Sigma has announced a release of the Sigma APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM and the Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG HSM for the Pentax KAF2 mount. The scheduled release date is 14th December 2008. European retailers list the 150-500 at around the 700-800€ mark and the 120-400 at around 600€. 

Sigma 50-500/5-6.3

Update: a UK pentax distributor has stated the following release schedule for the 120-400 and 150-500:

120-400 & 150-500 - Due late November. These are SDM lenses but don’t have an image stabiliser built in.

At the beginning of this year, Sigma announced two new tele zooms, the Sigma APO 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM and the Sigma APO 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM, both of which were to be available for the Pentax mount.

Pentax users are used to having to wait longer than users of other mounts for third party lens support, a good case in point being the Sigma 70-200/2.8 and Tamron 70-200/2.8, both of which were a long time coming for the K-mount. Now an omission of any mention for Pentax support for these lenses in the Sigma lenses page of Sigma Corporation of America is having some Pentax users guessing, wether the lenses will be available for Pentax at all.
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A Pentax 645D prototype with 31Mp Kodak CCD sensor

A poster in a german photography form fanned the flames in the Pro Pentax rumour mill with a post that claims a Pentax salesperson in the Photokina 2008 Pentax booth had stated that the Pentax 645D would be released in the Spring of next year. Following the announcement of a Larger-Than-FF Leica S2 and rumours of Nikon MX, marketed as “Something BIG´´, this rumour has a fertile soil in Pentax users wanting to see Pentax make a move in the Pro market.

An article, translated from Japan also hints that the 645D is a larger priority for Pentax than 35mm digital format at the moment, and states that two new APS-C bodies can be expected from Pentax in the summer of next year. Pentax also aims to improve the quality of the APS-C images to match that of FF.

Computer generated imagery of the Samsung’s planned Hybrid Camera

Shortly after the announcements of the new µ4/3-system, which is an EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens) system, Samsung announced to be working on an APS-C sensor size based hybrid system of their own. The new interchangeable lens ‘Hybrid’ digital camera system is to be released in Spring 2010, and is intentended to allow Samsung to gain a strong foothold in a new, developing market instead of fighting the slow war for marketshare in the already entrenched DSLR world.

Initial reaction to the first µ4/3-body, the Panasonic G1, was lackluster as the body was deemed too DSLR-like and large. It appears Samsung has taken heed, as can be seen in the new computer generated concept image that features a decidedly retro pocket camera type of body. It remains to be seen, if the large objectives attached on the camera is a sign of things to come, or if Samsung can find a way to put the superb miniature Pentax pancake lenses on the new camera.

Everyone can make of what they will of the ad. For example, should we read something into the flash not occuring on the mystery camera, but at the K20D? That the mystery camera is a K1D that’s only going to arrive a little later (PMA 2009?) and there will only be an upgrade to K20D available at the moment?