Lenses

One of Pentax's exclusive Limited series lenses, the lightweight and compact 21mm f/3.2 ($470, street) features all the traits that have made a name for the Limited series: solid all-metal materials, extremely high manufacturing standards, engraved barrel markings, and uncompromising optics. Its high-tech pluses include a hybrid aspheric element and Pentax's relatively new SP coating that the company claims will make glass surfaces unusually easy to clean. Mounted on a Pentax DSLR, the 21mm's angle of view is equal to that of a 31.5mm lens on a 35mm film SLR.

While this digitally optimized (DG), full-frame 70mm f/2.8 lens ($430, street) can be mounted on film or digital SLRs, it will probably find its widest application on DSLRs that have APS-sized sensors, where it converts out to (about) a 105mm. On such cameras, it offers not only excellent macro and low-light performance, but also a suitable focal length and depth of field for flattering portraits with creamy, defocused backgrounds.

HANDS ON: With all-metal construction and a heavy, rugged feel, it has a nonremovable tripod collar and a zoom lock that holds it at its most compact size for transport. Its new felt-lined lenshood incorporates a spring-loaded "PL Assist" wheel that allows you to reorient lensmounted filters without removing the hood. The zoom action is stiff; the manual focusing action seems underdamped.

Be prepared for curious stares and lots of questions when you're out shooting with the the just-announced Lensbaby 3G. This is far and away the weirdest looking contraption to mount on the front of a camera in a quite a long time.
The Lensbaby 3G looks like a Lensbaby 2.0 that took an unexpected detour to Frankenstein's Lab. The 3G can be locked into position and even fine focused via those bolty knobby jobbers.