[Mistral75]

You're right, many people would promptly jump at the conclusion you pointed out (Tokina being a wide-angle and ultra-wide angle zoom lens specialist must be the one having designed the common lens, if common lens there is).

Let's patiently wait for the Tokina announcement predicted by Nokishita Camera and see whether the main specifications of their new ultra-wide angle zoom lens correspond to those of the DA★.

[bladerunner6]

If so, it would mean that Ricoh are doing everything in their power to improve Pentax's profitability through licensing revenues or even contract manufacturing. (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 is manufactured by Ricoh.)

The origin of the Tokina is easy to check- Pentax is Vietnam, Tokina is Japan.

[Mistral75]

The origin of the Tokina is easy to check- Pentax is Vietnam, Tokina is Japan.

I think Tokina have a factory in China too (and Ricoh Imaging have one in the Philippines, mainly camera-oriented) but this doesn't invalidate your point.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to handle a Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 (they are poorly distributed in France) and haven't found any picture of the lens stating where it was manufactured.

[house]

The origin of the Tokina is easy to check- Pentax is Vietnam, Tokina is Japan.

I thought it was quite easy to work around country of origin but doing a single step of the manufacture in the country one wishes to certify from.

[reh321]

I thought it was quite easy to work around country of origin but doing a single step of the manufacture in the country one wishes to certify from.

An artifact of having just one "country of origin" - we do not know where the actual individual lenses come from, but there is a likelihood that even if the individual lenses were the same, how they are assembled is special to the individual company.

[bladerunner6]

I thought it was quite easy to work around country of origin but doing a single step of the manufacture in the country one wishes to certify from.

Not really, people get in trouble for fraud.

The Pentax lens clearly says Vietnam.

I am going to Chicago over the Year's Break and I will see if I can go to a camera store that carries the Tokina and check it out.

[Mistral75]

Not really, people get in trouble for fraud.

The Pentax lens clearly says Vietnam.

I am going to Chicago over the Year's Break and I will see if I can go to a camera store that carries the Tokina and check it out.

The outcome would be interesting. Thank you for bothering.

[robiles]

The outcome would be interesting. Thank you for bothering.

The whole Pentax Tokina deal is quite interesting. I might also atend a photo expo (Multimediale in Darmstadt), where ricoh imaging is one of the sponsors (supporter?). If Tokina have a stand there, i might take a look, maybe ask them a questoon about their collab with Pentax.

[Mistral75]

Indeed it's quite interesting, in particular because it seems different from the deal of the 2000s. Back then the optical formulas were licensed: one (12-24mm f/4) by Pentax from Tokina, all others (e.g. 10-17mm fisheye, 16-50mm f/2.8, 50-135mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.8 macro, 100mm f/2.8 macro) by Tokina from Pentax.

But each manufacturer was responsible for (i) designing its own version of each lens, with specific coatings, specific casing, specific AF motor if any, Quick-Shift Focus system for Pentax vs. push-pull AF/MF clutch mechanism for Tokina and so on, and (ii) manufacturing it.

On the other hand the Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 is very similar to the HD Pentax-D FA★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW: same casing, same AF/MF switch, same lens hood with the small removable window to facilitate the use of a polarising filter, apparently same ring-shaped ultrasonic AF motor, weather sealing in both cases (the Tokina lenses from the 2000s weren't weather resistant) and so on. Even Tokina's new 'Extremely Low Reflection' coating, a first for them and which hasn't been used in any Tokina lens launched after the opera 50mm f/1.4, is described in terms that remind me of Ricoh's HD coating.

This is this common design that makes me wonder whether Ricoh wouldn't be manufacturing the Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 in addition to the HD Pentax-D FA★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW.

[house]

Indeed it's quite interesting, in particular because it seems different from the deal of the 2000s. Back then the optical formulas were licensed: one (12-24mm f/4) by Pentax from Tokina, all others (e.g. 10-17mm fisheye, 16-50mm f/2.8, 50-135mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.8 macro, 100mm f/2.8 macro) by Tokina from Pentax.

But each manufacturer was responsible for (i) designing its own version of each lens, with specific coatings, specific casing, specific AF motor if any, Quick-Shift Focus system for Pentax vs. push-pull AF/MF clutch mechanism for Tokina and so on, and (ii) manufacturing it.

On the other hand the Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 is very similar to the HD Pentax-D FA★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW: same casing, same AF/MF switch, same lens hood with the small removable window to facilitate the use of a polarising filter, apparently same ring-shaped ultrasonic AF motor, weather sealing in both cases (the Tokina lenses from the 2000s weren't weather resistant) and so on. Even Tokina's new 'Extremely Low Reflection' coating, a first for them and which hasn't been used in any Tokina lens launched after the opera 50mm f/1.4, is described in terms that remind me of Ricoh's HD coating.

This is this common design that makes me wonder whether Ricoh wouldn't be manufacturing the Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 in addition to the HD Pentax-D FA★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW.

Regarding the dfa*50 one site (can't remember which one atm) that reviewed both showed quite different resolution characteristics. Why I don't know.

[Mistral75]

Odd indeed. I would very much like to read this comparison.

[house]

Odd indeed. I would very much like to read this comparison.

It was ephotozine
- HD Pentax-D FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW Lens Review - Performance | ePHOTOzine
- Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF Review - Performance | ePHOTOzine

Maybe it's the human factor, sample variation or the performance of the camera?

[luftfluss]

Huh, that's strange. The Pentax was tested on a K-1 II, the Tokina on a Nikon D810.

The Tokina measured as having higher center sharpness, the Pentax more even across the frame.

Tokina measured as having lower CA.

[Mistral75]

It's the K-1 Mark II's accelerator unit that bridles the centre performance of the Pentax version.

[luftfluss]

It's the K-1 Mark II's accelerator unit that bridles the centre performance of the Pentax version.