JCO wrote: > Regarding millions of lenses I think that it's often > forgotten that SLRS used to be much more popular mainstream photo > items before the advent of advanced P&S cameras that followed > them in the 80's. So back in the K/M era which was ALL THEY MADE > from 1975 thru 1983 not only were there many more lens > buyers, at that time PENTAX had much more market share too. > (years earlier PENTAX made the most popular SLR in the world > the spotmatic, boy times have changed) > the pentax M cameras in particular were very popular cameras... > Those two factors combine to mean that millions of K/M lenses > were made and sold during those years.
Sure, but most don't want old lenses. They want AF lenses with added functions like metering options and perhaps IS. In addition, most want zoom lenses these days (they count for 99% of lens sales!) wich offers higher speed, better quality, and/or larger zoom range than lenses of the past. The few people cherishing old glass are a minority. >I made the statement > before that no one questioned which totally surprised me but > I wouldn't be surprised if there are MORE K/M lenses > in existance than ALL OTHER LATER SERIES COMBINED because > by the time A/F/ and FA lenses came out SLR popularity had > waned substatially in general and at the same time PENTAX > lost a lot of market share on top of that. The A lenses > are far rarer than K/M lenses and in my experience > so are the rest. Pentax have made 9 400 000 K and M lenses. By the mid/late 90's they hade made 7 200 000 A, F and FA lenses. By now these may have surpassed the K and M lenses in volumes. >Both Minolta and canon had AF well before > Pentax did and that may have a major reason why > pentax lost market share, I don't know, but that's why I said > millions of K/M lenses..... Nope. Canon released AF about the same time as Pentax (1987). Pentax was inndeed firts of all with AF in 1981 (ME-F) but there was only one lens... >Now if anybody wants to argue > that matter BRING IT ON because I would love to see some > real production data or more info on it but I do know See above... Unfortunately, this isn't a numbers game. People today buy different lenses than 30 years ago. How many lenses that is out there doesn't really count that much... Pål
