RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Ricoh Continues to Dump SMC and Ricohizes the Outlook of Existing DA Lenses!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Ricoh Continues to Dump SMC and Ricohizes the Outlook of Existing DA Lenses!

See what is just reported at the Photo Rumors (Source: Japanese Digicame Info):

http://photorumors.com/2013/08/27/pentax-to-refresh-their-hd-da-lenses-with-new-hd-coating-and-circular-apertures

The new colour scheme of the old DA lenses is just damn UGLY. The traditional blue+yellow focusing scale distance markings have disappeared! The name of HD coating is really mediocre and silly! The imitated Zeiss way of marking the lens' aperture and focal shows the lack of one's own character at all! Damn Ricoh, that's the good thing you have done and done again to destroy everything Pentax! WTF? >:-[

And, where are our new Full Frame lenses of Pentax? Any?! Why re-painting the beautiful old DA lenses and getting rid of the SMC? Do they have no better things to do but just to do evils?!?!

Last Sad News:

The Name PENTAX is Dismissed from the Cyber Space! >:-(

Comments (63)

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+5 Vote up Vote down

Yoku · 602 weeks ago

DA15 and DA21 has also 9-blades aperture instead of 7. It's just upgrade for new more MP APS-C camera. Nothing bad.

3 replies · active 602 weeks ago

0 Vote up Vote down

Yoku · 602 weeks ago

It's Ricoh colour. Ricoh is the owner.

6 replies · active 602 weeks ago

+20 Vote up Vote down

Netoflex · 602 weeks ago

I see this change as a positive on many fronts!

1.) The simple fact that they are going through and updating the current line of LIMITED lens gives me hope that the K-mount will survive or be compatible with future camera bodies.

2.) I'm all for better, more modern, lens coating, regardless of the name

3.) How can you feel negatively about circular aperture blades!!! That in its self is worth the update!!! great news

To me it looks like RICOH is still respecting the Pentax name and just making the necessary updates to make great lenses even better!

By the way, I love the new look! Less toy looking and more classy.

-3 Vote up Vote down

Asahi · 602 weeks ago

Damn Ricoh

-1 Vote up Vote down

Yoku · 602 weeks ago

http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/76...

it's Ricoh's colour and it's nothing bad

+11 Vote up Vote down

Black_Wizards · 602 weeks ago

Netoflex: 100% agree with you

Ricehigh: Seriously, I don't understand why you continue this blog. When I read the "About Me" thing, you say you love Pentax... But since I read your blog I only find angry posts toward Pentax and Ricoh. You obviously don't love this brand anymore. You'd better quit Pentax...

1 reply · active 602 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Yoku · 602 weeks ago

Nikon and Canon make updates of old lenses too. It's good news.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Dim · 602 weeks ago

Very elegant! Looks more exclusive and classy.

0 Vote up Vote down

SNAPPERTIM · 602 weeks ago

I wonder if changing to recessed round edged blades would be enough to convert the lens' to full frame. the red line would denote full frame lens and green for the obsolete APSC lens' (if/when Pentax/Ricoh go full frame) at best this shows Ricoh is not prepared to settle for second best, it has shown with Q and now HD coating updates, it wants to improve, and choosing red shows who they have as a target.

1 reply · active 602 weeks ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

Arnold Stark · 602 weeks ago

Positive: The DA Limiteds are updated and will live on... :-)
Neutral: The new colouring.
Negative: The senseless "HD" name for the newest and best coating :-(((
Question: Will there be a new limited lens?

+2 Vote up Vote down

pjalves · 602 weeks ago

I think this is a good sign that Ricoh is not dumping the K-mount just yet.
And maybe also a sign that a FF is not so near in the future.
The loss of the "SMC" moniker in favour of a rather bland "HD" for the coating is a pity, but if you think about it, it's much easier for the common consumer to understand what a "HD" coating is... And even if one does not know it refers to the coating, at least one will be convinced the lens is "HD". Maybe a nice marketing move after all. Pentax needs more users (buyers), or else it will really be "doomed".
IMHO, Ricoh won't kill the Pentax BRAND. It would be a stupid managing decision, after paying for the whole "thing". Getting hold of Pentax's tech was likely the reason for the buyout, but I don't think they wan't to lose the user and "fan" base. Thinking about it... What tech? Ricoh already had sensor and lens tech. What did they need? "SR"? "WR"? For me, the answer clearly is: the "K-mount"! Several millions lenses lenses already produced... Even if this mount needs an updating, later on...
So, I sincerely think they will not dump it, nor will they "kill" Pentax as a brand.
The saddest thing about all this is that we need to foretell the future, based only on these intermittent "smoke signs"...

2 replies · active 602 weeks ago

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zosX · 602 weeks ago

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-ru...

I'm just full of pentax rumors today. Enjoy this one rice. ;)

7 replies · active 602 weeks ago

+12 Vote up Vote down

X.9. · 602 weeks ago

Oh c'mon Rice, I sometimes believe you're seriously losing your mind. If nothing else, we could see this happening a year ago, when DA560 and 90mm macro for 645D were announced — both had red ring that symbolises new HD coating, which is supposed to be better than SMC and made for newer hi-res sensors, not film (when SMC was made). DA Ltds surely deserve best treatment in the house, HD coating for sure, and a new ring falls in naturally.
However, regarding those new circular blades, I'm not sure will that *not* change the feeling of the pictures taken.

1 reply · active 602 weeks ago

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frank · 602 weeks ago

mixed emotions...
it tells me that they are going to continue with dslrs but i miss the information if these are APS-C only lenses or if these will be FullFrame lenses.

2 replies · active 602 weeks ago

-3 Vote up Vote down

Simon T · 602 weeks ago

Trying to copy the "Canon L" red ring look I think!
Whilst the update is welcomed, the RRP's are insanely high in Europe well above what you would expect to pay, we'll see how street price fare but IMO Ricoh have already killed of a lot of interest in K mount with lens price hikes.

Also the new flashes, great they are WR and all, but the prices again are insanely high and will do little to encourage new K mount users.

2 replies · active 602 weeks ago

-1 Vote up Vote down

qwe · 602 weeks ago

PENTAX logo plates cannot be seen on the new lenses. Ricoh is diminishing the Pentax brand silently, step by step.

2 replies · active 602 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

VoiceOfReason · 602 weeks ago

No one's mentioned the new flash units yet?
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/08/27/ricoh-int...

1 reply · active 602 weeks ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

Dean Koontz · 602 weeks ago

A little too much whining here. Pentax might very well have died completely without the powerful backing of Ricoh.
Ricoh has more juice and more lightning than aimless pitiful Hoya. Why not be excited!? Things are finally happening!
Times are changing..........

+11 Vote up Vote down

Mmmm · 602 weeks ago

RICE: Who cares what colour the lens is or what it looks like as long as the changes improve picture quality!
You need to stop all your bitching or change brands!

2 replies · active 602 weeks ago

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tipentax · 602 weeks ago

The ugly thing was the retro futurish green line ... it's much better in red (would be better in chrome). The scale still have the yellow and blue marks ???
and ... HD, yes it's time to change from time to time, it's called marketing. "multi coated" means nothing in 2013, every lens is multi coated.

1 reply · active 602 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

hys · 602 weeks ago

The change is positive!
What for the lenses are "old"? Please remember the old example
of Tessar and Triplet. Introducing effective AR coating improved their work a lot.
The "old" design have to be preserved until a new, really better appears.
On the other hand, the establishing of new coating technology for mass production
is not an easy task. Pentax obviously managed to pass it over.