The lens arrived today. Some initial impressions: - It is a plastic lens. This explains it's low weight (which is why I bought it). It's built is quite similar to the FA645 75/2.8. As plastic zoom lenses go It's great; built like a Canon 2.8 zoom.
- They have used a very wide filter diametre (82mm) although they could probably have gotten away with 67mm. This is great and as opposed to the 45/2.8 and the 45-85 zoom, this lens can use polarizers without vignetting. When using the Cokin P system you may need to file off the outermost filter slot when using the widest setting on the lens; not the two outermost slots like when using most other superwides. - Zooming is very smooth. In fact, it's the best zooming action I've experienced on any modern AF zoom lens. Manual focusing is good as well. - Surprisingly, I find the zoom range to be somehwat limited. I thought that 20-35 (in 35mm terms) would be experienced as large. To be frank, I suspect Pentax have cheated us on both extremes on the focal length range. Or perhaps it's me being fooled by the aspect ratio differences between the 35mm format, being more rectangular, and the 6X4,5 format being more square. A 35mm image would be wider than a 6X4,5 image with the same angle of view, wouldn't it? - I have no idea about it's optical quality yet. Unfortunately it will take awhile before I know as it takes 2,5 - 3 weeks to get E-6 films processed where I live. Pål - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
