[pres589]

I've enjoyed the fact that there's new glass available for my manual focus K-mount cameras thanks to companies like Samyang. If there was no 3rd party support at this point, though, I would probably start looking at old Nikon's instead, just to get access to fast, full frame glass, that still has an aperture ring.


I know I'm a corner case with this. I doubt in the extreme that Ricoh is going to try and cater to my hobby nor should they.

[JensE]

The thing is, if you want/need something like an 85mm f/1.4 Samyang is the only game in town at the moment. It may be MF only, but the only alternatives are a used MF Pentax A* (legendary and hideously expensive) or a used AF Pentax F* (expensive)...

... or the used Sigma 85/1.4 HSM (discontinued, but used reasonably priced usually) or Zeiss ZK 85/1.4 (MF, discontinued, expensive). For me, I'd prefer the 77/1.8 over the Samyang, but it comes at a significantly different price point.

[reh321]

I've enjoyed the fact that there's new glass available for my manual focus K-mount cameras thanks to companies like Samyang. If there was no 3rd party support at this point, though, I would probably start looking at old Nikon's instead, just to get access to fast, full frame glass, that still has an aperture ring.

I know I'm a corner case with this. I doubt in the extreme that Ricoh is going to try and cater to my hobby nor should they.

... or the used Sigma 85/1.4 HSM (discontinued, but used reasonably priced usually) or Zeiss ZK 85/1.4 (MF, discontinued, expensive). For me, I'd prefer the 77/1.8 over the Samyang, but it comes at a significantly different price point.

I use Takumar 50mm f/14 with my old body - just like the old days, but a lot less expensive now.

[torashi]

The 24/3.5 TS was discontinued a year after I got mine. Samyang/Rokinon/etc. won't make any firm statement until most of the remaining stock is sold. It's just a common market strategy for not having to sell at a considerable lower price point.

[stevebrot]

The 24/3.5 TS was discontinued a year after I got mine. Samyang/Rokinon/etc. won't make any firm statement until most of the remaining stock is sold. It's just a common market strategy for not having to sell at a considerable lower price point.

It's hard to say. The 24/3.5 TS in K-mount is still active product on the Rokinon Web site, but is generally unavailable through U.S. sellers other than Amazon (sold and shipped by) at a price of almost $1300 USD. Other mounts are almost half that amount. I suspect when they are gone, they are gone. That said, even at that price, the cost is still less than a Zeiss optic Hartblei or NOS Schneider.

It is almost worth buying a used Canon or Nikon body, if one must do T/S work.


Steve

[mlt]

“It is almost worth buying a used Canon or Nikon body, if one must do T/S work.”

True if that is your need. Other than the built in shift using the ibis, I don’t see Ricoh doing anything further with a dedicated lens.

[thibs]

“It is almost worth buying a used Canon or Nikon body, if one must do T/S work.”

True if that is your need. Other than the built in shift using the ibis, I don’t see Ricoh doing anything further with a dedicated lens.

Nah, view camera is the key

[reh321]

Nah, view camera is the key

Not for someone who has to lug the view camera some considerable distance for just that purpose.

[mlt]

That’s what unpaid interns are for

[disasterfilm]

It's hard to say. The 24/3.5 TS in K-mount is still active product on the Rokinon Web site, but is generally unavailable through U.S. sellers other than Amazon (sold and shipped by) at a price of almost $1300 USD. Other mounts are almost half that amount. I suspect when they are gone, they are gone. That said, even at that price, the cost is still less than a Zeiss optic Hartblei or NOS Schneider.

It is almost worth buying a used Canon or Nikon body, if one must do T/S work.


Steve

Good insight, Steve.

I've been kicking myself for not buying the T/S lens 2ish years ago when Amazon blew them out for $560. I panic-bought one for original retail price (GASP, a first for me) right when this thread was posted, knowing how scarce the new/used market is and how infrequently they show up on the Marketplace here. In fact, I've never seen a used 24-TS on KEH/Adorama/B&H, now that I think about it.

Frankly, I'm a Rokinon/Samyang fanboy, and I'm thrilled they included Pentax in their mount offerings. Their lineup + Pentax dropping the K-1 when they did is what kept me from switching systems. If they're stopping production, at least we benefited from a ton of their available lenses that filled gaps in Pentax's lineup.

[Leumas]

Well hope not, cause I like me some good value Samyang lens

Well, Samyang discontinuing K mount wouldn't surprise me. They have not released anything new in this mount (AF or MF) in a long time now (the last I believe was 24mm Tilt Shift). Situation similar to Sigma. Writing's on the wall pretty much.

But hey, at least Irix is still there with K mounts. And its lenses are made in Korea by Samyang, so fans of the brand are still covered, somewhat.

Irix is made by Samyang? Did not know that.

[reh321]

Well hope not, cause I like me some good value Samyang lens

Irix is made by Samyang? Did not know that.

Frankly, most of my wants are met old and current production of Pentax labeled lenses, but I hate when choices are reduced.

[Mistral75]

(...)

But hey, at least Irix is still there with K mounts. And its lenses are made in Korea by Samyang, so fans of the brand are still covered, somewhat.

(...)

Irix is made by Samyang? Did not know that.

There are links between Irix and Samyang. The Irix-branded lenses are made in Korea like the Samyang lenses. Hubert Grzegorz Adamczyk, the chairman and co-founder of the Swiss company TH Swiss AG that stands behind the Irix lenses, is also the founder, owner and manager of a Polish company named Delta, which was the first importer of Samyang in Europe (until 2014) and then the exclusive distributor of Samyang in Poland (and, incidentally, owns the e-retailer foto-tip).

However, there is no proof that the Irix lenses are manufactured by Samyang. Simply, Samyang and Delta had too many common interests at some point for Hubert Grzegorz Adamczyk to launch himself into the Irix venture without requesting the prior green light from Samyang and probably their assistance in finding the right Korean players to partner with, be they, apart from Samyang themselves, suppliers to Samyang or third parties not specifically involved with Samyang.

[SirTomster]

I hope they do not stop making K mount.

Another round of "Pentax is Dead" would start.

[stevebrot]

Nah, view camera is the key

That was part of my thinking when I bought my Chamonix 4x5 field camera.

Not for someone who has to lug the view camera some considerable distance for just that purpose.

Strangely enough, the Chamonix kit has about the same weight and bulk as my K-3 kit. The camera itself is quite light and folds up to almost nothing.

That’s what unpaid interns are for

I gotta get me one or two of those. The practical limitation for working with the Chamonix has never been bulk or weight per se; rather, it is having adequate access in the field to loaded film carriers. That is one reason why I tend to shoot 6x7 format using roll-film holders.


Steve