

We might get another hint on mee's post:

I don't subscribe to the on/off switch idea but it's likely that something changed after their management saw the K-1 project pays off. That couldn't happen earlier than summer 2016.
I'd say they had plans for more lenses in February 2016 (the CP+ 2016 roadmap), likely working on it. But maybe they were not going all out with the execution. Or maybe the initial plan was to launch "safer" (lower cost) lenses.

And yet another factor: new technology. KAF4 and PLM is now available; maybe they decided to incorporate one or both into the new lenses.

There are so many possibilities we can't even begin to guess, while only knowing the most basic specs (focal length and max aperture).

Agree that this is hardly new for Pentax. Remember how long the 60-250mm took to ship, and was also re-designed at the time to ensure that quality was high. I'm coming back to this thread late (so could already have been mentioned), but there are also the pending GRII, potential K-3II, and 645Z replacements that could all happen this year.

I would say, however, that if you don't have shiny, new things available, they can't be bought.

[lytrytyr]

The Ultra Wide-Angle Single Focus Lens, supposedly HD Pentax-D FA★ 35mm f/1.4, is on the roadmap with the mention "2019 or later";

The "Ultra Wide-Angle" is more like 18mm.
The 35mm is "Large Aperture Wide-Angle".

I don't expect it before 2020 though. Or later.

Yep, after the experience with the 09 Telephoto Macro for the Q system,
my expectations pretty much match yours here.

[Mistral75]

The "Ultra Wide-Angle" is more like 18mm.
The 35mm is "Large Aperture Wide-Angle".

(...).

Mistake corrected, thank you.