Originally posted by ogl pay attention -
3. Rounded aperture blades for excellent bokeh
Lens PENTAX-D FA MACRO 100mmF2.8 WR is the first PENTAX lens with almost perfectly round aperture, thanks to a special form of eight diaphragm blades. This innovation allows for incredible soft bokeh and get rid of visible reflections from point light sources
These bastards are going to make me buy this lens aren't they?
Ah well, I need a weather resistant telephoto and macro option anyway. Need being a relative thing, of course.
Quote: FA Limiteds aren't exactly small to the extent that the DA Ltds are small, especially not the FA 31. Wasn't the design goal of the FA Limiteds to make uncompromisingly excellent lenses? Besides, is it the weather sealing that adds bulk or is it the SDM that adds bulk to the DA*'s?
I think the size limitation mostly applies to the DA Limited line, although the FA43 and 77 are pretty petite as well. This has been Pentax's justification for not making the DA15 Limited faster than f/4, for example, as they preferred keeping the size small to making it FA31 (or DA14) sized.
Quote: I don't see the D FA designation to the 100 Macro as a sign to a 24x36 digital from Pentax coming soon. The new 100 macro uses the same optical formula as the old D FA 100 macro, and this is for 24x36. Would be strange to call it DA when it is the same lens as the D FA in a new outer shell..
This is true, but why make a D FA lens at all if you're not considering bringing a FF camera out at some point, especially when there are other holes in the DA lineup they could fill? I mean, there could be other reasons, but I'm curious what their logic would be.
One lens does not a full frame camera lens system make, however, so I'm interested to see what the lenses after this will be. Still, I think Pentax would be wise to keep coming with D FA lenses, along with improving their DA line, for two reasons:
1. Even if they don't have a FF camera in the works, this will give them the flexibility to bring one out eventually (2011 or 2012)
2. Perception. Skittish consumers who want to be able to buy good lenses that won't become obsolete would then be able to buy modern D FA lenses even if a FF camera never materializes. Imagine how well a 70-200 Pentax lens might sell, for example, even though the 50-135 technically makes more sense on the crop format.
Plus, that glorious dying breed of film camera users could still use these lenses. Sounds like a lot to like about the idea.