Thanks, Ken. You seem to know a lot about this. I have embedded
some follow-up questions, if you don't mind.
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1. DFA100mm Macro.
Pentax provided Tokina with the optical design and Tokina
designed the barrel to implement it.
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I assume there is a good source for this information. I am
wondering why Pentax would do this, unless it was just a direct
sale to Tokina. So did Tokina design the quick-shift mechanism
of the D FA 100?
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2. Optical formula of 12-24 was done by Tokina and Pentax
followed it up with ghostless coating
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Okay, there's been a lot of speculation that the 12-24 is a
Tokina design.
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3. Tokina provided DA lenses optical designs and Pentax
implemented them with the barrel design.
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Ken, which DA lenses do you mean here? All of them or specific
ones? Does this include the DA primes? The DA 16-45?
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4. DA FYZ is of course the Pantax design but Tokina might
incorporate it in their products
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Do you mean the fisheye? Pentax announced that the optics were
designed jointly with Tokina. What does that mean, and why did
Pentax acknowledge it? What puzzles me is that the fisheye zoom
was a Pentax exclusive (the F 17-28). Now Pentax has given it
away to everyone else. Why would they do that? Was it just for
some quick cash? Or will they get some continuing royalty on
every one of these that is sold to one of the millions of Canon
users?
Thanks, Ken. Any further information you can supply would be
appreciated.
Incidentally, I am not disturbed to learn this. Tokina has made
some fine lenses. I have the AT-X Pro 28-80 F2.8. It is very
sharp, but prone to flare. I also have the AT-X 400 F5.6. Put
SMC coatings on these and they would be even better.
But Tokina (like everyone else) has also made some lenses that
are merely adequate. Their current 28-75 F2.8 is a budget
offering. It tests unfavorably relative to Tamron's offering in
the same class.
So this news makes me hesitate about the forthcoming F2.8 zooms.
Will these be top lenses or merely adequate ones?
Joe
