Ricoh expands the Pentax lens range with 2 telephoto zoom lenses.
Posted: 05/02/2015 - 11:21
Pentax has announced the release of an interchangeable super-telephoto zoom and a high-performance, Star-series telephoto zoom lens.
The HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6ED DC AW super-telephoto zoom lens, designed for use with Pentax K-mount digital SLR cameras, features high-grade HD Coating, three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and a super-low dispersion glass element to effectively compensate chromatic aberration. It's also dustproof and weather-resistant.
The HD PENTAX-D FA Star series 70-200mm f/2.8ED DC AW provides a large maximum aperture of f/2.8 at all focal lengths from 70mm to 200mm. It features Aero Bright Coating II and a HD Coating. Plus, in addition to four super-low dispersion glass elements and two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements, its optics includes a pair of new Super ED glass elements to compensate chromatic aberration. It's also dustproof and has a weather-resistant body.
From Ricoh Imaging UK:
HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6ED DC AW Main Features
1. Super-telephoto coverage with three-times zoom ratio: When mounted on a PENTAX K-mount SLR camera body, this zoom lens covers a super-telephoto range from approximately 230mm to 690mm in the 35mm format. It is designed to be compact and light enough to hold during long-range shooting of wildlife, aircraft and sports.
2. Outstanding image description: This lens boasts state-of-the-art optics - three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and a super-low dispersion glass element, this minimises spherical and chromatic aberrations, while producing crisp, high-quality images free of colour bleeding. Its MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) curve is programmed to be higher than those of conventional models in the same class, to deliver high-resolution, fine-detailed images. Its image circle is also optimised to cover even the image size of 35mm film-format SLR cameras. As a result, it ensures brilliant, high-resolution images without compromising edge sharpness (even when mounted on an existing PENTAX digital SLR camera body), and is also accepting of future models with larger image sensors (without modifications).
3. HD Coating to optimise image rendition: This lens is treated with the high-grade, multi-layer HD Coating.* Compared with conventional multi-layer coatings, this PENTAX-original coating ensures high light transmittance and less reflection to deliver bright, high-contrast images, free of flare and ghosting. * HD stands for High Definition.
4. Dustproof, weather-resistant construction: Developed as an AW (All Weather) model, this zoom lens features a dependable dustproof, weather-resistant construction with 21 special seals to prevent the intrusion of water and dust particles. By pairing it with a PENTAX weather-resistant digital SLR camera body, it provides a durable, reliable digital imaging system that performs - even in rain or mist, or at locations prone to water splashes or spray.
5. Newly installed three-position switch for Quick-Shift Focus System: This lens is equipped with the PENTAX-developed Quick-Shift Focus System, which allows users to instantly switch to manual-focus operation after the subject is captured in focus by the camera’s AF system. In order to improve its operability, a three-position switch has been installed on this lens, allowing instant switching among QFS/A, QFS/M and MF modes. QFS/A is an autofocus-priority mode, which allows the user to switch to manual-focusing operation when autofocus operation is complete. QFS/M is a manual-focus-priority mode, which enables the user to switch to manual focusing at any time — even when the AF system is in operation. MF mode allows the user to instantly switch to manual focusing with a simple twist of the focus ring on the lens. With a choice of three distinctive modes, the user is guaranteed speedier, more accurate focusing operation for a given subject or application.
6. Four AF buttons installed on the lens barrel: In order to provide more stable AF operation and better hold of the lens regardless of the camera’s orientation — horizontal or vertical — this lens provides four AF buttons on its barrel (one at every 90 degrees.**) The user can assign preferred settings to these AF buttons, including: a Focus Preset mode and an AF Cancel mode to fix the focus at a desired point during Continuous AF operation. ** The PENTAX K-3 is currently the only model to accommodate the AF button functions. To activate these functions, the camera’s firmware must be updated to the latest version.
7. Other features
- Smooth, quiet AF operation using a lens-installed AF driving motor
- Round-shaped diaphragm to produce a natural, beautiful bokeh effect, while minimising the streaking effect of point light sources
- Focus range limiter to minimise AF operation time by fixing the focus range to one of three sub-ranges
- SP (Super Protect) coating to keep the front surface free of dust and stains
- Zoom lock lever to prevent the lens barrel from free-falling
- Detachable tripod mounting with a newly designed anti-falling mechanism
HD PENTAX-D FAStar-series 70-200mm f/2.8ED DC AW Main Features
1. High-performance Star-series lens with large F2.8 maximum aperture: This telephoto zoom lens is a new addition to the high-performance Star series, which ensures exceptional image rendition with edge-to-edge sharpness. When mounted on a PENTAX K-mount SLR camera body, it provides a zoom ratio of approximately 2.9 times to cover a telephoto range from 107mm to 307mm in the 35mm format. Since it provides a large maximum aperture of F2.8 over the entire zoom range, it is ideal for portraiture with beautifully defocused fore/backgrounds, and sports photography which demands high shutter speeds. Its image circle is optimised to cover even the image size of 35mm film-format SLR cameras. As a result, it ensures brilliant, high-resolution images without compromising edge sharpness (even when mounted on an existing Pentax digital SLR camera body), and is also accepting of future models with larger image sensors (without modifications).
2. State-of-the-art optical technology: This zoom lens is treated with the newly developed Aero Bright Coating II — a lens-coating nanotechnology that employs a super-low refractive film fabrication process, to ensure lower light reflectance than that of the conventional Aero Bright Coating.* By coupling this advanced lens coating with the high-grade, multi-layer HD Coating** which reduces an average reflectance in a visible ray spectrum to less than 50% of conventional multi-layer coatings, this lens effectively reduces flare and ghost images to a minimum even under demanding lighting conditions. In its optics, it also features four super-low dispersion glass elements, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements, and two Super ED glass elements, which have optical properties similar to fluorite and assure lower light dispersion and more effective compensation of chromatic aberration. As a result, this lens produces brilliant, high-contrast images with edge-to-edge sharpness, while effectively compensating chromatic aberration over the entire zoom range. * A state-of-the-art, PENTAX-original lens coating technology developed from nanotechnology. It applies a silica aerogel coating layer with uniform porous structure over a regular multi-coating layer to reduce surface reflections across a wide wavelength range and produce crisp, high-quality images. ** HD stands for High Definition.
3. Dustproof, weather-resistant construction: Developed as an AW (All Weather) model, this zoom lens features a dependable dustproof, weather-resistant construction with 13 special seals to prevent the intrusion of water and dust particles into the lens interior. By pairing it with a PENTAX weather-resistant digital SLR camera body, it provides a durable, reliable digital imaging system that performs - even in rain or mist, or at locations prone to water splashes or spray.
4. Newly installed three-position switch for Quick-Shift Focus System: This lens is equipped with the PENTAX-developed Quick-Shift Focus System, which allows users to instantly switch to manual-focus operation after the subject is captured in focus by the camera’s AF system. In order to improve its operability, a three-position switch has been installed on this lens, allowing instant switching among QFS/A, QFS/M and MF modes. QFS/A is an autofocus-priority mode, which allows the user to switch to manual-focusing operation when autofocus operation is complete. QFS/M is a manual-focus-priority mode, which enables the user to switch to manual focusing at any time — even when the AF system is in operation. MF mode allows the user to instantly switch to manual focusing with a simple twist of the focus ring on the lens. With a choice of three distinctive modes, the user is guaranteed speedier, more accurate focusing operation for a given subject or application.
5. Other features
- Smooth, quiet AF operation using a lens-installed AF driving motor
- Round-shaped diaphragm to produce a natural, beautiful bokeh effect, while minimising the streaking effect of point light sources
- Focus range limiter to minimize AF operation time by fixing the focus range to one of three sub-ranges
- SP (Super Protect) coating to keep the front surface free of dust and stains
- Detachable tripod mounting with a newly designed anti-falling mechanism
Visit the Ricoh Imaging UK website for more information.
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