I thought I was being optimistic and admit just a guestimate. Most of the new quality lenses seem to start at a four figure sum,. The new 50mm f1.4 went from a circa £300 lens to a £1200 lens. Admittedly it was a redesign but people are asking for a redesign of the whole range where some of the existing ones start north of £700 already. The HD PENTAX-FA 35mm f/2 lens seems to be coming in at around double the current model so what would one expect a new FA 31, 43, 77, 85* etc to start at?
(Edit: An HD DFA* 85mm f1.4 is on the latest roadmap for release this year.)

Just to let you know that the results have now been posted.

One has to bear in mind that many who might buy any new ones are likely to already have one of the old ones. At around £700-£1400 per lens it would be an enormous outlay to upgrade them all and would be a huge gamble. It wouldn't really make sense to rush into doing them all.

You might not remember it, but they did!

They did! That is the updated version. Clue is in the WR.

Old one:


New one:

[quote:3496ace15f="Irek"]Hi, in Germany we can get them with 25% off
]https://shop-de.ricoh-imaging.eu/k-bajonett-objektive-hd-pentax-da11-18mm-f28-de...
That's close to the comparable price I was thinking it should be (actually slightly better) and from Ricoh's official store too.

Strange lens discussions taking place this week So the 35mm f2 isn't fast enough and should be f1.4 yet the 11-18 f2.8 is too fast and would be better if it was an f4. Mmm. Can't please all of the people all of the time.

That must prove confusing!

How come the GBP is at parity with the dollar now (in Ricoh land? Rip off Britain continues.
At the present exchange rate it should be no more than £1070.

You're absolutely right. Before I purchased my first Pentax DSLR I had a Canon something or the other. Then I came across an affordable Pentax so with the ability to use my trusty old K & M lenses I bought it complete with the 18-55mm. I took some comparison shots with the two supposedly similar lenses. As you say the Pentax one was fantastic, virtually sharp across the frame whereas the Canon just produced very blurred edges. The comparison image contained some bar-codes at the sides of the frame; the Pentax reproduced the bar-code quite clearly, the Canon's was very blurry and unreadable. I sold the Canon on soon afterwards. Moral of the story - the 18-55 lens is important to keep new buyers on board. Folly to skimp on it.