I reckon that you get a lot of requests for specific camera-lens combos, so much so that it must seem like fighting a deluge. And, on the whole, Pentaxians have been able to rely on DxO to provide optics modules for new and current Pentax lenses in a timely fashion. I also understand that Pentax has arguably become a niche brand that will likely not be your top priority when allocating your resources.
But, then again, given the consistent history of your brand support (and the somewhat patchy experience elsewhere), and the excellent processing results of Pentax PEFs and DNGs with PhotoLab, you may have a small but loyal customer base in the Pentaxians using your products.
Could it be, then, that the HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE has somehow slipped under your radar? Because otherwise it would be hard to believe that such an absolute bread-and-butter lens, released in 2016, and likely one of the bestselling current Pentax offerings, is still without support. Over on PentaxForums, there is a long and increasingly disbelieving thread of users who are, shall we say, puzzled by how their formal suggestions via your site regarding the optics module seem to have yielded nothing but the usual apologetic responses for years.
Is that really going to be DxO’s last word on the HD DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE?
Fellow Pentaxian here. Although I don’t own this lens, I do own a variant of it (the non-PLM one that is still WR) and previously the basic version and PhotoLab 3 is staying firmly in my processing slot because of the way it can bring out the sharpness from these lenses.
It would be a huge shame not to include the PLM lens.
I also have the HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE and share the frustration that there is no lens module for it.
I agree with Madaboutpix that DxO software has long had a loyal following amongst Pentax users. Maybe it’s because Pentax users, like DxO users generally, don’t “follow the herd”! PhotoLab has good coverage of modern Pentax lenses, including coverage of the full range of lenses in Pentax’s DA and DFA series with one notable exception: the HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE
Please note that the older Pentax DA 55-300mm f4-5.8 models, for which there are lens modules, used a different optical formula and have very different characteristics.
Another Pentaxian here. I have placed numerous requests for this lens module. The lens was first announced in June of 2016 so its not a new lens. I have the much newer HD PENTAX-DA* 11-18mm F2.8 ED DC AW which was first introduced in early 2019 and there is a Lens module for it. It makes no sense that the 55-300 PLM was overlooked all these years. The 55-300 PLM has probably sold in much greater quantities than the DA* 11-18 has.
Please DXO create a module for this lens, many DXO users who are Pentaxians would really appreciate being able to have a dedicated module for it without having to resort to using workarounds to process RAW files.
Oh, I have filled in that very form conscientously and sent it maybe half a dozen times over the last couple of years, always requesting the combo K-3 (which can handle the lens after a firmware update) + HD DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE, but to no avail.
Actually, I wouldn’t have bothered anyone here beyond the official channel if the suggestion form had yielded any tangible result.
(Once again, this is not intended as a “grievance thread” but rather a pointer to what looks like an uncharacteristic oversight, given the usual level of DxO support of Pentax.)
During the past 2 years, I had filled the form and submitted the request at least twice for this lens. With more and more Pentaxian fellows demanding the same lens profile, I hope the DxO can come up with that soon. I would be happy to pay for an upgrade of my PhotoLab to the upcoming version if it comes with a profile for the lens.
Pardon my ignorance about house policy here: Has @Marie been contacted about this thread and the guidance she might be able to give, or would we be expected to make her aware of it?
Such oversights are bound to happen on occasion, I guess, with so many lenses announced across the industry, and everyone will understand that you need a physical copy (or even multiple copies?) for proper testing and calibration. At any rate, it’s great to hear the module will - finally - be added to the roadmap and about your willingness to keep us updated.
In pentaxforums.com members are discussing this topic since 2,5 years. Somebody there even contacted Ricoh Imaging Europe S.A.S with the request to loan this lens to you for making the profile.
Yep. And thanks, @toga, for pointing to the PentaxForums thread. Haven’t received any response from Ricoh Imaging Europe to this day, but I do appreciate @Marie’s commitment on behalf of DxO.
Just have been made aware by @larrymc that the correction module for the 55-300 PLM is available from within PL v4.1.0 Build 4467 now.
Many thanks to everyone on this thread who lent their support, and of course to @Marie and the development team on DxO’s part. The Pentaxians out there will sure appreciate this, even if some further gaps in the Pentax module catalog remain.
