Ricoh announces Prime Lens Line and Weather Sealed Flashes

Ricoh has just introduced several new products to the PENTAX brand. First is the HD PENTAX DA Limited lens series, which consists of five prime lenses featuring rounded diaphragm for natural bokeh and HD coating to reduce flare and ghosting.

Additionally, Ricoh has announced the AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II flash units. These rugged weather-sealed flashed incorporate LED light, making them a versatile tool for both still and video capture.

Check out the official press releases below for more details:

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation Introduces Five HD PENTAX DA Limited Lenses

 DENVER, CO, August 27, 2013 –Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation (Ricoh Imaging) is pleased to announce the introduction of five new HD PENTAX DA Limited lenses. The acclaimed HD PENTAX DA Limited series of prime lenses, specifically designed for the PENTAX  K-mount DSLR cameras includes the HD PENTAX DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited, HD PENTAX DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited, HD PENTAX DA 35mm F2.8 Macro Limited, HD PENTAX DA 40mm F2.8 Limited and HD PENTAX DA 70mm F2.4 Limited, elevating optical design and performance.

Touting highly-enhanced optical performance the HD PENTAX DA Limited lenses feature treatments of both SP (Super Protect) coating and the PENTAX-original high-grade multi-layer HD (High Definition) coating, which assures much higher light transmittance than conventional multi-layer coatings delivering sharp, clear images with significantly reduced flare and ghosting, even under demanding, backlit conditions. All five lens models have also been upgraded with completely rounded aperture diaphragms at wide aperture settings for optimal optics performance and gorgeous bokeh effects.

“Ricoh Imaging continues to innovate and improve all aspects of photography,” said Jim Malcolm, Executive Vice President, Ricoh Imaging. “With an industry-leading 24 APS-C optimized lenses our family of K-mount DSLRs and lenses provides consumers with a system that has been fine-tuned and meticulously architected for optimal image output. And, with enhancements like HD coating, we are continuously helping consumers achieve more technically sound images.”

Inheriting the distinctive visual description and premium appearance of the lauded PENTAX Limited Lens series, the refreshed line of HD PENTAX DA Limited lenses features a meticulous finish in every detail, from the outstanding image rendition to the high-quality, hand-machined aluminum body, the refreshed lineup provides the utmost durability and elegant design.

Pricing and Availability

The HD PENTAX DA Limited Lens series will be available for purchase in a choice of black or silver at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com and retail outlets nationwide in September 2013 with the following suggested retail prices:

– HD PENTAX DA 40mm F2.8 Limited- $549.95

– 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 70mm F2.4 Limited- $749.95

Major Features (common to all five models):

1.     High-grade HD coating for exceptional image rendition

HD PENTAX DA Limited lenses are treated with HD coating,* a high-grade multi-layer lens coating that assures higher light transmittance and lower reflectance than conventional multi-layer coatings. As the result, HD PENTAX DA Limited lenses produce sharp, clear images free of flare and ghost images, even under such adverse lighting conditions as backlight.

* HD stands for High Definition, and signifies the lens’s capacity to reproduce images that excel in transparency, definition, resolution and rendition.

2.     Round-shaped diaphragm for beautiful out-of-focus rendition

All lenses feature a completely round-shaped diaphragm to optimize the performance of their distinctive optics. This diaphragm produces a natural, beautiful bokeh (out-of-focus) effect, while minimizing the streaking effect of point light sources.

3.     Acclaimed Limited Lens-series qualities for distinctive visual description and a premium appearance

While inheriting the design concept of the Limited Lens series, these lenses were designed by combining a series of mechanical and numerical evaluations with human assessment of test-shooting samples to assure supreme image reproduction. Their optical design has been optimized for digital photography to deliver sharp, clear images with outstanding contrast, even at the maximum aperture. In addition, their lens barrel, hood and cap are all made of a high-grade aluminum material, hand-machined for perfect proportions and beautiful texture.

4.     Enhanced exterior design signifying HD series

While inheriting traditional design features of DA PENTAX Limited Lenses the new HD PENTAX DA Limited lens series features a red anodized ring on the front of the focus ring to signify the presence of new HD PENTAX lens coating and enhance its exclusive appearance.

5.     Other features

-SP (Super Protect) coating (already featured in four other lenses) has been applied to the HD PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 Limited to keep the front surface free of dust and stains

-All the lenses come in a silver version in addition to the black version.

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation Introduces Weather Sealed Flash Lineup Completing Weather Sealed Imaging System 

Denver, CO, August, 27, 2013 – Continuing its heritage of producing high-performance, rugged and weather-resistant imaging products, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation (Ricoh Imaging) today announced the launch of the new AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II flash units for PENTAX branded interchangeable lens cameras. The introduction of these two new flash units extends Ricoh Imaging’s impressive family of weather sealed products.

As the final component in Ricoh Imaging’s comprehensive weather-sealed DSLR system, photographers are now equipped with capable tools that embolden them to extend the boundaries of outdoor photography. The new AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II were designed with the active photographer in mind and feature significant upgrades like the PENTAX original weather sealing (AW) technology and a new constant light source, making them as robust and versatile as the PENTAX weather-sealed DSLRs and lenses that they will accompany.

“Ricoh Imaging continues to refine our capabilities when it comes to producing products that enhance the photographic experience for our customers,” said Jim Malcolm, Executive Vice President, Ricoh Imaging. “The introduction of the AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ gives consumers access to a complete weather-sealed system which will enable them to approach photography with one less limitation in mind, thereby defining a new behaviors while reducing the boundaries for photographers.”

With guide numbers of 178 at ISO 100/ft (54 at ISO 100/m) and 118 at ISO 100/ft (36 at ISO 100/m), respectively, the AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II flashes provide a variety of advanced flash applications, including P-TTL auto flash, high-speed synchronization and wireless P-TTL auto flash. Additionally both units feature a LED light to act as a constant light source for video and long exposure photography, while quick recycle times of five seconds on the AF540FGZ II and two-and-a-half seconds on the AF360FGZ II ensure that a shot is never missed.

Pricing and Availability

The AF360FGZ II and AF540FGZ II will be available for purchase at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com and retail outlets nationwide in September 2013 for the suggested retail price of $429.95 and $629.95, respectively.

Major Features

1.     Dependable weather-resistant construction for demanding outdoor shooting

With 28 seals applied to crucial parts of the body, including the hotshoe, the new AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II feature highly dependable weather-resistant All Weather (AW) construction. When coupled with a PENTAX weather-sealed DSLR camera body and lens, the user can create a highly reliable weather-resistant digital imaging system that assures solid performance even in harsh outdoor conditions, such as in the rain or at locations subject to splashes and dust.

2.     LED light convenient for movie and still-image recording

Both models incorporate a newly designed, high-intensity constant light LED. This white LED light comes in handy not only for close-distance movie recording, but also for still-image shooting requiring extended exposures. It also functions as a catch light in portraiture and an AF assist light in the dark.*

* The AF assist light function is available with 645D, K-r, K-5, K-30, K-5 II, K-5 II s, K-50 and K-500 camera bodies. The camera’s firmware must be updated to the latest version to support this function.

3.     User-friendly function settings

The user can customize the flash operation by presetting as many as nine different flash functions to their preference, including the on/off of the catch-light function using the LED light and the choice of the flash discharge mode in still-image shooting.

4.     Versatile flash control system

Both models provide a variety of flash discharge modes,** ranging from the advanced P-TTL auto flash mode in which the flash’s preliminary emission is detected by the camera’s light sensor to accurately control the main discharge level for proper exposure, to manual flash, high-shutter-speed synchronization and wireless P-TTL auto flash.

** Available flash discharge modes may vary depending on the camera body in use.

5.     Other features

• Bounce flash function, adjustable to angles of -10 to 90 degrees vertically and up to 180 degrees horizontally (new in the 360-series flash)
• Power-zoom flash to cover angles of view from 24mm to 85mm lenses (in 35mm format)
• Built-in wide-angle panel that slides out to cover 20mm angle of view (in 35mm format)
• Automatic setting of discharge angle in combination with a PENTAX  interchangeable-lens  digital camera body
• Multi flash emission function available
• Shorter battery recharge time