[northcoastgreg]

I wish Pentax made a lens in the 24mm to 28mm range with a fast aperture f/2 or f/2.4 that was a pancake lens. Kind of like the 40/2.8 is on full frame. And it doesn't need to be limited. And it should be cheap...like $300

Pentax has already almost made that lens: i.e., the M 28 f2.8, which is very close to being a pancake lens (31mm in length) and close to f2.4. The F and FA 28/2.8's are a little bigger, but not by much.

[UncleVanya]

DA 21 and DA 15 are pretty small, although not pancakes. You'll have a hard time getting smaller than them though without changing the mount or giving them a smaller maximum aperture.

Fast, small, sharp, and cheap -- seems like you can't choose all of these things for a given lens. And if a lens isn't sharp at the widest aperture than there isn't much point.

To me the DA 21 is a pancake. What makes it not one to you? The 15 is just as clearly (to me) not one. But I’m hard pressed to say why - other than it looks to think to me to be a pancake.

[Henrico]

Consider a pristine M 28/2.8 lens, yes MF. It performs great on an APS-C body and is very small. The M28 has weak borders and corners on FF, but on APS-C only the hot spot is used and it works great one stop down.

[Rondec]

To me the DA 21 is a pancake. What makes it not one to you? The 15 is just as clearly (to me) not one. But I’m hard pressed to say why - other than it looks to think to me to be a pancake.

They are small lenses, but I guess in my mind I'm picture something like the DA 40 or the Ultron SL 40mm. The 15 and 21 are more "biscuit" lenses. I mean, the DA 35 limited is not very much bigger than the DA 15 -- 47mm long versus 40mm long.

But I don't think there is an official cut off for pancake lenses, so if people want to refer to all of the DA limiteds as pancakes, I can't really argue about it.

[wm_brant]

There is always the Ricoh GR IIIx: 26.1mm, f2.8. APS-C, 24.24MP.

[robgski]

Don’t waste time wishing, Get a DA21 LTD, go out and enjoy it.

[mikesbike]

Interestingly, Pentax have not released a normal 24mm or a 28mm for over 30 years, I guess because it was not a useful FL on aps-c format.

I agree with Dartmoor Dave- a 24mm lens is very useful on APS-C..... as well as on FF. 24mm on APS-C provides a similar FOV as 35mm on FF, a modest WA- very useful. The HD FA 35mm f/2 is a very useful WA lens on FF, but is only a "normal" FOV on APS-C. But a fast 24mm of pancake design is asking for the impossible, even if for APS-C only. This is one of the minus aspects of APS-C. No way to duplicate what FF has as its advantage with the same FOV- lenses like the FA 43mm f/1.9 Ltd, the FA 31mm f/1.8 Ltd, or the very compact and reasonably-priced HD FA 35mm f/2. It would be best to have a new upgraded DFA 24mm f/2 in a more advanced optical design providing fine edge-to-edge performance, even when used on a FF body. Then both formats would be well-served.

[leekil]

Just use the DA 21 - it's 31mm equivalent, and small.

[tonyzoc]

Pentax has already almost made that lens: i.e., the M 28 f2.8, which is very close to being a pancake lens (31mm in length) and close to f2.4. The F and FA 28/2.8's are a little bigger, but not by much.

Actually I have that lens and it would make a nice compact package on a K70. Sharpness is not bad, and very good at 5.6-8.



---------- Post added 04-19-23 at 05:35 PM ----------

There is always the Ricoh GR IIIx: 26.1mm, f2.8. APS-C, 24.24MP.

Yeah, that's really what I want. I wish there was a cheaper option like the Nikon Z 26/2.8 is.

---------- Post added 04-19-23 at 05:45 PM ----------

Don’t waste time wishing, Get a DA21 LTD, go out and enjoy it.

Maybe I will. I was going to get it but I have the 20-40 and its faster at 20mm and performs great so I decided not to get it...might have to reconsider. The SMC 21/3.2 can be found in the $225-250 range and build quality is high. I would never buy the 21/2.4 unless I could a used one under $500...which will never happen. The other lens I'm considering in the 31/1.8. I bought a Sigma 30/1.4 EX DC and I'm not impressed with images wide open. If I have to shoot the Sigma at f/2.8 I might as well stick with my Pentax 35/2.8. The 31mm 1.8 has the angle of view of a 45mm on FF...not as wide as I'd like, but high build quality, reasonably compact and fast. I do think a reasonable compact 26/2.8 would be a great addition to the lineup.

[ramseybuckeye]

24mm is the most useful focal length of all on APS-C and it's maddening that Pentax hasn't released one for so long.

I don't disagree that 24mm is a useful focal length, but THE most useful, I think that all depends on the individual and what they shoot. I would love to have a modern 24, but it would probably not be my most used lens.

They are small lenses, but I guess in my mind I'm picture something like the DA 40 or the Ultron SL 40mm. The 15 and 21 are more "biscuit" lenses. I mean, the DA 35 limited is not very much bigger than the DA 15 -- 47mm long versus 40mm long.

But I don't think there is an official cut off for pancake lenses, so if people want to refer to all of the DA limiteds as pancakes, I can't really argue about it.

I've never heard of a biscuit lens, why not, Pepperberry Farm uses cookies for units of measure. Would a fisheye be a muffin top?

[/COLOR]I was going to get it but I have the 20-40 and its faster at 20mm and performs great so I decided not to get it...might have to reconsider. The SMC 21/3.2 can be found in the $225-250 range and build quality is high. I would never buy the 21/2.4 unless I could a used one under $500...which will never happen. The other lens I'm considering in the 31/1.8. I bought a Sigma 30/1.4 EX DC and I'm not impressed with images wide open. If I have to shoot the Sigma at f/2.8 I might as well stick with my Pentax 35/2.8. The 31mm 1.8 has the angle of view of a 45mm on FF...not as wide as I'd like, but high build quality, reasonably compact and fast. I do think a reasonable compact 26/2.8 would be a great addition to the lineup.

.
An HD 21mm F3.2 is available on the Ricoh "Sample Sale" for $200, tempting, but I haven't "lusted" after it as much since I got a 20-40 that I love. I like your idea of the plastic 24, but it seems that it is not the direction they are going in the last few lens releases. But the plastic 35 and 50 seemed to be surprises, I don't recall them being on the roadmap, maybe that's just my memory?

[KoenR]

What about the SMC Pentax-F 28mm F2.8?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-F-28mm-F2.8-Lens.html

[Papa_Joe]

Exactly what I am longing for. A lens that resembles FOV, size an maybe even price of the M 35/2.8 on APS-C . But I completely lost hope, that it will ever be realized by Ricoh.
Yes, there is the DA 21 and I was quite close to getting one, but FOV is to different for me.

[Sandy Hancock]

A fast 24 and 33 would be a great addition to the crop lens lineup.

Make them full frame, and not too much bigger, and everybody would win!

But the DA 21/3.2 and F28/2.8 are surely in the OP's ballpark....

[Sjak]

I wish Pentax made a lens in the 24mm to 28mm range with a fast aperture f/2 or f/2.4 that was a pancake lens.

I understand where you're coming from. A fast medium-wide lens doesn't have to be large. For my M-system, the Summicron-C 40mm was tiny (to the point that people thought my M + 2/40 was a toy-camera) yet f/2, and the Nokton 40mm is not that much larger and is f/1.4; these are full frame lenses. Of course, the larger regiuster-distance of an SLR could pose a problem to keep the size this small. But canon had a 40mm pancake for DSLR, although not f/2.

[tonyzoc]

A fast 24 and 33 would be a great addition to the crop lens lineup.

Make them full frame, and not too much bigger, and everybody would win!

But the DA 21/3.2 and F28/2.8 are surely in the OP's ballpark....

Yeah I think the 21/3.2 is as close as I'm going to get... Small lens, great optics, a little wider than I like but still a good street lens. F/3.2 isn't that slow, especially with a K3iii or even the K70. So I bought one this morning... so expect Ricoh to announce a new 26mm f/2 lens next week.