Thanks - I forgot about the FA-Js. I think Pentax have more to lose by introducing lenses that don't auto-focus with old bodies (especially since I doubt if we'll ever see another film body from Pentax). But we'll see - we don't even *know* that the new lenses have USM.
On Mon, Mar 20, 2006 at 06:27:45PM -0500, Adam Maas wrote: > All FA-J lenses lack an aperture ring. There's 3-4 of that type, some > really low-end zooms and the 18-35. > > I'm expecting the Nikon solution. AF-I and AF-S lenses are fully > compatible, they just don't AF on a body that lacks the extra contacts > necessary (Which means all the early AF bodies except the F4 and > possibly the N2020, which get AF because they support the F3AF lenses, > which use the same protocol as AF-I and AF-S lenses) > > -Adam > > > John Francis wrote: > > > >I bought my Super Program in 1983, together with my first "A" lens. > >But it wan't until I bought a PZ-1p (in 1995) that I first had a camera > >that allowed me to set the aperture without using the lens aperture ring. > >So, for the first ten years or so, I still needed those aperture rings > >(as I did, some years later, with the MZ-S, and other MZ-series owners > >did with their cameras). > > > >The digital cameras are a special case, because the DA lenses aren't meant > >for use on film bodies. But, apart from DA lenses, have Pentax dropped > >the aperture ring from any lenses yet? I don't believe so, despite the > >fact that it's been some time since they last offered a body that needed > >the aperture ring (I think the MZ-S was the last to rely on it). > >[Of course they've just dropped a whole lot of the lenses, so there aren't > >all that many lenses still being sold with aperture rings. And I believe > >the only 'new' lenses with aperture rings are the D-FA macro lenses.] > > > >I'd expect DA lenses to retain mechanical focus systems for at least 10 > >years. But I'd also expect all new bodies to offer both electronic and > >mechanical operation of focus (and/or aperture) from now on. So in 10 > >years time the only bodies that won't be able to use hypothetical lenses > >without mechanical focus would be the current *ist-D range. Just how many > >of those will still be in operation 10 years from now? And, rather more > >to the point, how many people who are still using ten-year-old cameras > >will be considering buying new lenses?
