[xandos]

I have the D-FA15-30, so for me the wide angle domain is covered, the 15-30 is a very good lens, except that practically it is my least used lens for a couple of reasons:
- it's relatively large and heavy
- the filter system is 150mm x 170mm large
- goes to 30mm at the long end, meaning that I still need to bring along another lens (28-105 or 24-70)
- the 24mm FL of the DFA24-70 can often work for wide angle shots
If I take the 15-30 and 150mm filter kit , I can't bring anything else as by bag is full.
If I take the 24-70 , I can cope with 24mm , still have 35 , 50 and 70mm if I need longer FL, and use the smaller 100mm filter kit.
What's the result of that: my 15-30 almost always stays home. The rare occasion I bring the 15-30 , I can only shoot wide and nothing else.
Same story with the DFA70-200, that's an excellent lens, great for sport venues when no one is shock by seeing a large lens, for people portraits I'd prefer an 85 prime.
Basically, I could select 3 lenses (20mm, 24-105 and 85 1.4) from a competitor brand, reduce my landscape kit to a single 130mm kit, and be done.
Just because Ricoh don't dare making a couple of primes, I have to carry 3kg more to take the same images.

For me the 15-30 is out because of the bulk immediately. I leave much smaller lenses at home because of their size, unless if I need them for a specific use.By all accounts the pentax FA-20mm/2.8 and FA*24/2 are very good lenses. So decent pentax glass is available. Otherwise there is also the zeiss 21mm distagon, although it might be harder to find, and the 20mm voigtlander. The samyangs are available new. And what is this nonsense about 'daring' to make more primes. We know that the rate at which Ricoh/Pentax produces new lenses is rather slow. They'll probably get around to it eventually. In terms of the 85, there are a lot of 85s in the pentax system (besides the one that supposedly is coming out next). The FA* especially seems to be one of the most highly regarded lenses pentax has made, although some people say its optimized for portraiture, so it might not be best for your landscape goals. There are several others to choose from though.

[monochrome]

I think you are confusing success of Ricoh with success of Pentax inside Ricoh. Successful automotive projects have nothing to do with survival of Pentax. For Pentax to survive it need to have customers buy new Pentax products.

Uh . . . . IIRC Automotive was separated from Smart Vision and the Compact Camera plant written down as Impaired Capital and transferred to Industrial Solutions > Automotive, resulting in a significant reduction in earnings for the prior Fiscal Year. Certain financing operations were sold off from Smart Vision.

Pentax brand is a tiny part of Ricoh Imaging, which is a small part of Smart Vision, which barely warrants a line item on the Ricoh financial report. If Ricoh ended the Pentax brand tomorrow it would not cause a discernible change for Ricoh. Be thankful for GRlll. Theta is a Ricoh Corporate product and the tech transfers to Automotive. Automotive touts Ricoh’s experience in Optical and Camera serial production for their stereo color automotive cameras, lenses and HUD’s, so Imaging has transferable value.

Imaging is essentially a container for optical and imaging pipeline R&D. Camera and Lens cash flow keeps the lights on and the Pentax Brand is a positive image association for Ricoh in the home country. That’s about all.

So long as the cow continues to produce milk without cost or drama they’ll keep the barn warm, but cows eventually stop producing milk.

[reh321]

If Ricoh ended the Pentax brand tomorrow it would not cause a discernible change for Ricoh.

Imaging is essentially a container for optical and imaging pipeline R&D. Camera and Lens cash flow keeps the lights on and the Pentax Brand is a positive image association for Ricoh in the home country. That’s about all.

If Ricoh ended the "Pentax" brand tomorrow it would cause a discernible change for us - I am glad they have kept it going, and continue to keep us with new things to use as well as to talk about.

[taktoon]

If Ricoh ended the "Pentax" brand tomorrow it would cause a discernible change for us - I am glad they have kept it going, and continue to keep us with new things to use as well as to talk about.

And 'us' means who

[reh321]

And 'us' means who

The people who actually care about Pentax. The people who favor other brands should patronize the site for that other brand.

[Cerebum]

The people who actually care about Pentax. The people who favor other brands should patronize the site for that other brand.

Exactly. Also, whilst I don't buy many new products, knowing I can is a big deal.

[biz-engineer]

Ah, I see. So, now you use what's available not because you need the lenses you have, but because the ones you really want aren't yet available.

That's right. With Pentax you buy what you can, with Canikon you buy what you want, with Sony you buy what DPR tells you to buy after they've been paid by Sony to say so.

[ChristianRock]

Basically, I could select 3 lenses (20mm, 24-105 and 85 1.4) from a competitor brand, reduce my landscape kit to a single 130mm kit, and be done.
Just because Ricoh don't dare making a couple of primes, I have to carry 3kg more to take the same images.

I'm still not sure why you don't want the Samyangs. You don't do 3rd party lenses?

A Samyang 20 1.8, the DFA 28-105 and a Pentax 77mm and you're done? Not sure why it has to be 85 and not 77. Or just hunt down a FA 85 1.4, the pictures I saw from it are fabulous. There's the FA 20mm f/2.8 as well though the Samyang would probably be better for astrophotography. This kit would probably weigh less than the 20+24-105+85 from other brands. You might have space left for a Samyang 14mm f/2.8!

[totsmuyco]

And 'us' means who

We the customers. Especially those who have been with Pentax since 4 to 5 decades ago. As for me, though not my age as I am in my golden years, I'm still a young Jedi Pentaxian. I'm just about 5+ years with Pentax.

[biz-engineer]

I'm still not sure why you don't want the Samyangs. You don't do 3rd party lenses?

I only buy Pentax as couragous act of philanthropy to support the Pentax brand.

[monochrome]

I only buy Pentax as an brave act of financial support to the brand.

While I am certainly bound to the K-mount by the massive collection of K-mount lenses I own I do in fact enjoy the benefit of years of experience with the Pentax image pipeline logic, the user interface and superb ergonomics. There is value in accumulated experience and familiarity. Aside from the loss of value of my lenses should Pentax end I’d hate to have to learn a new system.

[ChristianRock]

(I hope everyone sees this is an attempt to help everyone stop taking things too seriously.... there's always positives and negative in every camera system and even in having a camera system to start with)

[Dan Rentea]

The people who actually care about Pentax. The people who favor other brands should patronize the site for that other brand.

Life is too short to care about material things. If people talk about material things that make their life easier, like eye af for mirrorless shooters or optical viefinder for DSLR shooters, almost always a debate starts and the most fearless people involved in the debates either haven't used the feature they're arguing about, either they haven't use the equivalent gear and their responses are based on Youtube videos and not on their direct experience.

And you know what I dislike most? People who say things like " I played a little in a store or at an event with camera x or y and I wasn't impressed. My camera seems as good as camera x or camera y from what I've seen". Really? I mean, when DPreview or other reviewer say about camera x that has poor Af, 99% of the users scream all over the internet that they didn't learned the camera and that reviewers can't put a verdict after they used camera x for just a few days. Yet, the same users come on forums and give verdicts about gear they haven't used or about gear they played with 2-3 hours.

If we talk about care, then let's take care first about things we say, not about care about manufacturers.

---------- Post added 11-02-19 at 05:02 PM ----------

That's right. With Pentax you buy what you can, with Canikon you buy what you want, with Sony you buy what DPR tells you to buy after they've been paid by Sony to say so.

Then why you told me a completely different story in almost 3 pages in another topic? Just to be the one who "save" Pentax from a non Pentax discussion?

---------- Post added 11-02-19 at 05:06 PM ----------

I'm still not sure why you don't want the Samyangs. You don't do 3rd party lenses?

A Samyang 20 1.8, the DFA 28-105 and a Pentax 77mm and you're done? Not sure why it has to be 85 and not 77. Or just hunt down a FA 85 1.4, the pictures I saw from it are fabulous. There's the FA 20mm f/2.8 as well though the Samyang would probably be better for astrophotography. This kit would probably weigh less than the 20+24-105+85 from other brands. You might have space left for a Samyang 14mm f/2.8!

I had the 77mm lens for tests and I didn't kept it. I went for the DA 70mm f2.4 lens instead because it was sharper, with less chromatic abberations and faster to focus. The 77mm lens has a nice rendering, but it's far than ideal for shooting wide open with it.

[reh321]

If we talk about care, then let's take care first about things we say, not about care about manufacturers.

When have I ever said negative things about any manufacturer. But this is a Pentax Forum. It is for people who care about, for, K-mount.

[Dan Rentea]

When have I ever said negative things about any manufacturer. But this is a Pentax Forum. It is for people who care about, for, K-mount.

It was a general statement, not a personal one directed to you. Sorry if I let you think it was addressed to you my previous comment. Sure, it is a Pentax forum and it's more than normal for people to talk most of the times about Pentax since it's the brand they use. I understand also a little biased when other brands come up in discussions. It's human nature. The things I talked about earlier I don't understand.