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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Paul Hackett" data-source="post: 2008914" data-attributes="member: 1343">Having spent a reasonable time with this lens now, it is proving not to be a toy, as some earlier remarks made to me, the quality of the glass has to be up there with the Canon & Nikon lenses for me with my eye at least. I have tried to find CA with this lens but just cannot find it in the pictures I have taken so far (around 16 gig) the large focus ring is solid, no slip, and the fine focusing is very precise.Need to go and do some flight shots with this lens to see how really good it is.Having spoken with the Kowa Japan managers at Birdfair, the philosophy behind this product has an interesting background. They approached the old master photographers in japan to seek opinions, it seems that most bar none prefer manual focus and manual settings for their camera and lens.They like to be in control of their equipment rather than the other way, this led me to think that this product will only be of real use to people who have their eye to hand confirmation and not for the beginner enthusiast.Is the quality of the lens upto the big lens manufacturers ? IMHO yes, but i have yet to test the 350 mm and 850 mm extenders/reducer, so I will still reserve judgement on the whole package.Jaff hit the nail on the head when he said people who do buy will buy the version they want, but if the quality matches, then the portability and compact design of the product will allow all sorts of photography to be covered bar the fast flying/ action shots, with a price tag greatly reduced over the ever rising cost of the big and small lenses, its really down to how much do you rely on autofocus when manual could have got you the same results?As i have said from the start, an interesting concept and definitely thinking outside the box.Paul</blockquote>

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