[admin]

https://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info2/2021/20211014_021404.html

[Brightcolours]

Oh, a post from that illusive poster "admin", who has his/her name in light blue on light blue!

It still puzzles me, what Pentax means with "Limited".

[thxbb12]

It still puzzles me, what Pentax means with "Limited".

Marketing blah blah to impress buyers?

At Pentax/Ricoh HQ somewhere in Tokyo:

• Hey, let's name some of our lenses "limited" to make it seem they are special. Customers will think there are better than other regular lenses
  
• But which ones should qualify as "limited"?
  
• Doesn't matter, let's pick them at random!
  
• Great idea! Customers will think they are premium lenses which is the perfect excuse to make them more expensive than they should!
  
• <round of applause>
  

[Brightcolours]

Maybe it began with meaning "limited production number", but they soon figured that since Pentax has such a small user base, the limited production never runs out?

[Klaus]

The real shocker is the price tag .. €1,499

[Rover]

I know it's bad taste to poke fun at anyone, including Pentax, but with prices like that they have to be thankful that Sigma and Tamron are no longer making new lenses in K mount.

Also raising eyebrows (if not fears) is the fact that AF is relegated to a short couple of lines, as the third point under "Other features". It's literally "little more than a footnote" and if it really speaks of their order of priorities, it portends no good for the actual performance. But I'd be happy to be mistaken on this count.

[thxbb12]

The real shocker is the price tag .. €1,499

Oh it's not that expensive, mind you they mention this in the list of features:

• Serial number assigned to each lens (from 0000001 for the black model; from 1000001 for the silver model
  

Awesome. It well deserves its 1500 euros price tag.

Also, at 9cm long for a f2.4 prime, it's surely a very compact lens.

Sorry, couldn't help it ;-)

[Brightcolours]

The real shocker is the price tag .. €1,499

Oh it's not that expensive, mind you they mention this in the list of features:

• Serial number assigned to each lens (from 0000001 for the black model; from 1000001 for the silver model
  

That is a very convenient way to determine whether you are dealing with a silver or a black model.

[Kunzite]

It looks to me this section exists solely so non-Pentaxians would have the opportunity to bash/othering the brand.

The Limited series - and I'm talking mostly about the FA and the new D FA here* - are lenses optimized for rendering qualities and less so for numerical evaluations. Pentax' literature about the new D FA Limited speaks about combining smooth, soft bokeh rendering at close distances with edge to edge sharpness at longer distances. They're doing this by subjective evaluation of actual images, rather than only numbers.

For this lens they even built a special barrel, able to adjust for different amounts of bokeh effect.
I can't wait to see what this lens can do. It's the first real "digital" Limited after all.

People are mentioning - as usual - Sigma and Tamron. Their lenses... my impression is that they're optimized for test charts and reviews. Which is of course fine if that's what you want.
But the Limited name means something.

https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/limited_lens/interview/?utm_source=rim_lens_e&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=hddfa21f24_interview

* the DA Limiteds, of which I own 3, appears to be optimized for size.

P.S. It's a bit pricier than I hoped, though.

---

Also raising eyebrows (if not fears) is the fact that AF is relegated to a short couple of lines, as the third point under "Other features". It's literally "little more than a footnote" and if it really speaks of their order of priorities, it portends no good for the actual performance. But I'd be happy to be mistaken on this count.

Whose eyebrows? Given that this is an ultra-wide angle prime, how much were you expecting them to talk about AF?

The lens has a DC motor, which is a known quantity in Pentax-land. It won't be the fastest (that's the PLM), but it should provide decent speed. I prefer it to the PLM, because with DC we have a mechanically connected lens; focus-by-wire can be acceptable on a zoom but has no place in a Limited.

Most important - for lenses such as this - is the precision, and in the interview it seems they specifically made sure the AF will be precise. Screw drive AF is often very fast, but needs micro-adjustments completely ruining the AF experience.

I see only one potential weakness, that is AF noise for video using the integrated microphone. But, come one...

[Rover]

"People are mentioning - as usual - Sigma and Tamron. Their lenses... my impression is that they're optimized for test charts and reviews. Which is of course fine if that's what you want." <<< come on... nobody ever does that. For some reason some people like to criticize good sharp lenses, I mostly see this as a case of subconsciously attempting to defend their purchases (or at least some brands on categories they associate themselves with) if there's a measurably better product out there, especially at lower prices.

Fast, precise and silent AF is mostly a given now across most every brand, right?