I bought my FA*24 new about 18 months ago. From the lens manual it appeared to have been manufactured several years previously. (That is, lenses released recently were not listed in the manual.) From this one can surmise that Pentax manufactured a bunch of them, then kept them in a warehouse until retailers ordered them. I would guess that they are no longer being made, especially given the announcement of the D-FA line. They should still be available, though -- at least some.
A post here a few months ago (re: the unavailability of the DA 16-45) suggested that companies no longer warehouse equipment. Manufacturing is at a lower rate, with equipment shipped out to fulfill orders right away. This is where Manolo comes in.
If this is what Pentax is doing, we should all consider what it means in re: long-term availability of lenses. If there is a lens you think you might want, don't mull it over long. Production runs may be short. It might be unavailable by the time you decide. This almost happened to me with the FA 77.
Joe
