Reviews |Ricoh announces HD PENTAX-D FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens

Ricoh announces HD PENTAX-D FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens

Ricoh announces HD PENTAX-D FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens
News

Ricoh has annnounced a addition to the Pentax Star lens range, introducing the HD PENTAX-D FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW, price tag £1,199.99.

Promising edge-to-edge sharpness, the new Pentax lens employs Ricoh’s new Aero Bright Coating II for reducing reflections, along with a high-grade HD Coating for producing higher contrast images with minimal flare and ghosting.

Ricoh says the multi-layer HD Coating reduces average reflection in the visible ray spectrum to less than 50% of conventional multi-layer coatings.

With a fast aperture of f/1.4 the new HD PENTAX-D FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens also promises strong bokeh, and like other Star series lenses it boasts a weather-resistant design (AW meaning All Weather).

Ricoh has also developed a new ring-type Supersonic Direct-drive Motor that brings 7.5x more torque than conventional SDMs, the company says. This accounts for faster, smoother focusing.

Other features of the new HD PENTAX-D FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens include:

  • Nine-blade, round-shaped diaphragm
  • A minimum focusing distance of 40 centimetres
  • Electromagnetic diaphragm-control mechanism
  • SP (Super Protect) coating to keep the front surface free of dust and spots