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Ricoh Announces Three Pentax Primes Share This on LinkedIn   Tweet This   Forward This

24 February 2021

Ricoh has announced three HD Pentax-FA Limited prime lenses for Pentax K-mount dSLRs featuring the latest HD coating and a round-shaped diaphragm for a natural bokeh effect.

The three new lenses, available in either silver or black, include:

  • HD Pentax-FA 31mm f1.8 Limited: a lightweight, versatile wide-angle lens.
  • HD Pentax-FA 43mm f1.9 Limited: an ultra-compact lens with a unique mount pointer made of a Shippoyaki (cloisonne) ware. This pointer allows you to mount the lens as easily as other Limited Lens-series models.
  • HD Pentax-FA 77mm f1.8 Limited: a versatile lens specifically designed for portrait photography.

All three feature a round-shaped diaphragm to produce circular bokeh. They have all been treated with the Pentax-original High Definition coating for higher light transmittance than conventional multi-layer coatings.

SPECIFICATIONS

Specifications for the new primes include:

PENTAX 31mm f1.8 LENS SPECIFICATIONS
Mount K mount
Focal Length 31mm
Aperture f1.8 to f22
9 rounded diaphragm blades
Minimum Focus 11.81 inches
Magnification 0.16x
Optical Design 9 elements in 7 groups
HD, Super Protect coatings
Autofocus Yes
Image Stabilization No
Filter Thread 58mm
Dimensions 2.56 x 2.72 inches
Weight 0.75 lb.

PENTAX 43mm f1.9 LENS SPECIFICATIONS
Mount K mount
Focal Length 43mm
Aperture f1.9 to f22
9 rounded aperture blades
Minimum Focus 17.72 inches
Magnification 0.12x
Optical Design 7 elements in 6 groups
HD, Super Protect coatings
Autofocus Yes
Image Stabilization No
Filter Thread 49mm
Dimensions 2.52 x 1.06 inches
Weight 0.34 lb.

PENTAX 77mm f1.8 LENS SPECIFICATIONS
Mount K mount
Focal Length 77mm
Aperture f1.8 to f22
9 rounded diaphragm blades
Minimum Focus 27.56 inches
Magnification 0.14x
Optical Design 7 elements in 6 groups
HD, Super Protect coatings
Autofocus Yes
Image Stabilization No
Filter Thread 49mm
Dimensions 2.52 x 1.89 inches
Weight 0.60 lb.

PRICE, AVAILABILITY

Ricoh said the lenses will be available in April. Prices are:

  • HD Pentax-FA 31mm: $1,049.95
  • HD Pentax-FA 43mm: $599.95
  • HD Pentax-FA 77mm: $799.95

For more information see the news release below.

Ricoh Announces Three HD Pentax-FA Limited Interchangeable Lenses for K-mount dSLR Cameras

New prime lenses feature round-shaped diaphragm, latest HD coating for outstanding image quality

PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. has announced three HD Pentax-FA Limited interchangeable lenses for use with Pentax K-mount dSLR cameras. Featuring the latest HD coating and a round-shaped diaphragm for a natural bokeh effect, these new prime lenses boast improved imaging performance to deliver sharp, distinctive images in combination with a K-mount camera body, while sporting an attractive exterior design.

The new members of the HD FA Limited Lens series are:

  • HD Pentax-FA 31mmF1.8 Limited: a lightweight, versatile wide-angle lens offering sharp imaging performance with natural perspective and high contrast.
  • HD Pentax-FA 43mmF1.9 Limited: an ultra-compact lens with exceptional high-contrast, high-resolution optics that is ideally suited for everyday use including indoor photography, traveling and hiking. This lens features a unique design element -- A mount pointer made of a Shippoyaki (cloisonne) ware. This pointer allows the user to mount the lens to a camera body as effortlessly as other Limited Lens-series models.
  • HD Pentax-FA 77mmF1.8 Limited: a versatile lens specifically designed for portrait photography.

All three lenses are available black or silver and feature the distinguished qualities of the HD FA Limited Lens series including outstanding description of texture, fine reproduction of gradation in highlight areas, true reproduction of details and natural reproduction of the bokeh effect. They deliver sharp, clear images free of flare and ghost images, even under demanding conditions like backlight. They also feature a completely round-shaped diaphragm to produce a natural, beautiful bokeh effect in the foreground and background.

The lenses have been treated with the Pentax-original HD coating, which assures much higher light transmittance than conventional multi-layer coatings.

Lenses in the FA Limited Lens series are renowned for their high-quality details inside and out -- from outstanding image rendition to durable aluminum bodies. These new lenses are specifically designed to ensure even better optical performance than the original Limited Lens series and are a prime example of Pentax's commitment to high-performance, high-quality products.

Pricing and Availability

The lenses will be available in April at http://www.us.ricoh-imaging.com as well as at Ricoh Imaging-authorized retail outlets for the following manufacturer's suggested retail prices:

  • HD Pentax-FA 31mmF1.8 Limited Lens: $1,049.95
  • HD Pentax-FA 43mmF1.9 Limited Lens: $599.95
  • HD Pentax-FA 77mmF1.8 Limited Lens: $799.95

Main Features Common to All Three Models

1. High-grade HD coating for exceptional image rendition

The three new lenses are treated with the Pentax-original HD (High Definition) coating. Compared with conventional multi-layer coatings, this high-grade coating assures higher light transmittance and lower reflectance to deliver sharp, clear images free of flare and ghost images, even under such adverse lighting conditions as backlight.

2. Round-shaped diaphragm for beautiful bokeh effect

All lenses feature a completely round-shaped diaphragm, which produces a natural, beautiful bokeh (defocus) effect in the images captured, while optimizing the imaging performance of the distinctive Limited lens-series optics contained within.

3. Acclaimed Limited Lens series quality for distinctive visual rendition and premium appearance

While inheriting the design concept of the Limited Lens series, these lenses were designed through a series of mechanical and numerical evaluations, as well as human assessment of test-shooting samples, to deliver an image rendition unmatched by other models. The barrel, hood and cap are all made of high-grade aluminum, meticulously machined for an attractive appearance and beautiful texture. The HD Pentax-FA 43mm f1.9 Limited features a mount pointer made of a Shippoyaki (cloisonne[!]) ware. This pointer allows the user to mount the lens to a camera body as effortlessly as other Limited Lens-series models.

4. Other features

SP (Super Protect) coating is applied to the front surface of each lens to repel dust and stains.

Black models are marked with a serial number starting with 0000001; silver models start with 1000001.

The aperture ring has been retained so that the user can still use a variety of functions featured in K-mount film-format cameras.


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