[pb_red]

I'm thinking of getting a DA 17-70mm but I would really like to see a WR version which would complement my K7 perfectly.

Does anyone have any insight into whether or not this will happen any time soon (as in the next few months)?

How about any other new or updated lenses?

[bymy141]

The last lens roadmap published by Pentax is more than a year old (march 24, 2009)
See: http://www.pentax.jp/english/imaging/digital/lens/roadmap.pdf
It does not even mention the latest WR and L lenses...

- Bert

[pxpaulx]

That sure would be a nice lens to have with WR sealing - I think alot of people would probably feel the same way! And probably for that same reason, with a nicer focal range, it would cannibalize sales of the 16-50mm too much (not to mention that lens doesn't have the best rep already). IF you are concerned it may be released, why not (or just have a 2nd version) of the 18-55 WR? Its not too expensive and would be a decent stop-gap for the foreseeable future (or until you've waited long enough!).

As to what Bymy said, and with how tight-lipped Pentax is about their camera body releases (with both the K7 and even moreso the Kx), it wouldn't surprise me if we don't see anymore lens roadmaps. If that means they are busy actually making lenses to be released (as it appears so far w/the 2 WR lenses and the sealed 100mm macro), rather than making roadmaps, I am all for that approach. While it is nice to know what might be coming, it is much better to see lenses come up for sale. The 60-250mm was vaporware for so long that I think it single-handedly made the roadmap kind of a joke anyway. My 2 cents!

[elho_cid]

I guess the roadmaps served them well when there were serious gaps in the lens offer.
But:
1) After many DA* delays people lost faith in the roadmap.
2) There are not too many gaps anymore (except for some fast wide prime like the FA*24 was)

[pb_red]

thanks for the input everyone.

i bet that the release of 645D has pentax concentrating on that format especially, as some of you pointed out, there aren't any real gaps in the lineup. so i doubt pentax is in much of a hurry to release new dslr lenses.

with regard to 16-50/18-55, those won't work for me since i want at least 70mm reach and at least f4 throughout the range (which rules out all superzooms).

[whelmed]

Am I the only one who feels a little let down by the max aperture of the new Pentax limited/* primes?

[Rondec]

I think that's why Pentax has kept the FA limiteds and the FA 50 around. I wish that they would do a redesign on them, allowing for quick shift and weather sealing (at least the FA limiteds), but I suppose they would take sales from the DA limiteds.

[pb_red]

Am I the only one who feels a little let down by the max aperture of the new Pentax limited/* primes?

i own a couple and i am not let down.

i think f1.4 is great for that shallow DOF look and there is the 55mm f1.4 lens. although i think it's terrible that canikon users can buy an f1.4 or f1.8 for <$200 and pentax users can't.

otherwise you can always crank up the ISO on the f2.8 or f4 if you're shooting in low light. besides, i hear the sony sensor in the K-x is even better than the samsung sensor in my K7 at managing ISO noise
if that's not enough there's plenty of good software out there that will reduce noise at a much lower cost than very fast glass.

[ghelary]

i own a couple and i am not let down.

i think f1.4 is great for that shallow DOF look and there is the 55mm f1.4 lens. although i think it's terrible that canikon users can buy an f1.4 or f1.8 for <$200 and pentax users can't.

otherwise you can always crank up the ISO on the f2.8 or f4 if you're shooting in low light. besides, i hear the sony sensor in the K-x is even better than the samsung sensor in my K7 at managing ISO noise
if that's not enough there's plenty of good software out there that will reduce noise at a much lower cost than very fast glass.

Can you please post which 1.4 lens that is available for less than 200$ ? I'm quite curious. Canon and Nikon do in fact have nice cheap 50/1.8 and 35/2 or 1.8, but build quality is on par. Pentax is not as cheap as it used to be, but I don't see Nikon or Canon being cheaper, far from it.

[bdery]

Am I the only one who feels a little let down by the max aperture of the new Pentax limited/* primes?

I think usable f2 or f2.8 is better than soft f1.4 That's one reason why I switched from a 50 f1,4 to a 50 f1,7 (that and AF for a great price...)

For me, the best walkaround kit is a two-lenses kit : 18-55 WR for dramatic conditions (like yesterday, when rain was treathening and finally did fall) and Sigma (or Pentax) 17-70 for higher quality in good conditions.

Add a tele lens, a few fast primes, and a macro, and for me you have the perfect kit.

The 18-55 WR has another advantage : it's absurdly light and small. So it's perfect for hiking, meaning that I can pack a light, WR and reliable kit when on hikes.

[pb_red]

Can you please post which 1.4 lens that is available for less than 200$ ? I'm quite curious. Canon and Nikon do in fact have nice cheap 50/1.8 and 35/2 or 1.8, but build quality is on par. Pentax is not as cheap as it used to be, but I don't see Nikon or Canon being cheaper, far from it.

my point was that canikon users have more options. they can get an f1.8 lens for about $130 brand new and we can't.

50mm f1.4 lenses are about $350 brand new which is sort of on par with the pentax FA f1.4 although finding one of those in stock seems to be problematic.

speaking of options... they also have brand new f1.2 lenses as an option, albeit a very expensive option...

i really like how pentax pushes the bar up with their WR lenses but they need to produce more of them. i would also like to see SDM as an optional component but that's just a pipe dream...

in any case, i knew that my options would be more limited when i went with pentax but at that time there was a perception of value where i could get more bang for the buck than the other guys. with the constant price hikes that's pretty much gone so the advantage now is WR but that's only available on a couple of non-DA* (read "expensive") lenses.

[ghelary]

my point was that canikon users have more options. they can get an f1.8 lens for about $130 brand new and we can't.

50mm f1.4 lenses are about $350 brand new which is sort of on par with the pentax FA f1.4 although finding one of those in stock seems to be problematic.

speaking of options... they also have brand new f1.2 lenses as an option, albeit a very expensive option...

i really like how pentax pushes the bar up with their WR lenses but they need to produce more of them. i would also like to see SDM as an optional component but that's just a pipe dream...

in any case, i knew that my options would be more limited when i went with pentax but at that time there was a perception of value where i could get more bang for the buck than the other guys. with the constant price hikes that's pretty much gone so the advantage now is WR but that's only available on a couple of non-DA* (read "expensive") lenses.

Have a closer look at the competition lens lineup (especially Nikon's) and you will see that Pentax is still not that expensive. A lot of Canon and Nikon shooters are using third party lenses because of the price of the big C&N.

Now regarding the 1.2 lenses, the market is already small for the big players of the market, well it is small for Canon, I haven't heard of Nikon producing one. The big strength of Pentax is the extensive compability with older lenses that no other brand has. (And no Nikon has not such a good compability, you have to read a complex matrix to understand which is compatible with what, and all bodies below D300/s miss the screw drive motor so no AF compatibilites with older lenses)

There's always more to desire from a brand, but sincerely, Pentax have filled 99.9% of the needs of common shooters with zooms and primes. You could have complained as well that they don't offer super-tele or tilt and shift lenses but at the price of this glass, buying a new body just adds a marginal cost.

[starbase218]

Now regarding the 1.2 lenses, the market is already small for the big players of the market, well it is small for Canon, I haven't heard of Nikon producing one. The big strength of Pentax is the extensive compability with older lenses that no other brand has. (And no Nikon has not such a good compability, you have to read a complex matrix to understand which is compatible with what, and all bodies below D300/s miss the screw drive motor so no AF compatibilites with older lenses)

Not true. The D90 has the screw-driven AF. Only the D3000/D5000 (and the models they replaced) have no screw-driven AF.

[pb_red]

There's always more to desire from a brand, but sincerely, Pentax have filled 99.9% of the needs of common shooters with zooms and primes.

if 99.9% of needs were satisfied then there wouldn't be any need to produce any new lenses at all since the profits on the other 0.1% would not justify the R&D and production costs.

however, companies, including pentax, realize that they can create new markets, such as the WR lens market which simply didn't exist a little while ago, and/or improve on existing products which would not be the case if the existing products fulfilled all customers' needs.

so maybe i am in the 0.1% group but my needs for a fast, affordable normal prime are not satisfied. nor is my need for an all around, relatively fast, WR zoom satisfied (since the 18-55mm WR is an f5.6). nor is my desire for SDM or screw drive option satisfied.

so if pentax wants to cash in on some of my disposable income they need to give me exactly what i am looking for rather than proposing some compromise. and if they don't, that's ok, i'll keep looking elsewhere

[kickboxingpenguin]

im with you red. i am at a stand still with pentax lenses cause their line up isnt appealing. i need a good fast zoom that isnt SDM and has WR. The SDM of the DA* is a con not a pro imo.

Sure, i would love to buy their primes, but not anytime soon with my budget.