Hi all, I've been looking through those recent patent applications, and I've come to the conclusion that something big is coming at Photokina: By big, I mean a new family of lenses including Image stablising lenses and silent focussing motors. Also on the cards looks to be an image-stabilising teleconverter for use with existing lenses :-)
(Incidentally, Pentax seems to use the term "Image Shake Compensation" to describe their version of IS) There is also an intriguing mention of a tilt/shift rear converter, but I suspect this is speculation rather than a real product (I'd buy one, though). However, unlike Alan Chan, I don't believe Pentax is abadoning the K mount. I am very confident that the new lens range will be mechanically compatible with the existing K mount: one of these patents even goes so far as to give the new lens mount the name "K-AF3", which only confirms my suspicions. The communications system described in these patents is backwards compatible with the K-AF2 mount used in the current FA- series lenses, meaning that current FA- lenses (and thus, F, A, M and K lenses too) will work with the new mount. However, going by the round-about way that the new lenses identify themselves to the camera, it seems that the new series of lenses will also work with older K-AF mount cameras like the MZ-5 and PZ-1p :-) [Going into the realm of speculation, now]. There seems to be no mechanical difference between the current K-AF2 mount and the proposed new lens (all of these new patents deal with electrical and data-communication issues), which leads me to suspect that some of the existing cameras already support the new lens features: the MZ-S and MZ-6/ZX-L/MZ-L are my candidates, as they clearly use a new family of controller electronics in the bodies. Many patents take a long time to be filed, and even longer to be granted. Typically a product is actually in production by the time the patent paperwork is done. These patents are US filings of original Japanese patents. The Japanese patents date from February 2001, which is before the MZ-S entered production. Just as the FA lenses existed before a camera that took advantage of their digital features (MTF, focus distance, etc.), it is equally possible that Pentax has already released a camera body which can support the new family of lenses. (Of course, as I just bought an MZ-S I sincerely hope that this is the case ;-) ) I know that many companies file patents on products that never arrive, but the three patents posted are so detailed, even down to the level of specifying contol commands sent between the lens and camera that I believe that this is a new lens mount. Also, the three patents are very closely related, and cover different aspects of the same product. This is something which has got to the stage of a late prototype or has entered production already. This new development could also be the reason why we haven't seen a new FA* lens in quite a while... Okay, that's enough speculation for now. -- Kristian
