Pentax Updates Lens Lineup With Improved Coating

The Pentax camera system is built on a foundation of high-quality, compact prime lenses. Up until this point they’ve all been marketed as SMC (Super Multi Coated) optics, a designation that adorns Pentax lenses dating back to the 1970s. The quality of the coatings, which help to reduce the instances of flare and ghost images, has improved over the years, but the SMC branding has remained constant.

Now, Ricoh Imaging, the company behind the Pentax brand, has updated the bulk of the DA Limited lens series with its HD coating, first seen on the Pentax HD D FA 645 Macro 90mm F2.8 ED AW SR lens.

Pentax promises that the HD coating will improve light transmittance and sharpness, and do a better job controlling flares and ghosting when compared to SMC lenses, even when shooting in backlit situations. The updated lenses also now sport rounded aperture blades for smoother bokeh. Each lens will be available in a black or silver finish, and the machined aluminum construction of current models will be retained. The green ring that previously adorned the lenses is gone, replaced with a red ring.

In addition to the HD coating, all of the new lenses also feature a Super Protect (SP) coating layer. That coating helps to keep the front lens element free of dust and stains. The lenses also all support the Quick Shift focus system, which allows for direct manual focus control at any time.

The new lenses include the HD Pentax DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited ($699.95), HD Pentax DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited ($699.95), HD Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited ($749.95), HD Pentax DA 40mm F2.8 Limited ($549.95), and HD Pentax DA 70mm F2.4 Limited ($749.95). They’ll all be available for purchase in September.

Also updated are two on-camera strobes for the Pentax D-SLR family. The new AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II flash units replace the previous versions, which lacked the II designation. They add weather sealing, complementing the weather-sealed camera designs of most Pentax D-SLRs, and they also feature LED video lights. Both will ship in September; the AF540FGZ II will sell for $629.95 and the AF360FGZ II is priced at $429.95.

Pentax Updates Lens Lineup With Improved Coating