Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce the introduction of the SMC Pentax-FA 645 300mm F5.6 ED[IF] telephoto lens for use with the Pentax 645N medium-format autofocus SLR camera. Offering a 300mm telephoto range (equivalent to 200mm in the 35mm format), compact dimensions and outstanding image quality, this versatile telephoto lens is ideal for a wide range of both field and studio applications.

Incorporating an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens element, this telephoto lens offers outstanding image quality with minimal aberrations and distortions. In addition, its compact, lightweight design not only makes hand-held photography in the field much easier and fatigue-free, but also allows the photographer to reduce the volume and weight of the entire camera system. Other outstanding features include: a slide-out focus ring for single-action switching of autofocus and manual focus; an inner focus mechanism for fast, flawless focusing operations; high-quality close-up shooting at a minimum focusing distance of 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) for a maximum magnification of 0.16 times; and a flower-shaped lens hood with a polarizing filter adjustment window.

With the addition of this new lens, Pentax now offers a selection of 11 high-performance interchangeable autofocus lenses for the Pentax 645N.