Originally posted by paulh CR, you're killing me with these Tok 24mm shots! I still have one in my B&H cart, but haven't pulled the trigger. I keep thinking my 28's can tide me over until I can get a ~20mm prime or 17-70-ish zoom.....decisions!
Yes, it's the same lens (the Cosina and the Tokina A version), I've held them side by side looking at every little detail... the barrel's a bit different, the lettering is different, but the size is identical, the performance is the same, and looking into the glass, the elements look exactly the same...
Everybody needs a 35mm lens (or equivalent) and this is nice, compact, sharp, what else do you need... oh and it matches beautifully with the CCD sensor
If you want to see what the lens looks like (and see how it looks just like the Cosina) the Tokina A version looks like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOKINA-24MM-1-2-8-CAMERA-LENS-FOR-PENTAX-/3821168089...4AAOSwBt5ZLEBq
The next wider good performer manual lens, I think, is the Tokina/Vivitar 17mm f/3.5, and that one will cost you a couple hundred dollars if you can find one. The Tamron 17 3.5 is also supposed to be a good lens but from what I've seen, the Tokina 17mm is even better than any 24 2.8 offerings.
Oh and when you get a zoom... why get a 17-70 when you can get a very affordable and excellent 16-45mm Pentax DA... quite possibly the best deal in photography
I seriously love that lens. And sorry about the off-topic, this is the primes thread