[andy271]

Hi guys just thought I would post my experience with the 31mm hd lens in one word disappointed
the first one a got was badly de centred so I thought try another and the same thing again I also got the 43mm HD and compared it to my smc 43mm and to my surprise my old lens is much sharper and I prefer the colours from the smc to the HD I also got the 77mm and compared to my voitlander 65mm APO and my 75mm 1.5 both on Nikon z7 there is a massive difference the new voitlanders are better more contrasty sharper and just made so well like tanks
the quality control on the 31mm was dreadful I didn’t even want to try a 3rd one the 31mm is a great lens if you haven't tried the voitlander lenses but trust me the voits are the best lenses Ive ever owned I am sure there will be lots of people on here arguing over this but I thought it was worth mentioning


My conclusion aboutthe hd31 is that is has:

* Ugly yellow colour balance.
*HD coating is terrible with stray light
See HDhere:HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses Review - Flare and Ghosting | PentaxForums.com Reviews
SeeMUCH better SMC here:HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses Review - Flare and Ghosting | PentaxForums.com Reviews
*HD has uglier starbursts
* Bad sharpness
* Bad qualitycontrol
* HD coating killed the pop (3d) too, by over-improvingdynamic range. Pictures are flat and boring.

[pepperberry farm]

Hi guys just thought I would post my experience with the 31mm hd lens in one word disappointed
the first one a got was badly de centred so I thought try another and the same thing again I also got the 43mm HD and compared it to my smc 43mm and to my surprise my old lens is much sharper and I prefer the colours from the smc to the HD I also got the 77mm and compared to my voitlander 65mm APO and my 75mm 1.5 both on Nikon z7 there is a massive difference the new voitlanders are better more contrasty sharper and just made so well like tanks
the quality control on the 31mm was dreadful I didn’t even want to try a 3rd one the 31mm is a great lens if you haven't tried the voitlander lenses but trust me the voits are the best lenses Ive ever owned I am sure there will be lots of people on here arguing over this but I thought it was worth mentioning


My conclusion aboutthe hd31 is that is has:

* Ugly yellow colour balance.
*HD coating is terrible with stray light
See HDhere:HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses Review - Flare and Ghosting | PentaxForums.com Reviews
SeeMUCH better SMC here:HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses Review - Flare and Ghosting | PentaxForums.com Reviews
*HD has uglier starbursts
* Bad sharpness
* Bad qualitycontrol
* HD coating killed the pop (3d) too, by over-improvingdynamic range. Pictures are flat and boring.

would you consider posting a lens review here:

HD Pentax-FA 31mm Limited F1.8 Reviews - FA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

[UncleVanya]

Puzzling references, the article and samples linked to suggest the hd handles flare better in virtually all cases. I’m unclear why that’s supposed to be evidence to the contrary. At f4 or wider with side flare there was only slight improvement but in all other cases the flare was much better controlled. Additionally the colors and sharpness were a non-factor.

I wonder if your adapter and your lenses are calibrated differently. Adapting lenses can be very simple seeming but in reality the quality and accuracy of the adapter is quite important. This is particularly true with wide angle lenses on full frame. This article (Sony specific, but generally applicable to the topic ) suggests much worse corner performance on wide angle with even slight misalignments of flange distances on an adapter.

Guide to Adapters for Manual Lenses on the Sony a7 series - phillipreeve.net

And an FA 31 review on Sony - the SMC version I think is the one reviewed here. Guest Review: Pentax SMC FA 31mm f1.8 Limited - phillipreeve.net
Note that flare and ghosting was a weakness. That doesn’t make it an unusable lens, just something to work around.

[zapp]

I don’t appreciate the 77 non-HD for sharpness, but for its image drawing capabilities and I can arrange with its shortcomings. The 31 non-HD is also quite nice, but I did not bother keeping it on K3 - a wide angle used as normal lens…
Old lenses can be more fun than new ones, you need to make your choice.
Voigtländer has no AF, another serious shortcoming these days.

[DonV]

voitlander lenses but trust me the voits

Maybe it is just me, but it is "Voigtlaender" and "Voigts".

But they are great lenses.

[pepperberry farm]

Puzzling references, the article and samples linked to suggest the hd handles flare better in virtually all cases. I’m unclear why that’s supposed to be evidence to the contrary. At f4 or wider with side flare there was only slight improvement but in all other cases the flare was much better controlled. Additionally the colors and sharpness were a non-factor.

I wonder if your adapter and your lenses are calibrated differently. Adapting lenses can be very simple seeming but in reality the quality and accuracy of the adapter is quite important. This is particularly true with wide angle lenses on full frame. This article (Sony specific, but generally applicable to the topic ) suggests much worse corner performance on wide angle with even slight misalignments of flange distances on an adapter.

Guide to Adapters for Manual Lenses on the Sony a7 series - phillipreeve.net

And an FA 31 review on Sony - the SMC version I think is the one reviewed here. Guest Review: Pentax SMC FA 31mm f1.8 Limited - phillipreeve.net
Note that flare and ghosting was a weakness. That doesn’t make it an unusable lens, just something to work around.

I'd prefer if the OP would show us their work with the lens and examples of their criticisms, rather than just pointing to sources....

[c.a.m]

I'd prefer if the OP would show us their work with the lens and examples of their criticisms, rather than just pointing to sources....

I would agree. Without sample images and explanations of how they were taken, it's difficult to appreciate the harsh criticisms. A user's experience is important; more details can help to illustrate the issues, or, in certain cases, provide a basis for helping the user sort out those issues.

- Craig

[house]

The FA Limiteds are old lenses, new high end lenses are very likely to be technically better. The best new lenses may also have nicer rendering but this is a matter of taste. From what I've seen many of the Voigts are very nice rendering lenses. I'm not sure about this but I also think that the Sony sensor build up reduces performance not only with Leica M lenses but also other wide angles unless designed for the sensor.

My conclusion aboutthe hd31 is that is has:

* Ugly yellow colour balance.

Generally speaking the HD coating gives a slightly more magenta tone as expected from the improved transmission. This is (barely) noticeable with the lenses I've tried with both coatings.

*HD coating is terrible with stray light
See HDhere:HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses Review - Flare and Ghosting | PentaxForums.com Reviews
SeeMUCH better SMC here:HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses Review - Flare and Ghosting | PentaxForums.com Reviews

As others have pointed out your SMC vs HD thing is confusing. All evidence, including your links show that HD coating helps reduce flare.

*HD has uglier starbursts

Many agree with you but I don't. Spiky show off special effects should have to place in a serious lens. Leave that to lensbaby.

* Bad sharpness
* Bad qualitycontrol

I have no idea about this.

* HD coating killed the pop (3d) too, by over-improvingdynamic range. Pictures are flat and boring.

This is makes no sense. More dynamic range will hardly make your images flat. A flat image lacks contrast and dynamic range.

[normhead]

Is this click bait?

[CedrusMacro]

Is this click bait?

Interesting you point this out Normhead...there's been a few posts recently that have felt 'click bait'- the one about 'is photography dead?' being a prime example. All for a debate and some good alternative experiences, however some of what's popped up recently seems to lack this. Probably a case of hyper-awareness due to becoming aware of it...

[AfterPentax Mark II]

A Pentax branded lens is made first and all to fit a Pentax branded camera, and if you have one, why put it on a Nikon F7? At least, that is what I think the OP describes. His "experience" is not a clear story, it is a bit of a ramble. There are in this case so many things to consider, type and brand of adapter, the camera itself and did he try it out on both his K-1 and the Nikon?

[Pål Jensen]

I don’t appreciate the 77 non-HD for sharpness, but for its image drawing capabilities and I can arrange with its shortcomings. .

Strange. It is perhaps the sharpest lens I've ever seen....

[pepperberry farm]

Is this click bait?

why, yes it is!

[BigMackCam]

Hi Andy

We know from previous posts how much you rate the Voigtländer lenses. I imagine most of us here, though, are more interested in the Pentax lenses you mention. On that point, you really need to provide examples that support your claims... otherwise - as you might expect from a Pentax-oriented site - folks are likely to get pretty defensive and/or dismissive; especially since the new HD versions of these lenses reviewed well here on PentaxForums (indeed, you link to the very review that explains how much better the HD coating works)...

[UncleVanya]

I'd prefer if the OP would show us their work with the lens and examples of their criticisms, rather than just pointing to sources....

Certainly. My point was that another test on a non-pentax camera (using Sony) showed the importance of the actual adapter and the accuracy of this. It is also true as pointed out to me that the Sony sensor glass is thick and does cause some issues for wide angle DSLR lenses and Rangefinder lenses so it may be an overstatement with respect to the Nikon Z7 series. Nevertheless - given that different copies of the same lens can show wildly different fine focus adjustments needed on a DSLR - the possibility that these differences in flange focal distance (actual not theoretical) could make one copy of a lens sing and one bomb on the same adapter IF the article I linked is relevant.