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Author Topic: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.  (Read 15918 times)

Radu Arama

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Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« on: February 07, 2011, 05:37:13 pm »

http://www.pentaximaging.com/camera-lenses/smc_PENTAX_D_FA_645_25mm_F4_AL_%28IF%29_SDM_AW/

All Weather finish (withstands any amount of rain for any amount of time), SDM - Supersonic Drive Motor, Aero Bright (nano)Coating, 9 rounded aperture blades, 0.4 meters minimum focus distance, 90 mm diameter x 140 mm lenght, 1070 grams, integrated lens hood, optimized for digital cameras (equals 19.5 mm lens on a 36x24 mm camera) but covers the entire 645 image circle (usable as a manual focus on Pentax 645 film cameras where it equals a 14 15.5 mm lens on a 36x24 mm camera.

Price at the Pentax's webstore is 4999 USD.

Radu
« Last Edit: February 07, 2011, 05:42:44 pm by Radu Arama »
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ndevlin

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2011, 09:12:11 pm »


Sorry if I'm being thick, but where do you see the price? If it's what you report, that's a seriously problem. I can get Leica glass for that kind of money.

- N.
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tsjanik

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2011, 09:57:48 pm »

Sorry if I'm being thick, but where do you see the price? If it's what you report, that's a seriously problem. I can get Leica glass for that kind of money.

- N.

Here's the price Nick: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1102/11020716pentax645d25mm.asp 
Apparently Hoya intends to charge Leica prices without Leica quality control.
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Leping

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2011, 10:11:55 pm »

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bradleygibson

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2011, 11:34:21 pm »

Wow...  That's pretty spendy for Pentax glass...
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BernardLanguillier

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2011, 11:57:38 pm »

Apparently Hoya intends to charge Leica prices without Leica quality control.

If I may, what is that comment based on? Do you have any evidence of deficient quality control with this lens?

Besides, that is the price of a standard lens on the Leica S2 Range, I don't believe they have a 20mm equivalent lens covering full 645 format. How much is the widest of the S2 lenses?

Cheers,
Bernard

Anders_HK

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2011, 12:20:12 am »

@ Bernard,

Actually does not that comment have some relevenece... since that price actually makes it more expensive than Mamiya 28mm which covers 645 FF?? Assumably the Pentax 25mm only covers the cropped sensor... or they better make adapters for also Phase/Mamiya and Hassy! Likewise it seems the price of the 25mm is not balanced to the price of the 645 camera, does it not?

Regards
Anders
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uaiomex

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2011, 12:29:55 am »

I got it!
That great price for the body is just bait&switch  :'(
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Audii-Dudii

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2011, 01:04:28 am »

This sounds like another example of the "give 'em the razor, sell 'em the blades" approach to marketing.  That said, I'd probably be willing to spend that much for a 25mm lens that works on my Contax 645, as the lack of a lens wider than 35mm is the only shortcoming it has for my purposes, so I'm not actually complaining about the lens' price per se, just that it seems out of whack vis-a-vis the price for the body...
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Radu Arama

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2011, 06:54:36 am »

Sorry if I'm being thick, but where do you see the price? If it's what you report, that's a seriously problem. I can get Leica glass for that kind of money.

- N.

Sorry for not providing the link to the Pentax webstore it was very late in Europe when I posted the news: http://www.pentaxwebstore.com/detail/PTX+26360 this is the list price for the US but in Japan the lens is quoted at 398K Yen as list and 10-15% less as the street price: http://www.yodobashi.com/ec/product/100000001001335060/index.html. As of today 360K Yen means less than 4400 USD. The Mamiya 28 is quoted at the same store (an expensive one in general) to 500K Yen list.

The will be 400 made per month according to Pentax.jp and compared with the initial 500 D FA 55/2.8 production IMO that signify a very high expected demand especially considering the price tag. Maybe most of the initial batch of lenses will remain in Japan?

Radu
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Radu Arama

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2011, 06:59:41 am »

@ Bernard,

Actually does not that comment have some relevenece... since that price actually makes it more expensive than Mamiya 28mm which covers 645 FF?? Assumably the Pentax 25mm only covers the cropped sensor... or they better make adapters for also Phase/Mamiya and Hassy! Likewise it seems the price of the 25mm is not balanced to the price of the 645 camera, does it not?

Regards
Anders

Hi Anders,

It seems that my original post was not clear enough: this lens covers the entire 645 image circle and can be used on Pentax 645 film cameras. It is quite obvious that Pentax will put larger sensors in the 645D family and this lens is both backwards compatible with the old film cameras (except for the autofocus) and future proof for the next digital cameras.

Radu
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tsjanik

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2011, 08:06:27 am »

If I may, what is that comment based on? Do you have any evidence of deficient quality control with this lens?

Besides, that is the price of a standard lens on the Leica S2 Range, I don't believe they have a 20mm equivalent lens covering full 645 format. How much is the widest of the S2 lenses?

Cheers,
Bernard


Speculative on my part I must admit, but not without some evidence.  The DFA 55mm has been reported to be less than stellar by Lloyd Chambers and others (hazy, not sharp in the corners).  Quality control issues are a common complaint for Pentax’s 35mm offerings. Pentax is hardly unique among manufacturers in that regard; however, the one exception might be Leica, somewhat justifying the premium price.

Nonetheless, the 645D is a great camera especially based on its price/performance ratio. If the cost of the 25mm is factored in, the ratio becomes less attractive.  In short, the lens price is disproportionate to the rest of the system.

Traditional users of Pentax are, shall I say, frugal; this price arrives like a whack across the knuckles :(

Regards,

Tom

AFAIK, 35mm is the widest S2 lens, at $6500; it is f/2.5 however. The standard 70mm f/2.5 is $5000.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2011, 10:07:02 am by tsjanik »
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Anders_HK

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2011, 08:58:31 am »

Hi Anders,

It seems that my original post was not clear enough: this lens covers the entire 645 image circle and can be used on Pentax 645 film cameras. It is quite obvious that Pentax will put larger sensors in the 645D family and this lens is both backwards compatible with the old film cameras (except for the autofocus) and future proof for the next digital cameras.

Radu

Radu,

Interesting. 25mm on 645 IS VERY wide. Not quite as wide the the 23mm Rodenstock @ 6,700 USD without helical focus ring and mount, but very wide. Too bad they did not put a manual aperture ring on it. Since without that it will be pretty useless on any other camera such as Mamiya/Phase and Hassy where it could have found customers...

OR... is that an aperture ring?????????

Regards
Anders
« Last Edit: February 08, 2011, 09:01:06 am by Anders_HK »
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Radu Arama

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2011, 10:45:16 am »

Radu,

Interesting. 25mm on 645 IS VERY wide. Not quite as wide the the 23mm Rodenstock @ 6,700 USD without helical focus ring and mount, but very wide. Too bad they did not put a manual aperture ring on it. Since without that it will be pretty useless on any other camera such as Mamiya/Phase and Hassy where it could have found customers...

OR... is that an aperture ring?????????

Regards
Anders

Hi Anders,

I doubt that Pentax targets the users of other systems as buyers of Pentax lenses to mount on other cameras. If they would put an aperture ring on this lens the price and complexity will unnecessarily  increase (one more thing to weather proof). But one can experiment with such a lens on full 645 image circle by buying a 645n2 camera in excellent condition for under 1000 USD in general and use the lens in full except AF.

About the price I think that Pentax feels like this lens is state of the art for its category and the quality and performance must be paid accordingly. Unlike other designs the internal filter is not only very small in diameter hence of important difference in price but also a presumably very good C-PL is included in the package. Add a 82 mm high performance C-PL filter to the package and the price will increase. Last but not least the inflated US price is influenced by the (bad) policy of Pentax USA to sell the 645D related gear only thru four outfits and at full list price. In Japan and EU the competition will lower the price of this lens from the get go.

Regards,
Radu
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bcooter

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2011, 11:27:39 am »


Nonetheless, the 645D is a great camera especially based on its price/performance ratio. If the cost of the 25mm is factored in, the ratio becomes less attractive.  In short, the lens price is disproportionate to the rest of the system.

Traditional users of Pentax are, shall I say, frugal; this price arrives like a whack across the knuckles :(



I'm not too sure that a 25mm lens for 4k is that expensive, but I've been pricing cinema lenses which make everything short of the Mars Rover look cheap.

Regardless . . .

You kind of get the feeling that Pentax needs a slap up side the head to realize they have a 90% there solution for medium format stills.

Kind of like Canon putting live view in their 5d2, then realizing that it was the video wonder of the planet and selling 80 trillion of them, just think what Pentax could do if they had a real tethering option and a full set of lenses.

All those card carrying 5d2 photographers looking for an entry level medium format camera would probably beat their door down.  Once they started selling, then off they go into rental which always increases the value of a system.

If it had cmos and live view AND video, whew!

IMO

BC
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TMARK

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2011, 11:45:28 am »

Here's the price Nick: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1102/11020716pentax645d25mm.asp 
Apparently Hoya intends to charge Leica prices without Leica quality control.

leica hasn't had first run quality control since since they stopped making the M6.  M7 had bad electronics, which were improved in time for the M8.  The M8 was a beta test resulting in the M8.2 and the M9, which seem reasonable.  I've sent every piece of Leica gear, aside from my M4P and M6 and my 30 year old lenses, back to Leica.  New Elmarit and 35 cron, my M8, all back to leica on multiple occasions.  My Japanese stuff? Only after hard and extensive use have I sent Mamiya, Nikon or Canon gear for repair.  I suspect that Hoya's QC will be better than Leica's, at least on a first production run.
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yaya

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2011, 11:57:33 am »

Can't say I'm impressed by those sample images as they shot ALLOT of CA and smearing at f11...but this could be down to early prototypes + poor processing

Yair (who was burnt with this sort of thing before...)
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Radu Arama

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #17 on: February 08, 2011, 01:31:11 pm »

Can't say I'm impressed by those sample images as they shot ALLOT of CA and smearing at f11...but this could be down to early prototypes + poor processing

Yair (who was burnt with this sort of thing before...)

1) Out of the camera jpegs;
2) Two of them have a funky in camera processing profile (bright and reversal);
3) Camera has 1.01 firmware which means that it doesn't support lens correction for the new lens;

In April when the lens will become available I recommend www.ganref.jp for proper samples.

Regards,
Radu
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Anders_HK

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #18 on: February 08, 2011, 08:16:16 pm »

You kind of get the feeling that Pentax needs a slap up side the head to realize they have a 90% there solution for medium format stills.

 ;D Same thing for not putting aperture ring on it and providing an adapter ring for Phase/Mamiya and Hassy V&H. It is wider than any of those offer!  :o

Regards
Anders
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jeremydillon

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Re: Pentax DFA 25/4 is announced, gets a price.
« Reply #19 on: February 08, 2011, 08:30:10 pm »

Did anyone else notice that there is an arrow printed on the lens indicating which end is the front? I guess it really is aimed at the amateur market!
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