release date for 560mm ???

After recent events, they might have learnt a lesson.

But sadly, as in politics, such lessons are soon forgotten.

G

I think the Sigma SD1 camera is a case in point here. It has dropped in price by 60% overnight and has been renamed the SD1 Merrill but it is essentially the same camera- any early adopter would surely feel utterly robbed- even though Sigma are talking about vouchers for money off their products as recompense.

For me that is not right (then again anyone who has parted with over £5k for an APSc camera that only takes Sigma lenses must have a screw loose- and I dont care what sensor is in it!).

Ricoh take note.

I think, Japers, that this is an example of a huge and hubristic error in pricing, not just an adjustment to the EAP (Early-Adopters' Premium).

This is probably Sigma's last gasp as a camera manufacturer. It's interesting that no new name has managed to compete successfully in the serious photography market. Despite having enormous resources, and one of the world's best known names, Sony has made little impact. Samsung made none. Panasonic still aren't in the serious (aka SLR) camera market. All the best brands were in business 40 years or more ago.

Sony might have succeeded had it retained the Minolta name.

Ricoh has seen this, and realised that if it is to get anywhere it needed a name with pedigree. Thankfully, they've got cash as well.

G

and I said that the 60-250 lens is bad? but the fact that the price is not cheap for a lens with an aperture is a fact! not less in any case than the other brands .. and if the 560 price is comparable, I'm afraid we do not like it ..

Why should the price of the 60-250mm be less than any of the other brands?
If you want quality you pay for it .. simple as that.

because the other participants in this discussion mentioned that Pentax is cheaper than other brands .. I also gave an example with this lens proves otherwise .. a point we have to pay for quality-of course I know! but the price must be reasonable! and then you can buy and Leica.

If the lens is priced competitively, it might drive new users into the Pentax system. As G said it is a different proposition to the other brands faster long glass. How much does the telescope they adapted it from cost?

There's no point me filling out the poll becuase I wouldn't buy such a lens even if it cost 5 pence.... simply wouldn't have any use for it, and where on earth would I store it in my little flat?!

If you are going to use a lens as an example then why not pick one that you can compare with other brands then?. AFAIK No one has anything like the 60-250mm f4, they all start at 70mm and finish at 200mm.

Actually I based my pricing on how other companies priced similar products, along with a reference to the product lifespan cycle and previous pricing strategies by Pentax.

The high new prices are not about fleecing potential customers but about recovering initial tooling costs & r & d. if you look at the product lifespan cycle image, just google it, you will see that the peak sale is generally half way through, from that point, demand for the product decreases so the price decreases..

Apple avoid this altogether by keeping the price constant all the way through the product cycle, with this in mind Apple consumers are more likely to buy on launch as they know there is no reason to buy later as there will be very little difference in price. The price usually stays constant until the next product replacement is launched, then the price is reduced...

I disagree, and so do you!

Like Apple, it is open to any manufacturer to pay off its development costs over the product's life. The fact that some choose to charge more initially is because they can. It's the nature of the technology market that some people put greater store on having the latest thing than they do on value for money.

G

You only have to look at the 18-135mm to see what sort of drop in price is possible over a year or so. Not sure if it's down to reviews or a drop in costs but it has nearly halved in that time.

I think the lifespan cycle of the 560mm will be a lot longer than the 18-135mm

@George

it is so according to your principle? I personally it is increasing the range of the zoom did not fundamentally change .. in contrast to the same intensity .. I'm a big fan of the Pentax but still need to look at things objectively .. and certainly if you talk about what one has got to do the comparison is clearly not in favor of Pentax. for example, the same Canon 400 f5.6 ... yes, and many other lenses .. I personally came to the Pentax because it had found in this system is the best combination of price and quality .. and as correctly noted colleagues to compete with the more popular systems, including the need to offer the best price

Indeed.

The 7/6 1:1.4 50mm was introduced in 1965, and has, allegedly, just been discontinued. I think there may have been small changes over its lifespan, but essentially it is the same lens.

I am not an expert on these, and if anybody knows better (Womble?), please chip in.

But if I am correct, the lens has been around for close to fifty years. That's a tribute to the original design, and to Asahi's expertise.

Whether the 560 will last so long is disputable. But if it's a good lens, it will probably be around for quite a while.

G

The 560mm may well be based on a similar lens, maybe even the 600mm. Perhaps the 600mm always was closer to 560mm. In any event, it has no doubt been on the drawing board for some time, just waiting for the "Go" button to be pressed.