[RobA_Oz]

Keeping a separate line of inventory is expensive. Separate production runs cost significant time and money to set up and tool for. Even small things like needing an additional shelf in the warehouse for each lens model, maintaining websites, support staff training, spares, it all adds up. Fairly small costs for a run of 10k units, but unsustainable for runs of 100s. Especially if it takes a couple of years to shift them.

My thinking exactly.

[Paul the Sunman]

Sigma’s decision not to make their newer lenses in K-mount was directly related to poor sales of the 35mm f1.4 full frame Art lens.

I bought it, along with the K-mount USB dock in anticipation of purchasing many more Sigma K-mount lenses. As it turned out, the dock was a complete waste of money.

[leekil]

Sigma’s decision not to make their newer lenses in K-mount was directly related to poor sales of the 35mm f1.4 full frame Art lens.

I seem to recall reports of bad autofocus with the Sigma lenses, though I don't recall if it was the 35 mm Art or the 18-35/1.8. Possibly the latter, as I was quite interested, but turned off by the bad AF reports.

[Kozlok]

I too didn’t buy the 18-35 due to the focus issues. Pentaxians want lenses that work properly.

[JPT]

Isn’t that part of the deal with third party lenses? You pay less money for a lens that isn’t perfectly optimised for your system, and often falls behind the original brand offerings in some way. At one time it was flare. Now it seems to be AF, but Paul would be in a better position to comment on that.

The irony is that these lenses would be better on Pentax than Canon or Nikon, because Pentax is the only DSLR system that would stabilise them.

[Karen the Star]

It's sad they won't be manufacturing for K-mount any more... and yet... the number of K-mount users buying their products defines whether it's worthwhile for them to do so. They must have sold very small numbers in K-mount to be pulling out of it, and I don't really understand the decision, considering that the lenses are the same as their Nikon F and Canon EF models but with a different mounting ring. Maybe they're going to start producing lenses with electronic communication of lens parameters and/or AF? In any case, very few people are going to be affected given their obviously limited sales. But still, it would be nice if they still produced K-mount options...

For me, I don't use any of the third-party lens, so it will be ok for me. But I really wish that Pentax will refresh star lens ASAP, SDM motor can't catch the speed of moving object over half times, for me, a renew DA☆50-135 will be very pleased. I create over 90% good shots by this lens.

[Zooland]

It's a shame. Not surprising, but a shame. I don't think the more out-there creativity of their products really suits the majority of the Pentax customer base, as demonstrated by the sparse population of the Lensbaby group here. A tiny market then, so hardly worth it for them. But unfortunately it's yet another third-party that no longer supports Pentax, which is another entry in the 'cons' column when weighing up buying one.

I agree with that, the number of available lenses for a given camera is always a consideration when weighing up your decision to buy one.

[biz-engineer]

I agree with that, the number of available lenses for a given camera is always a consideration when weighing up your decision to buy one.

For me , it's not the number of lenses that matter, it's if the system offer lenses that cover my photographic use cases. So if I was shooting "professional level" landscape, an Hasselblad X1D with two lenses would be more than enough. For me it's not about the quantity of lenses that I'll never use, it's about the quality of the few lenses that I'll use. Eventually, I'd only need a camera body and 3 lenses: wide , normal and tele. And with the three lenses I do everything. I was never interested in lens baby lenses because similar effect can be achieved in post processing, can be customized and at zero cost.

[RonHendriks1966]

It looks to me as if lensbaby is a small company owned by a single person (maybe some investors on board) Craig Strong.

What is Lensbaby? | Creative Effect Camera Lenses | Lensbaby

So we can't expect that he puts his money on the line to make lenses for everyone. In the end that is his house, wife, kids and dog to feed.

[fs999]

or maybe the 18-35 in the APS-C world.

And FF world !

Possibly the latter, as I was quite interested, but turned off by the bad AF reports.

I too didn’t buy the 18-35 due to the focus issues. Pentaxians want lenses that work properly.

Mine works pretty well, even with macros !

[aaronjamesgray]

Sigma’s decision not to make their newer lenses in K-mount was directly related to poor sales of the 35mm f1.4 full frame Art lens.

This is very high quality lens with obvious utility. In many ways it’s exactly the kind of lens that Pentax users were hoping Sigma would come out with, but sadly they don’t buy it. Instead they complain that there isn’t a Pentax version.

My guess is the the only thing that would convince Sigma to make lenses in K-mount again would be a meaningful increase in sales of that lens, or maybe the 18-35 in the APS-C world.

A true shame indeed. I bought the 35mm art and I adore it. Such a beautiful lens.

[xmeda]

Tokina, Kenko (TCs), Zeiss, Tamron, Sigma and now these toys.. I expect Samyang/Rokinon to ditch K mount within next year or two. Irix too.

Where are all those people who claimed how FF body will smash the market and bring many customers? All I can see is exactly the opposite thing.




Sigma 35/1.4 is nice piece of glass.. one is in my cabinet waiting for some K3 replacement as K5 is barely able to nail the focus during PDAF.

[Larrymc]

Tokina, Kenko (TCs), Zeiss, Tamron, Sigma and now these toys.. I expect Samyang/Rokinon to ditch K mount within next year or two. Irix too.

Where are all those people who claimed how FF body will smash the market and bring many customers? All I can see is exactly the opposite thing.




Sigma 35/1.4 is nice piece of glass.. one is in my cabinet waiting for some K3 replacement as K5 is barely able to nail the focus during PDAF.

I knew it wouldn't take long for the negativity to start showing up and this post is right on time.

[Winder]

Corporation don't know about shame, they only know about profits and ignore the rest.

Which is all they should care about.

[BigMackCam]

Tokina, Kenko (TCs), Zeiss, Tamron, Sigma and now these toys.. I expect Samyang/Rokinon to ditch K mount within next year or two. Irix too.

Perhaps, perhaps not. There's still plenty of glass around

Where are all those people who claimed how FF body will smash the market and bring many customers? All I can see is exactly the opposite thing.

Well, judging by the number of K-1 and K-1II owners we have on these forums - and that's going to be a fraction of the overall user base, of course - Pentax FF seems to have done rather well.

Sigma 35/1.4 is nice piece of glass.. one is in my cabinet waiting for some K3 replacement as K5 is barely able to nail the focus during PDAF.

Although the K-5 wasn't renowned for its AF, this is far more likely to be an issue with Sigma's reverse-engineered Pentax AF protocols. I own a lot of Pentax AF lenses, and not one of them has problems nailing focus on my K-5, K-3 and K-3II (with the exception of an old Pentax-FA 28-105mm F3.2-4.5 AL that is a little unreliable at the long end - a known issue). My Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 isn't bad, but not quite as good and not 100% reliable on the first focus attempt. My Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Art - one of my favourite lenses - is infamous for AF difficulties on Pentax bodies when using anything other than the centre AF point. Most of the time, I use that AF point and focus / re-compose, so it hasn't been an issue for me... even on the K-5.

It might be worth trying your Sigma 35/1.4 with the next Pentax APS-C body before you buy... I'm not entirely confident it's Ricoh's issue to resolve