[Jasvox]

I think the 18-270 will be released in a K mount eventually. Regardless, there are more 18-250's, along with the others ones listed, on the market than you can shake a stick at. With the forum Marketplace, ebay, Craigslist, etc...you can find pretty much what you want out of those listed lenses.

Jason

[ogl]

18-270 is worse than 18-250. it's weaker lens.

[Rondec]

Ironically the Canon 600mm f4 IS sells for $2500 less than HoyaPentax' newly discontinued, special order only 600mm f4.

What could one do with $2500 savings?

Buy a Canon 7D & also buy 1.4x TC and still have $500 spare change.
Or add $200 more & get a 5D Mark II instead & assuming Pentax would let you special order FA 600mm f4 tax free.

If you gotta pay the state tax for the Pentax Special order then there's another $800 to $1000 to add to the cost difference between Canon and Pentax versions.


I handled a Pentax 600mm f4 FA ,when a like new used one was available 20 months ago locally, right after Hoya terminated the two local pentax reps. One Rep was called and he passed due to his newly unemployed status.

600mm FA is a crazy huge lens, 5 pounds heavier than Canon's 600mm. I passed on it a few times and bought Two new 5D and new eos glass instead. It took the shop 4 months to sell it.

That 600mm FA sure is a pretty lens though, but insanely overpriced.


Canon | Telephoto EF 600mm f/4.0L IS Image Stabilizer | 2534A002

This is so silly. When you get to a price like 8000 dollars for a lens, the only people getting are either professionals or so wealthy that they could care less about a two thousand dollar difference. Trust me, if I have ten thousand dollars sitting around, I am not going to "invest" even eight of it in 600 mm lens, even if it is "light" and "cheap."

[audiobomber]

I'm very happy to have the 16-45 and 18-250 (and FA 35mm). It's a shame to see them gone, but not a surprise. Hopefully the 18-250 will be replaced with a WR superzoom. That would be a unique lens.

[Andrew Faires]

Hopefully the 18-250 will be replaced with a WR superzoom. That would be a unique lens.

I was thinking they might do this considering they did WR kit lenses.

I'm hoping the discountinuing of the FA* 600mm is going to lead to either a DA*400 f/4, DA*500mm f/4 or a DA*135-400mm f/4 being announced in the near future. That would round out the lens line-up very nicely.

[Talisker]

I'm hoping the discountinuing of the FA* 600mm is going to lead to either a DA*400 f/4, DA*500mm f/4 or a DA*135-400mm f/4 being announced in the near future. That would round out the lens line-up very nicely.

Unfortunately a DA*400 f/4 and DA*500mm f/4 would probably come out at around £5000 a piece, so I wouldn't hold your breath! A 400 f5.6 would be more likely but even that would be into four figures at current prices...
Repeat after me " I don't need any more lenses; I don't need any more lenses; I don't need - hey, that's a bargin, where's the credit card"

[Clarkey]

Well, I am hoping for the other end of the scale. While I'd love a 18-250mm weathersealed zoom (with quickshift would be nice), I would certainly be much happier with a lighter redesigned Pentax branded 18-200mm with better optics and SDM, weathersealing being the cherry on the top. A stop back to 5.6 would certainly help (like the old 28-200mm) too.
I'm still hoping the rumour of a sealed version of the 55-300mm will come to fruition. Or the 50-200mm gets an optics update/SDM. But I guess that the latter is unlikely since it will step on the 50-135's toes.

Sad to see the 16-45mm go. Apart from Nikons 16-85mm, there aren't too many other affordable quality lenses that start at 24mm equiv out there. It is a shame that the 17-70mm does not.

---

Last edited by Clarkey; 12-04-2009 at 05:58 PM. Reason: random 16-45mm comments and film lens thoughts.

[audiobomber]

Well, I am hoping for the other end of the scale. While I'd love a 18-250mm weathersealed zoom (with quickshift would be nice), I would certainly be much happier with a lighter redesigned Pentax branded 18-200mm with better optics and SDM, weathersealing being the cherry on the top. A stop back to 5.6 would certainly help (like the old 28-200mm) too.

Maybe Pentax will dress up another Tokina as their DA* superzoom. Tokina Lens: Zooms - Tokina 16.5-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AT-X DX - SLRgear.com!

[Clarkey]

You might have something there. Although the film equivalent ( FA 28-200mm AL IF - a rebadged tamron) was 72mm diameter and about two thirds the weight

[audiobomber]

You might have something there. Although the film equivalent ( FA 28-200mm AL IF - a rebadged tamron) was 72mm diameter and about two thirds the weight

What I mean is, there are several lenses that are sold by both Tokina and Pentax (10-17, 12-24, 100mm macro etc). Tokina sells a 16-50 and 50-135, and Pentax sells the same lens, but adds SDM and weatherproofing. They could do the same with the 16.5-135 to create a DA* superzoom.

[Ben Hunt]

Offical from Pentax Japan


FA★600mmF4ED[IF]

Offical Lens discontinue list from PENTAX Japan

Are you serious....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Goodbye cruel world

that lense it's my Mt Everest.....Something i've always been looking at concering. As soo as i had that 600, my life would be complete...

I'm really hanging out for one of them....one day I’ll get one I kept saying to my self.....and if i want that to be true I would have to either, (a) rob a bank or (b) rob Pentax Jp.......

It's a shame the see the 16-45 go as well, I love that lens as well and unlike the 600mm I have it, it's my lil' wide workhorse. Considering issues I have heard from the DA*16-50 (eg: SDM konking out randomly,FF/BF,price) The quality vs price for the 16-45 cannot be beat, because it just works and works good with minimal hole in pocket.

Pentax Needs to have a few or at the very least 1 (in this case 600mm FA*) super tele, I would not be fussed as much if they had a DA*300mm F2.8 but I just think for the current 300mm, f4 is a wee bit slow-ish for a TC and 300mills is not long enough to use with a teleconverter. We need to keep that super sexy 600mm beast alive.........or at least some other tele... perhaps the old 400mm?

Pentax, i hope you hear this, I really do.... It's all fine and fair to discontinue lenses but if you are going to, make sure you have not left a gaping 600mm wide hole in the lens roadmap....there are those out there who are dying for a great ,long, fast tele....and pentax is either offering nothing or something that is exorbantly expensive. I would prefer to get a Pentax over the big Siggy any day because of all those little thinks that make pentax lenses great for example weather sealing, sharp and amazing optics ,SDM, warranty plus that warm fuzzy feeling you get, when you have "PENTAX" Slapped over your lens hood and lenses for all to see....it's a good feeling.....it's a shame that I don't have that feeling now about this latest announcement.....


Just hope that that will release a few DA* superteles soon.....
I will weep a thousand tears for you tonight Sweet 600....

[thibs]

What I mean is, there are several lenses that are sold by both Tokina and Pentax (10-17, 12-24, 100mm macro etc). Tokina sells a 16-50 and 50-135, and Pentax sells the same lens, but adds SDM and weatherproofing. They could do the same with the 16.5-135 to create a DA* superzoom.

Sure, same for the Tokina 11-16/2.8. The thing is, it seems Hoya did stop that shared design lenses. The last one is the 35 Macro. Nothing else.

[MikePerham]

Maybe Pentax will dress up another Tokina as their DA* superzoom. Tokina Lens: Zooms - Tokina 16.5-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AT-X DX - SLRgear.com!

Now that's a really good focal length range for a one lens solution, a walk about lens kind of thing.

[thibs]

Now that's a really good focal length range for a one lens solution, a walk about lens kind of thing.

Agreed. It is a very nice range.

[Blaze]

Agreed. It is a very nice range.

+1 on the range. Never looked at the superzooms, cause I don't really go beyond 135mm on APSc,they all started at 18 just like the kit lens and the IQ wasn't something. The 16.5mm is cool, as are 9 aperture blades (but the 0.5m min. focus distance is not).
Did a quick search on flickr, found only two photos, both ~x400 pix, so not really possible to evaluate IQ.