[DSLRnovice]

My need is more for a 100mm lens for landscape work, but macro 100mm lenses, particularly manual focus and FA versions get good reviews and decent prices. I realize that macro means closer focusing and usually flat fields corrected for close ups.

Are there any 100mm macro lenses that are at least equal to non macro lenses at infinity focus? Or any other recommendations for this focal length and the K-1?

[bakerking31]

Dfa 100 WR is great. I use it for landscape and macro, I won't leave it at home on hikes.

[UncleVanya]

I never noticed any deficiency in my F 100 macro or the DFA WR 10 macro. Both are purported to be the same optical formula.

[jatrax]

Just because it says macro doesn't mean it only works well there. The DFA 100mm macro is just fine at any range. The only downside to a macro lens is they have very long focus throws, making them slow to focus in some cases. They also sometimes have the rather annoying habit of running all the way out and back before focusing. But image quality is top notch and the slow focusing is not an issue for landscapes. I often use the DFA 100mm with my landscape kit because it has 49mm filter rings, same as my other small Pentax primes.

[civiletti]

I think most macro lenses work fine at greater focus distances. My A50/2.8 macro is one of my sharpest lenses at infinity.

[pepperberry farm]

it's not just the Pentax 100mm either; my Tamron Adaptall 2 72B (90mm macro) is amazing at either end of the scale...

[pentaxus]

Almost all current macro lenses have "floating elements". That means that the lens formula changes as you focus to maintain optimal quality for the specific distance you are focused on. On the Pentax 100mm 2.8 macro you will notice that the front element moves way out when you focus, but the rear element does not.

[DSLRnovice]

I never noticed any deficiency in my F 100 macro or the DFA WR 10 macro. Both are purported to be the same optical formula.

Thanks everyone for the comments. Do you notice a difference in color rendition between the F and the DFA, as some of the reviews have stated?

[UncleVanya]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Do you notice a difference in color rendition between the F and the DFA, as some of the reviews have stated?

Oddly I haven't shot them side by side so it is hard to say. I do recall a few instances of slight CA/PF from the F version - which I haven't seen in the DFA version. However both seem fairly true with color. Because of white balance I think it is very hard to compare lenses renditions of colors without setting a specific non-auto white balance and I haven't done that.

[DSLRnovice]

What about the earlier M f4 lenses? Or the FA f3.5 lenses? Will there be a significant difference at f8-f16 across the frame and at infinity? Is the extra cost for the later and faster lenses worth it?

The smaller sizes also appeal to me, if the sharpness and contrast are still good.

[jatrax]

All of the Pentax macro lenses are good. To be honest AFAIK all true 'macro' lenses are very good, they don't make poor ones That is not the same as those zooms that claim a 'macro' setting.

One exception is the FA 100mm f/3.5. The image quality is good but the build is different than others in the line. Much more plasticiky, however for the price it is still and excellent lens.

[DSLRnovice]

All of the Pentax macro lenses are good. To be honest AFAIK all true 'macro' lenses are very good, they don't make poor ones That is not the same as those zooms that claim a 'macro' setting.

One exception is the FA 100mm f/3.5. The image quality is good but the build is different than others in the line. Much more plasticiky, however for the price it is still and excellent lens.

I do prefer the solid quality of the M and A lenses, but if the FA 100/3.5 is equally sharp, the prices are good for me. My primary purpose is for landscapes, but I am getting the impression that the macro versions are generally better overall. Am I correct in this? Also, I like the smaller sizes of the f/4 and 3.5 macro lenses, but non macro 2.8 lenses do not seem to be as large as their macro counterparts. This would matter more for manual focus models, which interestingly are sometimes offered at much higher prices.

The nice thing about A lenses is that the camera automatically records the f stops being used. The only FF lens I have now with that feature is an FA 35/2.