[davidsladek]

Can you see where has the 645 medium format lens roadmap gone ?

[speculation]that just fuels my suspicion about 645...[/speculation]

however, the roadmap from 2017 is still there
http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/japan/products/lens/images/645_Mount_Lens.pdf

[zapp]

The DA* wide angle need to align with 50&85.35 is the obvious focal length to go along. The Ltd 31 was placed between 28 and 35 as a single lens option. The large aperture 35s have a long tradition for a reason - for weddings, group portraits, general application and the design is not too extreme. We are talking about retro focus wide angles with large aperture. Slightly longer than 35 would be quite fine, but 3x mm is most likely.
We see funny large aperture designs showing up in recent years. Honestly, Nikon released the 1.4/105 because the space for the 85 was taken. Similarly for 35/28. Sigma pumps out classic focal length first and keeps adding. Nobody needs a 35 and a 40 in the same lineup.The new lenses perform better in many regards, but the classic focal lengths make most sense.
Will there be a 1.4/24 from Pentax after the first * wide angle. Only if the 50/85 sell like crazy. Pentax never sold large aperture lenses below 50 mm. FA* 24 was “just” f/2. The crowd here is not ready for this type of glass (yet). Pentax has several options to go on in the future. Currently the signs for k-mount look great. I would worry about 645...low volume, quite expensive and competition from Hasselblad and Fuji that need to beat high end 35 mm pricing. The 645 market would accept pricing and dimensions of DA* glass more easily...keep the customer base and direct it to k-mount.
Pentax needs two more years to give clear hints what direction they are going.... My money today is on everything with k-mount. APSC with compact + high performance glass, FF with extreme glass and classic offerings.

[thibs]

It also depends the amount of remaining 645 lenses stock.
If it is enough to warrant development of a new body, a new body will come.
Even if it is *only* a way to sell more lenses.
If this that would be the primary reason, I guess they'd take a rather 'low' investment path and keep the DSLR form factor.
If they go full 'in', they might go mirror less for 645 but it means new lenses otherwise there's be no point. And I don't think they have the resources.

[repaap]

About 645, it could be as simple thing as making the new K-New with updated lens lineup and K-1 line with premium line in order to release resources for more niche market of 645. Possibly those zooms on the roadmap Will come with new generation AF -system which will be first with K-New? So they will stick with mirror with the new thing and just bring SR? This is speculation, ofcourse. I’m waiting for renewed FF. to go with all of these new premium lenses..

[Simen1]

For the n'th time. Planned lenses being realized. No new plans. Why? Are they planning for a bigger surprise, keeping their cards closer, or reducing development of K-mount products?

[zzeitg]

"Telephoto zoom lens" Hmm.... again? Another one?

I would prefer a fixed telephoto so much more. 300mm f/2.8. 400mm f/4. 500mm f/4.5. Or even 600mm...

[Mistral75]

"Telephoto zoom lens" Hmm.... again? Another one?

I would prefer a fixed telephoto so much more. 300mm f/2.8. 400mm f/4. 500mm f/4.5. Or even 600mm...

Consumer telezoom. 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 or something close to this. With a sales potential vastly superior to that of the lenses you listed.

[Kunzite]

For the n'th time. Planned lenses being realized. No new plans. Why? Are they planning for a bigger surprise, keeping their cards closer, or reducing development of K-mount products?

Why are you saying there are "no new plans"? Do you mean, "no new lenses on the roadmap", because that's not the same thing at all?

There are 4 pending lenses on the K-mount roadmap, likely not all will be on the market next year (the ones that should are the DA* 16-50 PLM and the D FA 21mm Limited). What's the point in adding more, now?
Then, there are surprises, lenses which are launched without appearing on the roadmap.
Then, there's some technical debt on the 645 line.

Relax. Ricoh Imaging has a plan, and we will be happy.

[pres589]

A 70-300 consumer-ish lens does make sense from a sales volume standpoint but a 300 f2.8 or 400 f4, etc lens seems more inline with the areas of the market that Ricoh Pentax has focused on. Maybe something in between, like a 100-300 f4 kind of like the old Sigma 100-300 that seems well regarded and would be a clear step up from the 70-210 Pentax lens that recently came to market, would be a nice middle ground? Either would mix well with the 28-105. A 100-300 f4 might be kind of big & heavy though.


Be interesting to see what happens. Nice to see glass slowly coming to market.

[Kunzite]

A 70-300 consumer-ish lens does make sense from a sales volume standpoint but a 300 f2.8 or 400 f4, etc lens seems more inline with the areas of the market that Ricoh Pentax has focused on. Maybe something in between, like a 100-300 f4 kind of like the old Sigma 100-300 that seems well regarded and would be a clear step up from the 70-210 Pentax lens that recently came to market, would be a nice middle ground? Either would mix well with the 28-105. A 100-300 f4 might be kind of big & heavy though.


Be interesting to see what happens. Nice to see glass slowly coming to market.

I'm not sure... A 300mm f/2.8 or 400mm f/4, these would be $6000-$8000 lenses, perhaps too ambitious for their current user base (I'd like if they'd make it work, perhaps on an order-only basis, but buying? No way!)
A D FA 300mm f/4, OTOH, particularly combined with a new RC...

[pres589]

I'd not priced a 300mm f2.8 before. Using one of the big NY stores as reference, and obviously other mounts since this doesn't exist for k-mount, $5k to $6k seems likely. That surprised me. I don't think the Pentax user base, by and large, could stomach anything like that.


A new, shockingly good full-frame TC probably makes more sense from a development & ecosystem needs standpoint. And some extension tubes...

[zzeitg]

Consumer telezoom. 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 or something close to this. With a sales potential vastly superior to that of the lenses you listed.

I'd agree if there would be a lack of similar lenses in the Pentax line-up . But that's not the case. There are multiple editions and plenty of them available as second hand, too (and very cheap).

In contrary to that, have a look at FA* 300mm f/2.8. Being produced 1994-2004 and since then... nothing. Yes, I can find 2 or 3 items on eBay for about 3.300 USD, but they are in Japan and that means approx. another 1.000 USD extra (customs, VAT). So 4.300,- USD for a 20 years old lens, in unknown condition and without warranty. I'd rather pay 6.000 USD for a new one (with the realistic expectation that such a new lens can easily be in service for 25 or more years).

(Considering the price of DA560 the above estimated figure could be reasonable.)

[repaap]

I'd agree if there would be a lack of similar lenses in the Pentax line-up . But that's not the case. There are multiple editions and plenty of them available as second hand, too (and very cheap).

In contrary to that, have a look at FA* 300mm f/2.8. Being produced 1994-2004 and since then... nothing. Yes, I can find 2 or 3 items on eBay for about 3.300 USD, but they are in Japan and that means approx. another 1.000 USD extra (customs, VAT). So 4.300,- USD for a 20 years old lens, in unknown condition and without warranty. I'd rather pay 6.000 USD for a new one (with the realistic expectation that such a new lens can easily be in service for 25 or more years).

(Considering the price of DA560 the above estimated figure could be reasonable.)

Agreed if there would be several 70-300 prosumer zooms made for FF. But there aren’t. For crop, yes. I’m for one looking forward to get this zoom to replace my 55-300 WR. I can imagine that there are several others too.

Not saying that updated FA*300/2.8 would not be a good thing with 1,4&2.0 TC to match or even that 400/4 even if there would be just few buying those things. I know for my self that I’m not one of them, still it would be cool to have DFA* long primes available.Perhaps after they have seen how these new DFA* trio will sell after release?

[Miguel]

This is an excellent response to the news about Olympus.
We live and we have a future!

M

[gaweidert]

A new, shockingly good full-frame TC probably makes more sense from a development & ecosystem needs standpoint. And some extension tubes...

Amen.