First Pentax Digital SLR Lens Introduced

Pentax has announced a perfect companion lens for the *ist D digital SLR camera, their new F4 ED AL lens.

The compact, high-performance, interchangeable smc PENTAX-DA 16mm-45mm F4 ED AL lens features a 3X zoom ratio with focal lengths covering ultra-wide to moderate-telephoto ranges for the angle of view equivalent to 24.5mm-69mm in the 35mm format. 

The DA-Series  features a responsive “Quick-Shift Focus System” that allows photographers to instantly switch the focus mode from auto to manual with a slight twist of the focus ring.  Coupled with a simple, functional design and the elimination of an aperture ring, this new mechanism considerably improves the camera’s operability.  The lens also incorporates an Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens element and two aspherical lens elements for true-to-life image reproduction and overall size reduction.  The image circle in DA-series lenses, including the smc PENTAX-DA 16mm-45mm F4 ED AL, is designed to perfectly match the 23.5mm x 15.7mm size of the CCD used in PENTAX digital SLRs to optimize camera performance.  The new design also contributes to a drastic reduction in size, weight and production cost, compared to 35mm-format counterparts with similar specifications. 

PENTAX U.S.A. will preview the lens at the PEPCOM Digital Focus media event on January 7 in Las Vegas during the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show.