Originally posted by Peter Zack And I don't know what the fuss is about anyway. Plastic composites in some ways are better. If the lens undergoes temperature shifts (hot or cold days), A plastic composite will not expand or contract as much as a metal part. The internal slides for zooming and focus are metal in all these lenses I'm sure just so they last longer. I took apart an F SMC 70-210/4-5.6 and the outside barrel was plastic composite but all the guts were metal.
Last if you are building a lens that is designed to be water and weather resistant, metal either corrodes or oxidizes. Plastic has very few issues with the weather.
You are quite correct, Peter.
I merely posted this observation to try to appease those that are panicking about the fact that the DA* lenses can't be as good as the FA* versions because they are made of plastic. It's the old "Can't be as good as they are plastic crap and not like the good old metal lenses of the past" line.
I actually like the new lenses as they will not get scratched as easily as my painted metal barelled FA* lenses.