[monochrome]

So Ricoh needs to not announce their replacements to encourage sales of the existing models so they can accelerate replacement? Got it...

-Eric

Yep. They won’t start working on upgrading them until the existing stock is low enough.

[monochrome]

It might be. But thinking back to the HD DA limited's release, basically there was a fire sale when the new lenses hit the market and for a month or so, you could get SMC DA limiteds for 25 percent off and then there were only HD DAs for sale.

My guess is that Pentax isn't anywhere near redesigning/releasing DA * zooms and so they keep the prices pretty high -- the DA *50-135 is 1050 on B and H right now, nearly as high as the just released 70-210 f4 -- until they get around to redesigning them. And as I have said before a redesign would mean new coatings, new auto focus motors and taking out the screw drive mechanism -- not just a simple spray on HD lens coatings that we've seen with other lenses, like the HD FA 35.

Hoya had already been running a fire sale on Pentax inventory for several years - making cameras as an excuse to sell lenses. That’s what takeover buyers do with something they don’t want to keep.I’ve always thought HD had already been developed but Hoya, knowing they wanted to sell Imaging, didn't want to invest in the new evaporators to apply it. The first thing Ricoh did was invest in new evaporators - they made a big announcement about it. Then they did the HD DA Limiteds. In that case, the SMC versions sold from inventory were pure cash flow - maybe enough to actually pay for the evaporators. They cost Ricoh nothing.

This is a different case - they might not have the production time to make the replacements, or they might not have the budget to prioritize developing the replacements; but there probably isn’t a business case to liquidate the existing stock at sale prices before replacing with upgraded lenses.

[zapp]

Pentax squeezes everything out of existing lens designs to concentrate on new developments. Why update a lens that is probably still selling ok if you other gaps to fill. High selling price ensure good margin and pay for further development.

[Rondec]

Pentax squeezes everything out of existing lens designs to concentrate on new developments. Why update a lens that is probably still selling ok if you other gaps to fill. High selling price ensure good margin and pay for further development.

I think the point is that the many of the DA * lenses aren't selling very well at this point. There has been enough bad press about them and their SDM failures and the optics on the DA *16-50 that they sell less than they should. It is not a priority to replace them, but I wouldn't think Pentax should run any more production runs for these lenses, but should tweak them and at a minimum replace the SDM/Screw Drive portion of the lens with a DC motor. Even if they didn't do anything else, I would think this would boost sales for at least the DA *50-135, which is actually a very useful lens (and wonderfully optically) on APS-C. The DA *55 is another lens that could really use a better motor.

[noelpolar]

The sun wont be an issue with a 300 mm lens unless you want to burn a hole into your eyes, but in dark situations, all sorts of light sources can get into the frame in many scenarios.

ugh?

[deus ursus]

ugh?

You're probably not close enough.

[WorksAsIntended]

You're probably not close enough.

It would be a complete different perspective being closer and with shorter focal lenght.

One of the very few narrow landscape shots I like.

[TwoUptons]

It would be a complete different perspective being closer and with shorter focal lenght.

One of the very few narrow landscape shots I like.

It’s only 150 million kilometers away... that’s a lot for a human zoom

And you’d need a really strong ND filter...

-Eric

[WorksAsIntended]

Closer to the specific point inside the landscape of course

[Dieseler]

I think the point is that the many of the DA * lenses aren't selling very well at this point. There has been enough bad press about them and their SDM failures and the optics on the DA *16-50 that they sell less than they should. It is not a priority to replace them, but I wouldn't think Pentax should run any more production runs for these lenses, but should tweak them and at a minimum replace the SDM/Screw Drive portion of the lens with a DC motor. Even if they didn't do anything else, I would think this would boost sales for at least the DA *50-135, which is actually a very useful lens (and wonderfully optically) on APS-C. The DA *55 is another lens that could really use a better motor.

The DA*300 too, mainly for AF speed. That is what's holding me off buying one, especially since you can bet as soon as I bought one they would announce an upgrade.

[Serkevan]

The DA*300 too, mainly for AF speed. That is what's holding me off buying one, especially since you can bet as soon as I bought one they would announce an upgrade.

What a terrible terrible person, single-handedly holding the upgrade back... whatever happened to "taking one for the team"?

Jokes aside, I patiently await information on new lenses. Things should start looking financially better next year and photography is the only money sink I have left*.

Although, if I'm honest, just saving up for one Limited (likely the 77, but the 43 isn't off the table) or maybe the new 70-210/4 will be enough. There are loads of great glass out there.

*Well, aside from the cat, but he's -despite being a gigantic divo- pretty low maintenance.

[sbh]

The diffractive optics problems with nasty halos is much more an issue to my taste, since it is a hassle to correct in post.

Look at the massive blue halos in the top left corner around two lights for the Nikon 300 F4E VR:

Nikon_300f4E_VR_f11_73584 | Nikon 300/4.0E VR shot on D810. ? | Flickr

...

Those blue halos are fake bokeh.

[TwoUptons]

Those blue halos are fake bokeh.

Should we call that Fokeh?

Still, diffractive optics sound like a cool idea, just not one that works for everything...

-Eric

[Dieseler]

What a terrible terrible person, single-handedly holding the upgrade back... whatever happened to "taking one for the team"?

Jokes aside, I patiently await information on new lenses. Things should start looking financially better next year and photography is the only money sink I have left*.

Oh, I'd be willing to buy now then, with your new-found financial largesse helping me out of course .

[TwoUptons]

Oh, I'd be willing to buy now then, with your new-found financial largesse helping me out of course .

That would make a really interesting kickstarter... everybody sends you a dollar and you use the proceeds to buy the existing lens, thereby guaranteeing the imminent release of the new one.

I’ve certainly seen weirder crowdfunding ideas...

-Eric