[Driline]

I've noticed that every single older pentax lens I have (A series or F series) compared to the DA or even FA series of lenses, produces a noticeably more yellowish hue. Is this due to optic coatings between the old and the new lenses?

Or am I just imagining these things

I can see where one may opt out of purchasing the older lenses in preference for the newer lenses that do not display this anomaly or vice versa.

[Blue]

I don't see that.

[pacerr]

If it IS a color cast, it's easily corrected through various in-camera custom settings. But first consider if the shots you've made with these older lenses all just happen to fall into a situation that needed a white balance adjustment.

With the digital post processing tools and in-camera adjustments available today there's no reason to be overly concerned with minor color cast differences between otherwise good lenses.

H2

[de1937]

whenever i use auto white balance on the k-5 the pictures do have a yellowish hue.. so i usually just set the white balance myself or edit in pp

[Driline]

whenever i use auto white balance on the k-5 the pictures do have a yellowish hue.. so i usually just set the white balance myself or edit in pp

But there IS a noticeable difference with the SAME white balance settings between the A or F and DA, FA lenses. I've adjusted the "temperature" of the lens in IPHOTO but it can't make up the difference between the lenses.

[Blue]

The SMC coatings wouldn't be dramatically different on those lenses. The limited lenses including the FA lenses would have Ghostless Coating in addition to the SMC coatings.

[Na Horuk]

Could be AWB, could be glass yellowing (some old lenses do that). Some people like the honey/amber look, especially for portraits.

[TaoMaas]

I don't know about differences between the various series, but Pentax lenses did used to have slightly warmer colors than Canon, for example. That's one of the reasons I started using them back in the film days. Many photographers used to stick with one brand of lens so that their shots would have a uniform color rendering when they switched between lenses.

[JimmyDranox]

Older lenses used elements made with lead, and some unusual materials, even radioactive. This help for a better CA. Now, there are extra low dispersion glass, but with differences between glass manufacturers, and sorts of glass. And every optician engineer has his opinion of what is most important, because finally, every lens is a compromise.

[monochrome]

FWIW, to my eye, my SMC50/1.4 and K50/1.4 lenses have appeared slightly warmer to me than my M50 did. When I bought the MESuper and M50/1.4 the change was noticeable as I recall. I believe my A50/1.4 and FA50/1.4 are neutral, by comparison (in between the K and M). I ahve read the formula for the A and later lenses was sligfhtly tweaked and the SMC coating updated.

Then again it could all be imagination - am I seeing what I've read I should be looking for? And I have too many 50's.

[Blue]

Older lenses used elements made with lead, and some unusual materials, even radioactive. This help for a better CA. Now, there are extra low dispersion glass, but with differences between glass manufacturers, and sorts of glass. And every optician engineer has his opinion of what is most important, because finally, every lens is a compromise.

None of the lenses mentioned by the OP used radioactive materials nor lead. The exception might be early versions of the FA 43/1.9.

[Driline]

None of the lenses mentioned by the OP used radioactive materials nor lead. The exception might be early versions of the FA 43/1.9.

I bought my FA 43 earlier this year at Adorama so me thinks not.

[derekkite]

My DA*300 had a definite yellow hue to it on the K-5. I had to shoot grey cards under a few conditions to generate white balance presets for use post. Don't have that issue with the K3.