city>Las Vegas in early January.

 

Pentax showcased a new ‘companion’ lens for its *ist D digital SLR camera at the 2004 Consumer Imaging Show in Las Vegas in early January.

The compact, high-performance, smc Pentax-DA 16mm-45mm F4 ED AL lens features a 3x zoom ratio with focal lengths covering an angle of view equivalent to 24.5mm-69mm in 35mm format. It also supports open-aperture TTL metering and boasts a responsive ‘Quick-Shift Focus System’ that allows photographers to switch the focus mode from auto to manual with a slight twist of the focus ring. The aperture range of the new lens is f4-f22 and its design eliminates the need for an aperture ring and improves the camera’s operability.

The lens also incorporates an Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens element and two aspherical lens elements, providing better image quality. The image circle in Pentax DA-series lenses is designed to match the 23.5mm x 15.7mm size of the CCD used in Pentax digital SLRs. The new design also contributes to a drastic reduction in size, weight and production costs compared to 35mm-format counterparts with similar specifications.

Pentax cameras and lenses are distributed in Australia by C.R. Kennedy & Company. For more information, go to www.crkennedy.com.au.