Here’s the best Pentax lens for Wedding Photography:

Pentax 16-50 Lens

Why This Is The Best Pentax Lens for Wedding Photography

I picked this Pentax 16-50 lens as the best Pentax lens for wedding photography for several reasons that I will discuss below.

The first reason is the sharpness. All the images that I took with this lens are simply excellent even at the widest aperture. I was able to get a portrait of the bride with an excellent out of focus blur with this lens. I did a shot for the groom and all the details on the face are vividly captured.

Sample Bride Shot Using The Pentax 16-50 Lens

Next, this lens has a large aperture. With a large f/2.8 aperture, you will be able to shoot at almost any lighting condition. You will be able to take both indoor and outdoor shots easily using the f/2.8 aperture.

The weight of this lens is a big plus to me. This lens is not heavy like most professional lenses out there. However, it is still strong enough to withstand minor bumps which will most likely happen in any wedding photography session. In addition, your neck will not get tired carrying this lens all day and so you will be able to save your energy for finding that one in a lifetime shot!

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“Simply put, this lens will cover about 95% of all wedding situations. And the best part is, the bride and the groom will simply love the quality.”

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Don’t Think This is The Best Pentax Lens for Wedding Photography? Here Are Some Options

After looking at all the features that this lens has to offer, I am pretty sure you are starting to think this is THE lens for wedding photography. However, it is not THE ONLY lens as there are some complements and alternatives listed below.

1. Pentax 12-24mm Lens
2. Pentax 50-135mm Lens
3. Pentax 70mm Lens

The Pentax 12-24mm lens will complement the Pentax 16-50mm lens because it can help you take that wide indoor shots. It can also help you greatly when you need to take group shots.

When you need a longer focal length, the Pentax 50-135mm is your best option. Not only this lens is as sharp as the Pentax 16-50mm lens, this lens also has the same f/2.8 constant aperture. This lens will enable you to take more intimate portrait shots which will turn out sharp when used correctly.

If you need a super sharp, small and tough prime lens, then the Pentax 70mm is your best option. You will need to plan your shots accordingly since this is a prime lens. If you are an old school photographer, you will be familiar with this kind lens.

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“All the lenses listed above will make you the complete wedding photographer using the Pentax camera system. With all those gears, you will be ready to tackle even the toughest wedding shooting situation.”

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If you want to learn more about the lenses mentioned above, simply click any of the link above to get the best online deal and to see what others are saying about them.

I hope when you try the lens above, you will agree that this is the best Pentax lens for wedding photography.

At the time of this writing, the Pentax 12-24 lens is Pentax’s only ultra wide angle lens. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

This glass is a cooperation between Pentax and Tokina. Tokina also has the same (but not identical) lens offered with the main difference being the build quality and coating.

The focal length will be equal to 18 to 36mm in terms of full frame equivalent which is fantastic for landscape shooting.

Sunset under the bridge. Shot with Pentax 12-24 lens.

Thankfully, they offered a good price for this glass. It is not too expensive and is still affordable for many people.

How does this piece of glass perform optically though?

Let’s see it in the complete Pentax 12-24 review below.

Pentax 12-24 Specs

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Official Name:
Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4 ED AL IF

Focal Length Markings:
12, 15, 18, 20, 24mm

Features:
DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

ED – Extra Low Dispersion Glass – Technology to make the image sharper by correcting the light wavelength that travels through the lens.

AL -Aspherical Elements – Minimizing chromatic aberration by installing aspherical elements on the lens.

IF – Internal Focusing – Lens physical dimension does not change during focusing.

Full Technical Specs:

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	11 / 13
Angle of View	99 -61°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	8
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Minimum Focusing Distance	12in.
Filter Thread	77mm
Weight	15.2oz. (430g)
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø3.3 x 3.4″ (83.5 x 87.5mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.12X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 12-24 Sharpness

The center sharpness on this glass is very good at any focal length and apertures. It is very sharp with not much of a difference between the focal lengths.

Border sharpness are also great at any aperture and focal length.

From the f/4, this lens is very sharp already. Stop down to f/5.6 to get the maximum sharpness from this glass.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

Being an ultra wide angle lens, distortion (barrel) is visible at 12mm.

At 18mm and 24mm, the distortion is very well controlled and can be ignored.

See the distortion grid test below.

Vignetting

Vignetting is quite heavy at 12mm at f/4. Stop down to f/5.6 to reduce it significantly.

At 18mm and 24mm, there is a very slight vignetting at f/4. Stop down by one stop and it will be negligible.

See the vignetting test result below.

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration is not a strong point of this lens. It can be considered high at 12mm and 18mm.

At 24mm, the chromatic aberration control is good enough but still visible in some situations.

See the test table result below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

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Materials

Build quality of this lens is very good. It is made from a combination of both metal and plastic parts.

Zoom Ring

The zoom ring is very smooth on this lens. The lens will change dimension during zooming. The shortest length is in the middle of the zoom range and it will extend when zoomed towards 12mm and 24mm.

Focusing

The focusing ring on this lens is very smooth as well. This lens does not have an internal focusing motor and has to rely on the camera’s.

This will cause the autofocus to be a bit noisy. However, the speed is quite fast and the autofocus mechanism is quite accurate.

The front element on this lens does not rotate so you can use a polarizing filter easily here.

There is a Quick Shift Focus System on this lens that can work instantly once the autofocus is locked.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this lens is only compatible with Pentax cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 12-24 lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below I will be summarizing this Pentax 12-24 review.

Drawbacks

• Barrel distortion is visible at 12mm
• Visible vignetting at 12mm f/4
• Poor chromatic aberration control at 12mm and 18mm at all apertures
• Moderate autofocus noise

Positives

• Very sharp on the center and borders at all focal lengths and aperture
• Great distortion control at 18mm and 24mm
• Excellent vignetting control at 18mm and 14mm at all apertures
• Accurate and fast autofocusing mechanism
• Solid build quality
• Good value for money

Good For

• General landscape photography
• Street photography
• Moderate wide angle lens purpose

Not So Good For

• Low light photography

What Others Are Saying…

by “Dana G”

The main problem with the APS-C sensor is the fact that to get a very wide angle of view, you need a special lens. My old 20mm lens, which has served me for many, many, years, is just a…
Click here to see the full review

by “Rudy”

Pop Photo (Apr-06) praised this lens as a “Wide Winner” for spectacular performance on bench testing: excellent image sharpness and contrast; imperceptible distortion ["best of breed"]; and…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 12-24 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related post below to see more options.

• Pentax 12-24
• Pentax 10-17mm
• Pentax 16-45
• Pentax 16-50

I hope you have enjoyed this Pentax 12-24 review and I hope you’ll make a good use out of it.

The Pentax 55-300 lens is a step up from the cheap Pentax 50-200 lens. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

In terms of full frame equivalent, the focal length will be equal to 83 to 450mm. Combined with the relatively slow aperture, this glass will be fine for general telephoto application and is better than the Pentax 50-200 lens.

However, this is not the glass to be used for professional telephoto application.

The good thing about this lens is the weight. It is quite light and for the weight you will be able to get a long telephoto range.

The price is quite attractive as well as it is quite competitive.

If you only shoot telephoto occasionally and do not want to spend too much money, then this is the glass to get.

See the complete Pentax 55-300 review below to see if this glass is for you.

Pentax 55-300 Specs

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Official Name:
Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED

Focal Length Markings:
55, 70, 100, 200, 300mm

Features:
DA – The Pentax 55-300 is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

ED – Extra Low Dispersion Glass – Technology to make the image sharper by correcting the light wavelength that travels through the Pentax 55-300 lens.

Full Technical Specs (from Pentax’s website):

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	8 / 12
Angle of View	29 – 5.4°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	6
Minimum Aperture	f/22-32
Minimum Focusing Distance	55.2in. (1.4m)
Filter Thread	58mm
Weight	15.5oz. (440g)
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø2.8 x 4.4″ (71 x 111.5mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.28X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 55-300 Sharpness

The center sharpness on this lens is very good at any aperture and focal length. There is no significant sharpness loss when you go through the focal length here.

Border sharpness is a different story here. At the widest aperture, it is soft at any aperture and focal length. Stop down by one stop to make it sharper

To get maximum sharpness on this lens, shoot at f/8.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

Distortion control is just average on this glass.

At 50mm, the distortion can be ignored. However, at 100mm and above, the distortion on this lens is quite apparent. The distortion that appears here is the pincushion distortion.

See the distortion grid test below.

Vignetting

Vignetting is apparent at every focal length at the widest aperture.

You will need to stop down by one stop to significantly reduce it.

See the vignetting test result below.

Chromatic Aberration

From 50mm to 200mm, chromatic aberration is very low on this lens and can be ignored.

However, the chromatic aberration is high on 300mm from f/5.8 to f/8. You would need to stop down to f/11 to reduce chromatic aberration significantly.

See the test table result below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

This is a consumer zoom lens and so the build quality is not that great. It is made from mostly plastic but there is some metal parts as well.

Zoom Ring

The zoom ring is quite smooth. This lens will extend when zoomed towards the telephoto end. Thankfully, this lens does not suffer from zoom creep.

Focusing

The focus ring is quite smooth as well. This lens has no internal autofocus motor and has to rely on the camera’s drive. This will in turn generate some noise during autofocus.

The autofocus speed is quite slow on this lens but it is very accurate. This lens has a Quick Shift system which allows for quick manual focus switching.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the Pentax camera body, not on the lenses. Check our Pentax DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this lens is only compatible with Pentax cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 55-300 lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Here I will be summarizing this Pentax 55-300 lens review.

Drawbacks

• Soft borders at all focal lengths at the widest aperture
• Visible vignetting at all focal lengths at the widest aperture
• High chromatic aberration at 300mm
• Slow and noisy autofocus
• Average distortion control at focal lengths above 50mm

Positives

• Sharp on the center at all focal lengths and aperture
• Good value for money
• Accurate autofocus mechanism

Good For

• Consumer use telephoto application

Not So Good For

• Low light telephoto shooting due to small aperture

What Others Are Saying…

by “K. Gittins”

I got this in the hopes of replacing both a Pentax 50-200 and a Sigma 70-300. Luckily, the image quality seems to be an improvement over both, though they were acceptable on their own. This…
Click here to see the full review

by “T. Heagney”

This is a terrific lens for the K20D or any other Pentax. OK, it’s not as fast as the DA*50-135, or the Sigma 70-200…But this one is half the weight of either and a lot smaller than most compact…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 55-300 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related post below to see more options.

• Pentax 55-300
• Pentax 50-200
• Pentax 60-250
• Pentax 50-135

Thanks for reading this Pentax 55-300 review and I hope you have enjoyed it.

This Pentax 50-200 lens is the old kit lens that is often sold as a package with a Pentax DSLR camera. You can get the best price from Amazon. Adorama also have it in stock.

The new variant has the Weather Sealing feature with slightly better optics.

This glass is made for people who occasionally need the extra zoom when they are using the kit Pentax 18-55 lens. And as such, one should not expect good quality image from it.

Unfortunately, I found this glass to be worse than any equivalent Canon or Nikon kit lenses (the 55-250 and 55-200 respectively).

If you are looking for a much better quality glass, you should look instead at my review of the Pentax 50-135 lens.

If you are still curious about this Pentax 50-200, read the complete review below.

Pentax 50-200 Specs

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Official Name:
Pentax SMC DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED

Focal Length Markings:
50, 80, 100, 135, 200mm

Features:
SMC – Super Multi Coating – Minimizes flare in the pictures.

DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

ED – Extra Low Dispersion Glass – Technology to make the image sharper by correcting the light wavelength that travels through the elements.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	10 / 11
Angle of View	31.5 – 8.1°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	6
Minimum Aperture	f/22-32
Minimum Focusing Distance	43.2in.
Filter Thread	52mm
Weight	9.2oz.
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø2.6 x 3.1″ (66.5 x 78.5mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.24X
Available at	Amazon, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 50-200 Sharpness

At 50mm, center sharpness is great at any aperture. At 100mm and 200mm, the center sharpness is weak at the widest aperture of f/5.6.

Border is very weak at any focal length and aperture here.

To get the maximum sharpness, you need to shoot at f/8.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

There is a slight distortion on 50mm but it can be ignored. At 100mm and 200mm, the distortion will become a mild pincushion distortion but again, they are not to the extreme degree.

I would say that the distortion control here is average.

See the distortion grid test below to see the test result.

Vignetting

Vignetting control is not a strong point here. You will be able to notice it at every focal length at the widest aperture.

You will need to stop down to f/8 to reduce vignetting significantly.

See the vignetting test result below for each focal length and aperture.

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration can be considered low here and can be safely ignored at any focal length and apertures.

See the test table result below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

Plastic with metal mount. Quite decent for a kit lens.

Zoom Ring

Zoom ring operates very smooth. It will extend when zoomed towards the extreme telephoto end of the range.

Focusing

Focusing ring also operates very smooth. The front element of this glass does not rotate so you can use a polarizing filter easily here.

There is no internal autofocusing motor here so it has to rely on the Camera’s screw drive. This will cause the autofocus operation to be a bit noisy.

Thankfully, the speed is quite fast and accurate. There is a Quick Shift Focus system which allows manual focusing to be instantly available once the focus is locked.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this glass is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 50-200 glass. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Here I will be summarizing this Pentax 50-200 review.

Drawbacks

• Soft on the center at 100mm and 200mm at the widest aperture
• Soft on the borders at any focal length and apertures
• Visible vignetting at every focal length at the widest apertures
• Moderate autofocus noise

Positives

• Good center sharpness at 50mm
• Decent build quality for a kit lens
• Good chromatic aberration control

Good For

• Kit telephoto lens
• Photographers not willing to spend a lot of money for a telephoto lens but willing to take some sacrifice in image quality

Not So Good For

• Low light, sports or action photography
• Anyone wanting to get sharp pictures from a telephoto lens

What Others Are Saying…

by “Richard Sundmacker”

I was surprised that a low end lens, especially a zoom, could produce such sharp images. I was at one time a serious…
Click here to see the full review

by “Gnarlydad”

The lens pictured does not match the lens described: the green ID ring in the image identifies this as a Pentax DA Lens…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 50-200 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

Adorama

See the related post below to see more options.

• Pentax 50-200
• Pentax 50-135
• Pentax 55-300
• Pentax 60-250

Thanks for reading my complete Pentax 50-200 review and hope you’ll get a lot of value out of this.

The Pentax 60-250 lens is a member of the professional DA* Pentax lens lineup. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.
The 60-250mm focal lengths will give the equivalent of 92 to 383mm focal lengths in term of 35mm or full format.

This glass is appropriate for sports, nature and even portraiture photography. However, the f/4 aperture limitation will demand that you have sufficient light for every shooting occasion.

You might think that the f/4 aperture will not give good out of focus blur but there is a way to achieve it here. You can simply zoom out to the 250mm and shoot at the widest aperture. By doing this, you will get the pleasing out of focus blur similar to those lenses with f/2.8 aperture.

This is not a cheap glass by any means though. At a price around $1500 USD, you must know what your shooting habit is before buying this instrument.

If you know your shooting habit and require a lens in this focal length range, you will not be disappointed with this glass.

See the complete Pentax 60-250 review below.

Pentax 60-250 Specs

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Official Name:
Pentax SMC DA* 60-250mm f/4 ED IF SDM

Focal Length Markings:
60, 85, 135, 200, 250mm

Features:
SMC – Super Multi Coating – Minimizes flare in the optical elements.

DA* – Digital High Build Quality – The equivalent of Canon’s L lenses made for cropped sensor DSLR camera.

DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

ED – Extra Low Dispersion Glass – Technology to make the image sharper by correcting the light wavelength that travels through the elements.

IF – Internal Focusing – Physical dimension does not change during focusing.

SDM – Supersonic Drive Motor – Technology to make the autofocus faster and more silent. However, they are still away compared to their competitor in my opinion.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	13 / 15
Angle of View	26.5 – 6.5°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	9
Minimum Aperture	f/32
Minimum Focusing Distance	43.2 in.
Filter Thread	43 or 67mm
Weight	36.7oz.
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø3.2 x 6.6″
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.15X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 60-250 Sharpness

The center sharpness of this glass is excellent at any focal length and aperture. It is just slightly less sharp at 200mm and 250mm at f/4 though.

Border sharpness here is very good as well at any aperture and focal length.

To get the maximum sharpness here, shoot at f/5.6.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

Being a telephoto glass, the distortion is very well controlled here. You can ignore it at any aperture and focal length.

See the distortion grid test below.

Vignetting

Vignetting is surprisingly well controlled here. At 60mm and 135mm, vignetting can be ignored at any aperture and focal length.

At 200mm and 250mm, the vignetting is visible slightly at the widest aperture of f/4. When you stop down by one stop, you will eliminate vignetting completely.

See the vignetting test result below.

Chromatic Aberration

The chromatic aberration is very well controlled here as well. You can safely ignore it at any aperture and focal length.

See the test table result below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

Being a DA* version, the build quality of this lens is superb. There is a dust and weather seal here.

The glass is made from combination of both metal and high quality plastics with very tight tolerance.

There is a built-in tripod mount here.

Zoom Ring

The zoom ring is smooth with just the right amount of friction to prevent zoom creep. This lens will extend when zoomed out towards the telephoto end.

Focusing

The focus ring operates very smooth. The front element of this lens does not rotate during autofocus so you can use a polarizing filter easily.

The SDM or Supersonic Dynamic Motor is very silent and accurate. The speed is quite decent, but not blazingly fast.

Full time manual focusing (the Quick Shift) is available on this lens.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this lens is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 60-250 lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below is the summary of this Pentax 60-250 review.

Drawbacks

• Expensive for a DA lens

Positives

• Excellent optical performance – very sharp on the center and borders at any aperture
• Great distortion control at every focal length
• Superb vignetting control for a DA lens
• Excellent chromatic aberration control – it is negligible at every aperture and focal lengths
• Superb build quality
• Fast and accurate autofocus

Good For

• General telephoto use
• Sports photography in good lighting condition
• Portraiture photography

Not So Good For

• Fast moving action shot under minimal lighting condition

What Others Are Saying…

by “E.J Tastad”

The lens is superb. SDM focus is silent and seems reliable with my K-7. It goes to its target and stops. It is not extremely fast, but not slow either. It seems to work well enough for some birds in …
Click here to see the full review

by “T. Bradley”

I owned one of these for about 14 months. It became my main day to day lens. It takes incredibly sharp, high quality images throughout the zoom range, sweet f-stop is about 4.5 or 5.6…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 60-250 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related post below to see more options.

• Pentax 60-250
• Pentax 50-135
• Pentax 55-300
• Pentax 50-200

Thanks for reading my Pentax 60-250 review and I hope you will be able to make a good purchasing decision.

The Pentax 50-135 lens is a welcome addition to the Pentax lens lineup. It is a step up from the Pentax 50-200 lens. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

This glass is made for cropped sensor DSLR camera as designated by the DA marks.

The primary use for this glass is for serious portraiture and sports photography thanks to its large f/2.8 aperture and stellar build quality.

The focal length will be equal to the classic 70-200mm which is what most professional use for sports and portraiture.

With that said, let us see how this glass performs optically in this in-depth review.

Let us start this Pentax 50-135 review below.

Pentax 50-135 Specs

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Official Name:
Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED AL IF SDM

Focal Length Markings:
50, 60, 70, 90, 135mm

Features:
DA* – Digital High Build Quality – The equivalent of Canon’s L lenses made for cropped sensor DSLR camera.

DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

ED – Extra Low Dispersion Glass – Technology to make the image sharper by correcting the light wavelength that travels through the lens.

AL -Aspherical Elements – Minimizing chromatic aberration by installing aspherical elements on the lens.

IF – Internal Focusing – The physical dimension does not change during focusing.

SDM – Supersonic Drive Motor – Technology to make the autofocus faster and more silent. However, they are still away compared to their competitor in my opinion.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	14 / 18
Angle of View	31.5 – 11.9°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	9
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Minimum Focusing Distance	39.6 in.
Filter Thread	67mm
Weight	24.2oz. (685g)
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø3.0 x 5.4″ (76.5 x 136mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.17X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 50-135 Sharpness

The center sharpness of this glass is excellent at any aperture and focal length, including at the widest aperture of f/2.8.

Border sharpness is great at any aperture and focal length at 50mm. However, it gets weak at 90mm and 135mm at f/2.8. You need to stop down to f/4 to get sharp border at those two focal lengths.

To get maximum sharpness here, shoot at f/4.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

There is a slight barrel distortion at 50mm. At 90mm, distortion can be considered non existent. At 135mm, there is a slight pincushion distortion.

Overall, distortion is fairly well controlled here and you should not worry about it.

See the distortion grid test below.

Vignetting

Being a DA version, vignetting is visible at the widest aperture of f/2.8 at every focal length. Stop down to f/4 to reduce the vignetting significantly.

At f/5.6 and above, vignetting can be considered negligible.

See the vignetting test result below at every aperture and focal lengths.

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration is extremely well controlled here. It can be considered low at any aperture and focal length. There is one exception at 135mm at f/2.8 where chromatic aberration can be considered high.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

High quality plastic material with weather sealing, characteristics of a DA* version glass.

Zoom Ring

The zoom ring mechanism is very smooth on this lens. The length of the lens remains constant during zooming in or out.

Focusing

The focusing ring is also very smooth on this lens. The front element of the lens does not rotate so you can use a polarizing filter with ease.

The autofocus mechanism uses the SDM (Supersonic Dynamic Motor) which can be compared to Canon’s USM mechanism. The autofocus is very silent, fast and accurate.

There is also a quick shift manual focusing system that can be activated in single shot AF mode once focus is locked.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this lens is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 50-135 lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Here I will be summarizing this Pentax 50-135 review here.

Drawbacks

• Expensive
• Chromatic aberration at 135mm f/2.8
• Weak border at 90mm and 135mm at f/2.8
• Visible vignetting at f/2.8 at any focal lengths

Positives

• Very sharp on the center at any focal length and apertures
• Good border sharpness above f/2.8
• Good vignetting control above f/2.8 at any focal lengths
• Excellent chromatic aberration control except at 135mm f/2.8
• Excellent build quality
• Fast, accurate and silent autofocus mechanism

Good For

• Portraiture photography
• Sports photography

Not So Good For

• Street photography due to its size and weight

What Others Are Saying…

by “Brian H. Williams”

After anxiously awaiting the new DA* series of lenses, I bought it the day it was released. I had to photograph the Ujena Bikini Jam in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and KNEW that I needed the…
Click here to see the full review

by “P. Vandalen”

First the good: This is an impressive lens in both feel and looks. There’s no mistaking that this is professional glass. For portraits and non-flash situations like stage performances, I wanted a lens…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 50-135 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related post below to see more options.

• Pentax 50-135
• Pentax 50-200
• Pentax 60-250
• Pentax 55-300

Thanks for reading my Pentax 50-135 review and hope you’ll be able to make a good purchasing decision based on this review.

The Pentax 18-55 AL II is the kit lens for Pentax DSLR camera. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

It is often sold in a package with the K10D and other budget DSLRs.

The DA designation means that it can only be used with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

This focal length is ideal for beginner photographer who is new to this field and want to shoot a bit of everything.

Although this review might be unnecessary for beginner photographer to understand, it might be useful to see how this glass will compares against other Pentax lenses.

Read the complete Pentax 18-55 review below.

Pentax 18-55 Specs

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Official Name:
Pentax SMC DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II

Focal Length Markings:
18, 24, 35, 45, 55mm

Features:
SMC – Super Multi Coating – Minimizes flare in the glass elements.

DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

AL -Aspherical Elements – Minimizing chromatic aberration by installing aspherical elements.

II – Second edition or version.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	8 / 11
Angle of View	76 – 29°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	6
Minimum Aperture	f/22-38
Minimum Focusing Distance	9.84ft. (0.25m)
Filter Thread	52mm
Weight	7.8oz. (220g)
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø2.7 x 2.7″ (68 x 67.5mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.34X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 18-55 Sharpness

The center sharpness here is excellent at any focal length and apertures.

Border sharpness is a bit soft at 18mm f/3.5. At other focal length and apertures, they are great.

To get maximum sharpness here, shoot at f/8.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

Barrel distortion is visible on this lens at 18mm. At 35mm and 55mm, distortion can be ignored.

See the distortion grid test below for each focal lengths.

Vignetting

Vignetting control is pretty poor at 18mm. At the widest aperture (f/3.5) it is very heavy. Stopping down also does not help in this case. The best solution is to remove it via a post processing software in this case.

At 35mm and 55mm, vignetting is visible at the widest aperture as well. However, here stopping down will greatly help reduce the vignetting.

See the full vignetting test below for every focal lengths and apertures.

Chromatic Aberration

Surprisingly, chromatic aberration is very well controlled on this lens. It can be considered very low at any aperture and focal lengths.

You can see the chromatic aberration test table result below for each focal lengths and apertures.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

For a kit lens, the build quality is quite decent. It is made out of plastics, but the mount is made from metal (which is great for a kit lens).

Zoom Ring

The zoom ring operates quite smooth on this lens. The lens will extend when zoomed towards the extreme telephoto and extreme wide range.

Focusing

The focus ring on this lens is quite usable, unlike most kit lenses out there. It also operates very smoothly.

The front filter thread on this lens does not rotate, so you can use a polarizing filter with ease.

Autofocus will generate some slight noise because it has no internal autofocus motor. The speed is quite fast and autofocusing is accurate as well.

The Quick Shift Focus System manual focusing will be available once the autofocus have achieved focus.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this lens is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 18-55 lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

In this section, I will be summarizing this Pentax 18-55 review.

Drawbacks

• Soft borders at 18mm f/3.5
• Barrel distortion at 18mm
• Heavy vignetting at 18mm at every aperture
• Vignetting at 35mm and 55mm at the widest aperture

Positives

• Sharp on the center at any focal length and apertures
• Excellent chromatic aberration control
• Decent build quality for a kit lens
• Fast and accurate autofocus mechanism
• Good value for money

Good For

• Beginner’s lens

Not So Good For

• Any serious type of photography
• Low light photography due to the small aperture

What Others Are Saying…

by “James Rahrig”

I’m a former pro photographer for a newspaper & now freelance my skills for special events & corporate needs. The original kit lens was quite good for general use and serves well for newspaper…
Click here to see the full review

by “J. Powell”

When I purchased the Pentax K7 camera, I had some older manual lenses that I used first. Those were not truly digital lenses, so there was a lot of manual futzing around with the settings…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 18-55 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related post below to see more options.

• Pentax 18-55
• Pentax 50-200
• Pentax 55-300
• Pentax 16-45

Thanks for reading this Pentax 18-55 review, hope you’ve enjoyed it and found it helpful.

The Pentax 17-70 lens is one of the latest Pentax zoom lens launched for cropped sensor DSLR camera. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

When looking at the specifications, this glass is very attractive indeed.

It offers the perfect combination of focal lengths, aperture as well as price.

In terms of focal length, it gives the equivalent of a 26-107mm in terms of the full frame format which is the perfect walk around lens that can cover landscape and portrait photography.

The constant f/4 aperture is also a strong selling point here, as well as the price.

However, all that will not matter if the optical performance is below par.

Let’s see the how this Pentax 17-70 performs below.

Pentax 17-70 Specs

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Official Name:
Pentax SMC DA 17-70mm f/4 AL IF SDM

Focal Length Markings:
17, 24, 35, 50, 70mm

Features:
SMC – Super Multi Coating – Minimizes flare in the picture.

DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

AL -Aspherical Elements – Minimizing chromatic aberration by installing aspherical elements on the glass.

IF – Internal Focusing – Physical dimension remains constant during focusing.

SDM – Supersonic Drive Motor -Technology to make the autofocus faster and more silent. However, they are still away compared to their competitor in my opinion.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	12 / 17
Angle of View	79 – 23°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	7
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Minimum Focusing Distance	11.04 in. (0.28m)
Filter Thread	67mm
Weight	17.1oz. (485g)
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø3.0 x 3.7″ (75 x 93.5mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.31X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 17-70 Sharpness

Center sharpness is excellent at any aperture and focal length, including at the widest aperture of f/4.

Border sharpness at 17, 24 and 40mm are great at any apertures. However, at 70mm, borders are weak at the first 2 apertures (f/4 and f/5.6). When you are at 70mm, you need to stop down to f/8 to get sharp borders.

To get maximum sharpness here, shoot at f/5.6.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

Barrel distortion is visible at 17mm. At 24mm, distortion is negligible.

At the 40mm and 70mm focal length, there is some pincushion distortion, but it is not to an extreme degree and can be safely ignored.

See the distortion grid test below for each focal lengths.

Vignetting

Being a DA version, vignetting is visible at the widest aperture (f/4) at any focal length. Stopping down to f/5.6 will greatly help reduce vignetting here.

See the vignetting test result below for each focal length and apertures.

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration is high at the 17mm focal length at any aperture.

At 24mm, chromatic aberration is moderately low. At 40mm and 70mm, the chromatic aberration can be ignored at any apertures.

See the test table result below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

The build quality is very high on this glass. Made from high quality parts (combination of plastics and metals).

Pentax also applied the Super Protect coating element to protect the glass from dust, water and grease.

Zoom Ring

Zoom ring is very smooth on this lens. It will extend when zoomed towards the telephoto end.

There is no wobbling or zoom creep here.

Focusing

Focusing ring also operates smoothly. It has an internal focusing system so the front element does not rotate. You can use a polarizing filter easily here.

This lens features the new SDM (Supersonic Dynamic Motor) mechanism which makes the autofocus quick and silent. It is also very accurate on here.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this glass is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 17-70 optics. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Here is the summary of this Pentax 17-70 review here.

Drawbacks

• Soft borders at f/4 and f/5.6 at 70mm
• Barrel distortion at 17mm
• Visible vignetting at f/4 at every focal length
• High chromatic aberration at 17mm at every aperture

Positives

• Good center sharpness at any aperture and focal lengths
• Good distortion control above 17mm
• Good vignetting control above f/5.6
• Excellent chromatic aberration control above the 17mm focal lengths
• Fast, quick and accurate SDM autofocus mechanism

Good For

• Walk around lens
• Landscape photography
• Portrait photography

Not So Good For

• Low light photography, f/4 might not be fast enough
• Architecture photography due to distortion

What Others Are Saying…

by “Alan”

I have owned this lens almost from the day it was introduced in the U.S. It has a lot going for it–excellent construction, quiet focusing and a very useful zoom range. Between 17-50mm focal…
Click here to see the full review

by “R. Jones”

A good solid prosumer lens. The SDM focus motor is so silent, you wonder if it’s working until you hear the little confirmation beep and see your subject in shar focus in the VF. A good all around…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 17-70 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related standard zoom lens review post below to see more options.

• Pentax 17-70
• Pentax 16-45
• Pentax 16-50
• Pentax 18-55

Thanks for reading this Pentax 17-70 review and hope you’ll be able to make a good purchasing decision based on this.

The Pentax 16-50 lens has a DA* designation, which means it belongs to the Pentax professional grade lens lineup. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

This professional glass is priced quite well when compared to the Nikon (the 17-55mm) or Canon (17-55mm) counterparts. It has the f/2.8 aperture and wider, 16mm focal length.

Being a DA version, this glass will only work with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

So far so good. The price tag is attractive here which is a good news for most Pentaxians.

How about the performance? I personally prefer the Pentax 16-45 because it has better optical performance.

However, if you are still curious why I do not recommend this glass, read my complete Pentax 16-50 review below.

Pentax 16-50 Specs

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Official Name:
Pentax DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 ED AL IF SDM

Focal Length Markings:
16, 20, 28, 35, 50mm

Features:
DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

DA* – Digital High Build Quality – The equivalent of Canon’s L lenses made for cropped sensor DSLR camera.

ED – Extra Low Dispersion Glass – Technology to make the image sharper by correcting the light wavelength that travels through the lens.

AL -Aspherical Elements – Minimizing chromatic aberration by installing aspherical elements on the lens.

IF – Internal Focusing – The physical dimension does not change during focusing.

SDM – Supersonic Drive Motor – Technology to make the autofocus faster and more silent. However, they are still away compared to their competitor in my opinion.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	12 / 15
Angle of View	83 – 31.5°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	9
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Minimum Focusing Distance	11.9in.
Filter Thread	77mm
Weight	19.9oz. (565g)
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø3.3 x 3.9″ (84 x 98.5mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.21X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 16-50 Sharpness

This glass is very sharp on the center at any aperture and focal length, including f/2.8 (which is the widest aperture).

However, border sharpness is disappointing here. At f/2.8, it is soft at any focal length. Stopping down to f/4 will help a bit, but you really need to stop down to f/5.6 to get the optimal border sharpness.

To get maximum sharpness here, shoot at f/5.6.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

Barrel distortion is very visible at the 16mm focal length here. At 24mm and 50mm, the distortion is pretty much can be ingored.

You can see the distortion grid test below for each focal length.

Vignetting

Vignetting control is not very good at 16mm. It is very heavy at f/2.8 and you would have to stop down to f/4 to reduce it greatly. However, it is still visible at f/4 as well.

At 24mm, vignetting control is fairly well. It is very low at any aperture.

At 50mm though, vignetting is back with f/2.8 and f/4 being the most pronounced. Stopping down to f/5.6 will eliminate vignetting.

See the vignetting test result below for each focal lengths and apertures.

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration is not a strong point on this lens. At 16mm, it is very high at any aperture.

At 24mm, it is also high at any aperture, except at f/8.

At 50mm, it is high at the first two apertures and low at f/5.6 and f/8.

See the complete chromatic aberration test result below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

Being a DA* lens, the build quality of this lens is very high. This lens even has weather sealing.

There is also an SP (Super Protect) element on this lens which will repel dust, water and grease.

Zoom Ring

The zoom ring operates very smoothly on this lens.

The lens will extend when zoomed.

Focusing

Focus ring operates very smoothly, just like the zoom ring. There is an internal focusing system on this lens which makes the front element does not rotate.

Therefore, using a polarizing filter is fairly easy on this lens.

The autofocusing is very fast on this lens, thanks to the addition of the SDM motor. It is also silent and accurate.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that this lens is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 16-50 lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Here I will be summarizing this Pentax 16-50 review.

Drawbacks

• Soft borders at f/2.8 at any focal lengths
• Barrel distortion at 16mm
• High vignetting at 16mm and 50mm at f/2.8
• Poor chromatic aberration control at any aperture and focal lengths

Positives

• Good center sharpness
• Good distortion control above 16mm
• Great build quality
• Fast, noiseless and accurate autofocus

Good For

• Walk around professional lens
• Landscape photography
• Portrait photography
• Low light photography

Not So Good For

• Architecture photography due to distortion at 16mm

What Others Are Saying…

by “Hiram Grant”

If you’ve read my previous reviews, you know that I’m a retail camera salesperson. I get to use a wide variety of equipment, but I’m a bit picky on what I buy myself. I own this lens…
Click here to see the full review

by “Bruno Passigatti”

For Pentax K20D users: (Older model owners: upgrade already, you’re missing all the fun, what are you waiting for? I reviewed tons of sites before purchasing this lens. Here the lowdown after some extensive K20D (real world studio with people, not charts) testing…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 16-50 lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related post below to see more zoom options.

• Pentax 16-50
• Pentax 16-45
• Pentax 17-70
• Pentax 18-55

Thanks for reading this Pentax 16-50 review, hope you’ll be able to make a good purchasing decision based on this.

The Pentax 35mm is one of the newest lens on Pentax’s “Limited” lens lineup. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

It is also the first “Limited” macro glass with 1:1 capability. Interestingly enough, they also offers this glass to the Canon and Nikon crowd under the Tokina brand.

This is a DA version which means it is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR cameras. Other than for shooting macro, this glass will also act as a normal lens for cropped sensor DSLR cameras.

During testing, it has performed very well in terms of optical performance. It is very sharp both on the center and on the borders.

Distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration are all well controlled.

What’s more is that the build quality is superb, typical for a Limited version.

If you are looking for a great macro glass that can also act as a normal lens for your DSLR and want to get it at a great price, then this is the one to get.

Read on to see the complete Pentax 35mm review below.

Pentax 35mm Specs

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Official Name:
Pentax SMC DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited

Focal Length Markings:
35mm

Features:
SMC – Super Multi Coating – Minimizes flare in the glass elements.

DA – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.

Macro – A special instrument that allows you to focus closer for close up photography. It has 1:1 magnification ratio.

Limited – Limited edition version. Label that is put for great performance in a compact package.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	8 / 9
Angle of View	44°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	9
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Minimum Focusing Distance	5.4ft. (0.139m)
Filter Thread	49mm
Weight	7.6oz. (215g)
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø2.5 x 1.8″ (63 x 46.5mm)
Macro Magnification Ratio	1.00X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Pentax 35mm Sharpness

Center sharpness are excellent at any aperture, including at f/2.8.

Border sharpness are also great at any aperture.

To get maximum sharpness here, shoot at f/5.6.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Border Sharpness

Distortion

Distortion is well controlled here. It will not show up in your picture.

See the distortion grid test below.

Pentax 35mm Distortion

Vignetting

Vignetting is a bit pronounced at f/2.8. Stop down to f/4 to reduce it by a large margin.

At other apertures, it is not visible.

See the vignetting test result below.

Pentax 35mm Vignetting

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration is also well controlled. It is on the low side at any apertures.

When it is visible, it can easily be corrected in post processing.

See the chromatic aberration test table below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Build Quality

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Materials

Being a Limited glass, it is made from very high quality parts made all from metal.

Pentax also installed a SP – Super Protective – coating to the front element to make it easier to clean this lens and protect it against water and fingerprints at the same time.

Focusing

Focusing ring is very smooth. It will extend during focusing which is a typical characteristics of many macro lenses.

The front element does not rotate so you can use a polarizing filter easily.

Because of the absence of an internal motor, the autofocusing generates some noise. The autofocus speed is still fast and accurate though.

There is also a Quick Shift Focus mechanism which allows you to focus manually without switching to manual focus. You can do this once the singe AF is locked on focus.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your DSLR camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

The DA designation means that it is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. It should not be used with a full frame DSLR or 35mm film SLR camera.

Sample Image

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Below are some sample shots that I took using this Pentax 35mm glass. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

Back to: Menu • Introduction

Here’s the summary of this Pentax 35mm lens review.

This glass performed very well in terms of optical performance. It is sharp both on the center and on the borders at any aperture.

Being a macro glass, distortion is well controlled on this lens. Chromatic aberration is extremely well controlled as well.

Vignetting is slighly apparent at f/2.8, but can be greatly reduced by stopping down to f/4.

In terms of build quality, this it is made out of very high quality metal parts, typical of any Limited lens.

I highly recommend anyone wanting to get a macro lens which can also act as a normal lens to get this product.

Drawbacks

• Vignetting is slightly visible at f/2.8
• Moderate autofocus noise

Positives

• Very sharp on the center and borders at any apertures
• Great distortion control
• Good vignetting control (except at f/2.8)
• Superb build quality
• Excellent chromatic aberration control
• Fast and accurate autofocus mechanism
• Great value for money

Good For

• All around macro lens
• Normal lens

Not So Good For

• Wide angle shots – 35mm is not wide enough for a cropped sensor DSLR

What Others Are Saying…

by “Stephen Gushue”

Phenomenal Lens! This lens may well become one of the most legendary of the Limiteds manufactured by Pentax and perhaps even rival the output capabilities of the FA Limiteds. This lens is superiorly contructed of metal and solidly built in such a small package…
Click here to see the full review

by “Bill Nicholas”

Excellent All-Around Lens – May be the Only One You Need. I used this lens extensively over the last month and found it to be an excellent everyday, all-purpose lens. I previous searched in vain for an upgrade to my K-X’s kit standard zoom lens then decided to get a prime lens instead…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 35mm lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related post below to see more options.

• Pentax 35mm
• Pentax 31mm
• Pentax 40mm
• Pentax 43mm

Thanks for reading this Pentax 35mm review and I hope you’ll be able to make a good purchasing decision based on this.