Digital lenses - slower than they should be?

Just an observation, but are we being short changed?

Given the 2/3 or 3/4 image size then why are there not more F2 lenses, why so many F4's when they could be F2.8's?

Slower lenses are cheaper, smaller and lighter. That's what most consumers want. F2.8 zooms are quite large even when the image circle is minimised for digital.

As Pete says, I think consumers want small and light so the manufacturers tailor their wares accordingly. Also, digital allows people to shoot better quality at what - in the film era - would have been unthinkably high ISO's, which makes the need for ultra-fast glass somewhat less pressing.

Large aperture lenses are still with us though (for those with deep enough pockets), and I think they do offer better value than their "full frame" equivalents. Take the new DA*55/1.4 as an example; this lens is more-or-less a direct (digital) replacement for the FA*85/1.4 yet is rumoured to be retailing for around the £400 mark when it launches - try getting hold of a second-hand FA*85 for double that amount of money!

Overall, I don't think we have too much to complain about...

Just to follow on from Hefty, I love my fast glass which are all older manual focus "Pentax A series" lenses. They are a joy to use but as he says deep pockets are required and at times mine are not deep enough.

But where would we all be without a wish list

I wish that Pentax, would produce more fast glass, even if it was to complement the slower stuff that they have. I am lucky to have some fast stuff, such as the FA50mm f1.4 (lovely lovely lovely..) M55mm f1.8 and a takumar 135mm F2.5 manual.

Not sure whether I would want the DA*55mm as I already have the fifty, I just wish that they would come out the a new 85mm with SDM, which taking the crop into account, would be the perfect portrait lens (not that my DA*50-135mm is any slouch....)

As for size, LCE in Manchester have the Nikkor 300mm F2.8 in the window at the moment, and its a monster! I can image if Pentax brought out a F2.8 version of the DA*300mm would be similar.
Mind you you can still get the FA*600mm to special order if you want and have lots of pennies going spare....

Shall we start a campaign on the Lenses we want Pentax to bring out (based on classic lenses) only this time have SDM on them too?

I will start

Dear Pentax, please bring out the following lenses ASAP:-

DFA* 85mm F1.4 SDM
DFA* 135mm F2.5 SDM
DFA 31mm F1.8 Limited SDM
DFA* 500mm F4.5 SDM
DFA* 80-200mm F2.8 SDM

Thats it (for now)

I'm not that worried about SDM, but I would like an AF version of my M200/4.

Nice little lens; pretty sharp wide open, acts like a 300/4 on digital, tiny size (slips in the pocket), great IQ. What's not to like?

I would like a DA* 150mm+ macro lens.
Weather proof body and macro lens .... nice.

@Offertonhatter
I think until/unless Pentax goes full-frame, we're going to be looking at some different lenses than you're hoping for.
The DA*55 1.4 is an APS-C "digital replacement" for the 85--with the crop factor, it's close to the same focal length.
The DA*30 that's on the roadmap will be as close as we get to a re-release of the 31 ltd. If it was a 1.4, that would be stellar!

Pentax really do produce some incredible lenses, quite unique in some cases. They have never been afraid to think "outside the box" and even in the screw thread days went for 120mm and 150mm lenses that nobody else produced.

My only regret is that realistically I can't have them all...

True farfisa, but I would still like Pentax to produce a new 85mm, as it will still be an 85mm lens and act like an 85mm, even though the effective fov would be 127.5mm. It would just be a great Portrait lens. My 50mm is just a little too wide for head an shoulders shots, even though its efov is 75mm.
But thats me, maybe in my dream list of calling for them to be DFA, is in the hope that someday they will produce a FF DSLR. And as a plus, if it was a DFA i could still use it on my MZ-5n (even though it would not be SDM, only screw focus.)

You have a point with the DFA versatility--and a FF from Pentax would be great! The K1. It would complete my process of removing a zero every time I get a new camera.

I find the 77 to be a great portrait lens on the K10D, and a great lens overall (my current favourite, in fact).

Love my M200/F4 as well, its always on my KM, or else its my M135mm/F3.5. So yes I guess a DA*200/F4 should be on my K10D - but, having done a Tiger safari back in March I was swapping between 200/F4 and 400/F8 using a 2x, so that would mean I need the DA*300/F4.

The lens I always wanted for my KM was the old M or A 20mm/F2 - super linear and whenever I looked it was still £600 secondhand. So that means I need a DA*14mm/F2, at the moment there is the DA 14mm/F2.8 so we are getting there.

Interesting I hardly ever use a 50mm.

If those are older k mount lenses you want digital versions of, then the 85 F/1.4 would be the new 55, the 135 would be a 90mm F2.5 SDM, the 31 would be a 20mm F/1.8 (a hard lens to make), then 500 would be around 330-340 mark, and the 80-200 is the 50-135

if you just want those lenses though, they are the equiv of 128, 200, 46, 750, 120-350mm on film.. and those, apart from the 200, are all weird lenses to want. Well, maybe a 135. Or the 43. Or 100-300.

As I said before, I think what you really want are 55, 90, 20, 300, 50-135.. those focal lengths can easily be obtained (perhaps 3rd party but..)

As I said before, a 55mm is not an 85mm. Only a 55mm in FOV. Only with the crop would it become an 85mm from an Effective FOV. A 55mm is still a 55mm lens, as is an 85mm, 135mm etc.
I would want Pentax to produce these lenses reproduced as is, not smaller, so with the 85mm lens you would get an 85mm lens, which would produce 85mm effects in 35mm film, FF DSLR (hence why I called them DFA) and the equiv of 127.5mm in APS-C crop (although it is still an 85mm).

The FOV of a lens does not change no matter the format type. Hence why the larger the format, the larger the lens to get the "standard" lens.

I would love Pentax to produce the lenses mentioned in my original thread, as they surely still have the blueprints for the optics, and with SDM, would make a cracking range to use on my Film, cropped DSLR and future FF SLRS that may happen.

Personally I prefer for Pentax to make these lenses, rather than go 3rd Party as the optics are better.

I don't think such a beast exists: According to Bojidar's website there is a K and M 20mm F4 or a A or FA F2.8 but no 20mm F2...

Best wishes, Kris.