[Samsungian]

The Canon 85mm has USM or in pentax terms "SDM". Canon is $355 free insured delivery in USA. The 77mm 1.8 Limited is over $300 more in USA and it does not have a SDM built in lens motor. I highly doubt Pentax could put a USM compatible motor in their 77 LTD with custom eos mount and drop purchase price by over $300 on this one lens, but I guess its possible?

Canon | 85mm f/1.8 USM Autofocus Lens | 2519A003 | B&H Photo

versus

Pentax | 77mm f/1.8 Limited Autofocus Lens (Black) | 27980 | B&H

besides the size advantage, is there conclusive evidence that the FA77 is better than the EF 85mm? i wouldn't think so ...

[Duplo]

Offer the limiteds in a Canon/Nikon mount. Wow! :-)

Now that would be really dangerous... the 3 FA limiteds in F mount... would take a way one of the main reasons for me still having an interest in pentax bodies...

[pingflood]

The 77 is a more expensively built lens. The 85 is not bad by any means, but the 77 has the really solid feel of the Limiteds. Optically, though, the 85 is amazing.

And since we're talking about the 85/1.8:

[awo425]

Of course it would sell. But demoting Pentax to a 3rd-party maker? That's a big no-no.
And it would seriously affect the DSLR sales; one of the reasons to buy Pentax is their lenses. It's bad enough that some of them (optical designs only) are used by Tokina, even a Limited! (fortunately, the Tokina version is butt-ugly).

Pentax already manufactured FA Linited lenses for Leica mount AFAIK.

[awo425]

Now that would be really dangerous... the 3 FA limiteds in F mount... would take a way one of the main reasons for me still having an interest in pentax bodies...

Also true, I didn't think about it.

[lol101]

Wow product for me will be FF Pentax camera with good noise control up to ISO 6400 , good DR, consistently accurate AF and price tag under $2K. I am not asking much, but if Pentax can do that, it will definitely win my wallet.

Pentax did a lot of WOW products starting from mini SLRs system in the 80s and ending with my 4mp MX Video/still camera. I don't think they benefited financially much from all this funny gadgets, maybe it's time to start making cameras that just match competition and let us utilize really nice Pentax lenses. After all, people are buying and cannibalizing FA Limited lenses for years just to use them on EOS cameras.

Also fully functional small APS-C camera , like my isdD would be nice. Not sure what the price should be, maybe a $1000, but it should be the size of Km and should have 2 dials and all the dedicated buttons found on istD. 12MP would be more then enough for me. Not sure if I would care about SR and whether sealing for this camera. I never hesitated using my istD in light rain or snow, never had a problem with it in 6 years. I would definitely like to see again, accurate AF and good ISO maybe up to 3200. Both cameras should have micro adjustment for AF.

If Pentax can make both cameras and not screw anything in the process, that would be WOW, IMHO.

This is exactly what I would like to see but we have to be realistic on the first part, sub 2000€/$ MSRP FF isn't going to happen under any make until at least Photokina 2010 so... be patient!

Of course, there will be sub-2000€/$ FF cameras in 2009 (street price) in the D700/5DII (and of course 5D) but only the next generation will break the 2000€/$ limit at launch. That should give Pentax enough time to assess if there is a market for such a camera with a Pentax logo on it and rethink its lens line.

Of course, Pentax are welcome to make me lie on this one and bring a 2500€/$ FF in late 2009: I swear to put my money where my mouth is and buy one at launch price if they do!!

[Kunzite]

Pentax already manufactured FA Linited lenses for Leica mount AFAIK.

True (it was the 43mm, I think) but it's one thing to make lenses for Leica and another to make them in EF or F mounts, like Sigma, Tokina&Tamron

[mer]

a wow product would be a 35mm F/1.0 at about 600-700usd ( APS-C only )

[NewRsoul]

True (it was the 43mm, I think) but it's one thing to make lenses for Leica and another to make them in EF or F mounts, like Sigma, Tokina&Tamron

I thought I'd heard somewhere that Hoya owns Tokina, but keeps it quiet.

Peter

[pingflood]

I thought I'd heard somewhere that Hoya owns Tokina, but keeps it quiet.

Peter

Not a big secret, and yes they do.

[Fototim]

Not a big secret, but NO

Seriously. They don't. At least not according to public information.
They share importer in US, and Tokina buys elements from Hoya, that's all.

[thibs]

Not a big secret, but NO

Seriously. They don't. At least not according to public information.
They share importer in US, and Tokina buys elements from Hoya, that's all.

We will probably never know till some official clearly states something on the subject. Nothing publicaly available to us points to an ownership but if Tokina is privately held, nothing forces Hoya to say so... AFAIK

[jeffkrol]

We will probably never know till some official clearly states something on the subject. Nothing publicaly available to us points to an ownership but if Tokina is privately held, nothing forces Hoya to say so... AFAIK

Actually a rep of Hoya basically stated Tokina is part of Hoya. From internet digging it seems it is not "official" because of the structure of Tokina BUT Hoya company or CEO could be one of the "head honchos" as in CEO (or owner or benevolent father, whatever) and it wouldn't be public knowledge....
If I can find the links (should be in one of the threads here) I will post it.
The Hoya - Pentax - Tokina - Tamron (and Samsung) Conundrum: Who owns who | Kalle Pahajoki

Mistranslation maybe.. doubt it. Smoking gun????
Pentax and Samsung Partnership Not Perfect - PhotographyBLOG
Mr Iue admitted that Hoya bought Pentax predominantly for their medical division and expertise, but they did also want the camera part too. Hoya firmly denied any plans to sell the Pentax photo division to Samsung or any other company, commenting that they had only just bought the company. Similarly, Hoya aren’t planning to sell the lens-maker Tokina, which they also own, or to merge it with Pentax.
Tokina and Kenko are definitely one.. forgot who bought who though.
Just more "stuff"
http://www.mail-archive.com/pdml@pdml.net/msg462231.html

[glanglois]

As others have pointed out, it's difficult to get behind the curtain of privately held companies to see which relationships exist at any given time. It gets even harder when those relationships shift as economic winds change.

As a general rule, those who talk about the subject to outsiders are often those who know least about it. "I knew a sales rep who heard from an engineer that ... " often isn't an authoritative report. Sincere, but not authoritative.

For those who are interested, there are various interlocking relationships common in Japanese industry that might be more difficult elsewhere. You can do a Web search on "Keiretsu" if you have a spare moment.

[Cambo]

What will it be? Pentax needs a product that will get people, other than the ones in this forum, talking about it again. WIll it be a new P&S, DSLR, a new feature/technology or something even better?

I, for one, have liked what I have seen so far from Pentax. The totally out of the box thinking of the K2000, in black and white, and the two new P&S models jhust released.

boy do they ever...

Do you think we'll live long enough?

Cameron