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03-15-2009, 10:09 AM   #1
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1.4 tc sdm

i know that it has been removed from the new road map. But anyone know whether it will be released in the future? Or any other options for a 1.4 TC?

03-15-2009, 10:20 AM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by yipchunyu Quote
i know that it has been removed from the new road map. But anyone know whether it will be released in the future? Or any other options for a 1.4 TC?
Of the removed "stuff" Hoya basically said that they (may or may not) be put back on the roadmap when the "time is right"...... Don't hold your breath.
03-15-2009, 04:27 PM   #3
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How can the time not be "right" now when there isn't one on the market right now?
03-15-2009, 04:38 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arpe Quote
How can the time not be "right" now when there isn't one on the market right now?
That's a very good point.

Obviously I'm not an engineer so I don't REALLY know but it seems like making a TC shouldn't be that hard. When you look at how many lens elements go into other lenses they make this should be fairly simplistic. Add a couple of rubber gaskets to weather seal it and voila... Based on my experience in retail this type of accessory also has higher margins so becomes profitable much faster than other "larger" components.

Being less than 10% of the market I realize Pentax can't do everything but I think I would have had this as a higher priority than a lot of other recent developments.

Currently anyone with Pentax AF gear has to look to the used market or 3rd party (or both) if they want to shoot anything longer than 300mm with their Pentax gear. This seems like a pretty easy way to hit 400/5.6 with minimal effort

03-15-2009, 05:08 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by kunik Quote
That's a very good point.

Obviously I'm not an engineer so I don't REALLY know but it seems like making a TC shouldn't be that hard. When you look at how many lens elements go into other lenses they make this should be fairly simplistic. Add a couple of rubber gaskets to weather seal it and voila... Based on my experience in retail this type of accessory also has higher margins so becomes profitable much faster than other "larger" components.

Being less than 10% of the market I realize Pentax can't do everything but I think I would have had this as a higher priority than a lot of other recent developments.

Currently anyone with Pentax AF gear has to look to the used market or 3rd party (or both) if they want to shoot anything longer than 300mm with their Pentax gear. This seems like a pretty easy way to hit 400/5.6 with minimal effort
Making a TC isn't hard but one that can either modify the data and modify it to be 100% functional and reports itself to the camera CPU (which will now need new firmware to understand the TC..... ect...
No it's not as easy as we would like to believe...
03-15-2009, 06:23 PM   #6
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What we can guess from the 3rd party tc's with SDM contacts that has been reported to work and not to work is that 1.4x works fine, 1.5x is beginning to hunt, 1.7x is realy a pain and 2x does not work (I had a thread last autumn when I tried to modify a Kenko MC7 2x with SDM (aka power zoom) contacts to work with the DA*50-135. While I did get contact, it hunted impossibly.). So for some reason, SDM focusing appears to be more sensible to light losses through a converter than screw drive focusing used to be. This kind of explain why they only listed a 1.4x SDM converter (and not a 2x or 1.7x) and maybe also why there is no Pentax extension tubes with SDM focus contacts (???). For sure it doesn't explain why they removed the 1.4x from the road map. I'm dissapointed. Was holding back on buying a Tamron 1.4x to wait for the original, but now I'm probably going for a Tammy.

Wild guess? They could be optimising the converter for the super-tele in the lower right corner of the road map....
03-15-2009, 06:43 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by yipchunyu Quote
i know that it has been removed from the new road map. But anyone know whether it will be released in the future? Or any other options for a 1.4 TC?
Not any of one here would know.

If you need it now, consider the Kenko 1.4 or 1.5X Pz (Power Zoom with AF coupling) alternatives, I guess they could support the SDM.

03-15-2009, 11:22 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arpe Quote
How can the time not be "right" now when there isn't one on the market right now?
I get the impression Pentax has decided not to put anything on the roadmap unless it si very close to being launched. They probably want to avoid people sitting and waiting for future lenses rather than buying what is available today. I would think that can be a good policy, but I can't see the advantage of not telling the market of a TC. A likely problem could be they now have this new policy, and it gets applied for everything.

From another viewpoint the time is not right as well. There is a small percentage of Pentax uses active at forums like this, but a majority of users do not even know what a TC is. I have several advanced amatuer Canikon friends, and none of them have TCs, even though they are available.

Better zooms have reduced the need for TCs. I am not very fond of zooms and prefer primes, but I don't know anyone else like that. And most people I know shoot Nikon, and there you can't afford to shoot primes as an amateur (or if you have too much money of course). For me a 1.4 would not be interesting enough I think, I would want a 2.0. I have the FA*85, DA*200 and DA*300, and with a 2.0 I would get 85,170,200,300,400,600. This is what I want (need?) But unfortunately I realise Pentax would sell very few, maybe only a couple of tenths here in Sweden, but my gut feel is they would sell even less with a 1.4, but that is of course based on my own perspective on things.
03-16-2009, 12:08 AM   #9
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I think they found the same problems people are experiencing with the power zoom TC from kenko. Maybe the need to redesign the DA lenses, as they said in the interview at PMA, is also for letting the lenses to work flawlessly with a TC.
03-16-2009, 04:38 AM   #10
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They removed it from the roadmap because it's on the design board again. Along with DA*30. Let's hope they re-design them as FF.

Last edited by huqedato; 03-16-2009 at 04:47 AM.
03-16-2009, 04:44 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by huqedato Quote
They removed it from the roadmap because it's on the design boerd again. Along with DA*30. Let's hope they re-design them as FF.
I think so, too.
The latest interviews indicated that they will probably change something with the lens mount, so this may be the reason.

I just yesterday did a little converter test.
It's here:
DigitalFotoNetz.de :: Thema anzeigen - Was bringt ein Telekonverter?
(in German, but the images should speak for themselves.)
03-16-2009, 04:50 AM   #12
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Yes indeed.
The only thing can be changed with the K-Mount is either something electronical or related to to the optics (image circle).
Otherwise, the mechanical K-mount could not be changed keeping the back compatibility in the same time.

Last edited by huqedato; 03-16-2009 at 04:56 AM.
03-16-2009, 05:49 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by quarc Quote
I get the impression Pentax has decided not to put anything on the roadmap unless it si very close to being launched. They probably want to avoid people sitting and waiting for future lenses rather than buying what is available today. I would think that can be a good policy, but I can't see the advantage of not telling the market of a TC. A likely problem could be they now have this new policy, and it gets applied for everything.
I've seen this theory a few times but why keep the mysterious super telephoto lens on the roadmap?
03-16-2009, 06:02 AM   #14
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As we are guessing why no 1.4x TC

I'll point out nikon never made a screw drive teleconverter. Pentax and Nikon both share this screwdrive autofocus technology. I know Tamron made screw drive af TC as I own it. But I have no SDM motor glass to see how it does on my K20D. I read it works fine with SDM glass. Its odd third party created a product that pentax cannot or will not. I think the tamron 1.4x for Pentax mount were discontinued in 2003. They are still available for other mounts.

As far as Canon's 1.4x II TC its exceptional image quality wise and weathersealed too. It modifies the metadata by 1.4x. Paired with my 70-200mm 2.8 IS its a reason I will always own a canon full frame dslr. In addition the 12mm II Extension tube used instead on 70-200mm IS provides me a autofocus function image stabilized macro zoom.

Part of the joy with pentax is backwards compatibility and that could be a curse too: Having to make screwdrive af still function with the new SDM technology.

QuoteOriginally posted by huqedato Quote
Yes indeed.
The only thing can be changed with the K-Mount is either something electronical or related to to the optics (image circle).
Otherwise, the mechanical K-mount could not be changed keeping the back compatibility in the same time.
03-16-2009, 06:45 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Samsungian Quote
modifies the metadata by 1.4x. Paired with my 70-200mm 2.8 IS its a reason I will always own a canon full frame dslr.
Lindy: out of curiosity, why aren't you using an APS-C cam instead of FF when you need a TC? Seems like you effective get a 1.5x TC when you use APS-C.
I've always thought that I'd keep an APS-C cam if I ever got FF just for telephoto ranges because of this...
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