Originally posted by normhead Personally, I haven't touched any of my 50-55mm lenses since I got my DA*55 1.4. I'm not sure the plastic fantastics are even a thing anymore. When you can get a DA* for $400 USD if you look for sales, saving $200 and getting a plastic fantastic would seem counter productive. You can do so much better for not much more.
From my 35mm "find that prime poll.
Sorry the test images are no longer available. I wouldn't use Photobucket again if they paid me.
35mm find that prime. - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com
To me, Pentax has to do better than zooms in rendering to sell primes. There are lots of lenses around for those looking for less than stellar optics. For those, you have to compete with the second hand market, especially for companies like Pentax with millions of lenses sold over the years. You look at the A* , F*, FA* ,DA*, FA ltd lenses, to sell to the high end of the Pentax crowd you need to be better than those lenses. I'm not sure how aiming for the well populated middle is at all necessary. After all, if the 85s aren't better than the 77, why not just buy a 77?
The DA 35 2.4 and DA 70 already exist and are among the highest rated Pentax lenses for sharpness. Why would Pentax try and reinvent that? They already exist. You want one, buy one. What's the issue? But can Pentax survive selling $200 lenses? I doubt it.
I agree with you completelly. I have FA limiteds, and DA*55. DA*55 is the reason why I ended up waiting for this DFA*85(had money for it oo, but had to get couple video cameras to get my services online(nothing to do with this thou)becuse of what is going on right now) and not buying that DFA*50 yet. Which I'll buy eventually too, perhaps from my next trip to Japan(which also seems to be delayed, becasue of -----).
Don't know it plastic fantasticks are the key element. And ofcourse cheaper 85 should be there, because these high end ones are -almost- there, because Ricoh wanted classic prime set to lure in photographers. So they should go all the way.
Given that there is this FA limited line, I don't really see it as alternative 'budget' line. It is more special than that and quite expensive if one buys them new(I only did so with my FA 77 which I got from my trip to Japan many yrs. a go). But it is also true that there are oldies, and they are even quite well compactible.
Everyone has been waiting for these primes. If not for anythign else, then just for curiosity, and some just thinkig that 'heh, we will go to moon before that happens' By 'WE' I mean common people, not just astronauts. About that prize. Lot of comments, nothing so surprising actually and after what ever that DFA*70-200 did as it came, Too expensive!, Too Big!, Too heavy!, Too slow!... well any big surprises? As a matter of fact, yes. They made it as previous ones, pulled handbreak and made it better, perhaps even bigger. You can put those plastic fantaasticks on the table, sideways and roll this big thing on top of those to the podium, where it belongs. There.
Now more pictures, please!