Pentax is back! While users patiently waited through 2019 for any news, work was ongoing behind the scenes to perfect works on a new K-mount lens. Some days ago, Pentax’s parent brand, Ricoh, announced the launch of a new K-mount lens — the first since the last DSLR K-1 Mark II was launched in 2018.
The new Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR is a lightweight versatile telephoto zoom lens that was developed for Pentax DSLR cameras. This new Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR is a compact high-performance telephoto zoom lens with a weather-resistant construction that makes suitable for various outdoor applications.
In addition to its high portability, this new high-performance zoom K-Mount lens covers a 35mm full-frame image circle. It offers users the ability to take high-quality shots of various subjects, be it landscapes, sports events, portraits or close-ups.
Its high-grade, multi-layer HD Coating ensures edge-to-edge sharpness and cuts down on flaring and ghosting in backlit situations to the barest minimum. Due to its large focusing distance and impressive magnification, the Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR offers much better photographic coverage than that of previous models.
Ricoh says that the new 70-210mm f/4 K-Mount lens offers a more compact, lightweight option for use in outdoor photography, be it sports, wildlife, and even scenic shots.
In September last year, the company had teased a new flagship crop sensor camera still under development, that was supposed to debut sometime in 2020. There’s no information about its name, pricing or more precise launch date at the moment.
Main Features and Specs of the Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR
The 819 grams, 6.9 inches long, compact, lightweight Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR lens features a focal length range of 70mm to 210mm. With its compact size (significantly lighter than the Pentax 70-200mm f/2.8) and focal length, the lens allows you to get in close while still being able to perform hand-held outdoor shooting.
The new Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR K-mount lens, though designed for use with full-frame cameras, can still be used with any APS-C K-mount camera with a crop factor to give the zoom even more reach. Its focal length range further extends to the equivalent of 107mm to 322mm (in the 35mm format) when mounted on an APS-C-format camera.
The new lens HD Pentax-D FA 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR (its full name) touts an optical construction comprising 20 elements arranged in 14 groups. Among these elements are three extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements and “two anomalous dispersion glass elements.” These elements ensure that it provides or high-contrast, high-res photographs with edge-to-edge sharpness and compensates for distortion and chromatic/coma aberrations.
This new K-Mount lens boasts a short minimum focusing distance of 0.95m and a max magnification of 0.32x. Additionally, the lens barrel design makes it extension-free during AF operation to ensure that the length of the lens doesn’t change while focusing. This means that users can enjoy active field photography in a wide variety of outdoor shooting applications.
It comes with a nine-blade aperture diaphragm that ensures it delivers a beautiful and natural bokeh with a rounded appearance from f/4 – f/9.5. However, this lens takes it even further up to a minimum aperture of f/32.
The new Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR features Pentax’s own special “HD” multi-layer coating which helps to improve light transmission and cuts down on unnecessary reflections, SP Coating to repel stains, and a Super Protect (SP) coating on its front surface that gives the lens water repellent ability and helps to keep out grease and dirt.
This combination of coatings ensures hassle-free outdoor photography as even fingerprint stains can be easily wiped off. It has a temperature range of -10°C to approximately 40°C (14°F to approximately 104°F).
Additional Specs & Features
It features a 72mm filter and 34.5°-11.8° angle of view when attached to Pentax 35mm full-frame SLR cameras (23.0°-7.7° when attached to Pentax APS-C size DSLR cameras). On some camera systems, it features support for an electromagnetic diaphragm control for video. Even though this lens is not stabilized, Pentax is among the few companies that use in-body stabilization in DSLRs.
The Pentax 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR lens comes equipped with a built-in ring-type Supersonic Direct-drive Motor (SDM) to ensure fast and quiet autofocus. It also features a two-step focus range limiter and Pentax’s own “Quick-shift Focus System” that allows users to swiftly switch to manual focus once they’ve locked on to a subject.
With the above features and specs, the HD Pentax-D FA 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR is supposed to be a more portable and affordable alternative to the Pentax 70-200mm f/2.8 for K-mount cameras. However, the uniqueness of the new Pentax-D FA 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR is a subject for debate as its specs are said to be nearly identical to those of the Tamron 70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD lens designed for Nikon and Canon.
Availability & Pricing
Ricoh will commence shipment of the HD Pentax-D FA 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR on February 15th at an MSRP of $1100. It is packed with a lens Hood PH-RBP67, Lens Cap O-LC67, Lens Mount Cap K. You can go to the Ricoh Imaging website to learn more.
