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Pentax D-FA* 70-200mm and D-FA 150-450mm Announced
#1
HD Pentax-D FA★ 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW 
1755g

<div>$2299 USD  
 
</div>
 
HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW
2000g
$2499 USD
 
 

Sources:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/pen...unced.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/11..._d_fa.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/11..._d_fa.html

 

 
 
#2
It quite interesting that the 150-450mm is not a designated DA* lens.

#3
Quote:It quite interesting that the 150-450mm is not a designated DA* lens.
 

Good catch.  Better built?  Because of the "Super ED" elements?

 

[Image: 70-200mm_optics.jpg]

They were really struggling with the names.  "Extra-low" AND "Extraordinary-low"..wait, what?   :wacko:
#4
Quote:They were really struggling with the names.  "Extra-low" AND "Extraordinary-low"..wait, what?   :wacko:
 

Big Grin  Big Grin
#5
Quote:It quite interesting that the 150-450mm is not a designated DA* lens.

I think it is because of the variable/f5.6 aperture. Just like the 560.
#6
DA used to mean "APS-C" (although some DA lenses have a FF coverage) and FA full frame?
#7
FA lenses are full frame and have an aperture ring, and yes DA are APS-C and have no aperture ring (and some have FF-coverage).    

#8
HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW

 

A long awaited lens in Pentaxland,  shame I can't afford it!

#9
Quote:DA used to mean "APS-C" (although some DA lenses have a FF coverage) and FA full frame?
 

Pentax designations are not really clear cut like Nikon with DX/FX designation. 

 

Historically the Pentax lenses versions are:

K was the first K mount bayonet mount.

M was the miniaturized lenses for K mount

A was the auto aperture for KA mount (K mount with aperture connections)

F was the auto focus for KAF mount (KA mount with autofocus)

FA lenses were the last film-era lenses.  They were restyled F basically, but added power zoom for some lenses and a KAF2 mount for powerzoom and transferred MTF lens information to the body.  

DA are digital lenses which technically only indicated that they have digital-optimized coatings and also have NO aperture ring.  (The digital bodies totally dropped stopped down couplers.)  By default, they were APS-C only.

D-FA were digital-era lenses but with aperture rings indicating that they could be used on all older film bodies.  Obviously that requires them to also be cover a larger image circle.  Since Pentax at the time had not FF plans, they were launched as digital lenses that were film compatible.

 

The D-FA designation is the most logical designation for a full frame lens.  (Interesting, these 2 new D-FA zooms are the first in the series to have no aperture rings.)

 

(There were also a couple of other lens series including the FA-J and DA-L which were budget offerings and not worth discussing. Also the Star and Ltd sub-variations are not discussed and which have more to do with build quality than compatibility )

 

Pentax is not always consistent with their naming.  For instance, the two new budget primes in 35 and 50mm should be DA-L lenses, but they are DA.  The current 100mm Macro is built like a Ltd, but it's not designated as such.  The 14mm is built like Star lens but it's not one.  The Ltd's were always primes, then they came out with that stupid variable aperture Ltd zoom which did't make sense on any level.
#10
Hands on with the 70-200 and 150-400:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/phot...tax-lenses

 

"I was also able to check out the HD PENTAX D FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW lens. It is a large, comfortable zoom that's incredibly fast and confident when acquiring autofocus. Also, the manual focus ring was very smooth and located in the perfect spot to support the lens and adjust focus with just one finger. I found it a bit larger than need be, but functionally very impressive. The HD PENTAX D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW lens was just a beast. With its red dot sight, it found focus and tracked well, but it, too, was very big, even for such a powerful zoom range, and its rings didn’t rotate too smoothly."

  


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