RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: D FA★ 70-200mm F2.8 is Delayed Again!

Saturday, November 14, 2015

D FA★ 70-200mm F2.8 is Delayed Again!

http://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info/2015/20151113_009888.html
(in Japanese)

They say, "In order to meet the performance which was originally expected." And the new release time will be advised later in December. So, what has gone wrong with this lens!? :-o

Comments (17)

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-1 Vote up Vote down

ToetSFX · 487 weeks ago

Very strange, is this lens Pentax original manufactured / designed or outsourced by Tamron? May be Ricoh-Pentax expected much higher quality output and Tamron can't / will not deliver? Because they finished the job and now say "good is good enough"? May be a discussion between to partners regarding wished outstanding versus delivered excellent quality. May be a big problem and they have to remove the * designation but they won't .....

8 replies · active 486 weeks ago

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Kunzite · 487 weeks ago

This is a Pentax (well, Ricoh Imaging) designed lens. A quite ambitious project, with no less than 8 special glass elements.

We're not told what exactly they wanted to improve before delivery. Perhaps we'll find out, after people who tried the prototypes would get their hands on a final, production model.

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RiceHigh 110p · 486 weeks ago

It will not be better than the Canon and Nikon latest counterparts anyway. The lack of ILIS makes it to have lower price/performance from birth. The IBIS don't live up to the standard of ILIS for tele. So, what are the real difficulties?

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Kunzite · 486 weeks ago

Even if it would be sharper, and put on a Pentax body with a 4.5 stops SR?
Or... it's not the lack of in-lens stabilization, but the brand - you bashing Pentax as usual?

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RiceHigh 110p · 486 weeks ago

Try ILIS against IBIS yourself for tele shooting and convince yourself again IBIS is better!

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Kunzite · 486 weeks ago

Which "ILIS" against which "IBIS"?
The "latest and greatest" SR is the one in the K-3II, specified for 4.5 stops. I didn't try it.
The Pentax FF's is still unknown.
Other brands have in-body stabilization with various degrees of effectiveness.

And FTR, I never claimed that "IBIS" is better; I would never make such blanket statements.

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Aspa · 486 weeks ago

And you, Rice, try some tripod or monopod for tele shooting next time :-)
Or, maybe, turn on ILIS in some older Canikon lenses? What? Doesn't work? Doesn't exist... What a shame... And I can use stabilisation with my old manual Tokina 300mm, or with my old AF Sigma 400mm just because they are compatible with my Pentax K-5 and there is IBIS built-in...
Seriously - what is better: to have 5 EV stabilization (useless if you subject is moving, anyway) with selected, expensive lenses, or 3 or 3.5 EV with virtually ANY lens?

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Marco · 486 weeks ago

The nikon 70-200 2.8 is a good lens, but not a stellar one as it was designed with apsc in mind (or film). The old 80-200 was much better optically, but had obviously a worse AF and had no stabilization. I can't see why the new pentax shouldn't be better...

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ToetSFX · 486 weeks ago

OK, THX a lot for the reaction. I would like to know the reason for the delay. I don't care regarding Ilis/Ibis discussions. We use Pentax, not Nikon / Canon. I am only interested in much as high (Ibis) Pentax image quality. For example comparable with PENTAX DA* 200 2.8 OUTSTANDING quality.

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teusrenes 48p · 486 weeks ago

Ricehigh why can't it be better than its n/c counterparts. Very dubious posting from you. Just wait the real test results and we will see.

1 reply · active 486 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 486 weeks ago

If you don't believe, let's wait and see.

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Pentaxfools · 486 weeks ago

The FF will be released by April.
I know this as a fact there is no question about this date.
I would expect the 70-200 to be release prior to or with the FF. I don't expect the new version to be better than the out of production FA*. Again the FF will absolutely be release prior to April first. I'm just not sure which year. But it will be prior to April first or as it is better known Pentax Day!

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Belnan · 486 weeks ago

Based on the early reviews the DFA* 70-200 was stellar lens. I suspect they wanted to tweak the lens's focus system to match the speed Canikon. I think in terms of speed it was good but maybe not quite as good. Optically it might be as good or better.

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Artur · 486 weeks ago

I have tested this lens in August, preproduction sample. Very high image quality but absolutely impossible to be used during fast actions like sport for example. VERY disappointed AF-system. I have finished the "testing" just after few minutes and return to my Bigma, which is times better.
Also I have tested 150-450, this lens doesn't have this problem.

3 replies · active 486 weeks ago

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Mike · 486 weeks ago

That I'm afraid is a deal breaker for me, not just for this lens but for the forthcoming Pentax full frame. I've found 70-200mm ideal for my purposes but it needs to have fast AF, otherwise there's no point in having either. The reason for me to migrate back to DSLR from mirrorless is principally down to autofocus and the near absence of operational lag.

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Artur · 486 weeks ago

I think they problem is not in the AF-motor, but in protocol between camera and lens or in the electronics. But the test example was absolutely unusable for the sport.

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Mike · 486 weeks ago

Thanks Artur. Hope it works well with the K-1, otherwise it'll have to be a Nikon and their trinity of f/2.8 zooms.

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Saturday, November 14, 2015

D FA★ 70-200mm F2.8 is Delayed Again!

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