Originally posted by normhead The Pentax is made in Vietnam, it's in the thread, not too far back.
It would be nice to have the "if's" cleared up before the assumption is made.
Even then, country of origin tends to be the country where the final assembly was done. Parts for the Cambridge Ontario Toyota plant come from Canada, the U.S and Japan,yet the car is listed as made in Canada.
There are just too many unknowns to justify speculation.
If anyone knows more than Pentax licensed the design, let us know. "Knows" as in actual knowledge of the parts manufacture and assembly process. Not what you think might be true. Most of us choose not to fill our memories up with other's idle speculations.
Especially when the only purpose of that speculation is to insinuate the Pentax version is over priced.
I like my Tamron lenses, but I like them to fill in focal lengths Pentax doesn't make.
I do realize the Tamron is made In Vietnam.
This is my logic- both of the previous rebrands or whatever you want to call them are made in Japan as are the Tamron versions of the lenses.
As Pentax has no lens manufacturing facilities in Japan this means the lenses are made by Tamron.
Giving that two rebadged lenses so far are made by Tamron it makes sense other lenses would be.
Do I have conclusive proof-no.
But is the evidence overwhelmingly in that direction-yes.
Does this bother me-no.
In a declining market partnerships are going to be more and more important. Pentax licensing lenses to Tokina, Pentax licensing lenses from Tamron, Tokina licensing from Viltrox, the L mount alliance, etc.
There is no shame in it, it is just the way the world works.