[redeleon]

well im pretty excited about the 35mm f2.4 and im goona get one! :P

[creampuff]

I disagree. My point was no one looking to move up from P&S will have knowledge of primes. I sincerely doubt many people would do a google search on which lens to buy prior to making a DSLR purchase.

However, the bigger issue is that all the people used to 5x -15x zooms are going to look at the DAL 35 and say 'how do I make it move in closer to the subject? It seems stuck! What's wrong with this lens? You mean it doesn't zoom? Something like that.

Sorry but that doesn't gel with my experience of newbies buying DSLRs here in Singapore. Many of them do make online comparisons of on-paper specifications and consult with friends even before stepping into a shop to buy. They may not be experienced as a seasoned shooter buying gear but they aren't so gullible as you describe. Also the recommendation of sales staff at a shop does have a bearing. Pentax aren't helping themselves when rival lens offerings show better on paper specs.

[Nass]

I suspect that now ISO is the new megapixel race, the focus is now more on optical quality rather than f stop, so maybe it's not quite as fast but better optically. Plastic, I guess, has the benefits of being both light and cheap to construct.

I'd have thought the most important thing about a lens is its optical performance rather than what or what it may not be it's made of.

[Reportage]

actually i wondered why they chose 35mm rather then 17mm/24mm/28mm and etc. A tried and tested optical formula?

A fast wide/standard prime at reasonable price would be a joy for people who are unable to afford Limited but can enjoy possibly similar picture iq.

[Stratman]

This may be my first AF prime lens...I am still kicking myself for not getting the FA 50mm F1.4 when they were selling for $200.00 ish... I like the FOV of 35mm on a crop sensor, I love my Tak 35 3.5, but AF and AE will be nice.

[KxBlaze]

weight is 124g, says plastic barrel, looks like plastic mount in news photo.

Nikkor 35/1.8G is 200g with metal mount, and SWM motor, SWM MOTOR!!!
And, BTW, maybe u don't care, it's 1-stop faster.


This is really depressing news for me. I could accept DA35/2.4 at $60, what ever the IQ is. A F/2.4 is a F/2.4.

If pentax releases DA35/1.8, it will kill FA31, yes, it's right. But a lens like DA35/2.4 at improper price will drive people away from Pentax, and finally kill the brand itself.

One lens will be the complete down fall of Pentax? Hahaha. You heard it here first.

BTW, why have we not heard from the OP after his first post?

[ll_coffee_lP]

I only read the first post, but man...why do all the jerk wads come out of the wood work when new crap is announced? Honestly...

c[_]

[MSM]

Sorry but that doesn't gel with my experience of newbies buying DSLRs here in Singapore. Many of them do make online comparisons of on-paper specifications and consult with friends even before stepping into a shop to buy. They may not be experienced as a seasoned shooter buying gear but they aren't so gullible as you describe. Also the recommendation of sales staff at a shop does have a bearing. Pentax aren't helping themselves when rival lens offerings show better on paper specs.

Creampuff: My post was not to imply that people don't do an research before they buy. The post was (in context) to say that I don't think people with little background in dslr photography would begin to make decisions based on the difference between two prime lenses. [There has been a number of assertions on various threads that the difference between the Nikon and Pentax lens will single handedly sway potential new dslr users to buy Nikon.] The post I was replying to implied that a potential noob looking to invest in a system would begin his/her research with a google search like 'what lens to buy.' I don't think so. Now will they research which brand of camera? Absolutely! As to the rest of your post I totally agree. I don't think nor imply anyone is 'gullible.' I am sure people do a lot of research into buying gear. I am convinced of it.
Your point of sales staff (though understated) illustrates my original point. People are going to research camera companies via the internet and at stores and of course friends. Most will be told to buy Canon or Nikon. The fact that Nikon makes a 35 mm lens that is 1/2 stop faster is not going to be the initial deal breaker. We can debate this point but most noob will make a decision on brand long before they ever get to discussing the specifics of glass.
Lastly, there are certainly tiers of noobish. There are those who have maxed out their Canon G10's and are really advanced but are making a move to dslr's. And then there are those that buy an entry level model at Walmart/Best Buy because they have a new child, etc. For the later group, I know 4 people at my workplace that have bought Nikon's in the last few months. None knew much about their camera let alone the lens. These are educated people. One bought a D40 and an AF 50mm ~300 USD. He didn't know why a manual lens had to cost so much. I told him that the AF meant autofocus. I had to look it up and tell him that his model did not have a screwdrive to use that lens! I have a running joke with another. He bought a 50-200ish VR Nikon. I have since bought a DA 15 mm, Kx, A 100/4 macro, M 50/1.7 and used them all regularly. He has yet to unbox his lens. To me this is a hugh market for Canikon. Pentax needs to penetrate this market. There are young couples having newborns all the time....

[ll_coffee_lP]

actually i wondered why they chose 35mm rather then 17mm/24mm/28mm and etc. A tried and tested optical formula?

A fast wide/standard prime at reasonable price would be a joy for people who are unable to afford Limited but can enjoy possibly similar picture iq.

Likely because 35mm on 0.67 sensor has the same FOV as a 50mm on FF, and right now the only other option would be the 35mm macro, or the discontinued FA35 f/2 - of which neither are cheap.

The other FL's you've suggested are not as widely used by folks who would want a budget prime, and are already covered by the DA15, DA21, and FA31. The kit lens also covers these FL's and stopped down a bit is nearly as good as the primes at only a fraction of the cost.

I think this is a smart decision - and really like the colour options. I'd also like to see a 50 1.8 and possibly an 85 1.8 in the future.

c[_]

[Brangdon]

However, the bigger issue is that all the people used to 5x -15x zooms are going to look at the DAL 35 and say 'how do I make it move in closer to the subject? It seems stuck! What's wrong with this lens? You mean it doesn't zoom? Something like that.

The kit lens is still a zoom. I think the kind of people who go for the prime instead, or as well, will be looking for the prime magic and will understand it won't zoom. It's part of why they wanted in SLR in the first place; they want to move up and see what it's all about.

The cheapness matters. The new lens is something vendors can upsell to; if it has good image quality, it is something a salesperson can recommend with a clear conscience.

The scenario I have in mind, someone has a new baby they want to photograph, and they want a decent camera to do it with. So they go into a shop, try a few and settle on a Pentax with 18-55mm kit lens. Then the salesperson has a choice. They can either try to upsell to a 55-300mm, which is a good-value telephoto, or they can upsell to a 35mm prime. For many people, the prime will be the better choice. They don't need telephoto.

The new lens ought to be a gift to face-to-face salespeople. It's a way for them to make a bit more commission off a K-r sale. A new user with an 18-55mm kit and a 35mm prime will be able to take pictures with both and see what difference a prime makes, what difference f/2.4 makes, and will hopefully end up more educated and well on the way to LBA. Quality is addictive.

[NKK]

This may be my first AF prime lens...I am still kicking myself for not getting the FA 50mm F1.4 when they were selling for $200.00 ish... I like the FOV of 35mm on a crop sensor, I love my Tak 35 3.5, but AF and AE will be nice.

I'm in the same boat I am pretty shure it will be my first AF Prime too.
And i'm really looking forward to it.
Have the Tak 35 F3.5 - love it, and regret not buying the FA 50mm F1.4 a year or two ago

[Ash]

A new user with an 18-55mm kit and a 35mm prime will be able to take pictures with both and see what difference a prime makes, what difference f/2.4 makes, and will hopefully end up more educated and well on the way to LBA. Quality is addictive.

Aha! Another fine point.
What keeps Pentaxians coming back?
If it were for the bodies alone, there would be defectors left, right and centre...
Pentaxians (and Pentax) KNOW it's the glass.
I have no other explanations as to why there are so many disappointed Pentaxians that simply STICK with Pentax!

[montman]

As much as I want to hate the 35 2.4 I can’t. Would I love it to be 1.8, absolutely! Do I wish my 70 2.4 was 1.8 yes, but again I can’t complain about the 70 2.4 because it produces some amazing results. It’s so sharp it makes my eyes bleed.

[jsherman999]

i'd have thought the most important thing about a lens is its optical performance rather than what or what it may not be it's made of.

.

+1.

.

[yeatzee]

Pentax, we now need a cheap 50mm AND a 85mm F/2 or 85mm F/1.8.

I would buy the later in an instant :ugh:

And I know this probably wont happen, but a cheap 28mm should be a priority also. We have ZERO modern options @ 28mm & 85mm in Pentaxland which is not acceptable IMO.