[Wheatfield]

If that's accurate, and assuming France was/is maybe 5% of the world-wide Pentax market, then world-wide sales probably totalled less than 500 lenses over it's production life. Hard to justify keeping such a lens in the catalogue.

But then again if Pentax made 20,000 of them in 2000, and warehoused them (like Nikon seems to have done with its old-but-still-saleable 200mm f/4D IF-ED), I'm sure Ricoh could still be selling the FA★ 200mm f/4 for good $$ today. Macro lenses don't need fancy modern lens motors or electronics.

According to my now retired Pentax rep, there were less than a thousand FA*200/4 macro lenses made. I managed to snag one in 2005 through great luck and the fact that I had a great relationship with Pentax Canada. At the time I was quoted just under Can$3k for it. They found one in some American sales reps kit, they were no longer available new. Pentax imported it for me, did a full refurbishment on it and sold it to me for under half of the new price I had been quoted.

As an aside, it is a better lens than most people have been led to believe it is.

[redpit]

Last weekend, I asked a Ricoh/Pentax Factory Representative. He joking said, we're last to know. He said, the consumers are better informed than they are about product releases from the company products they represent.

Interesting! I got exactly the same answer from another representative he used to share with me some general info about what to expect and when!

Maybe it's not a coincidence and its a strategy to become even more tight lipped than they used to be!

[redpit]

As an aside, it is a better lens than most people have been led to believe it is.

This is the million dollar comment!

Having used in the past the excellent Micro-Nikkor 200/4 D I wonder how these 2 gems compare with each other...

[Wheatfield]

Interesting! I got exactly the same answer from another representative he used to share with me some general info about what to expect and when!

Maybe it's not a coincidence and its a strategy to become even more tight lipped than they used to be!

The last dog and pony show I was at this past spring, the Ricoh rep had been told so little that he didn’t even have any Pentax or Ricoh gear set up at his booth. They are carrying tight lipped to an extreme when their own rep doesn’t display their equipment at a product show.

[Kingman]

The Hood on the FA*85 is the same, Huge Hood, the lens itself is quite a nice little size, considering the hunk of glass it is.

Just looking at the size relationship of the width and length of the lens barrel itself to the Mount, I think it will be big enough

Glad they are making it a full hood, and not a Petal style. Don't get me wrong, I like the petal hood on the DFA*50, but , would actually have preferred a conventional Hood for practicality. (IE you can stand the camera and lens straight up on the hood when you put it down, rather than placing the camera and lens on it's side all the time - but that's just a person preference thing )

I currently have the FA*85/1.4 for my K1 (along with D FA 24/70 and D FA*70-200 and others) and passed on the D FA 50/1.4. I believe I want the new upcoming D FA 85/1.4, but I’d sure want a D FA* 200/4 Macro.

[D FA 24 F2]

OK，Some news about CP +
1 camera 2 lens
star 85 70-200 F4 will announce before CP +

[Mistral75]

OK，Some news about CP +
1 camera 2 lens
star 85 70-200 F4 will announce before CP +

Is it the same source as the one who gave you the following tips in October?

(...)
dfa 85 1.4 will release some information at this mouth

my source ： dfa70-200 f4 maybe（50-60%） release the end of 2019 .not the copy of tokina
(...)

[Serkevan]

OK，Some news about CP +
1 camera 2 lens
star 85 70-200 F4 will announce before CP +

So the CP+ lenses are different? if that's the case, I'm betting on either 16-50/2.8 and 50-135/2.8 or just the standard zoom plus wide angle D FA prime.

[BarneyL]

Ricoh should definitely release a top tier crop sensor lens to go with the new flagship. Some major Pentax retailers no longer sell 16-50, so I bet on the replacement of this exact lens.

85mm is likely, since we already have seen the mock-up at the last CP+.

70-200, well, would be nice, but I have a hunch that it will meet the same fate as the FF fisheye zoom, replaced with reworked crop sensor 60-250.

[repaap]

So the CP+ lenses are different? if that's the case, I'm betting on either 16-50/2.8 and 50-135/2.8 or just the standard zoom plus wide angle D FA prime.

I suppose that it will be : 1 camera= aps-c, 2 lenses = 85/1,4 + 70-200/4.

But it would be great if they came up with something else too(edit)

[TwoUptons]

Last weekend, I asked a Ricoh/Pentax Factory Representative. He joking said, we're last to know. He said, the consumers are better informed than they are about product releases from the company products they represent.

That’s because they rely on official statements, not rumors and leaks That means they’re the last to know but the least frequently disappointed...

And I still don’t expect the coming 70-200 f4 to be a re-baffled 60-250. If for no other reason than it would be done by now...

-Eric

[Serkevan]

I suppose that it will be : 1 camera= aps-c, 2 lenses = 85/1,4 + 70-200/4.

But it would be great if they came up with something else too(edit)

Yeah, those are what I think to be the most likely candidates for "what comes next"

[Kingman]

While I might understand the need to have both a D FA*70-200/2.8 and a D FA70-200/4.0 if there were plenty of Pentax FF users, I am not sure how and why very limited resources would be devoted to build a another DFA 70/200. Especially when this limited market is hungry for perhaps a D FA 20 or 24 and others primes.... I realize the D FA85*/1.4 is coming and I will probably add it to the library. I passed on the D FA50/1.4 and will definitely pass on a D FA70-200/4 version. Now, I do have both the D FA24-70/2.8 and the D FA28-105 because they serve me for vastly different purposes. Still love to see a D FA* 200/4.0 Macro!

[repaap]

Yeah, those are what I think to be the most likely candidates for "what comes next"

For aps-c crowd it woukd be great to have updated versions of those 2. I did like my 16-50 (still have it and it has SDM working!). Only thing for me is lacking is flare control. Also that motor need to be replaced in new model. Size is great and my copy is sharp too

---------- Post added 12-22-19 at 10:57 ----------

While I might understand the need to have both a D FA*70-200/2.8 and a D FA70-200/4.0 if there were plenty of Pentax FF users, I am not sure how and why very limited resources would be devoted to build a another DFA 70/200. Especially when this limited market is hungry for perhaps a D FA 20 or 24 and others primes.... I realize the D FA85*/1.4 is coming and I will probably add it to the library. I passed on the D FA50/1.4 and will definitely pass on a D FA70-200/4 version. Now, I do have both the D FA24-70/2.8 and the D FA28-105 because they serve me for vastly different purposes. Still love to see a D FA* 200/4.0 Macro!

I suppose that they might be working on xx-xx/4 zoom set? Just as competition has it? There should be DFA*24 coming at some point. I have DFA *70-200. And DFA 28-105. While there is same letters, that - * - is big difference. Hoping to see DFA * 24-70/2.8 one day too

I’m saving my pennies for DFA * prime trinity(and doing regular work out for endurance and kettlebell training for muscle )

[Rondec]

While I might understand the need to have both a D FA*70-200/2.8 and a D FA70-200/4.0 if there were plenty of Pentax FF users, I am not sure how and why very limited resources would be devoted to build a another DFA 70/200. Especially when this limited market is hungry for perhaps a D FA 20 or 24 and others primes.... I realize the D FA85*/1.4 is coming and I will probably add it to the library. I passed on the D FA50/1.4 and will definitely pass on a D FA70-200/4 version. Now, I do have both the D FA24-70/2.8 and the D FA28-105 because they serve me for vastly different purposes. Still love to see a D FA* 200/4.0 Macro!

My hope is that the DFA 70-200 f4 is going to fill in a gap of having some slightly cheaper, but still high quality lenses for full frame. The biggest reasons that people buy 24-70 f4 and 70-200 f4 over their f2.8 counterparts are cost (this is far and away the biggest reason) and size. Currently, the HD FA 35, the FA 50 f1.4, and the DFA 28-105 are about the only less expensive full frame lenses in the line up. It would be nice to see some more come out, including a 70-300mm variable aperture zoom.