[Bertrand3000]

DA primes dont have quick shift at all...

True for the (budget) DA 35, DA 50 and DA 40 XS but most DA, including the Limited, feature Quick Shift as far as I know.

jus bits that get in the way of taking photos and rotating ring during AF is just that.

True enough, even if people have different experience. In my case, with a new lens with a rotating focus ring, I am taken by surprise the first days, then I instinctively know how to handle the camera in a way the rotating focus ring is never a problem for me in the future.

obviously for you. I, on the other hand, hate focus by wire, that modern lenses have. rotating focus ring on the 20-40 ltd with quick shift works like a charm for me.

Focus by wire is indeed an horror, and rotating focus ring, especially with quick shift is not a problem for me either, but still you can make a lens without focus by wire and without rotating focus ring. For example, the Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 works perfectly in that regard. Silent AF, distance scale in a window, ability to focus manually at any time, soft stops at both ends of the distance scale, and no focus-by-wire. Best AF implementation in all my current gear to my opinion.

[Mistral75]

DA primes dont have quick shift at all... (...)

• smc Pentax-DA 14mm f/2.8 ED [IF]
• HD Pentax-DA 15mm f/4 ED AL Limited
• HD Pentax-DA 21mm f/3.2 AL Limited
• HD Pentax-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited
• HD Pentax-DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited
• smc Pentax-DA★ 55mm f/1.4 SDM
• HD Pentax-DA 70mm f/2.4 Limited
• smc Pentax-DA★ 200mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM
• smc Pentax-DA★ 300mm f/4 ED [IF] SDM
• HD Pentax-DA 560mm f/5.6 ED AW

have Quick-Shift Focus.

[Trickortreat]

obviously for you. I, on the other hand, hate focus by wire, that modern lenses have. rotating focus ring on the 20-40 ltd with quick shift works like a charm for me.

There are plenty of lenses that have mechanical coupling and their focusing ring doesnt rotate during AF

---------- Post added 07-07-19 at 12:06 PM ----------

Focus by wire is indeed an horror, and rotating focus ring, especially with quick shift is not a problem for me either, but still you can make a lens without focus by wire and without rotating focus ring. For example, the Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 works perfectly in that regard. Silent AF, distance scale in a window, ability to focus manually at any time, soft stops at both ends of the distance scale, and no focus-by-wire. Best AF implementation in all my current gear to my opinion.

Yep. I hope that Ricoh implements something like that in their primes.
My Nikon gear also didnt suffer from the focusing ring turning during AF for most of the lenses I had

---------- Post added 07-07-19 at 12:08 PM ----------

• smc Pentax-DA 14mm f/2.8 ED [IF]
• smc Pentax-DA★ 55mm f/1.4 SDM
• smc Pentax-DA★ 200mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM
• smc Pentax-DA★ 300mm f/4 ED [IF] SDM
• HD Pentax-DA 560mm f/5.6 ED AW

Dont have rotating focusing ring during AF afaik. Wish all were made like that. I think it sgould be a priority over coatings and cosmetics.

[Serkevan]

None of those listed lenses have Screwdrive-AF. None of them are *small*, either.

The problem lies with the use of a dedicated AF motor: if you put it, you can avoid the rotating focus ring, but you will need to redesign the entire thing (which goes against the idea of simply releasing a slightly improved batch of a lens without moving too many or Ricoh/Pentax's limited resources from other development. How many people buy a 10-17 mm fisheye? It's a niche lens).

Sure, it would be great to have everything, and IIRC no new lenses (since 2013 at least, and that was a kit lens) were released with Screwdrive AF... The only ones are the HD-relaunches of older models. Everything else has DC or SDM motors (plus the PLM 55-300). Still, for *this* lens in particular I wouldn't be too concerned with the focus ring rotating, the lens is pretty chunky.

Hopefully in the future the next small primes come with a dedicated motor.

[biz-engineer]

Dont have rotating focusing ring during AF afaik. Wish all were made like that. I think it sgould be a priority over coatings and cosmetics.

If you rotate the lens fast enough in counter direction , the ring won't rotate, I guess.

---------- Post added 07-07-19 at 13:02 ----------

None of those listed lenses have Screwdrive-AF. None of them are *small*, either.

The DA limited are small, have a screw drive with quick shift mechanism so the focus ring doesn't rotate but user is still able to quick-shift after camera AF is achieved. That mechanism was the faulty part in two of my DA limited, not able to focus reliable near infinity: DA40ltd and DA21ltd. My DA18-250 had the focus ring locked to screw-drive, and I never had a single issue with it, I sold it, working like new, even after intensive use for many years. When the ring rotate during focusing, just don't be dumb enough to lock the ring with your fingers, it's just common sense.

[MMVIII]

There are plenty of lenses that have mechanical coupling and their focusing ring doesnt rotate during AF

---------- Post added 07-07-19 at 12:06 PM ----------



Yep. I hope that Ricoh implements something like that in their primes.
My Nikon gear also didnt suffer from the focusing ring turning during AF for most of the lenses I had

---------- Post added 07-07-19 at 12:08 PM ----------



Dont have rotating focusing ring during AF afaik. Wish all were made like that. I think it sgould be a priority over coatings and cosmetics.

Before this becomes another UHS lonely cowboy thread:
I think it is noted that you wish all lenses would be without rotating focus ring. Some people have pointed out that this would either require a complete decoupling of the ring during focussing, therefore no quick shift manual focus, or a in lens motor construction. While the first is a no go for many here, including me, the second will not happen, as it is exactly what a new batch of an existing lens is not: a complete new construction. Adding a new coating is a minor tweak, but especially with such a wide lens, where it is almost impossible to avoid sun or other light sources to be in the field of view or illuminate the front element, it might be a most welcome one.

If the rotating focus ring thing persists here I,'m out...

[Serkevan]

Exactly; while it is a nice quality of life improvement to have that, it's not really an issue for this lens (and, by extension, for this thread).


Honestly, this is one of the lenses that would, in principle, benefit more from the HD coating... you will always have the sun somewhere near.

[chaxdaman]

From nokishita's Twitter

[Larrymc]

Yeah, but there is a nice grippy bit next to the mount where the aperture ring should be

I have pretty big hands too, but have no trouble with the DA Limiteds. For what it's worth, with the KP I put my left thumb over the AF/MF selector switch on the body. My left index finger curls around underneath the barrel to grip the right side of the camera's mirror box. My Left middle finger curls up under the body, creating a nice flat surface roughly where the tripod socket is. Nothing touches any part of the lens at all, but my thumb and index fingers are right there if I want to use the focus ring.

I find this to be extremely comfortable and stable. Maybe it's worth a try.

Of course with the DA10-17 (the subject of this thread), there's plenty of barrel or zoom ring to grip without going anywhere near the very forward-placed focus ring.

Sounds a lot like my technique, very doable.

[Trickortreat]

Yeh its a non issue for bigger lenses. I had no trouble with rotating focusing ring on my Tamron 17-50mm.
But for the small lenses like da35/50 and da ltds.
makes it impossible to hold my camera comfortably.

[Larrymc]

If i hold it that way i have to bend fingers and it gets really unconfortable to hold after a while.
Tried pretty much everything and just gave up and now im mostly using the DA primes in manual focus mode.
Rotating focusing ring on such small lenses where i cant find a hold on the lens itself ia just an ergonomical nightmare for me.
Hope that Ricoh addresses that sooner that these coatings.
HD coatings really wont make a lot of current users buy the same lens.

Damn, Dude, you don't hold the camera the way Sandy and I are suggesting until you bring the camera up ready to shoot. You don't carry it that way. I've got impaired wrist rotation because of a motocross crash years ago but at 73 I can still rotate my wrist enough to shoot this way very comfortably. You have to develop the technique through constant use.

[Trickortreat]

I probably will... but i still hope the future development to DAs is to improve ergonomics...
Just voicing my concerns and wishes here... nothing more. I know ill have to do with what i have for time beeing...

[xmeda]

Better than nothing and at least they can boast that some products were launched and that company is still alive. Investment is small and result acceptable.

On the other hand there are lenses that need rebuild much more. Like DA*16-50/2.8 with sudden death motor, weak borders and big load of CA. Also HD DA 18-135 would be nice as this is one of popular lenses.

[Serkevan]

The 18-135 already looks like a great travel lens, so an HD re-issuing would. be nice. The 16-50, on the other hand, would probably need several tweaks to the optical formula. From what I've seen it's really not worth the price...

[Ishpuini]

The DA10-17 is a fun lens!! Great to see it get an update, however small... I won't be upgrading mine since I'm still on an APS-C system, but I can see the point of a version with removable hood for K-1(II) users. I guess the new coating will improve the lens' performance near the edges of the frame, a necessity to cover the larger sensor (copies of the old version with a shaved hood showed not so good performance at the edges).

grtz, Wim