[ehrwien]

HD fa 50 1.4

Don't know about the other lenses you listed, but can't we be quite sure that, with the D FA* 50/1.4 released 1.5 years ago, we won't see another 50 for some time? Or do you think because we got the revamped 35/2, the 50/1.4 should also be getting a makeover?

Then tie these into serious advertising. Skid Row's "18 & Life" playing in the background of commercials showing astro work, landscape shots straight from the Ansel Adams playbook. For the 25, Randy Crawford's "Street Life" playing over commercials showing how great at 25 is for street photography. Then the scenes change and you realize you're looking at someone out camping with their K-1 on a tripod and they're capturing star trails with this same lens.

Hey, wake up, you're dreaming

It would be amazing if it was that fast.

2 lenses a year sounds reasonable even for Pentax, doesn't it?

HD D-FA* 300mm f/4 (based on current DA* design)

Isn't the DA*'s reputation quite good as it is, and it's also officially suited for full frame, so I don't think that would be on the roadmap for the near future...

A 24-150mm F4 would be great !

And also an absolute behemoth of a lens, size, weight and price wise? The 28-105 is supposed to be quite good as well, isn't it? Okay, it's not 24 on the wide end and not 150 on the long end and not f/4...
Do lenses like this exist for other full frame mounts?

[Serkevan]

And also an absolute behemoth of a lens, size, weight and price wise? The 28-105 is supposed to be quite good as well, isn't it? Okay, it's not 24 on the wide end and not 150 on the long end and not f/4...
Do lenses like this exist for other full frame mounts?

Closest I can think of: Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR Lens 2193 B&H Photo
Around 700 g, uses 77 mm filters, costs $1000. I've seen worse.

[ehrwien]

Closest I can think of: Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR Lens 2193 B&H Photo
Around 700 g, uses 77 mm filters, costs $1000. I've seen worse.

Oh wow yeah, that looks very reasonable all around, even with built-in VR

[Cerebum]

Oh great! More lenses beyond my meagre budget that I can't live without! Just what I need

[ChristianRock]

Isn't the DA*'s reputation quite good as it is, and it's also officially suited for full frame, so I don't think that would be on the roadmap for the near future...

Regarding the DA*300 f4, it's an important lens in the Pentax lineup, so it makes sense to release an HD coated version of it, in my opinion.
But it probably won't happen... bigger fish to fry.

I think someone had mentioned years ago that the first priority was actually to get a new version of the DA*200 f/2.8 out, as Pentax felt the current version wasn't quite good enough for modern sensors.

[MossyRocks]

Either a 300 f2.8 as @BROO mentioned, 400 f2.8 or 500/600 f4. Plus a FF 1.4 TC!

Of those 3 I would think only the 300/2.8 would be the one to hope for as the others seem like just a pipe dream.

[Reed]

Let's not forget that until very recently Mr. Hirakawa Jun has been working at Tamron and has had his hands or at least guideance on the design of several lenses, so there's a little bit of the "Pentax DNA" in current Tamron designs.

I would say that all initialy released promes from SP line 35/45/85 f1. 8 have some of Mr. Hirakawa touch in the rendering and some 3d pop that his designs had in Pentax days. It would be great to have them in the lineup.

[ChristianRock]

I would say that all initialy released promes from SP line 35/45/85 f1. 8 have some of Mr. Hirakawa touch in the rendering and some 3d pop that his designs had in Pentax days. It would be great to have them in the lineup.

When he first joined Tamron the word was that he was heavily involved in the first versions of the 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 VC designs. These designs were very well received for both sharpness and rendering. I think the optical design for the updates on those lenses are similar.

I can only assume that going back to primes and those not being super-fast designs (for nowadays at least) had a strong input from Mr. Hirakawa - these are mostly f/1.8 designs and the FA Limiteds are also either f/1.8 or f/1.9 in the case of the 43

[stevebrot]

reasonably lightweight telephoto prime

Either a 300 f2.8 as BROO mentioned, 400 f2.8 or 500/600 f4

You mean something like this?


FA* 300/2.8

2.8kg and taking 112mm filters (front) or 43mm (rear)
Remember to add a few grams for the focus and aperture motors.


Steve

[zapp]

Even ten lenses come one at a time.

[TwoUptons]

Closest I can think of: Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR Lens 2193 B&H Photo
Around 700 g, uses 77 mm filters, costs $1000. I've seen worse.

Though as good as the 28-105 is, I think I’d prefer a nice 20-35 zoom to go with it instead of a 24-120...

-Eric

[Chris Mak]

I'd like to see a modern, fast-focussing, reasonably lightweight telephoto prime as one of them. Maybe using PF/DO tech.


Either a 300 f2.8 as @BROO mentioned, 400 f2.8 or 500/600 f4. Plus a FF 1.4 TC!


Can always wish!

I think PF or DO technology would require too much investment and too much time to develop for a small company like Pentax. And the f2.8 telephoto primes would be too costly for the Pentax crowd I assume. But a 500mm f5.6 lens, non telescope and with a fast AF motor and a new high quality 1.4TC would be a unique offering. I somehow don't understand why high quality 500/f5.6 and 600/f5.6 lenses are not in any of the camera companies' lens offerings. There is the consumer type super zooms, then there is a large void, and then there is the professional grade (second hand car priced) large super tele primes.

The DA560 was a high quality unique offering, but easy to see why there was little interest: too long, AF too slow, not well corrected for LoCA. But still that lens was unique in its ability to capture razor images full of detail without breaking the bank.

It would be great to introduce the new APS-C with a 500/f5.6 lens and a matching 1.4TC. I might even return to Pentax for that! I would certainly return for a 600/f5.6 lens...

[BROO]

2.8kg and taking 112mm filters (front) or 43mm (rear)
Remember to add a few grams for the focus and aperture motors

But how does it perform Steve?

A perfect match for the K new and with 26 Mp ASP-C sensor (speculation) it would allow plenty of cropping if required.

BTW it is much heavier than a Pentax D FA 150-450 mm f/4.5-5.6 ED lens (2.3 Kg) but with a f 2.8 maximum aperture.

[robbiec]

Wildcards for me would be a rebodied D FA50/4 macro perhaps with costings and formula updates to FA* class, body similar to the rest of the higher end DFA's. Next would be a refresh of the FA*200/4 macro. Make 100 or 250 of them, new body, new motors and charge €5000 but and make it worth it. That would be 3 or 4 halo products in the FF range, a glorious pair of 50s, a portrait / bokeh specialist 85 and an uber no constraints 200/4 macro. Oh and give the 200 specialised firmware that will only work with a nominated Pentax DSLR, Screw the ML brigade using mount adapters.

[Des]

Any other ideas?

Regarding the DA*300 f4, it's an important lens in the Pentax lineup, so it makes sense to release an HD coated version of it, in my opinion.

HD D-FA* 300mm f/4 (based on current DA* design)

I think there have been hints of this (from AsahiMan?), with DC AF.