Web Analytics RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: The FA20-35 is Discontinued Finally! :-(

Saturday, December 21, 2013

The FA20-35 is Discontinued Finally! :-(

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/lens/index_list_others.html

Pentax has kept this Full Frame FA lens in production for years , why Ricoh discontinues it now? To reserve room for the sales of that mediocre DA20-40 cropped lens? Or the FF K-mount is to be aborted and a new mount of Ricoh is to be made?? >:-(

Update (12-22):

Since a few brand (Pentax or Ricoh??) fanboys who have been hanged around here insisted that the old FA20-35 was discontinued decade ago and have not been in production for long, I feel obliged to provide some evidence to prove they are yet wrong once again! Here it is:

 http://web.archive.org/web/20121013094413/http://www.pentax.jp/english/products/lens/

So, just about one year ago, the FA20-35/4 was still alive. In fact, after the official web domain name was changed to Ricoh.co, the lens was still listed there for months. The FA20-35 has only been discontinued quite recently, that is the fact! However, owing to the low hit rate of the new Ricoh web domain, it was not archived by the "WayBack Machine" robot anyway. Possibly, the fanboys will change their poor argument (as always) to "recent months" instead, which is really pathetic afterall! So, please don't make such even more silly noise if they still wish to do so! >:-o
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+4 Vote up Vote down
hys's avatar

hys · 586 weeks ago

The FA 20-35 is not a piece of glory. Well to be gone.
+11 Vote up Vote down
Bukaj's avatar

Bukaj · 586 weeks ago

"mediocre DA20-40"
...from the test I saw, it is not mediocre - it is superb for a zoom and for aps-c DSLRs it's way better than the old FA. If Pentax comes out with an FF, it will probably refresh the whole line of FF lenses. So be prepared more old lenses will be discontinued and replaced by either APS-C equivalents or better FF ones. Every brand does that, refreshing its line of lenses is something you should not bash Pentax for...
4 replies · active 584 weeks ago
0 Vote up Vote down
Bzrkd's avatar

Bzrkd · 586 weeks ago

The production method of the film FA lenses is today so old that every single lens deserves to be abandoned and new ones introduced. Good riddance!
Bring forth DFA lenses with purple ring and HD coating.
2 replies · active 585 weeks ago
-16 Vote up Vote down
Simon's avatar

Simon · 586 weeks ago

Ricoh please drop the whole Pentax and K mount adventure.
+14 Vote up Vote down
Stagge's avatar

Stagge · 586 weeks ago

I have read this blog for a number of years now. From the beginning I thought there was a special and constructive love-hate relationship communicated here which added some extra spice and not least good knowledge about Pentax, and also good viewpoints on how Pentax should develop an even better product. However, the hate part increases more and more, shrinking the gain for us readers of coming here. Companies buy or get sold, and company names change (Asahi, Pentax, Hoya, Ricoh etc). We cannot expect the same name to last for ever. The only important thing is that we see a continued but developed product line that keeps up the good value of what we already have bought and thus also increases the value of the new gear introduced.

Please, keep yourself more fact-oriented and less unnecessarily hateful, or this blog will totally lose its value! Why not turn over to Sony instead if you dislike the ownership of Ricoh like you do?
19 replies · active 585 weeks ago
-2 Vote up Vote down
Dan Johnson's avatar

Dan Johnson · 586 weeks ago

Bye to everyone who leaves that RiceHigh let poke fun of him, it's nice to see the macro ain't me WR model. I see that 5 of the 9 lenses being discontinued are for cropped sensors so it's very likely just to improve the quality of lenses available.
+3 Vote up Vote down
jaad75's avatar

jaad75 · 586 weeks ago

It's been discontinued (i.e. not in production) for many years now, just like all the other MIJ lenses. They had it in stock, but they were not making them anymore - it's the same thing they still have FA35/2 or FA50/1.4 in magazines, when they are close to clear the stock these lenses are going to get "discontinued" badge as well.
2 replies · active 586 weeks ago
+1 Vote up Vote down
pjalves's avatar

pjalves · 586 weeks ago

One thing I agree with Rice: Pentax definitely needs to release a "Full-Frame", but one with an "APS-C crop mode" (24Mpx FF/ aprox.16Mpx APS-C crop mode), to take advantage of the DA line of lenses, specially the "Limited" ones. Surely this could be achieved within a "K3-sized" body. Everyone would be happy and Ricoh would sell truckloads of these "universal" cameras guaranteeing the mount's future.
11 replies · active 586 weeks ago
+6 Vote up Vote down
davidmanze's avatar

davidmanze · 586 weeks ago

The FA 20-35 hasn't been manufactured for years, come on Mr.Rice get with it!
0 Vote up Vote down
Balthazar's avatar

Balthazar · 586 weeks ago

You really have to take every news like an angry 16 years girl... It is very amusing, I can almost imagine what you will be like when the 35mm will be announced :D
-2 Vote up Vote down
Simon's avatar

Simon · 586 weeks ago

Who will be faster with a fullframe camera ? Aiptek or Ricoh ? :D
0 Vote up Vote down
foton's avatar

foton · 586 weeks ago

It is good they discontinued a lens that is not so stellar. Its optical quality is pretty low. So, good move.
+1 Vote up Vote down
Daedbird's avatar

Daedbird · 586 weeks ago

Did anyone covet this lens? I certainly didn't even know about it until this posting.......

The bigger problem with Pentax's lens lineup is the lack of updates for the old classic lenses we miss, lenses like the 85 1.4 and the 80-200 2.8. I think Ricoh needs to update these lenses, all should be weather resistant, and all should have fast internal motors that also make them super quiet. Call them HDFA* and launch them with the FF.

The problem with Pentax's lens lineup is that every lens is not WR like nearly every camera body. Just drop the K-500 and reduce the price of the K-50, and hope to make it all up on volume. Then you can claim every lens, every camera is weather resistant.

The problem with Pentax's lens lineup is the Limiteds are not weather resistant. Throw a couple of O-rings in there and make it happen.

The problem with Pentax's lens lineup is they got rid of the green ring. While the red ring is nice and all, the green was different.

This discontinued lens is not a problem.
6 replies · active 585 weeks ago
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interesting thread's avatar

interesting thread · 585 weeks ago

Did the FA20-35 have decentering issues? A user a dpreview says the 20-40 might.
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3595241#for...

For $1000, can't manufacturers get rid of lens variations?

Please don't quote that stupid over-quoted useless lens rental place "This lens is soft" article. I pay that much money, I want a sharp lens. No excuses. And I don't want to return multiple copies to get a good one.

Thanks,
4 replies · active 585 weeks ago
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Pasang Cctv Di Solo's avatar - Go to profile

Pasang Cctv Di Solo · 463 weeks ago

Thanks for sharing

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