On Sat, Sep 02, 2006 at 10:54:31AM -0600, Joseph Tainter wrote: > Can someone provide the reference, or a pointer, to where Pentax or some > "reliable source" mentions that such lenses will be available? Or is > this whole USM thing just more speculation? > > Shel > > ----- > > Shel, as posters have indicated, the discussion goes back to the late > 90s (at least). The current round of speculation dates from earlier this > year, when some high Pentax official made a public comment about "the > further evolution of the K-mount." This has been interpreted to mean > in-lens motors. Further speculation is that the K10D might be the first > camera with this capability (there are those unused contacts on the > K100D), and that the forthcoming F2.8 zooms will implement it. > > Joe
A fair summary. I'd just add that the high Pentax official also, in the same interview, explicitly mentioned improved auto focus as one of the advances to be expected from the (then unnamed) K10D. As for Shel's question about those unused contacts; they are in the same place as they are on the PZ cameras (or the MZ-S); around the 5 o'clock position on the mount as you look at the camera, and just in front of the mirror box; the corresponding contacts on the lens are on the extreme rear of the lens. If you look inside an existing Pentax DSLR you'll see a blank at that place in the camera, for no apparent reason - there's nothing at the corresponding (7 o'clock) position. On the K100D the blank has changed shape slightly (and now looks far more like the support found in the MZ-S/PZ-1p). A much deeper examination than you'll be able to do with a camera in a store (involving destructive surgery on the blank) apparently show that it has holes drilled in it at the right position for the contacts, although no electrical connections (and the holes are filled and capped so that you can't see them by a purely visual inspection). The hypothesis is that the next low-end model (K200D?) will use the same mirror box and chassis assembly as the K100D, but will have the power contacts necessary for the new lenses. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
