Carl Zeiss launches Distagon T* 18mm f3.5 for EF bayonet mount

Some good news for Canon landscape photographers. Carl Zeiss launches the Distagon T* 18mm f3.5 lens for EF mount. This is expected to be sharp. In Europe it is 1049 euros. Lets see what is the price in US.

Press Release:
Carl Zeiss presents the Distagon T* 3,5/18 wide-angle lens with EF bayonet mount
OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 14.09.2009.
Whether shooting the elegant lines of the Eiffel Tower or the vast expanses of the Grand Canyon, both situations require a lens field wide enough to reveal the unique and full dimensions of each image. With the new Distagon T* 3,5/18 from Carl Zeiss, EOS camera users now have an ultra-wide-angle lens at their disposal while benefiting from all the other optical qualities that ZEISS lenses are well-known for. The lens’s extremely wide 99°-angle view is suitable especially for full-frame sensor cameras, delivering an array of new creative possibilities. From landscape and architecture photography to advertising images, cameras equipped with the new Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens meticulously capture once-only moments and spectacular perspectives.
Despite its short focal length, the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE has an extremely compact design compared to other zoom lenses in its category. Internal focusing also helps to reduce its size while delivering extremely precise and smooth focus control.
To prevent image aberrations during close-ups, internal lens groups are repositioned individually during focusing in what is called a floating elements design. This allows the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE to deliver exceptionally high quality—from extreme close-ups to infinity. Thanks to the ZEISS T*s anti-reflective coating and meticulously crafted lenses, the ZEISS T* is not affected by reflections or stray light. The result: razor-sharp images even under the toughest lighting conditions or with wide aperture settings.
Following the Planar T* 1,4/50 ZE and 1,4/85 ZE, already long cherished by photographers around the world, the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE is the first wide-range lens with EF bayonet mount on the market.
The Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE will be available in autumn 2009 at a suggested retail price of EUR 1,049.00 (excluding VAT)*.
Technical specifications
Focal length: 18 mm
Aperture range: f/3.5 – f/22 (half steps)
Number of elements/groups: 13/11
Focusing range: 0.3 m – infinity
Angular field* (diag./horiz./vert.): 99/90/67°
Coverage at close range: 44 x 29 cm
Image ratio at close range: 1:12
Filter thread: M 82 x 0.75
Mounts: ZF (F bayonet), ZK (K bayonet), ZE (EF bayonet)
Accessories: Lens shade included