HD Pentax-DA 35mm F2.8 Limited Macro

Conclusion

When testing a lens such as the HD DA 35mm F2.8 Limited macro, the big question is: what is the takeaway? How does one evaluate and rate a lens practically designed to be a jack-of-all-trades on APS-C cameras?

DA 35mm macro
HD DA 35mm Limited macro lens

The good news is that, in general, the lens delivers. Being a Limited lens, expectations are high: Limited lenses are known for their solid build quality, compactness, and premium optics.  The 35mm manages to meet and sometimes exceed these expectations.

As a macro lens, it offers a high level of resolution, superb colours and contrast, smooth bokeh and minimal distortions. While corner sharpness is not as high as the center, it is still among the sharpest glass you can buy for K-mount. Brightness transitions are smooth and gradual, with a good level of contrast. Manual focusing is easy, even though the focus throw is a bit shorter than what we would have expected. Given the wide focal length, this isn't a problem.

As a normal lens (for APS-C bodies), it gives a natural and comfortable field of view, even performance across the frame, and a fast aperture and decent AF speed. The lens is well-suited for street photography, landscapes, and with its well-controlled distortion it can serve as a cityscape lens without problem.

The build quality is stellar, well worthy of the Limited label. The smooth metal body is tightly assembled and our sample had no loose parts of faulty elements. The minimalist lettering gives a feeling of quiet elegance. The built-in hood is a nice touch and the metal lens cap completes the package in style. The lens feels substantial but not heavy, well-balanced on our test bodies.

The DA 35mm Limited Macro is not without flaws. The main one is the presence of ghosting with bright light sources at most apertures. Its autofocus at close distances is not particularly fast and can hunt if it misses the subject due to the long throw. The bokeh at longer focus distances can be busy at times, not as smooth as with close subjects. The focal length means that it will be, in most cases, too close to living subjects for proper life-size macro work with bugs and insects. The DA 35mm macro lacks a focus limiter sometimes found on macro lenses. Some will argue that quick-shift mitigates this omission, and we agree to some extent. Our comparison with the DA 35mm F2.4 shows that the cheaper non-macro lens is sharper in the corners.

When Pentax upgraded their DA Limited lenses to HD coatings, some people were surprised that SDM or DC motors were left out. While this would have required a more complex redesign than the (relatively) simple replacement of coatings, we feel that silent AF is almost a requirement for expensive glass in 2016. We would also wish that, with such a versatile lens, Pentax would have gone all the way and added weather resistance. As of this writing, there is only one Limited lens with WR (the DA 20-40mm). We can only hope that this number increases in the future.

The upgrade to HD coatings came with the replacement of the aperture system with curved blades. The former SMC version of the DA 35mm macro had no problem creating a smooth bokeh, and the improvement with the HD version is visible, but not a game-changer. A side-effect of this is that the curved blades cannot be relied upon to create beautiful starbursts around light sources. We recommend the SMC versions of the DA 15mm and 21mm Limiteds for this.

In any case, the practical difference between the HD and (now-discontinued) SMC variants of the 35mm is small.  We recommend both lenses but see little reason to opt for a used/old stock SMC 35mm over a new HD 35mm, as the newer version of the lens has managed to drop substantially in price since it launched at $749 in the US.  Read our HD vs SMC Limited review for more details on the impact of rounded aperture blades and improvements in the HD coating.

None of this takes away the general impression of a high-quality product well deserving its reputation.  The HD 35mm lens is a winner — a complete package able to perform an impressive amount of tasks well.

Pros

  • Excellent overall sharpness, especially in the center
  • Handy "normal" field of view
  • Superb build quality
  • Little distortion
  • Very little chromatic aberration
  • Very pleasing bokeh, especially at close distances
  • True 1:1 macro
  • Built-in hood

Cons

  • Noisy AF, prone to hunt at close distances
  • Flare and ghosting worse than expected
  • Some vignetting in uncorrected images
  • Not as sharp as cheaper DA 35mm F2.4 near edges and corners
  • 1:1 macro requires the lens to be extremely close to the subject
  • Lack of aperture ring limits compatible close-up accessories (i.e. tubes)

Pricing

Both the black and silver variants of the HD 35mm have a retail price of $499 USD in the US.  Over the course of the past months (mid-2016), the street price occasionally dipped to the low-to-mid $400 range.  The silver model tends to be somewhat cheaper.

In the UK, the MSRP is £439, while in Canada, the MSRP is $599 CAD.

Price history can be found below (US-only, other regions coming soon):

Rating

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Who is it For

Anyone looking for a wider macro, or a premium "normal" lens for APS-C with high versatility and excellent image quality.

The Bottom Line

The HD DA 35mm Limited Macro is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when people think of a macro lens, but we feel it deserves to be on more buyers' wishlists. It is a unique lens with many tricks up its sleeve.  In the $399-499, price range, it is not exactly cheap, but we feel the price is fair for the image quality, versatility, and build quality that it delivers.

All-metal lenses with autofocus are a rarity these days.  In this sense, Pentax's Limited line is unique and characteristic of the brand.

The lens can be purchased at authorized Pentax dealers worldwide, including B&H Photo— the largest Pentax dealer in the US.  Also, be sure to check the user reviews or post your own if you already own this lens.

Comments

 

 


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