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Aside from the fact that it is an f5.6 lens compared to the competition's (inc. Sigma) f4 or f4.5 lenses and generally there is a substantial reduction in cost by dropping to f5.6 (just check out Pentax's own lenses)?

You obviously have not been following one of Pentax's 'unofficial' testers (meaning he is one of Pentax's Alpha Testers) :

It is in the blog http://www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/index.html

and the formula is

Price [MSRP in USD] = D[mm]^3.26 /1177 (typical error is +/- 25%, street price shouldn't be higher)
D is the diameter = focal length / f-stop number.

However, this formula is for highly corrected 10+ element lenses, not the expected fairly low complexity 560/5.6 with D=100. BTW, the formula yields 2800 USD. I expect the lens to come out cheaper though, around 2400 USD with 500 USD error margin. But this was before recent insane price hikes from various Japanese vendors.

Ignoring the 'drole' quip - I guess you better ask Nikon what they are pricing their D600 at - it's not going to be stratospherically above the K5II. US$2,000 - 2,000 ? The K5II pricing is where it should be IMHO with FF camera prices having dropped dramatically relative to inflation.



It is, very. I know I am just one of many who bought into Pentax for one reason but then found, as have others, as our experience, photography and preferences develop we look to Pentax to provide solutions.

Having gone on to spend a substantial amount of money on their lenses and cameras I don't think it is unreasonable to expect/hope that they will eventually deliver whatever is missing (flash, FF, long lenses, faster AF, whatever) so that switching to another brand, with all the expense and the learning curve that entails, is not required.

It's not about having exceeded the capabilities of the system - that most certainly will never happen - but that having grown in another direction it's disappointing not to be able to go there with Pentax (birding lenses and digital FF in my case).

I recently sold one of my used K5s for £420 and these new K5II & K5IIs are around £850+ so that is nearly double

For any new K5 stock around then I'd expect them to get to the USA prices, currently just under $800 (ca. £550), or even lower, pretty sharpish.

Don, I doubt it from this comment on the Pentax website :

PENTAX today announced the introduction of its PENTAX K-5 II and K-5 IIs flagship digital SLR cameras

Rainbow Lorikeet or something ? Amazing colours on those birds.

That looks like very interesting birding / wildlife country !

This is about as disappointing an announcement as it could get.

US$7,000 for the 560mm and only f5.6 !?

As for the K5II and K5IIs - the AF looks superb on paper and I welcome the lack of an AA filter in the s (though whether that is good for birding remains to be seen - it isn't necessarily better in the D800E (no AA filter) compared to the Nikon D800 (with AA filter) sometimes showing visible moire in feather detail. Good for studio and landscape shooters though.
Also welcome the auto correction for CA and distortion for most of my Pentax lenses and the new grid choices and filters. I'm disappointed there isn't more to the new models though in the way of resolution.

Bottom Line.
I'll upgrade to the K5IIs after a few months and the street price has stabilised.
I'm very happy I jumped early to the D800 and Sigma 500mm because Pentax are not offering me anything at all in the way of FF, additional resolution or reasonably priced long lenses.

Just look at the forums and photos posted - lots of amateurs. Including some pros. Though I don't know of many Pro bird shooters anywhere

US$7,000 for the 560mm and only f5.6 !? Not in this lifetime. It needs to be spectacularly better than the Sigma 500mm (US$5,000) a f4.5 lens, and on a par with the utterly superb Nikon/Canon 500/4 and 600/4 lenses - and before it is even released we can tell it's not by it's f5.6 max. This is tragic.

This will send a legion of Pentax shooters to Canon / Nikon now that it is virtually certain there is a) no FF camera in the foreseeable future and b) the price of the 560mm is horrendously askew to the market conditions. I know of lots of posters over the forums I inhabit that have been waiting on the 560mm price - expected to be in the US$2,000 - 2,500 range and for a FF announcement.

I'm very happy I didn't wait and bought a Sigma 500/4.5 because Pentax are not offering me anything at all with this.

Sorry Don I know you have put a lot of work into this but .... it doesn't work for me.

1. The image is too dark - there is no detail in the blacks at all - her bum area and a leg of the table to the right have been lost (now this could just be because it is a web-size copy but I use an iMac and that usually over-brightens shots).

2. The dark edges to the scene left and right cramp the woman and take up too much of the real estate. They are completely unnecessary IMHO.

3. She seems too centred for my liking.

4. I think B&W would be a lot more suitable for Goth than Sepia.

5. The cut off edge of the lamp disturbs me - likewise the top of the hangar.

Glad you are pleased with your new lens mate. We knew you would be

Post shots when you can as most of us have never seen, and will never see, your neck of the woods.