[Eyewanders]

I hadn't realized it was all metal - Great catch!

Can't say how much plastic may or may not be inside but judging by the weight, not much.
I don't own this lens -not quite my cuppa tea- but from everything I've read it fits the bill.
And it definitely seems to deliver where it counts:
IMAGE SAMPLES - HD PENTAX-D FA 24-70mm F2.8ED SDM WR

**edit - not my cuppa only because it cannot be used on older film bodies, as per usual with the newer glass that is sans aperture ring.

---

Last edited by Eyewanders; 06-08-2016 at 12:17 PM.

[BigMackCam]

As others have already said, if metal build and WR are absolutely essential to you, then the DA20-40 is going to be your best choice. However, there are some things to bear in mind:

- focus throw is fairly short which can take some getting used to when moving from film-era lenses
- the focus screen in modern DSLRs is not optimised for manual focusing, so nailing the focus at wider angles - especially for close up work - can be challenging through the viewfinder (here, you might resort to using Live View)
- the DA20-40 is a lovely lens, but not without its quirks - some degree of field curvature being one of these... also, it really needs stopping down to f/5.6 or f/8 for pleasing edge-to-edge results (this may or may not matter depending on what you're intending to photograph), which reduces it's effectiveness as a low light lens, or in controlling background/foreground blur

The non-WR DA35 f/2.8 Macro has also been suggested as a possibility, and I personally think this would be a better choice for the following reasons:

- 35mm is an excellent all-round focal length
- very-close-focusing capability gives you a huge amount of versatility
- focus throw is much longer (as it's a macro lens), so easier to focus manually with accuracy
- the lens is sharp across the frame even wide open (although gets even better when stopped down a bit), which means you can use it in lower light situations without having to use unacceptable ISO levels
- general IQ is outstanding
- build quality is at the same level as the DA20-40

Hope this helps

[leekil]

A WR lens with metal build(no plastic-fantastic thanks), to be used for manual focus-only

On a side node, is there possibility of a pancake WR all-metal 'normal'(35mm eqv.) prime lens in near future?

I don't think there is anything that fits all your criteria, but some close options are:

(all these are metal build)

DA 35 2.8 -- very sharp, maybe slower than you want and not WR.

DA 40 2.8 -- possibly a little long for a "normal" lens on APS-C. Not WR, but it is a pancake.

DA 43 1.9 -- better than the DA 40 in quality, slightly larger than a pancake but quite small. But even longer focal length than the 40.

FA 35 2.0 -- not WR. Not sure about the manual focus feel, it might not be the best, as I have a FA 50 which I think is similar build and that is not the best feel for manual focus.

FA 31 1.8 -- not WR. A bit bigger than you might want, but I have one as my most-used lens on a K-3 II. Particularly good manual focus feel. One of the most renowned Pentax lenses. (Along with the 43 above.)

Lee

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

If you're more flexible on the WR portion of your needs, get the Pentax M42 to K adapter, and a few super takumars. They're heavy, they're metal and glass, and they focus smoothly like a dream so long as you get one with no mechanical issues. They are, however, prone to flaring, chromatic aberration, and coma. Also, they will suck the heat right out of your fingers if you're shooting with one in the winter.

[Leothesolar]

After some serious thinking through, it would seem that a 'normal' prime is what made my rollei35s so enjoyable to use in the first place, despite it being so quirky.
It seems that pentax doesnt have lenses that fit the bill for me.
Fuji's XT1 and 35/2 seem to tick the most boxes and thats what i'll go with eventually, albeit its nigh unusable MF. Having to use AF is a much smaller compromise than lenses pentax has to offer.

Thanks to everyone for your kind suggestions! Much appreciated!!

[BigMackCam]

Glad you've found something that fits the bill The XT1 is a fine camera from what I've read, as is that 35/2. The Fujifilm shooting experience, both in terms of camera and lenses, will be quite different to Pentax (neither better nor worse - but noticeably different), but since you're moving into the system afresh, I'm sure you'll enjoy it a lot!

[longbow]

My wife has a KS-2 with a 20-40 mounted on it 99% on the time, she loves the combination. The size of the camera & lens really do go together well, also a lightweight setup.

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

[Leothesolar]

Hey folks! Its been awhile.
It may come as a surprise to some of you, but i ultimately went with a Ricoh GR ii.
2 days since i received the camera by package. Happy with it =)
It goes against many of my initial drafted 'evaluation criteria's, but 'pockatability' 'fixed prime' 'ergonomics' 'light weight' is what i went with in the end.
Will post some pictures if i manage to get some good out of it! (Still fumbling through the very extensive custom settings at Day 2!!)

[BigMackCam]

Congratulations... not at all what I expected, but from what I hear the GRii is a great camera with excellent IQ. Looking forward to seeing your sample pics

[pathdoc]

focus throw is much longer (as it's a macro lens), so easier to focus manually with accuracy

However, it's important to realise that because it's a macro lens, most of this throw lies between 13cm and 50cm; say, five to twenty inches (which is where it's needed for the design purpose). The angle of throw between 20 inches/50cm and infinity is minimal by comparison.

I know the OP has already made their choice and is playing with it right now, but felt this aspect of the 35/2.8 Macro needed to be put in context. A similar comment applies to its 100mm cousin.

[BigMackCam]

@pathdoc - yes, acknowledged. That said, I still find the DA35 f/2.8 Macro easier to manually focus, even at distance... perhaps because of the focus ring feel, which feels much more precise mechanically (not sure whether it is or not, but it feels that way ).

[DeadJohn]

Hey folks! Its been awhile.
It may come as a surprise to some of you, but i ultimately went with a Ricoh GR ii.
2 days since i received the camera by package. Happy with it =)
It goes against many of my initial drafted 'evaluation criteria's, but 'pockatability' 'fixed prime' 'ergonomics' 'light weight' is what i went with in the end.
Will post some pictures if i manage to get some good out of it! (Still fumbling through the very extensive custom settings at Day 2!!)

Unexpected but good choice. I often recommend the GR as an alternative to the 21mm Limited.

Custom modes work well and can be combined with Manual Focus or Snap Focus. My custom #1 is for street photography with a manual focus at 1.5 meters, TAv for a fast shutter speed to freeze moving people and f8 for depth of field. Custom #2 is for low light. Custom #3 is manual focused at infinity for landscapes and photos from moving vehicles.


In all of the custom modes, I can press a single button to toggle between manual and auto focus.

[Leothesolar]

Here's some pics from recent 2-3 days!
Very pleased with the images!
Some of which are heavily cropped(to retain composition perspective i want).
But other than that no editing is done.
B&W 'effect' does the job really well

[Leothesolar]

Feel free to drop critics as long as they remain constructive! Anyway am i allowed to continue using this post now that the focus isnt on lens choice anymore?

[zapp]

Why do you want manual focus? Digital camera have little to no focus aids besides live view and focus confirm - AF helps a lot here.
Metal parts - inside the lens you will have plastic and metal...
I use 20-40 is general lens on K3. Variable aperture is not a problem - unless you want to do manual claculations for flash, ... even then you you can read off the current value from the display. 20-40 is weatherproof. For me it wins against 21 and 40 combo I had before.
100M is a nice lens - AF sound and speed suck, but price for performance ratio is great. not the only lens for an APS-C camera.