[biz-engineer]

But I don't consider the HD FA Limiteds "new products"; they're old products updated, so naturally I expected more.

New product announcement just landed: Pentax is announcing the HD Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW zoom - Pentax Announcements | PentaxForums.com

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Last edited by gatorguy; 02-26-2021 at 10:11 AM.

[Reed]

Only showing re-coated decades old lenses is not a good thing. The re-coating and contined production of FA limiteds is in itself great but I'm sure a huge let down for the Pentax staff that it's the only thing they can show.

I agree that Pentax, Leica and Zeiss seem to work at a similar slow pace but for Pentax it's an issue imho. Without release dates for the new apsc lens and the DFA21 it's really taking to long. I understand the reluctance to put forward dates at the moment but more info would be welcome.

By the way Ricoh having factories in Vietnam should put them in an excellent position. They have handled covid extremely well as far as I understand.

Just one "bottleneck" in whole chain of formal decisions in the proces can stop or slow the pace for months/years even in best planned operations and development. At one point in my life I was assigned for project that was completely scrapped because of one such decision blocker on final stages of production- whole thing just got redundant because all other factors changed so much in that time it was more profitable to scrap it than release it.
And bigger the company gets, the more such bottlenecks will appear when along the way if something "unpredicted" happens and is missing from current procedures.

[UlrichSchiegg]

If so, it wasn't my intention. Anyway, if you buy a Sony camera you basically buy a computer. If you buy a Leica or Hasselblad camera you buy a camera and a look (how the images of pre-processed and processed).
My opinion on the matter is that if you'd have Leica and Hasselblad, and Sony image printed in an exhibition, the public will have a preference for the Leica/Hassy image, even if the Sony gear is technically superior in terms of speed and resolution, Sony image processing has no taste. These brands have diametrically opposed ideas of what a camera should do. Pentax is closer to Leica and Hassy than it is to Sony, both in terms of image rendering , product styles and product life cycles. If I was given the choice of getting a Leica kit or Sony A1 kit, I'll take the Leica anytime, just because the 30 frames per seconds of the A1 doesn't excite me at all. Give me an old Leica kit and I'll be inspired to go out shooting just because of the Leica kit and the images it produces.

I don't think that anybody can differ with what camera / lens an image was taken. It would be too much of a challenge to guess apsc, ff or mf for most images.Gear is the photographer's taste. The image is, luckily, mostly free of it.

[repaap]

Only showing re-coated decades old lenses is not a good thing. The re-coating and contined production of FA limiteds is in itself great but I'm sure a huge let down for the Pentax staff that it's the only thing they can show.

I agree that Pentax, Leica and Zeiss seem to work at a similar slow pace but for Pentax it's an issue imho. Without release dates for the new apsc lens and the DFA21 it's really taking to long. I understand the reluctance to put forward dates at the moment but more info would be welcome.

By the way Ricoh having factories in Vietnam should put them in an excellent position. They have handled covid extremely well as far as I understand.

Perhapss this is part of honoring legacy of Pentax 100yrs. and this is part of what is their bigger program od renewing good oldies, like DFA 35/3.5(645 mount), FA 35/2 and now these with more to come. It is more than 'just' coatings, they also fix some other things too.


Then there are completelly new lenses ofcourse. as well as rebadged practical zooms.

[thibs]

I highly doubt that a lens that still has unknown max aperture is set to be released this year.

As for Covid, we can't blame literally everything on it. Manufacturing is delayed, fine, but design stage shouldn't be impacted in a major way.

Manufacturing is only a part of the total.

[ffking]

But why do people feel that we *need* new stuff?

I think for a lot of people it's not about personal need for new stuff NOW but about Pentax being a brand that attracts new customers to replace the aging loyal, and that requires excitement around the brand - so maybe long term rather than short term personal need, but a cause for concern nonetheless - if you look at the cheap anti-Pentax jokes on DPR (for instance) a lot of them are about the tiny user base and slow speed of product releases - if that's the image out there then it takes perverse or experienced people not to be put off the brand

[stevejo]

Originally posted by biz-engineer*
If so, it wasn't my intention. Anyway, if you buy a Sony camera you basically buy a computer. If you buy a Leica or Hasselblad camera you buy a camera and a look (how the images of pre-processed and processed).
My opinion on the matter is that if you'd have Leica and Hasselblad, and Sony image printed in an exhibition, the public will have a preference for the Leica/Hassy image, even if the Sony gear is technically superior in terms of speed and resolution, Sony image processing has no taste. These brands have diametrically opposed ideas of what a camera should do. Pentax is closer to Leica and Hassy than it is to Sony, both in terms of image rendering , product styles and product life cycles. If I was given the choice of getting a Leica kit or Sony A1 kit, I'll take the Leica anytime, just because the 30 frames per seconds of the A1 doesn't excite me at all. Give me an old Leica kit and I'll be inspired to go out shooting just because of the Leica kit and the images it produces.

I am afraid you lost me there. The key part of any photography system is the photographer. A great photographer will nearly always produce a better photograph with the most basic of equipment than a mediocre photographer with the latest and greatest (even a Leica).
My new KP helps me to make photographs that are better exposed and focussed than was the case when I first started, but it doesn't do anything to convert me into anything more than a mediocre photographer with the occasional moment of brilliance (very occasional).

[dbs]

34 pages of whinging enough already.
The camera and lenses will be available when they are available.
Thats it

[troenaas]

The camera and lenses will be available when they are available.

You are too rational!

[ThorSanchez]

That's because you unconsciously bought into the philosophy of what mainstream camera brands are striving on: frequent releases over quick obsolescence of electronic/computing technologies.
The spirit of the Pentax brand distinguishes itself from other brands (Leica and Zeiss excepted), as genuine photographic continuity with long time tradition back into the roots of the film era.
Maybe , you'll switch to another brand in the next coming years, they will provide you will frequent product changes, may include changing lens mounts as well.

If so, it wasn't my intention. Anyway, if you buy a Sony camera you basically buy a computer. If you buy a Leica or Hasselblad camera you buy a camera and a look (how the images of pre-processed and processed).
My opinion on the matter is that if you'd have Leica and Hasselblad, and Sony image printed in an exhibition, the public will have a preference for the Leica/Hassy image, even if the Sony gear is technically superior in terms of speed and resolution, Sony image processing has no taste.

We all have our unconscious conceits and biases. Some of us get a little shot of oxytocin and dopamine when Pentax releases a camera once every three years, some buy into the marketing schemes that say you could see a photo on the wall of an exhibition and use the Force to divine what brand of camera it was taken with.

[BarneyL]

The camera and lenses will be available when they are available.

...or later.

[texandrews]

Speaking as a moderator: any reason not to shut down this thread at this point?

[Serkevan]

Speaking as a moderator: any reason not to shut down this thread at this point?

None whatsoever IMO.

K-3iii's delayed, we can either trust the stated reasons or not, it will come out when it comes out.

[mlt]

Speaking as a moderator: any reason not to shut down this thread at this point?

Just do it, 35 pages of this has gone on too long

[gatorguy]

Excellent question TexAndrews.

Th-Th-That's all folks!

This camera release is eagerly awaited so...

Thread closed.