[BigMackCam]

I judge by Russian Pentax club. Not a lot users and many users changed FA35 to FA31 or Sigma 30/1.4. Or even to manual lenses.
As for me, 6 apetrure blades confused me many years ago...FA35/2 is not bad lense...It's sharp. But rather ordinary.

I guess it depends on your definition of ordinary...

Is it as special as the FA31? No. But the FA31 - currently at its lowest price since 2017 here in the UK - is twice the price of the new HD DA35/2 (and the latter will probably see small price reductions once initial demand has been met).

Is it as quirky as the Sigma 30/1.4 Art? Again, no. I own the Sigma and I *love* its rendering, plus it's faster, too. But it only covers the APS-C sensor format (not a problem for me), and at 30mm it's wider than the FA35, plus autofocus can be unreliable unless you're using the centre focus point. It's considerably bigger and heavier, too.

As for manual lenses, they vary hugely, of course. A Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/2 (arguably one of the best 35mm f/2 lenses optically) outclasses it in resolution, coma and probably out-of-focus rendering, but the CA levels become a little worrisome when stopped down to f/5.6 and smaller. And it fails dismally with autofocus performance Of course, it's also much more expensive, even in used condition.

I don't think the new HD FA35/2 is going to set the photography world alight. It's just a mild update. But it takes a proven and quite popular full-frame lens with very good optical performance, improves on that with HD coatings, makes it more durable with the front element SP coating and a "crepe" body finish, improves manual focusing with a new ring, and does all that for half the price of a heavily-discounted FA31. It'll find its buyers, I'm sure

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 02-02-2019 at 06:52 AM.

[Rondec]

That was the point of my post. The pentax is only 10% cheaper despite the Fuji being 3mm wider at extreme uw. Taking into account that the Fuji is perceived as being extremely expensive in Fuji terms says something about the Pentax pricing and what performance is required.

I think it is important to remember that you are comparing a lens that is just released and is selling for the recommended manufacturer's price versus one that has been out for awhile. B and H states that the manufacturer's recommended price is 1999 for the 8-16 and it is selling for 1499. That's an amazing 500 dollars off (probably indicating mostly that Fuji couldn't get anyone to fork over 2000 dollars for such a lens). Odds are that the Pentax drops some over the next six months. My expectation would be that street pricing for the 11-18 will be in the 1100 to 1150 range with occasional sales dropping it to around a 1000. That will be quite a bit cheaper than the Fuji and pretty reasonable pricing for the lens -- assuming it is a high quality optic that is sharp at 11mm and f2.8 with minimal coma.

[Mistral75]

Hmm... maybe I'm wrong then.
The thing is, I expect a CP+ announcement - the GR III and, if it wasn't somehow postponed, the D FA 70-200 f/4. It feels weird to me to announce the higher-end products before that.
Except... there can be exceptions. The DA*, it was ready and they wanted it on the market in February. Ugh... it's complicated

Unless I'm receiving information about it, I'm not taking another announcement as granted or even very likely. I won't be disappointed this way

I think an announcement of the Ricoh GR III before CP+ is almost a given. As a Japanese company CP+ in Yokohama is 'their' trade show and they can't nor shan't miss announcing and showcasing a product bearing their name, even if not 100% ready, just to introduce it a few weeks after.

The availability date could be deferred though (and potentially delayed if something happens at the very last stages of pre-production), thus explaining the wording used by Ricoh Imaging in their CP+ web page (prototype cameras being available for touching and trying and the product being under development).

Further clues are given by an email just sent out by a French retailer -the guy is a very capable salesman and has been a huge supporter of Ricoh for decades.

Comme vous l’avez sûrement appris, le Ricoh GR troisième du nom, le GRIII, est sur le point d’être annoncé et commercialisé.
Nous étions nombreux à attendre cette nouvelle version.
Le communiqué de presse mondial ne tardera pas à nous renseigner de façon officielle sur toutes ses caractéristiques et bien sûr sa disponibilité et son prix de vente.
Quoi qu’il en soit, je peux vous annoncer avec un immense plaisir que Ricoh France m’a fait l’honneur de choisir l’Instantané pour une journée de présentation en exclusivité nationale.
Bientôt je vous convierai de façon formelle pour que vous puissiez toucher et tester le Ricoh GRIII.
Vous serez ainsi les premiers à le prendre en main et le découvrir.
Dès la parution du communiqué, vous recevrez votre invitation.
Soyez patients !

À bientôt le plaisir de vous retrouver autour de notre compagnon photographique préféré.

Translation:

As you've certainly heard, the third Ricoh GR, the GRIII, is about to be announced and marketed.
Many of us are waiting for this new version.
The global press release will soon tell us officially about all its features and of course its availability and price.
Anyway, it's a great pleasure for me to announce that Ricoh France have done me the honour of choosing l'Instantané [=The Snapshot -that's the name of his outlet] for a presentation day, a national exclusivity.
Soon I will formally invite you to touch and try the Ricoh GRIII.
You will be the first to take it in hand and discover it.
Upon release of the press release, you will receive your invitation.
Be patient !

I look forward to having soon the pleasure of seeing you gathered around our favourite photographic companion.

[reh321]

Sony's first ILC was launched in 2005 or 2006. Does it matter who has done it longer or who has done it better?

Sony is a consumer products company. You can see that 'DNA' in construction of the A6n00 cameras and in their physical controls/menu system.


added: If the Q-7 were a Sony camera, the body would be more compact, but would lack actual physical controls .... most control would be done via menu, like a smart phone.

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Last edited by reh321; 02-02-2019 at 07:14 AM.

[biz-engineer]

Generally speaking, yes, but the Pentax KP was announced four weeks before CP+ 2017.

It feels weird to me to announce the higher-end products before that.

Aren't they holding off the release date even when the new products are fully tested and first batch of production in stock, because they want to hold off revenue increase?
Or do they release new products when they are ready to go?

[reh321]

No bashing at all.

I judge by Russian Pentax club. Not a lot users and many users changed FA35 to FA31 or Sigma 30/1.4. Or even to manual lenses.
As for me, 6 apetrure blades confused me many years ago...FA35/2 is not bad lense...It's sharp. But rather ordinary.

Is this a 'cultural' thing? I know that amongst M42-mount lenses, Russian lenses often have 10-12 aperture blades, while most others have just 6.

[Dipsoid]

What kind of cameras?

More than two decades?

Video cameras of course, since the eighties.

If you want to draw a distinction between "photo" cameras and "film" cameras, I guess that's fine, but I wouldn't be surprised of a company that has had decades of experience producing optical components wanting to branch out into consumer photography.

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Last edited by Dipsoid; 02-02-2019 at 07:45 AM.

[OoKU]

Iii，2.22

[normhead]

Video cameras of course, since the eighties.

If you want to draw a distinction between "photo" cameras and "film" cameras, I guess that's fine, but I wouldn't be surprised of a company that has had decades of experience producing optical components wanting to branch out into consumer photography.

Especially since Sony has always wanted to be the eggplant that ate Chicago.

[Tan68]

My KP nails focus, both with 18-135 and with 55-300 PLM.

I also bought the 55-300 PLM this past fall. I don't have fancy long lenses and I think this will be good for me.. I have been happy enough with an old Tamron 70-300 Di LD xII etc etc. The 55-300 is enough smaller to make a significant difference in how I travel carry versus that Tamron.

[mee]

Iii，2.22

Iii or III ?

[Tan68]

... As an aside:
My boss drives a Hyundai Elantra. Today he was parked beside my truck (a Nissan Titan Diesel). I noted as I climbed up into my truck that my floorboard is taller than his wheels.

Anyway, what’s my point you might ask? ...

I don't know much about trucks but I do know some new trucks that are diesel do not release huge clouds of black smoke while some new trucks that are diesel do release clouds..

What vehicle option is there that makes the difference?
Do the smoker trucks have a special performance package?
Is smoke made because of something people do to the truck when they get it home?

---------- Post added 02-02-19 at 09:42 AM ----------

...I did not note which lens I used long ago to make the test shots on the copy film that I used for the comparison but I know for sure it was a 1980s lens.

I am surprised more people haven't commented on the old lens you used...

I have no comment at all about film resolution.
But you report to us good resolution with an old lens while a few posts here have knocked the 35/2 because it is old and can't be as good as hyper corrected new lenses.. their opinions seem at odds with your results using an old lens :^)

[reh321]

But you report to us good resolution with an old lens while a few posts here have knocked the 35/2 because it is old and can't be as good as hyper corrected new lenses.. their opinions seem at odds with your results using an old lens :^)

This is a very complicated issue. Thirty years ago, designers focused on the middle part of the image - now corner-to-corner sharpness is demanded. Because film reflected light differently than silicon does, the coatings they used thirty years ago would be sub-optimal today, but the effect of coatings depends on lighting conditions {sunny, cloudy, night, etc}.

[TwoUptons]

Video cameras of course, since the eighties.

If you want to draw a distinction between "photo" cameras and "film" cameras, I guess that's fine, but I wouldn't be surprised of a company that has had decades of experience producing optical components wanting to branch out into consumer photography.

You could argue they’ve been doing professional quality interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras with video capabilities since Beta was a thing...

And they’ve done digital since the mid-90s

-Eric

[Tan68]

... Sony's lens catalogue, whilst extensive (arguably to the point of bloating), has striking similarities to Pentax. There are lenses that are simply re-clothed versions of old Minolta models (some excellent, others not quite so by modern standards)... others that are re-badged and re-clothed Tamron designs... ...

When I think Sony, I also think integrated lens adapter

My perception may be dated or just incorrect altogether, but seems to me like many Sony lenses for their mirrorless system are lenses made for longer registration distance with an adapter tube grafted on. These lenses have a smaller diameter at the back.. I thought that was a waste of space and advantage of short registration distance but don't recall (may have missed it all) much complaint about this in forums or even the DPR :^)

Grafting adapters to the back of existing lenses is a way to quickly fill out lens portfolio when making a mount change. Lenses with built-in adapter might be received more openly [because they are "new"] by people than simply being told by the manufacturer to purchase and use a separate adapter with the same old lenses made for the old and (re)tired lens mount :^).