Pentax Limited 20-40mm F2.8-4 zoom and Pentax-08 Wide Zoom announced

pentax-wide-zoom

Pentax just announced two new lenses: HD PENTAX-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR and Pentax 08 Q-mount ultra-wide-angle zoom.

HD PENTAX-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR

The first zoom lens in its Limited series. It boasts a weather-resistant build (another Limited first) and provides an equivalent focal length of 30.5-61.5mm in 35mm terms when mounted to a Pentax K-mount DSLR body. The lens barrel, hood and cap are all made of aluminum. It will be available in silver and black, at a recommended price of £849.99 in the UK.

Pentax 08 Q-mount ultra-wide-angle zoom

The ultra-wide-angle compact weighs in at 75g and when mounted to the Pentax Q7 provides an equivalent focal length of 17.5mm to 27mm (in 35mm format). The lens is equipped with its own shutter and also comes with a built-in ND neutral density filter. It will cost £429.99 on announcement in the UK.

Pentax Limited 20-40mm F2.8-4 zoom Main Features

1. The first two-times zoom lens in the Limited Lens series

With its two-times zoom coverage from 20mm to 40mm, this lens offers a focal-length coverage from 30.5mm to 61.5mm (in 35mm format) when mounted on a PENTAX K-series lens-interchangeable digital camera body. It provides the most frequently used focal lengths required for many popular applications, such as scenic photography, snapshots and portraiture, making it the ideal choice as an all-purpose, everyday lens.

2. Acclaimed Limited Lens-series quality for superb visual description and premium appearance

Inheriting the design concept of the Limited Lens series, this lens is designed with an optical construction that reproduces the feeling of depth while minimising astigmatism over the entire zoom range. It allows the photographer to optimise the subject’s visual description, by making its appearance softer at larger apertures and sharper at smaller apertures. Its lens barrel, hood and cap are made of a high-grade aluminium material, and are hand-machined for perfect proportions and beautiful texture. The zoom ring in the mid-section of the lens barrel features a series of grooves to facilitate zooming operation.

3. State-of-the-art optical technology

The lens has been treated with the PENTAX-developed HD coating*, a high-grade, multi-layer coating that reduces reflection in the visible light spectrum to less than 50 percent of that of conventional multi-layer coatings. This allows the user to capture crisp, high-contrast images free of flare and ghost images, even in adverse lighting conditions. It also incorporates an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass and a super-low-dispersion glass element in its optics to deliver clear, high-resolution images with edge-to-edge sharpness, while effectively compensating for chromatic aberrations over the entire zoom range.

* HD stands for High Resolution.

4. The first weather-resistant lens in the Limited Lens series

This lens is the first Limited Lens-series model to feature a weather-resistant construction, with seven special seals to prevent the intrusion of water and moisture into the lens interior. By mounting it on a PENTAX weather-resistant digital SLR camera body, the user is assured of greater durability and reliability when shooting in the rain or mist, as well as locations subject to spray or splashes.

5. Other features

  • Smooth, quiet AF operation using a lens-installed AF driving motor
  • Round-shaped diaphragm to produce a natural, beautiful bokeh (blur) effect, while minimising the streaking effect of point light sources
  • The lens features the 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
  • SP (Super Protect) coating to keep the front surface free of dust and stains
  • A choice of black or silver
Pentax-08 Wide Zoom Major Features

1. Super-compact, ultra-lightweight design

The incorporation of three molded-glass aspherical elements in its optics, means that this zoom lens has the shortest overall length (approximately 38mm) in the Q-mount zoom lens range and features a super-compact body weighing a mere 75g. With its pocket size and unique focal-length coverage from 17.5mm to 27mm in 35mm format (with a Q7 camera body), it can be used for a wide range of subjects and applications — especially for  shooting in confined spaces where the subject is close to the camera, and for scenic photography with exaggerated perspectives. Its machined-aluminium barrel cam assures a smooth, comfortable zooming operation.

2. Exceptional visual description

The incorporation of a moulded-glass DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) element in the first optical group means this lens reduces distortion to a minimum. By incorporating two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and one super-low-dispersion glass element in its optics, it delivers clear, high-resolution images with edge-to-edge sharpness, while effectively compensating for chromatic aberration over the entire zoom range.

3. Other features

  • Inner-focus mechanism for high-speed, low-noise AF operation
  • Quick-Shift Focus system for instant switching to manual-focus operation after the subject is captured in focus by the camera’s AF system
  • SP (Super Protect) coating to keep the front surface free of dust and stains
  • Built-in lens shutter equipped with an ND (neutral density) filter and an iris diaphragm