Ricoh has announced that its HD PENTAX-D FA ★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens production will be delayed until summer 2018.
Announced at the end of last year, the HD PENTAX-D FA ★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW was due for release this spring.
However, citing higher quality control standards for its Star-series lenses, Ricoh says the release date had to be pushed back. The company states on its website:
Development update regarding the HD PENTAX-D FA★50mmF1.4 SDM AW (Tentative name)
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your past, present and continued support of Ricoh and PENTAX products.
At this time would like to update you of the current development status of the new-generation high-performance Star-series lens, the HD PENTAX-D FA★50mmF1.4 SDM AW (Tentative name), for which the development was announced in October of 2017.
With the new-generation of high-performance Star-series lenses, we have implemented higher quality control standards. Currently the HD PENTAX-D FA★50mmF1.4 SDM AW (Tentative name), lens is in the final stages of quality control and once the quality control stage is complete the lens will be forwarded to mass production. Therefore, in order to finalize the quality control stage and shift to mass production, we have changed the launch date from the previously announced, spring of 2018 to the summer of 2018.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Via Pentax Rumors