The Pentax System Doesn't Have Enough Lenses

[Shift4g]

This is one thing I've always either overheard mentioned or seen pointed out to people who bring up or show interest in the Pentax brand. I thought this was interesting to actually see. The site below shows the most popular body and lens combinations culled from online picture data.

Cameras + Lenses

In this particular case, the results indicate that many users in the Nikon and Canon (FF or crop) camp do not necessarily circulate through their large libraries of available lenses. Which makes sense, because why would you (working professionals aside) just hop from lens to lens if you find a handful that cover your desired focal lengths, and please you optically?

This visual realization is not surprising to me, as this was always something I thought to myself when someone would highlight the "issue" of limited lenses for the K-1 as a reason not to switch or try it. While technically true by comparison, and more lens options are needed overall, is it really that big of a deal if people are real about their needs? The majority of focal lengths used for all the listed bodies are covered in some fashion in Pentax's library for either format, so a large chunk of other system owners would be just fine over here if that was the most important deciding factor for them.

It seems that most everything that people buy these days is bought based on like of the idea or potential of capability of a thing, and not whether they plan, are capable of, or even deep down have a true desire to explore it.

 

[Ari Aikomus]

....This visual realization is not surprising to me, as this was always something I thought to myself when someone would highlight the "issue" of limited lenses for the K-1 as a reason not to switch or try it. While technically true by comparison, and more lens options are needed overall, is it really that big of a deal if people are real about their needs? The majority of focal lengths used for all the listed bodies are covered in some fashion in Pentax's library for either format, so a large chunk of other system owners would be just fine over here if that was the most important deciding factor for them....

...It seems that most everything that people buy these days is bought based on like of the idea or potential of capability of a thing, and not whether they plan, are capable of, or even deep down have a true desire to explore it...

Yep. There may not be enough Pentax K lenses for people's minds and fantasies. But really enough lenses for photography!

Actually any selection is never enough... For example check Nikon Canon forums. Complaints there too. The human mind is a strange and insatiable.

Ari

 

[noflashplease]

This is one thing I've always either overheard mentioned or seen pointed out to people who bring up or show interest in the Pentax brand. I thought this was interesting to actually see. The site below shows the most popular body and lens combinations culled from online picture data.

Cameras + Lenses

In this particular case, the results indicate that many users in the Nikon and Canon (FF or crop) camp do not necessarily circulate through their large libraries of available lenses. Which makes sense, because why would you (working professionals aside) just hop from lens to lens if you find a handful that cover your desired focal lengths, and please you optically?

This visual realization is not surprising to me, as this was always something I thought to myself when someone would highlight the "issue" of limited lenses for the K-1 as a reason not to switch or try it. While technically true by comparison, and more lens options are needed overall, is it really that big of a deal if people are real about their needs? The majority of focal lengths used for all the listed bodies are covered in some fashion in Pentax's library for either format, so a large chunk of other system owners would be just fine over here if that was the most important deciding factor for them.

It seems that most everything that people buy these days is bought based on like of the idea or potential of capability of a thing, and not whether they plan, are capable of, or even deep down have a true desire to explore it.

There are gaps in almost any system. Right now, Pentax doesn't have any full frame primes wider than 31mm, which is understandable given the company's late arrival to the full frame market. Is it a big deal in an era of top notch wide angle zooms like the 15-30mm? Not from the standpoint of sales volumes, although on a personal level I'm losing interest in zooms in general. Wide angle primes are a selling point to a small subset of users.

Often, enthusiasts place too much emphasis on meaninglessly bloated lens catalogs. Nikon has a huge selection of dated AF-D lenses, many of which are similar in vintage to the old FA lenses that Pentax dropped over 10 years ago. Nikon also has a growing number of very controversial and overpriced lenses like the 58mm G and more recent 105mm F/1.4. Does this place Pentax at a competitive disadvantage? I don't think so.

 

[Smitty1]

Yet the Canon 24-105 f/4 and Nikon 24-120 f/4 are the most popular FF lenses on the entire list.

Pentax doesn't have one.

They have a D-FA 28-105mm with a variable aperture. But that isn't too close to the same. Not wide enough and variable aperture make for disappointing specs. And wanting a second lens to shoot wider or faster.

I hope we see a comparable lens in the Pentax stable very soon (as in next year). They cheapened out with the 28mm design imo.

 

[left eye]

The one lens that would cover most peoples needs most of the time, including myself is the now standard zoom range of 24-70. Yet seemingly due to insisting on constant f2.8 the new Pentax/Tamron offering is heavy and suffers in sharpness, not just at the corners but the edges also, not good enough!

On the flip-side new Pentax design 28-105 with it's variable aperture, doesn't suffer in image sharpness, it has great sharpness corner to corner.

In fact I'd rather have seen the 24-70 designed for maximum sharpness rather than maximum aperture speed - especially as it's aimed at a high res-sensor (a v.sharp lens important) with IBIS (a bright lens not so important).

Even if next year Pentax had designed an f2.8 that had a slightly different range I think this would make more sense along with a slower and sharper initial standard zoom.

I know those of you are happy with the 24-70, may disagree, but I've now looked at so many RAWs from the 24-70 and 28-105, and read of owners of the 24-70 being unhappy with it (returning the K-1 with it for a refund), that it's not jumping out at me as the quality optic deserved by the K-1.

No being able to choose the 24-70 due to it's inadequate sharpness is also dissuading me from the K-1, which is an annoying place for Pentax to have put me in!! If I do go for the K-1 soon, I'll have to pair it with the 28-105, but this is not quite wide enough for me, and I don't need the extra tele length. Pfff.

Plus there's not much to interest me on Pentax lens roadmap, or any rumours of other brands joining the K-mount.

 

[klavrack]

I'm very happy with my K-1, but this really is an issue for Pentax. The fact that any given owner may settle on just a few lenses and end up rarely using some of them doesn't mean there's no need for a broad range of choices, since your preferred 3 might be very different from mine.

To counter the extra FF body weight, I prefer lightweight zooms, but don't need them to be low-light optimized. So I had to find a 20-35/4 used, which would be much better with modern coatings and WR. I'd like a high IQ WR 24-70/4 and a 70-200/4, but neither exists. I'd love for the Tamron or Sigma 150-600 to be available for Pentax. In the end, I decided that the K-1's advantages outweighed the disads, but lens selection made it a close call for me.

OTOH, A lot of Canikon users would like to have good lightweight stabilized primes. Bottom line, the broader the lens selection, the broader your customer appeal.

 

[Sinitar]

The lack of 3rd party lens choices really disappointed me. Many of the existing Pentax lenses can't compete with their Tamron, Sigma alternatives in optics or price. But we don't have much choice as newer lenses from these companies have no K mount option. Sad.

 

[EArenz]

Yep. There may not be enough Pentax K lenses for people's minds and fantasies. But really enough lenses for photography!

Actually any selection is never enough... For example check Nikon Canon forums. Complaints there too. The human mind is a strange and insatiable.

Good one Ari. On the topic of the human mind being strange and insatiable: I'm for many more new lenses so that people will buy and sell them and I'll have a better chance of affording some good used ones. ;-)

 

[photosen]

It's a good point; but here's another strange fact about humans: how one set of brand users (Pentax) always need to define themselves against other brands (Canon, Nikon), it's a sort of deep seated insecurity. Enjoy your Pentax and don't worry too much about what other people think or don't think about you or your brand, or your strange marriage to your brand.

 

[Twong]

Very few people would admit that they are technically or artistically inferior. So, what is left to blame is obviously equipment. THe second reason is the desire to be in the majority. Power in the number. Those who stick with Pentax thru the years are truly exceptional but weird people. I am glad to be one of those.

 

[pcarfan]

It seems that most everything that people buy these days is bought based on like of the idea or potential of capability of a thing, and not whether they plan, are capable of, or even deep down have a true desire to explore it.

I wish...I thought they buy what ever the Kardashians or who ever they think is hip, tells them to

 

[Roland Karlsson]

Pentax has the largest set of stabilized lenses as it has IBIS, in particular if we include legacy lenses.

And, what other brand has 31, 43 and 77 mm lenses?

There is a hole at super wide angle, but there are Irix, Samyang and Sigma maybe.

There is also a hole in super teles.

But, of course, there is a difference. Here is the number of lenses you can buy at my favorite dealer for different FF cameras.

Canon: 190
Nikon: 172
Sony A: 63
Sony E: 51
Pentax: 40

 

[Shift4g]

don't worry too much about what other people think or don't think about you or your

.

Not doing this is kind of baked into being human though. Certainly easier said than done for most, but I agree that this should be the default M.O. in a lot of circumstances.

At any rate, this was just speaking to what it is often used as a reason (without the necessary context) to stay away from Pentax.

 

[left eye]

Pentax has the largest set of stabilized lenses as it has IBIS, in particular if we include legacy lenses.

And, what other brand has 31, 43 and 77 mm lenses?

screw-drive lenses are embarrassing (I own a couple of limited's), I'm always apologising for their ridiculous humorous sound and muttering come on you c*nt focus!!

There is a hole at super wide angle, but there are Irix, Samyang and Sigma maybe.

manual focus?

There is also a hole in super teles.

don't care

But, of course, there is a difference. Here is the number of lenses you can buy at my favorite dealer for different FF cameras.

Canon: 190
Nikon: 172
Sony A: 63
Sony E: 51
Pentax: 40

we just want a standard zoom, top quality sharpness, variable aperture, Pentax design not Tamron; so similar to the great Pentax 24-105, but could be better if 24-70 (the Tamron 2.8 is a disservice to the K-1).

+ a wide zoom, 18-40 variable aperture (yes please lets drop constant aperture it makes lenses very heavy, expensive and not edge/corner sharp!)

Would you join me in kickstarter if I develop them?! - I guess yes, but I can't - so what do we do???

--
/Roland
Kalpanika X3F tools:
https://github.com/kalpanika/x3f

 

[Roland Karlsson]

Pentax has the largest set of stabilized lenses as it has IBIS, in particular if we include legacy lenses.

And, what other brand has 31, 43 and 77 mm lenses?

screw-drive lenses are embarrassing (I own a couple of limited's), I'm always apologising for their ridiculous humorous sound and muttering come on you c*nt focus!!

he he .... I have no big problems with screw drive. At least not for primes.

There is a hole at super wide angle, but there are Irix, Samyang and Sigma maybe.

manual focus?

The 20 mm Sigma is AF. A bit too large for my taste. But ... seems to be good.

There is also a hole in super teles.

don't care

Same here

But, of course, there is a difference. Here is the number of lenses you can buy at my favorite dealer for different FF cameras.

Canon: 190
Nikon: 172
Sony A: 63
Sony E: 51
Pentax: 40

we just want a standard zoom, top quality sharpness, variable aperture, Pentax design not Tamron; so similar to the great Pentax 24-105, but could be better if 24-70 (the Tamron 2.8 is a disservice to the K-1).

• a wide zoom, 18-40 variable aperture (yes please lets drop constant aperture it makes lenses very heavy, expensive and not edge/corner sharp!)

Would you join me in kickstarter if I develop them?! - I guess yes, but I can't - so what do we do???

I have the 28-105. It is nice.

 

[p1726]

On the flip-side new Pentax design 28-105 with it's variable aperture, doesn't suffer in image sharpness, it has great sharpness corner to corner.

Lack of sharpness corner to corner is exactly what this lens suffers from.

 

[Tim Reidy Productions]

pentax k1 has a crop mode that will shoot with all of the da lenses, plus there are lots of legacy glass such as 28-80. a few da glass can be used with the K1

My question is what shot are you missing with this product.

 

[Tatouzou]

People like me who are happy with their Pentax gear are out shooting real life, not just complaining on this forum of what they see when pixel-peeping brick walls or sharpness maps.

I read lots of whining about the DA 24-70 f2.8 supposed corner softness, but I enjoy what Man Kun/Bruce Tail Hiker does with it and regularly shares on this forum: he is obviously a talented pro and says it is one of the best lenses ever made.

As for old fashioned AF, though I appreciate the fast and silent DC lenses, I dont mind screwdrive AF on my K3 with my DA limiteds 15, 21, 35 macro, 40 and 70.

It also worked great in september on my DA 55-300 in Tanzania Serengeti and Ngorongoro, and didnt scare the wildife.

Will post some this fall on my flickr gallery.

And my son favorites on his K3 are the screwdriven FA31, FA77 and FA135.

Camera and lenses are just tools to express yourself, and when I am out shooting, I care more about the action, the light, exposure and capture settings, framing and the DOF or subject isolation I expect than about the corner sharpness of my lens.

--
Tatouzou,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/70066783@N06/

 

[howieb101]

Well corner sharpness missing at F11 would be an issue. I don't own the new Pentax 24-70mm so I don't know how good/bad it is.

However, if you are shooting at F2.8 or F4, most likely your subject is near the centre of the frame. With the depth of field at f2.8 or F4, you wouldn't expect sharp corners unless the focus point was in perfect alignment with whatever subject was in the corner.

If I buy an F2.8 or F4 lens, I want it to be as sharp as it can at that F stop otherwise what's the point of buying it? Soft corners? Well, if my subject that is in the middle 2/3s of the frame happens to be sharp, I don't care about the corners. Most likely I want a bit of bokeh shooting at F2.8-F4 so its actually impossible for the corners to be sharp anyway.

Howie Be

 

[DAVID MANZE]

One of the biggest holes is the lack of a 150-600mm zoom for sports and birding, both Tamron and Sigma make them, (now there are two from each manufacturer), I agonized looking at the Tamron until I cracked and bought a Nikon with one, it was a game changer for me.

It would be a "super massive" game changer if SIG/TAM brought out a K mount version of these lenses!

--https://www.flickr.com/photos/124690178@N08/

Dave's clichés