Ricoh announces compact, lightweight, high-performance telephoto zoom lens for use with 35mm full-frame digital SLR cameras

New HD PENTAX-D FA 70-210mmF4ED SDM WR provides great portability in a variety of applications, from nature and scenic photography to active fieldwork

News provided by

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation

Jan 22, 2020, 17:00 ET

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the HD PENTAX-D FA 70-210mmF4ED SDM WR zoom lens for use with PENTAX K-mount digital SLR cameras. This high-performance telephoto zoom lens features a compact, lightweight body with weather-resistant construction for great portability in a variety of outdoor applications.

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the HD PENTAX-D FA 70-210mmF4ED SDM WR zoom lens for use with PENTAX K-mount digital SLR cameras. This high-performance telephoto zoom lens features a compact, lightweight body with weather-resistant construction for great portability in a variety of outdoor applications.

Featuring a highly portable design, this high-performance zoom lens covers the image circle of 35mm full-frame digital SLRs, and provides a focal length range of 70mm to 210mm ideal for handheld outdoor photography. A constant f/4 maximum aperture ensures consistent brightness throughout the zoom range and enables increased control over depth of field for selective focus effects. When used with an APS-C-format camera, its focal length range is extended to the equivalent of 107mm to 322mm in the 35mm format. The new lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.95 meters and a maximum magnification of 0.32 times, providing greater macro coverage than previous models. It also features a Quick-Shift Focus System that enables an instant shift to manual-focus operation after locking a subject in focus during autofocus operation.

This lens is ideal for active field photography in a wide range of outdoor applications including scenic photography, landscape shooting with a beautiful bokeh effect in the fore- and background, close-up photography of animals and plants, and sports and wildlife photography where its outstanding portability really comes in handy.

A high-grade, multi-layer high-definition (HD) coating has been applied to the optical elements of the lens, enabling the capture of high-contrast images with edge-to-edge sharpness and minimizing flare and ghost images. A super-protective (SP) coating, highly repellent to water, grease and dirt, has also been applied to the lens' front surface, making it easy to wipe off stains or fingerprints.

| Pricing and Availability |

The HD PENTAX-D FA 70-210mmF4ED SDM WR will be available for sale on February 15, 2020, at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com and retail outlets nationwide for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1099.95.

| About Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation |

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Company Ltd. Is part of Ricoh Group, which operates in about 200 countries and regions.

The company operating now as Ricoh Company Ltd. was originally founded in 1919, under the name Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co. and launched its first SLR camera in the 1950s under the PENTAX name. Today, the company continues to produce the heritage-rich, award-winning line of PENTAX DSLR cameras, lenses and sport optics equipment as well as Ricoh's offering of stylish and compact digital cameras, known for their wide-ranging, rich set of features.

For further information, please visit www.us.ricoh-imaging.com

For More Information, Contact:
Stephannie Depa
Breakaway Communications for Ricoh
(530) 864-0136 - mobile
[email protected]

1. Compact, lightweight telephoto zoom lens with outstanding portability

Despite its compact, lightweight design, weighing approximately 819 grams, this zoom lens covers the image circle of 35mm full-frame digital SLRs, and provides a focal length range of 70mm to 210mm to facilitate handheld outdoor photography. When mounted on an APS-C-format camera, its focal length range is extended to the equivalent of 107mm to 322mm in the 35mm format. Its compact, lightweight body, makes it an ideal companion for any APS-C-format camera system. In its 20-element, 14-group optics, it incorporates three extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements and two anomalous dispersion glass elements to deliver high-contrast, high-resolution images with edge-to-edge sharpness, while effectively compensating for distortion and chromatic and coma aberrations. In addition to a short minimum focusing distance of 0.95 meters, the lens barrel was designed to be extension-free during AF operation to keep the overall dimensions intact. This allows the photographer to enjoy active field photography in a wide range of outdoor applications, including scenic photography, landscape shooting utilizing a beautiful bokeh (defocus) effect in the fore- and background, close-up photography of animals and plants, and sports and wildlife photography where its outstanding portability really comes in handy.

2. HD Coating to enhance imaging power

This lens features PENTAX's latest high-definition (HD) coating. Compared to conventional multi-layer coatings, this high-grade, multi-layer coating not only improves light transmittance but also reduces average reflectance in the visible light range by more than 50 percent, minimizing the adverse effects of flare and ghost images even in demanding lighting conditions such as backlighting.

3. Weather-resistant construction, perfect for outdoor photography

This zoom lens features a weather-resistant construction to prevent the intrusion of water into the lens barrel. When mounted on a PENTAX weather-resistant digital SLR camera body, it assures a durable, reliable digital imaging system that performs superbly in demanding shooting settings — even in rain or mist, or at locations prone to water splashes or spray.

4. SP Coating to repel stains

This lens features super-protect (SP) coating on its front surface. Applied by means of a PENTAX-exclusive fluorine deposition process, this coating is highly repellent to water, grease and dirt, making it easy to wipe off stains such as fingerprints. This frees the photographer from worries in outdoor photography.

5. Built-in SDM

This lens incorporates a ring-type supersonic direct-drive motor (SDM) to assure quiet, high-speed AF operation and improve operability in outdoor shooting.

6. Other features

Quick-shift Focus System, to provide instant shift to manual-focus operation, after locking
the subject in focus during AF operation by pressing the shutter-release button halfway down
Two-step focus range limiter, to minimize AF operation time
Nine-blade, round-shaped diaphragm, to produce a natural, beautiful bokeh (defocus) effect,
while minimizing the streaking effect of point light sources
Electromagnetic diaphragm control, to provide high-precision exposure control during video shooting is available when mounted on a PENTAX K-1 Mark II, K-1, K-3 II, K-3, KP, K-70, K-50, K-S2 or K-S1 camera body.

SOURCE Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation