Regarding the launch price, does it really matter? If we look at the historical prices of the Tamron rebrands, they drop very quickly. For example, the 24-70mm, which has an MSRP of $1299, has been selling for $799-899.
Also, this lens is clearly aimed at those who take issue with the D FA* 70-200mm's size or price. It wouldn't make much sense if the selling price wasn't substantially different.
Strategically, I think it makes sense for Pentax to leverage their partnership with Tamron for non-premium (which does
not mean low-performing) offerings. This will keep the cash flowing and enable in-house efforts to focus on new designs.
Adam
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