RICOH ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF HD PENTAX-D FA★50mm F1.4 SDM AW STAR-SERIES LENS

**monochrome** · 07-16-2018, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by aurele

Easier for design and repairs.
In a distant future : lighter body with no AF motor inside.

Originally posted by Reed

I think that they realized that they need to tool up their production plants first for quality goals and current standards of high end products. That takes a lot of time and resources.

I would think Hoya pretty much took anything new, valuable or productive and left everything old, outmoded or inefficient. I point to the first thing RIcoh did, which was invest in new evaporators to apply the revolutionary* HD coating. Hoya simply refused to invest in Pentax. Here they had a new, marketable technology to improve rendering and they wouldn’t spend money to buy production tools to improve the product.

beholder3 · 07-16-2018, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

Welp. Here we go again.

I received the customary B&H Extended Backorder verification email. I called again to ask again. My order has changed from “Shipping July 20th” to, “We don’t know. We’ll ask the Pentax Rep.” I told the CS guy the website is accepting orders with a aShip Date of July 24th, so I should be before that - but no, they (say they) don’t know anything.

This is the last time for somebody.

On the German Pentax Forum Ricoh is going to lend out (for free) three DFA*50's to forum users who each can try out the lens a couple of days and then send it to the next guy in line (insured and tracked, each user has to pay the shipping costs).

I guess the 3 sample lenses would be available relatively early, so I can post here once they show up in July/August...

robjmitchell · 07-16-2018, 12:40 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

I would think Hoya pretty much took anything new, valuable or productive and left everything old, outmoded or inefficient. I point to the first thing RIcoh did, which was invest in new evaporators to apply the revolutionary* HD coating. Hoya simply refused to invest in Pentax. Here they had a new, marketable technology to improve rendering and they wouldn’t spend money to buy production tools to improve the product.

HD coating doesn’t use vapour deposition but instead its pained on, making it much cheaper to apply as a consequence. Its a layer of hard bonded silica nanospheres. The bonding mechanism is what makes it special, as other nanocoatings are extremely fragile. Aerobright 2 was originally described as HD over SMC while Aerobright 1 was a fragile nanocoat over SMC. The marketing on the *50 saying ABC2 is aerobright over multiple layers of HD does not make any sense, so I’m going to assume its a marketing error. Nanocoats and multi coats work by two different mechanisms. I makes sense to use them together.

mlaird · 07-16-2018, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by beholder3

On the German Pentax Forum Ricoh is going to lend out (for free) three DFA*50's to forum users who each can try out the lens a couple of days and then send it to the next guy in line (insured and tracked, each user has to pay the shipping costs).

I guess the 3 sample lenses would be available relatively early, so I can post here once they show up in July/August...

That sounds like a great way to get people interested and to get real-world opinions and evaluation that users can trust. I hope they do that in the US too!

robjmitchell · 07-16-2018, 12:45 PM

Originally posted by mlaird

I realize the K5 is getting a bit old, but I usually upgrade my camera body only every other major generation. So I skipped the K3, and have been awaiting the next flagship crop sensor body. I don't think the KP really qualifies as a flagship body, although it does seem very capable. I was hoping by now to hear of at least some good rumors on what is coming next for the top of the APS-C line.

The introduction of the II models sort of messed up the sequence. I’m waiting for a K3 replacement as well but I don’t expect to see one until Sony releases an APS-C version of is new BSI 150mp medium format sensor. The KP would be really nice for shooting with limiteds mind you.

**monochrome** · 07-16-2018, 12:47 PM

Originally posted by robjmitchell

HD coating doesn’t use vapour deposition but instead its pained on, making it much cheaper to apply as a consequence. Its a layer of hard bonded silica nanospheres. The bonding mechanism is what makes it special, as other nanocoatings are extremely fragile. Aerobright 2 was originally described as HD over SMC while Aerobright 1 was a fragile nanocoat over SMC. The marketing on the *50 saying ABC2 is aerobright over multiple layers of HD does not make any sense, so I’m going to assume its a marketing error. Nanocoats and multi coats work by two different mechanisms. I makes sense to use them together.

If you say so, but at the time of Pentax purchase Ricoh simultaneously announced the investment in multiple evaporators at $1.000.000 per. I don’t recall whether HD was simultaneously announced or what tools would be required to apply it, but HD was not long after Ricoh.

.:

RonHendriks1966 · 07-16-2018, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by beholder3

On the German Pentax Forum Ricoh is going to lend out (for free) three DFA*50's to forum users who each can try out the lens a couple of days and then send it to the next guy in line (insured and tracked, each user has to pay the shipping costs).

I guess the 3 sample lenses would be available relatively early, so I can post here once they show up in July/August...

That is a nice thing. We had that with a store overhere lending out a K-01 that went around some forum members on a Dutch forum. A good way of doing marketing.

Kunzite · 07-16-2018, 01:55 PM

Originally posted by robjmitchell

HD coating doesn’t use vapour deposition but instead its pained on, making it much cheaper to apply as a consequence. Its a layer of hard bonded silica nanospheres. The bonding mechanism is what makes it special, as other nanocoatings are extremely fragile. Aerobright 2 was originally described as HD over SMC while Aerobright 1 was a fragile nanocoat over SMC. The marketing on the *50 saying ABC2 is aerobright over multiple layers of HD does not make any sense, so I’m going to assume its a marketing error. Nanocoats and multi coats work by two different mechanisms. I makes sense to use them together.

I don't remember AeroBright 2 being described as HD over SMC - can you find that statement?

This might be the clearest marketing description (one could always go technical by searching for patents... just don't ask me to do it

)
PENTAX LENS TECHNOLOGY | PENTAX STAR LENS | RICOH IMAGING

**RobA_Oz** · 07-16-2018, 02:50 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

If you say so, but at the time of Pentax purchase Ricoh simultaneously announced the investment in multiple evaporators at $1.000.000 per. I don’t recall whether HD was simultaneously announced or what tools would be required to apply it, but HD was not long after Ricoh.

.:

Ricoh’s website entry on the star lens technology doesn’t say the HD coating isn’t vacuum deposited:
“HD Coating

The manufacturing process for traditional vacuum deposition coating posed problems. Uneven membrane thickness and variations in the refractive index tend to occur due to difficulties in enhancing membrane density. To solve this, HD coating is created via a specialized method to achieve a high-density membrane with nanometer precision. This method reduces reflectance across the entire visible spectrum. It also produces a very hard and durable coating.”

It doesn’t, however, say how the coating is actually applied: “specialised method” could be a non-traditional vacuum deposition or something else.

robjmitchell · 07-16-2018, 04:13 PM

The key with nano coats is getting the partical size right, the particals are huge compared to what is vaporised and deposited by vaccume in traditional multicoats. I am working from memory but i rember when the HD limiteds came out that it was stated that it was much cheaper as vaccum desposition was not used. Aerobright 2 being nanocoat on smc was stated when the 70-200/2.8 was released. I may have been putting 2 & 2 together since when HD was released it was stated it could be used by itself or in conjunction with SMC for even better performance. Then aerobright 2 was stated as being more robust than the original so logically it would use hd, although it could be a different formula.

Sandy Hancock · 07-16-2018, 04:19 PM

Aerobright is only used on the front element of the * lenses. HD is the coating on all elements, like SMC before it.

At least that is how I understand it.

maw · 07-16-2018, 06:03 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by monochrome

My birthday is July 17th.

Hi Monochrome many wishes and happy birthday, mine is August 14, long life to real pentaxians, and meanwhile we are waiting for good news.

**monochrome** · 07-16-2018, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by maw

hi monochrome many wishes and happy birthday, mine is august 14, long life to real pentaxians, and meanwhile we are waiting for good news.

tyvm

maw · 07-16-2018, 06:51 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

tyvm

Just today I got the SMC Pentax-F 50mm F2.8 Macro, from Calexico, California, we will then think about the two 50mm missing from my collection.

M.

Tranzistors · 07-16-2018, 11:34 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by chima chinda

K1 + 50mm D FA* 50mm F1.4 review. [...] Ummm, it's in Russian though.

Not sure if it is a paid commercial, but what I find interesting that the reviewer says the focusing is on par (at least with appropriate glass), but he is not thrilled about focus points being clustered in the centre. For some reason the host spend a lot of time talking about studio work and sports. Overall positive view of the camera. Although DFA 50 did not appear in the review.

All in all, nothing that a rabid Pentax Forums reader wouldn't know already.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Development update regarding the HD PENTAX-D FA★50mmF1.4 SDM AW	OoKU	Pentax News and Rumors	734	07-26-2022 05:52 AM
HD Pentax-D FA★ 25mm f/1.4 - 50mm f/1.4 - 85mm f/1.4 DC AW	Mistral75	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	43	07-26-2022 05:52 AM
pentaxrumors.com reports new HD PENTAX-D FA ★ 50mm F1.4 likely to be released soon	Madaboutpix	Pentax Full Frame	17	01-24-2018 12:10 PM
Official image sample from the HD Pentax-DFA★ 50mm F1.4 SDM AW uploaded	Madaboutpix	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	2	12-05-2017 05:36 PM
★★NOW IN STOCK★★Pentax K-5 Limited Edition★★	Chuck-B&H	Ask B&H Photo!	11	03-31-2011 05:29 AM

07-16-2018, 11:27 AM	#361
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by aurele Easier for design and repairs. In a distant future : lighter body with no AF motor inside. Originally posted by Reed I think that they realized that they need to tool up their production plants first for quality goals and current standards of high end products. That takes a lot of time and resources. I would think Hoya pretty much took anything new, valuable or productive and left everything old, outmoded or inefficient. I point to the first thing RIcoh did, which was invest in new evaporators to apply the revolutionary* HD coating. Hoya simply refused to invest in Pentax. Here they had a new, marketable technology to improve rendering and they wouldn’t spend money to buy production tools to improve the product.

07-16-2018, 12:23 PM	#362
beholder3 Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3,112	Originally posted by monochrome Welp. Here we go again. I received the customary B&H Extended Backorder verification email. I called again to ask again. My order has changed from “Shipping July 20th” to, “We don’t know. We’ll ask the Pentax Rep.” I told the CS guy the website is accepting orders with a aShip Date of July 24th, so I should be before that - but no, they (say they) don’t know anything. This is the last time for somebody. On the German Pentax Forum Ricoh is going to lend out (for free) three DFA*50's to forum users who each can try out the lens a couple of days and then send it to the next guy in line (insured and tracked, each user has to pay the shipping costs). I guess the 3 sample lenses would be available relatively early, so I can post here once they show up in July/August...

07-16-2018, 12:40 PM	#363
robjmitchell Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Melbourne Aus Posts: 1,776	Originally posted by monochrome I would think Hoya pretty much took anything new, valuable or productive and left everything old, outmoded or inefficient. I point to the first thing RIcoh did, which was invest in new evaporators to apply the revolutionary* HD coating. Hoya simply refused to invest in Pentax. Here they had a new, marketable technology to improve rendering and they wouldn’t spend money to buy production tools to improve the product. HD coating doesn’t use vapour deposition but instead its pained on, making it much cheaper to apply as a consequence. Its a layer of hard bonded silica nanospheres. The bonding mechanism is what makes it special, as other nanocoatings are extremely fragile. Aerobright 2 was originally described as HD over SMC while Aerobright 1 was a fragile nanocoat over SMC. The marketing on the *50 saying ABC2 is aerobright over multiple layers of HD does not make any sense, so I’m going to assume its a marketing error. Nanocoats and multi coats work by two different mechanisms. I makes sense to use them together.

07-16-2018, 12:42 PM	#364
mlaird Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New England, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 75	Originally posted by beholder3 On the German Pentax Forum Ricoh is going to lend out (for free) three DFA*50's to forum users who each can try out the lens a couple of days and then send it to the next guy in line (insured and tracked, each user has to pay the shipping costs). I guess the 3 sample lenses would be available relatively early, so I can post here once they show up in July/August... That sounds like a great way to get people interested and to get real-world opinions and evaluation that users can trust. I hope they do that in the US too!

07-16-2018, 12:45 PM	#365
robjmitchell Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Melbourne Aus Posts: 1,776	Originally posted by mlaird I realize the K5 is getting a bit old, but I usually upgrade my camera body only every other major generation. So I skipped the K3, and have been awaiting the next flagship crop sensor body. I don't think the KP really qualifies as a flagship body, although it does seem very capable. I was hoping by now to hear of at least some good rumors on what is coming next for the top of the APS-C line. The introduction of the II models sort of messed up the sequence. I’m waiting for a K3 replacement as well but I don’t expect to see one until Sony releases an APS-C version of is new BSI 150mp medium format sensor. The KP would be really nice for shooting with limiteds mind you.

07-16-2018, 12:47 PM	#366
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by robjmitchell HD coating doesn’t use vapour deposition but instead its pained on, making it much cheaper to apply as a consequence. Its a layer of hard bonded silica nanospheres. The bonding mechanism is what makes it special, as other nanocoatings are extremely fragile. Aerobright 2 was originally described as HD over SMC while Aerobright 1 was a fragile nanocoat over SMC. The marketing on the *50 saying ABC2 is aerobright over multiple layers of HD does not make any sense, so I’m going to assume its a marketing error. Nanocoats and multi coats work by two different mechanisms. I makes sense to use them together. If you say so, but at the time of Pentax purchase Ricoh simultaneously announced the investment in multiple evaporators at $1.000.000 per. I don’t recall whether HD was simultaneously announced or what tools would be required to apply it, but HD was not long after Ricoh. .:

07-16-2018, 01:47 PM	#367
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Originally posted by beholder3 On the German Pentax Forum Ricoh is going to lend out (for free) three DFA*50's to forum users who each can try out the lens a couple of days and then send it to the next guy in line (insured and tracked, each user has to pay the shipping costs). I guess the 3 sample lenses would be available relatively early, so I can post here once they show up in July/August... That is a nice thing. We had that with a store overhere lending out a K-01 that went around some forum members on a Dutch forum. A good way of doing marketing.

07-16-2018, 01:55 PM	#368
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	Originally posted by robjmitchell HD coating doesn’t use vapour deposition but instead its pained on, making it much cheaper to apply as a consequence. Its a layer of hard bonded silica nanospheres. The bonding mechanism is what makes it special, as other nanocoatings are extremely fragile. Aerobright 2 was originally described as HD over SMC while Aerobright 1 was a fragile nanocoat over SMC. The marketing on the *50 saying ABC2 is aerobright over multiple layers of HD does not make any sense, so I’m going to assume its a marketing error. Nanocoats and multi coats work by two different mechanisms. I makes sense to use them together. I don't remember AeroBright 2 being described as HD over SMC - can you find that statement? This might be the clearest marketing description (one could always go technical by searching for patents... just don't ask me to do it ) PENTAX LENS TECHNOLOGY \| PENTAX STAR LENS \| RICOH IMAGING

07-16-2018, 02:50 PM	#369
RobA_Oz Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,197	Originally posted by monochrome If you say so, but at the time of Pentax purchase Ricoh simultaneously announced the investment in multiple evaporators at $1.000.000 per. I don’t recall whether HD was simultaneously announced or what tools would be required to apply it, but HD was not long after Ricoh. .: Ricoh’s website entry on the star lens technology doesn’t say the HD coating isn’t vacuum deposited: “HD Coating The manufacturing process for traditional vacuum deposition coating posed problems. Uneven membrane thickness and variations in the refractive index tend to occur due to difficulties in enhancing membrane density. To solve this, HD coating is created via a specialized method to achieve a high-density membrane with nanometer precision. This method reduces reflectance across the entire visible spectrum. It also produces a very hard and durable coating.” It doesn’t, however, say how the coating is actually applied: “specialised method” could be a non-traditional vacuum deposition or something else.

07-16-2018, 04:13 PM	#370
robjmitchell Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Melbourne Aus Posts: 1,776	The key with nano coats is getting the partical size right, the particals are huge compared to what is vaporised and deposited by vaccume in traditional multicoats. I am working from memory but i rember when the HD limiteds came out that it was stated that it was much cheaper as vaccum desposition was not used. Aerobright 2 being nanocoat on smc was stated when the 70-200/2.8 was released. I may have been putting 2 & 2 together since when HD was released it was stated it could be used by itself or in conjunction with SMC for even better performance. Then aerobright 2 was stated as being more robust than the original so logically it would use hd, although it could be a different formula.

07-16-2018, 04:19 PM	#371
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	Aerobright is only used on the front element of the * lenses. HD is the coating on all elements, like SMC before it. At least that is how I understand it.

07-16-2018, 06:03 PM - 1 Like	#372
maw Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Sassari (Italy) Posts: 1,118	Originally posted by monochrome My birthday is July 17th. Hi Monochrome many wishes and happy birthday, mine is August 14, long life to real pentaxians, and meanwhile we are waiting for good news.

07-16-2018, 06:24 PM	#373
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by maw hi monochrome many wishes and happy birthday, mine is august 14, long life to real pentaxians, and meanwhile we are waiting for good news. tyvm

07-16-2018, 06:51 PM	#374
maw Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Sassari (Italy) Posts: 1,118	Originally posted by monochrome tyvm Just today I got the SMC Pentax-F 50mm F2.8 Macro, from Calexico, California, we will then think about the two 50mm missing from my collection. M.

07-16-2018, 11:34 PM - 1 Like	#375
Tranzistors Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Latvia Photos: Albums Posts: 112	Originally posted by chima chinda K1 + 50mm D FA* 50mm F1.4 review. [...] Ummm, it's in Russian though. Not sure if it is a paid commercial, but what I find interesting that the reviewer says the focusing is on par (at least with appropriate glass), but he is not thrilled about focus points being clustered in the centre. For some reason the host spend a lot of time talking about studio work and sports. Overall positive view of the camera. Although DFA 50 did not appear in the review. All in all, nothing that a rabid Pentax Forums reader wouldn't know already.