PentaxDA 645 28-45mm f/4.5 ED AW SR - Objetivo (Ultra-wide, SLR, 17/12, 1.1 - 1.77" (28 - 45 mm), Pentax K, 0.866 - 1.4" (22 - 35.5 mm))

I love it...It worked as SPECIFIED...

I don't know why this costs as much! I just don't know..

The Surface:I have long been a skeptic of using zooms over prime lenses almost entirely due to the fact that I have found better image quality in the latter 9.9/10 times while shooting. As such, when I officially made the switch from film to digital, any camera kit that I came to call my own was marked by at least 3-5 lenses each, as opposed to the mounted wide zoom and a "nifty fifty" in the bag. Because of this, when I came into a Pentax 645z and the 55mm "kit lens," and wanted to go wider, I looked no further than the Pentax DA 645 25mm f/4. When the 28-45mm was released, I honestly didn't pay it a second thought. There was one serious problem with this initial oversight in that first and foremost, Pentax AW lenses are few and far between in terms of focal length, and not only that, they are as much if not more than most dSLRs currently on the market. I had been in the market for a 35mm equivalent lens for the 645 system, and found a sound choice in the 645 45mm f/2.8. Good reviews, not too large, half decent aftermarket price...good deal, right? Well, as strictly a landscape photographer, that little "AW" marking on the 25mm, 55mm, and 90mm was, well, damn sexy. Many a time I find myself in a torrential downpour, so far be it for me to contest the necessity for the mighty AW. (Pentax will say "weather resistant" to cover their proverbial butts.) Ergo, I take the plunge.The Deep:Given the cost of such a device, my own un-boxing ceremony deserved more pomp and circumstance than I delivered. Eh, I am about a decade behind the start of the YouTube movement and many have said I act older than I am, so who am I to conform. That being said, I did have to caress this beauty. If I had to give my copy of this lens a name, I would call it The Secret Weapon. Too long? Ah well, that's beside the point. The first thing you'll notice about this lens is it is BIG. I mean that in the most literal sense of the word. To quote Elle from Kill Bill, Vol. 2, I'd say gargantuan. It is like having the Canon 70-200L as wide as a 24-105L on a 645 body. Did I mention the filter thread is 82mm? Yeah. What you have to keep in mind is that if you're looking for a walk around lens for street/shoot and sprint, I would say look elsewhere. This is not a discrete lens, nor is the 645D/Z a discrete body. What's nice is that as a zoom, it only extends maybe 3/4 of an inch outward from 45mm-28mm. But it is heavy. You will need a sturdy/heavy tripod and tripod head, there is no question. Despite the optical stabilization, I would find it hard to handhold this beast and take a photo while maintaining the combo at eye level.The Power:This lens is a powerhouse when combined with the 645Z. It is such a mental massage to be able to walk out of the house with just one lens on the 645 body and be completely content. You've basically got a 21mm, a 35mm, and if you get a little bit closer, you've got your 43.1mm (55mm f/2.8 kit) all in one package. If I am feeling diabolical, I might grab the 120mm f/4, but usually I am using that lens for a single, designed purpose, and it will be the only one I have on me. When using the lens, you do lose a little bit of the "wide factor" after using the 25mm f/4, but it is not enough to render the user morose. For those pixel peepers out there, the center is sharper at all focal lengths than other 645 lenses I have used, including the 25mm f/4. The corners are a lot better than the 25mm as well, showing a lot more detail than I originally expected, especially at 28mm. I have not yet compared the corners to other 645 lenses I have owned. Overall, I do not concern myself too much with sharpening as every lens produced today I feel is sharp enough for 95% of all photographic applications out there...the other 5% is printing on mural sized media. This lens can do that, by the way.Further Analysis:My second favorite aspect of this lens when compared to the 25mm f/4, besides the variable focal lengths, is the fact that you can use Lee/Cokin filters over the front of the lens...or screw in any 82mm filter your heart desires for that matter. On the 25mm f/4, the lens hood is a permanent element of the lens housing, and you can only use 40.5mm drop in lenses (I love how cheap these are, btw), or none at all.The Monster:Price. Pentax DA 645 AW lenses are NOT cheap. They cost more than the 645D. (Save for the 55mm f/2.8.) This will be a deterring factor to all parties interested. That being said, if you can afford one of Pentax's $5000 lenses, get this one. Or the 90mm if you do portraits.Size. If you hollowed out the insides of this lens, you could probably fill it with a half gallon of milk. It is the biggest lens I own. I almost want to do a side by side comparison between this "little guy" and a pancake EF 40mm f/2.8. It is certainly a difference you can FEEL.