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06-06-2014, 03:08 PM   #1
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25+ million lens - where did this come from?

On more than one occassion, I've read that Pentax has 25+million lens. Where did this come from?
Certainly there aren't 25 million different K mount lens. Perhaps there are 25 million K mount lens total in existence around the world.

Example: Pentax mirrorless body design compatible with 25+ million Pentax K mount lenses K-01 Lens Body Kit – Save Price | Video Recording Best Show

06-06-2014, 03:23 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michael Piziak Quote
Perhaps there are 25 million K mount lens total in existence around the world.
It's a production number.

Considering Pentax lenses have been produced for about 70 years, and K-mount lenses for about 40 years, 25 million is probably a conservative number. Especially since Pentax hasn't been the only one making K-mount lenses over this period.
06-06-2014, 03:25 PM   #3
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I'm not sure if there are 25 million K mount lenses but I bet you would get more than that if you included all the M42 lenses too.
06-06-2014, 03:32 PM - 1 Like   #4
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Well I've done my wee bit to help boost up towards that number, with my meagre handful.

06-06-2014, 04:31 PM - 2 Likes   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michael Piziak Quote
Certainly there aren't 25 million different K mount lens. Perhaps there are 25 million K mount lens total in existence around the world.
Of course it is misleading - it is from the marketing department.
06-06-2014, 05:12 PM   #6
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It's a bad translation, or statement. It's very possible to be more than 25 million Pentax lenses produced in 40 years, but no way different models. If I remember well, Canon announced more than 75 million lenses all time production.
06-06-2014, 05:58 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by JimmyDranox Quote
It's a bad translation, or statement. It's very possible to be more than 25 million Pentax lenses produced in 40 years, but no way different models.
I don't see where anyone ever said there were 25M+ different lens models. It's simply the total number of K-mount lenses produced.

06-06-2014, 10:13 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by JimmyDranox Quote
It's a bad translation, or statement. It's very possible to be more than 25 million Pentax lenses produced in 40 years, but no way different models. If I remember well, Canon announced more than 75 million lenses all time production.
Canon is over 100 million since 1987.
Canon U.S.A. : 100 Million EF Lenses

Nowadays it takes Canon less than a year to sell 10 million lenses.
60 million - Jan 2011
70 million - Oct 2011
80 million - Aug 2012
90 million - May 2013
100 million - April 2014

Last edited by Fogel70; 06-06-2014 at 10:32 PM.
06-06-2014, 10:44 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fogel70 Quote
Nowadays it takes Canon less than a year to sell 10 million lenses.
We could spin that in a bunch of different ways...
06-07-2014, 05:06 AM   #10
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More K's?

Another point to remember is that we're not just talking about Pentax OEM lenses.
In addition to the many 3rd-party lenses made in K-mount over the years, Pentax was the only *manufacturer to allow companies to use the K-bayonet on other-brand camera bodies, not just lenses.
Ricoh, Sears, Vivitar, Samsung (and others) have made (D)SLR bodies using the K-mount and most sold 'their' lenses, too. With the exception of the dreaded 'Ricoh pin', those lenses are all K-mount and will work on Pentax DSLR's.
*IIRC, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Olympus and the other companies (past and present) have never allowed a different maker (camera body maker) to use their native mount. Lenses, yes. Bodies, no. Only Pentax. There may be exceptions, but I don't know offhand.
Which would surely increase the total number of K-mount lenses sold and still around.
Another several million lenses were the 50mm f/2.0's sold attached to every K1000. Now they're still being sold the same way, on eBay.
Probably a more useful total number is how many GREAT independent lens models are available? Different lenses, not copies of the same lens.
I'd guess a couple hundred. Many of the OEM's (not all!) and a select handful of 3rd-party.
jmo,
Ron
06-07-2014, 05:26 AM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by rbefly Quote
Another point to remember is that we're not just talking about Pentax OEM lenses.
In addition to the many 3rd-party lenses made in K-mount over the years, Pentax was the only *manufacturer to allow companies to use the K-bayonet on other-brand camera bodies, not just lenses.
Ricoh, Sears, Vivitar, Samsung (and others) have made (D)SLR bodies using the K-mount and most sold 'their' lenses, too. With the exception of the dreaded 'Ricoh pin', those lenses are all K-mount and will work on Pentax DSLR's.
*IIRC, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Olympus and the other companies (past and present) have never allowed a different maker (camera body maker) to use their native mount. Lenses, yes. Bodies, no. Only Pentax. There may be exceptions, but I don't know offhand.
Which would surely increase the total number of K-mount lenses sold and still around.
Another several million lenses were the 50mm f/2.0's sold attached to every K1000. Now they're still being sold the same way, on eBay.
Probably a more useful total number is how many GREAT independent lens models are available? Different lenses, not copies of the same lens.
I'd guess a couple hundred. Many of the OEM's (not all!) and a select handful of 3rd-party.
jmo,
Ron
Ron. Not quite true. For a while Nikon permitted Fuji to use their mount, in fact entire bodies rebadged, where Fuji put a digital back on the Nikon body.

But I look at it another way. 25million lenses ! dam! With on,y 55 I have a long way to go!
06-07-2014, 05:35 AM   #12
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Thanks!

Hi Lowell,
Thanks for the correction, I figured there was a possibility, but didn't recall who or when. I guess the early Kodak/Nikon digital prototypes might qualify too.
But it's been rare, C/N are close with that particular patent and most of the other film-era camera companies followed suit. Except you-know-who.
Ron
06-07-2014, 06:25 AM   #13
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I managed to read this statement about 25 million lenses, without any confusion at all. It means, there are more Pentax lenses out there than I will ever need or want. There's nothing bogus or misleading about it. There are also more Canon or Nikon lenses out there than I would ever want. No one is arguing with that.

It doesn't matter if another brand has more if you can get what you want. It's good information.

But if Pentax pays for the ad, then Pentax is going to talk about Pentax. Why would it be any other way?
06-07-2014, 07:29 AM   #14
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I think the important point is that you can buy a new Pentax body and all those 25m lenses can be used on it.

Is that true of all Canon 100m lenses?
06-07-2014, 07:36 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by crewl1 Quote
I think the important point is that you can buy a new Pentax body and all those 25m lenses can be used on it.

Is that true of all Canon 100m lenses?
You already know the answer, not by any means!

Three different mounts, non compatible with the other! Also though that's why there are a 100million lenses, long term canon users have had to rebuy everything three times

I personally am very glad that pentax does not have that market strength!
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