CIPA Reveals that Total Shipments of DCs and ILCs are Only 27.4% of Those in 2019

CIPA has published figures about the digital camera shipments, which are both only 27.4% of the quantities in 2019, as in May 2020, for both Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILCs) and Digital Still Cameras (DSCs).

After all, in view of the rather poor sales of cameras in this year, would it be really wise (or unwise) for Pentax (Ricoh) to launch their new flagship in September as rumoured? :-(

Pentax Aperture Block Problem Class Action Lawsuit

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/electronics/pentax-camera-class-action-alleges-aperture-defect/

"A camera owner has filed a class action lawsuit against Ricoh USA Inc. over claims that the company’s line of Pentax camera products are defective in a way that causes them to produce useless, almost completely dark photographs."

Olympus is Running Out of Camera Business

https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/24/21301460/olympus-selling-camera-division-jip-vaio

Unofficial: French D FA* 85/1.4 Special Gallery

https://pentaxklub.com/galerie-en-special-d-fa-%E2%98%85-85-f-1-4/
(in French)

With both scenery and portrait samples. Unofficial.

Official: D FA* 85mm F1.4 Special Gallery

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/japan/products/star_lens/special/sp_dfa85-14/specialgallery/

(in Japanese)

No full or larger size of the photos are available nor those small-sized samples can be downloaded. For that small size of the samples, the image quality of the lens cannot be judged, sad. :-(

A D FA 70-210 F4 Practical Test

http://pentaxfans.net/thread-164343-1-1.html

Article/Post in Traditional Chinese, but the captions in test photos and crops are self-explanatory.

Mapcamera Tested the D FA* 85 F1.4 (with Medium Sized Samples)

https://news.mapcamera.com/KASYAPA/588%e3%80%8ehd-d-fa%e2%98%85-85mm-f1-4-ed-sdm-aw%e3%80%8f/

(in Japanese, Google translated English page here)

Test camera body used was an upgraded K-1 to Mk II. Medium-sized samples in 11MP are available.

New Lens Patent 70-300 F4.5-5.6 with In-lens SR

https://ipforce.jp/patent-jp-A-2020-86357
(in Japanese)

A few key highlights are as follows (Google Translated):

[Name or name] Ricoh Co., Ltd.

[0008]
However, in the zoom lens system of Patent Document 1, since the second lens group 2b, which is the image blur correction lens group, is close to the stop on the long focal length end side (tele end side), the long focal length end side (tele end is set at the time of image blur correction). The eccentric coma aberration generated on the side) tends to be large. Therefore, the second b group, which is the image blur correction lens group, is composed of three or more lenses, and there remains a problem in weight reduction of the image blur correction lens group.

(Table 5)
Short focal length end Medium focal length Long focal length end
Focal length 72.2 135.0 293.2

F number 4.43 4.88 5.34

(Table 8)
Short focal length end Medium focal length Long focal length end
Focal length 72.0 135.1 293.6

F number 4.59 4.96 5.52

A list of variants of the same design gene are patented. While the focal ranges are almost the same, the maximum apertures could vary a bit but the variations are insignificant.

FA*85 Vs D FA*85 Size Comparison

Possible New Optical Designs of the DA*16-50 F2.8 PLM

I recall the old post by the Pentax Rumors about the various new DA 16-50/2.8 lens designs and patent(s) for improved performance, one of which (amongst 10 nos.) would be selected by Pentax for this new lens. Which will they use finally? 16 elements in 13 groups (5 designs), 17 elements in 13 groups (3 designs), 15 elements in 12 groups (two designs)? We shall know by the next year of 2021. :-)