October 07, 2013
Ricoh Imaging Adds New Lens to its Industry-Leading APS-C Optimized Lens Lineup
HD PENTAX-DA 55-300 mm F4-5.8 ED WR Marks 28th APS-C Optimized Lens for Ricoh Imaging’s Robust APS-C Camera Offering
DENVER, CO, October 7, 2013 – Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation (Ricoh Imaging) today announced the introduction of a new HD PENTAX-DA lens. Specifically designed for PENTAX K-mount DSLRs, the new HD PENTAX-DA 55-300 mm F4-5.8ED WR is a versatile telephoto zoom lens that features the PENTAX high-grade multi-layer High Definition (HD) coating and dependable weather-sealed construction.
Complementing the largest offering of APS-C optimized lenses in the imaging industry, the new HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm lens is the 28th in the Ricoh Imaging lineup of PENTAX K-mount lenses architected and engineered to perfectly pair with an APS-C-sized sensor. With a zoom ratio of approximately 5.5 times, the 55-300mm range covers a wide range of focal lengths from medium to super telephoto and thanks to the sturdy and dependable weather-sealed construction the HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm lens can also handle a wide variety of weather conditions ensuring moisture or rain are never the cause for a missed photo. Additionally, thanks to the treatment of the PENTAX HD coating, photographers are assured much higher light transmittance than conventional multi-layer coatings, delivering sharp, clear images with significantly reduced flare and ghosting, even under demanding, backlit conditions.
“With the announcement of the our new long zoom 55-300mm lens, Ricoh Imaging now offers twice as many APS-C optimized lenses as some of our competitors,” said Jim Malcolm, Executive Vice President, Ricoh Imaging. “Pair this with our robust family of APS-C DSLRs, which includes the newly announced PENTAX K-3, and consumers a guaranteed an unequaled imaging experience that combines sharp optics with powerful electronics to create beautifully crisp and clear images.”
Ricoh Imaging’s full line of APS-C cameras includes the full-featured, entry-level K-500; the customizable, weather-sealed K-50; the robust, highly-regarded K-5IIs as well as the standard setting K-3, which touts a host of professional-grade features like a high-resolution 24 megapixel image sensor, fast 8.3 frames per second frame rate, selectable anti-aliasing filter and easy and seamless wireless connectivity with unprecedented functionality.
Pricing and Availability
The HD PENTAX-DA 55-300 mm F4-5.8ED WR will be available for purchase online at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com and at retailers nationwide in November 2013 for a suggested retail price of $449.95.
To learn more about the new PENTAX K-3 and Ricoh Imaging’s unmatched lineup of APS-C DLSRs and lenses as well as other Ricoh Imaging products, please visit www.us.ricoh-imaging.com.
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 Group operates in about 200 countries and regions.
The company now known as Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation, 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, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation 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.
Major Features
1. Approximately 5.5-times zoom ration in telephoto range
With its wide zoom coverage of approximately 5.5 times, the lens offers focal-length coverage from 84.5 medium telephoto to 460mm super telephoto (in the 35mm format), making it ideal for use with a wide variety of subjects and applications including portraits, sports and landscapes. It incorporates two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements in its optics to effectively compensate for chromatic aberrations over the entire zoom range and deliver well-defined, true-to-life images.
2. High-grade HD coating* for exceptional image rendition
The lens is treated with HD coating,* a PENTAX-exclusive multi-layer lens coating that assures higher light transmittance and lower reflectance than conventional multi-layer coatings, producing sharp, clear images free of flare and ghosting, even under such adverse lighting conditions as backlight.
* HD stands for High Definition.
3. Dependable weather-resistant construction
The lens features weather-resistant construction to prevent the intrusion of water and moisture into the lens barrel. When mounted on a PENTAX weather-resistant digital SLR camera body, the user is assured of greater durability and reliability when shooting in rain or mist, as well as at locations subject to a spray or splash.
4. Quick-Shift Focus System
The lens features the PENTAX-developed Quick-Shift Focus System, which allows the user to instantly switch to manual-focus operation after the subject is captured in focus by the camera’s AF system.
5. Other features
– SP (Super Protect) coating to keep the front surface free of dust and stains.
– Highly dependable metallic lens mount.
NOTE: Design and Specifications are subject to change without notice.