Run of K-mount Sigma 50-500 lenses to be produced

I posted this over on the US forum but I know there are plenty of wildlife photographers here who may be interested.

I don't really keep up with the super-telephoto news as it's not my thing but I thought this might be of interest to some. Apparently the Sigma 50-500 had been discontinued in the K-mount but according to this page (in Spanish) sent to me by a Spanish Pentax online dealer, a limited run is to be produced soon. The price in Spain is 1379.00€, no idea what it would be elsewhere.

Sigma 50-500mm para Pentax: una oportunidad quizás única

It looks like Sigma are 'testing the water' let's hope it sells well then we might see a few more lenses in Pentax mount

Owch. SRS were selling that at £799 last year.

Great lens though with very handy close focus ability.

On the Sigma production line the lens is assembled and the last item fitted is the mount for Sigma, Canon or Nikon, all having fully electronic connections. For a Pentax version they have needed a special production run I am told which interrupts the main flow of work, so for a relatively small market this is uneconomic. I am no technician but I wonder whether the K4 version of the Pentax mount without mechanical links means it would be possible to attach it in the same way as the others?

Sounds like someone has a load of parts left over

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At least in Pentax gear, Spain is usually around 20% more expensive for everything. The price may be higher for Pentax mount due to it being a special run. I agree Sigma would do well to move what little they produce for Pentax over to KA4 mount and that would make things easier for them and maybe we'd see more lenses for Pentax mount.

What is the KA4 mount????????????????? I must be out of date.
CHEERS Vic.

KAF 4 latest mount, on new 55-300

OK but what's different.

All electronic connection to new lenses, no mechanics involved - I think, except retained for older lenses.

OK I'm with you. I've got a couple of Sigmas like that but I didn't know that's what it's called.
CHEERS Vic.

The change from KAF3 to KAF4 is the electronically controlled aperture. There's no mechanical lever to stop down the aperture, it's done instead with a motor or solenoid inside the lens, making it functionally equivalent to the more modern mounts like EF, m4/3, Fujifilm X etc

Typical! Just when I was thinking of perhaps trying to sell my Sigma 50-500 lens on as I hardly use it, someone comes in and swamps the market with them.

Don't see a problem as you'll not price the lens anywhere near the "New" price - and, if the rumour is true, then "people" could well be more interested in buying a "cheap" copy of a lens that Sigma obviously considers to be worth of "resuscitating"

True, though I'm not really sure how I should price it. They don't come up in the classifieds very often so it's hard to get much of an idea. It seems a pity for it to sit here hardly-used, though of course another option is that I could, well, use it more.