[Digitalis]

they give a look to an image that is hard to find elsewhere, and it's things like that that can make one image eye-catching while a similar one with the same focal length is not

Which is why it amuses me to no end when I chuck a few images taken with FA limited lenses in a pool of photos along with other photographer's work and find that a client has picked out every single one* taken with a Limited.

* With thousands of images for the client to sift through some taken on High end glass: Zeiss, Leica, Rodenstock, Schneider, Nikkor, Voigtlander, Canon (though for some projects there are those of us who will chuck in vintage Vivitar, archaic Sigma lenses and even lensbabies in photo pools for a laugh) and this has happened with more than one client so Pentax is clearly on to something. Though I will also mention out there are certain clients that seem to go for images created with flatter, over-corrected Zeiss OTUS and equivalent lenses. Many of my colleagues and I strip camera data EXIF and only leave our respective copyrights and the file creation date/GPS location attached to the images.

[Digitalis]

First BIF (Bee in flight) taken with the SMCP-HD D-FA21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited


Pentax K1 MK II - SMCP-HD D-FA 21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited @ f/2.4 ISO 400 1/800th


100% crop (unsharpened)

[krazykat]

First BIF (Bee in flight) taken with the SMCP-HD D-FA21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited

That rendering is sublime!

[texandrews]

First BIF (Bee in flight) taken with the SMCP-HD D-FA21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited


Pentax K1 MK II - SMCP-HD D-FA 21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited @ f/2.4 ISO 400 1/800th


100% crop (unsharpened)

And some skinny dof for a wide!

[Paul the Sunman]

I might be able to do that sooner than I expected. The Australian Pentax store is now showing "low stock" on the lens rather than the "no stock" of the last few weeks. It seems the DFA 21 Limited is dribbling into the country and sells out very quickly. I hope my order can be filled from the current batch.

Ha ha! My order at CRK has moved from "Backordered" to "Picking Printed", whatever that means! It's a new one on me. I take it as progress though.

---------- Post added 07-01-22 at 08:01 AM ----------

I still use the Super Multi Coated Pentax abbreviation.

Curiously, I went through the publications from Ricoh on this lens and the newer HD coatings, is Aero bright part of the HD IAD coating process? Also Canon lenses have a caveat with the weather sealing of their L lenses only being considered complete with the addition of a filter on the front of the lens, does Pentax have a similar stipulation with their WR lenses?

My understanding is that Aerobright is the least reflective of the Pentax processes, a little better than HD and much better than SMC. About HD Coating / Lenses / Products | RICOH IMAGING. However, Aerobright is too soft for use on a front element, which is where HD comes in.

Even though Aero Bright Coating had superior anti-reflection performance, its nano-order, porous structure has a very delicate coating structure that can be easily damaged by abrasions or scratches. Because of this, its application was limited to a small selection of lens surfaces. It also wasn’t suited for mass production because of restrictions faced in the production process. It therefore could be applied only to rather high-priced models.

To resolve this setback, PENTAX set out to further upgrade its multi-layer coating technology — something indispensable in optical glass — and achieve an optical performance close to that of Aero Bright Coating. Compared with a conventional seven-layer coating applied by a vacuum evaporation process, the new HD Coating forms an eight-layer coating with a uniform layer thickness, created by a high-precision, ion-assisted evaporation process. This is further reinforced by a ninth coating added to the outermost layer by a vacuum evaporation process.


I have never seen Pentax stipulate a filter to provide WR. I do not believe it is required.

[Digitalis]

I have to say this lens is a lot of fun on the Pentax KP, the combination balances well in the hand on the KP even without the Battery grip:



Though this lens complete overkill considering the smaller SMC-DA 15mm f/4 ED ASPH and SMC- DA 21mm f/3.2 ASPH exist, but AFAIK neither of those lenses give quite the same degree of subject magnification. From my testing there seems to be little to no detectable vignetting on the K-1 or KP when using even the thickest framed polarising filter I could find, so you can forego the added expense of thin frame polarising filters.



Pentax KP - SMCP-HD D-FA21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited @ f/2.4 ISO 100 1/1250th


100% crop (unsharpened)

[Serkevan]

Which is why it amuses me to no end when I chuck a few images taken with FA limited lenses in a pool of photos along with other photographer's work and find that a client has picked out every single one* taken with a Limited.

I of course lack the professional credentials, but I know for a fact that my keeper rate has shot up spectacularly since I got the 43 and 77. I just like the photos - and so do my friends and family.


Now the only question I have is whether I save up for the 31 first, or just skip that one and go for the 21 (which would take a while) to finalize the 3-prime kit.

[Digitalis]

Now the only question I have is whether I save up for the 31 first, or just skip that one and go for the 21 (which would take a while) to finalize the 3-prime kit.

The SMCP-FA31mm f/1.8 ASPH limited is an important lens, even though it wasn't designed by Jun Hirakawa like the FA77 and FA43 it is a continuation of the spirit of those two lenses. When it comes to landscapes the FA31 brings a lot to the table, it is very sharp past f/2.8, flare resistant and has coma under decent control ( useful if you want to incorporate stars in the night skies). I find the D-FA 21mm f/2.4 a bit harder to compose with than the FA31* as the vastness of its field of view dilutes the strength of your compositions - all ultra wide lenses suffer from this effect. The FA31 is more natural to compose with for landscapes as it doesn't really exaggerate anything - not in the way lenses 24mm and under will.

Though one thing that really sets the new D-FA21mm f/2.4 apart from the classic FA limited lenses is its ability to focus very closely:


Pentax K-1 - SMCP-HD D-FA 21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited @ ISO 100 f/2.4 1/640th


* Even though there is only 10mm difference between them, as lenses get wider the changes in FOV become more drastic.

[Serkevan]

Though one thing that really sets the new D-FA21mm f/2.4 apart from the classic FA limited lenses is its ability to focus very closely:

Yup, this is partly what I'm looking for; the Pentax-M 20mm f/4 (that I own and use quite often) is a very decent UWA for its age and size, but it does not really bring a spectacular rendering to the table, particularly in closeups (the bokeh is, eh, uninspiring at best, the transitions aren't the best either). It plays the part of Emergency-UWA in the bag, because it's tiny and very useful for architecture and street.

I'll probably end up having both the 31 and the 21 at some point - I'm just concerned that if I get the 31 I won't find it wide enough, even though the 21 isn't nearly as all-terrain as a landscape lens.

I wouldn't be in this conundrum had I not bought the 77 in the first place. What have I done...

[Digitalis]

The First FA limited I ever bought was the FA77, Back in 2008 I thought "I'll only use it for portraits" - spectacular mistake.

[krazykat]

Pentax K-1 - SMCP-HD D-FA 21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited @ ISO 100 f/2.4 1/640th

Gorgeous. Loving the wide open images you're posting, keep them coming!

[Serkevan]

The First FA limited I ever bought was the FA77, Back in 2008 I thought "I'll only use it for portraits" - spectacular mistake.

Likewise. And it goes double for the 43; "I'll get it so I have a better normal than the F-50/1.7 for portraits".

It's almost kicked the DFA 28-105 off of its "when in doubt, bring this" status. By its lonesome. I don't think it's been an entirely conscious decision, so the DA 15 might not be the only lens with mind control powers...

[repaap]

Oh Yeah! Looking good. When my money situation will ease, this lens will be mine. Looking forward to pair it with K-1 and K-3III(I really like my FA31 on K-1 and this would ve nice substitute for that combo?)

[Digitalis]

really like my FA31 on K-1 and this would ve nice substitute for that combo?

On APS-C the D-FA21mm f/2.4 gives an approximate FOV as the FA31 on Full frame, albeit the D-FA21 can focus significantly closer.



Pentax KP - SMCP-HD D-FA21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited. ISO 400 @ f/2.4 1/320th


I use the D-FA21 on my Pentax KP and I have to say it's a lot of fun to work with.

[repaap]

On APS-C the D-FA21mm f/2.4 gives an approximate FOV as the FA31 on Full frame, albeit the D-FA21 can focus significantly closer.



Pentax KP - SMCP-HD D-FA21mm f/2.4 ED ASPH Limited. ISO 400 1/320th f/2.4


I use the D-FA21 on my Pentax KP and I have to say it's a lot of fun to work with.

Thank you! That is all I need to know