12-09-2012, 08:41 PM
[quote name='doh' timestamp='1355056450' post='21150']
Pentax bodies are reasonably priced, especially the original K-5, and they are supposed to be very resistant to elements, yet the lens selection is poor. Unless I'm missing something, there are only 3 decent WR lenses out there: 16-50, 50-135 and 60-250. No wide-angle WR zoom, no WR primes.. out of the 2 telephoto zooms you probably just pick one so in the end basically there are only 2 WR lenses for Pentax system.
[/quote]
Yes, you are missing some things, specifically:
[indent]SMC PENTAX DA 18-55MM F3.5-5.6 AL WR
SMC PENTAX-DA 18-135MM F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR
SMC PENTAX DA 50-200MM F4-5.6 ED WR
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 16-50MM F2.8 ED AL (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 50-135MM F2.8 ED (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 60-250MM F4 ED (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 55MM F1.4 SDM
SMC PENTAX D FA MACRO 100MM F2.8 WR
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 200MM F2.8 ED (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 300MM F4 ED(IF) SDM
HD PENTAX DA 560MM F5.6ED AW[/indent]
...a list which grows by one or two lenses every year.
WR primes don't make as much sense as zooms, except for macro and long lenses, because if the conditions are bad enough to warrant a WR lens then they are bad enough to warrant not changing lenses.
[quote name='doh' timestamp='1355056450' post='21150']
That could be fine, but the prices jump like crazy. 16-50 might cost ~$750 today, and then suddenly it's $1500, the next month it's back to $750 and all this madness has been going on for months now. Not to mention that the lens isn't anything special in terms of optical quality and is definitely not worth $1500. Saw the same swings for 50-135.
[/quote]
That's inaccurate as well. The prices of many Pentax lenses did indeed jump in the spring of this year as Pentax seemingly changed their strategy and brought their formerly excellently priced lenses more in line with the rest of the market. However, they have not swung between $750 and $1500, see here:
![[Image: 01068u-Pentax-smc-DA-16-50mm-F2.8-ED-AL-...-graph.png]](http://static.photoprice.ca/graph/01068u-Pentax-smc-DA-16-50mm-F2.8-ED-AL-IF-SDM-price-graph.png)
The price was around $900~$1100 before the price jump this year but now it's stabilized around $1200~$1300. (If you saw it at $750 several times over the past month and didn't grab it knowing that it's a great price, that's not really Pentax's fault.)
The flip-side of the lens price increases is that Pentax body pricing has been coming down through market forces and the introduction of the K-30.
To compare, here is the current USA body + 16-50 USD base prices, from whichever of B&H or Adorama has it cheaper:
K-30 $650 + $1100 = $1750
K-5 $750 + $1100 = $1850
K-5II $1200 + $1100 = $2300
and then compare to similar level (but unsealed) Canon/Nikon camera/lens combos:
7D + 17-55/2.8 = $1280 + $940 = $2200
D7000 + 17-55/2.8 = $900 + $1400 = $2300
If you want something lightweight and well priced, the K-30 + 18-55WR is ~800g and currently ~USD700. The slower lens is roughly comparable with μ4/3's aperture limitations.
Lots and lots of options in Pentax land, not at all like the picture you are trying to create.
Pentax bodies are reasonably priced, especially the original K-5, and they are supposed to be very resistant to elements, yet the lens selection is poor. Unless I'm missing something, there are only 3 decent WR lenses out there: 16-50, 50-135 and 60-250. No wide-angle WR zoom, no WR primes.. out of the 2 telephoto zooms you probably just pick one so in the end basically there are only 2 WR lenses for Pentax system.
[/quote]
Yes, you are missing some things, specifically:
[indent]SMC PENTAX DA 18-55MM F3.5-5.6 AL WR
SMC PENTAX-DA 18-135MM F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR
SMC PENTAX DA 50-200MM F4-5.6 ED WR
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 16-50MM F2.8 ED AL (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 50-135MM F2.8 ED (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 60-250MM F4 ED (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 55MM F1.4 SDM
SMC PENTAX D FA MACRO 100MM F2.8 WR
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 200MM F2.8 ED (IF) SDM
SMC PENTAX DA STAR 300MM F4 ED(IF) SDM
HD PENTAX DA 560MM F5.6ED AW[/indent]
...a list which grows by one or two lenses every year.
WR primes don't make as much sense as zooms, except for macro and long lenses, because if the conditions are bad enough to warrant a WR lens then they are bad enough to warrant not changing lenses.
[quote name='doh' timestamp='1355056450' post='21150']
That could be fine, but the prices jump like crazy. 16-50 might cost ~$750 today, and then suddenly it's $1500, the next month it's back to $750 and all this madness has been going on for months now. Not to mention that the lens isn't anything special in terms of optical quality and is definitely not worth $1500. Saw the same swings for 50-135.
[/quote]
That's inaccurate as well. The prices of many Pentax lenses did indeed jump in the spring of this year as Pentax seemingly changed their strategy and brought their formerly excellently priced lenses more in line with the rest of the market. However, they have not swung between $750 and $1500, see here:
The price was around $900~$1100 before the price jump this year but now it's stabilized around $1200~$1300. (If you saw it at $750 several times over the past month and didn't grab it knowing that it's a great price, that's not really Pentax's fault.)
The flip-side of the lens price increases is that Pentax body pricing has been coming down through market forces and the introduction of the K-30.
To compare, here is the current USA body + 16-50 USD base prices, from whichever of B&H or Adorama has it cheaper:
K-30 $650 + $1100 = $1750
K-5 $750 + $1100 = $1850
K-5II $1200 + $1100 = $2300
and then compare to similar level (but unsealed) Canon/Nikon camera/lens combos:
7D + 17-55/2.8 = $1280 + $940 = $2200
D7000 + 17-55/2.8 = $900 + $1400 = $2300
If you want something lightweight and well priced, the K-30 + 18-55WR is ~800g and currently ~USD700. The slower lens is roughly comparable with μ4/3's aperture limitations.
Lots and lots of options in Pentax land, not at all like the picture you are trying to create.