dust layer on mirror? Brand new K5

So I bought my new K5 at the weekend and today is the first time I’ve been able to use it.

When looking through the viewfinder, it appears as if the screen (mirror?) has a consistent, slightly mottled affect, almost like a dust layer.

Should the viewfinder be crystal clear or is this affect normal?

It's a ground glass screen (plastic these days) so should have a gritty look. It's very fine though, so your eyesight is obviously excellent.

Thanks johnriley for the reply - it does have a gritty look. After putting up my original post I was so concerned I'd got a duff unit I telephoned Pentax and the guy spoke with said the viewing screen should have been absolutely clear. Its definitely not a clear screen. Back to the shop maybe

It depends what you mean by absolutely clear, so I guess the shop can look and tell you if it's OK or not.

It's not supposed to be perfectly clear. Ground glass always has a slightly roughened look about it.

And the slower the lens, the grittier the viewfinder will look.

Put a 50mm F1.4 on the front, and it will look very bright and almost clear.

Whereas a F5.6 zoom on the front, and it will be a lot darker and grittier.

A ground glass screen, by definition, has to have an image projected on to it that you can look at.

Perfectly clear glass cannot fulfil that function.