[Robert S Donovan]

Given that parts of your "review" may be suspect , don't you feel it should be removed to keep from misleading future readers?

Why? What is misleading about my "review"?

BTW, turns out the DA 35mm Macro I tested did have an integrated retractable lens hood. I guess it was so well integrated that I didn't even realize it was there. I have updated my review to reflect this fact, though my point about the DA35's awesome flare suppression remains unchanged.

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Last edited by Robert S Donovan; 04-05-2009 at 09:55 AM.

[wowtip]

Really like this lens, on my K20D almost all the time.

Some snaps from yesterday.


Exposure Time: 0.0020 s (1/500)
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO equiv: 800


Exposure Time: 0.0013 s (1/800)
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO equiv: 100


Exposure Time: 0.0020 s (1/500)
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO equiv: 100


Exposure Time: 0.0013 s (1/800)
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO equiv: 100


Exposure Time: 0.0020 s (1/500)
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO equiv: 100


100% crop

Original size images @ http://joj.smugmug.com/gallery/7123470_nEnVK#P-1-20

[cooldude14es]

Seems excellent on your K20D...

[K100Dave]

Congrats on a great lens, if you're like me. It will probably almost never leave your K20D!

[dugrant153]

just took mine out for some major spins. It's an okay portrait lens, but there's a certain way to use it in order for it to be effective. I keep the DA70 for the portraiture stuff. the DA21 for wide angle scenery, and the DA35 as the all-around do-it-all thingamajig lens.

Autofocus is slow, but as I learned this weekend... if there's no light or it's very dim for the lens to focus, even the DA40 will take a long time to focus. Soooo... I'm going to go against the grain and say the autofocus speed is not too bad. Definitely usable in almost all circumstances.

[maxwell1295]

I call the DA35 my "I don't really need it, but can't get it off my camera" lens. It's at a focal length and speed I already have covered with a very good zoom. Still, the macro ability makes it a fun lens to shoot with and the compact size makes it very easy to carry. It's the perfect daytime walkabout lens. It's a macro so the focus throw is pretty long. If you miss focus, it does take forever to lock....but that's expected.

[soccerjoe5]

Sigh, such a fantastic lens but I've yet to really maximize this one. Once I finish my work I'm going to really use this one!

[jsherman999]

.


It's shots like this one that bring home how much I need this lens again:




So I ordered one (thx to the helpful link in this forum last night ) for $324. I had one on order from prodigital2000, but they kept emailing me asking "you sure you don't wanna just cancel your order? We still have none... " So I finally took them up on it.

On 4/9 I'll have it again, can't wait.


.

[dave9t5]

Why? What is misleading about my "review"?

BTW, turns out the DA 35mm Macro I tested did have an integrated retractable lens hood. I guess it was so well integrated that I didn't even realize it was there. I have updated my review to reflect this fact, though my point about the DA35's awesome flare suppression remains unchanged.

In general research terms, if one aspect of your review is grossly flawed, it reflects the entire review. If such an obvious feature went unobserved/unresearched, it casts doubt on the validity and quality of all of the other observations in the review.

It was well-written and well-presented, but lacking the exhaustiveness a review requires. It might be more accurate to call it an 'impression', rather than a review.

[dugrant153]

.


It's shots like this one that bring home how much I need this lens again:


So I ordered one (thx to the helpful link in this forum last night ) for $324. I had one on order from prodigital2000, but they kept emailing me asking "you sure you don't wanna just cancel your order? We still have none... " So I finally took them up on it.

On 4/9 I'll have it again, can't wait.


.

It's a surprisingly useful lens! I was surprised at just how useful it really is. I think you have to go out and go for a walk and take it for a real spin before you realize how good a lens it is. Autofocus is a bit of a bear, and it doesn't have the shallow DOF of the FA35 F2, but it's still able to take some neat images!

"What minimum focusing distance?"

[Robert S Donovan]

In general research terms, if one aspect of your review is grossly flawed, it reflects the entire review. If such an obvious feature went unobserved/unresearched, it casts doubt on the validity and quality of all of the other observations in the review.

It was well-written and well-presented, but lacking the exhaustiveness a review requires. It might be more accurate to call it an 'impression', rather than a review.

The lens was a loaner. I was not aware that the lens has a built-in lens hood. (I missed that detail under the "specifications" page on their website). The retractable lens hood is very well integrated into the lens body and was not obvious to me at all after a week of constant use. I don't see how this minor oversight invalidates my impressions of this lens

I call my reviews "user reviews" because I feel there are plenty of technical reviews out there but not enough that share what it is like to live with a lens day-to-day. The fact that I missed the built-in lens hood means others who purchase this lens could easily do so as well.

I didn't even say anything all that bad about this lens. You guys are rough!

[soccerjoe5]

I found his review okay. It's just his user review anyway, so it's his thoughts, opinions, experience and reactions to using the lens, not a super in-depth comprehensive, scientific and systematic review.

[dugrant153]

Who says the DA35 Macro Ltd can't do "Portraits"?

[Hello_Photo]

Autofocus is slow, but as I learned this weekend... if there's no light or it's very dim for the lens to focus, even the DA40 will take a long time to focus. Soooo... I'm going to go against the grain and say the autofocus speed is not too bad. Definitely usable in almost all circumstances.

+1 on this.

For those of you considering this lens as a possible normal or "walkabout" lens and concerned about AF speed, allow me to clarify what's going on here. The focus ring rotates a total of about 160 degrees from infinity to the minimum focus distance of 13.9cm. However, the focus ring rotates less than 10 degrees from infinity to 2 feet (60cm). You can see this for yourself in the numerous product shots of this lens on the web. For comparison, my FA 77mm Limited's focus ring rotates about 160 degrees to go from infinity to 70cm and is an absolute dog in terms of AF speed.

So, while it is true that a full rack from infinity to the minimum focus distance can be a time consuming (and noisy) affair, the AF speed at normal shooting distances is BLINDINGLY quick (assuming that the lighting is good enough for the camera to AF effectively). In fact, on my K10D, I find that the focus speed is limited more by the camera's AF algorithms double-checking the focus accuracy than by the mechanical design of the lens itself. Solution? Same as every other lens: set the AF mode to AF-C, and release the shutter after the first or second AF "movement". Also, consider switching off SR, because shooting with SR "enabled", but not "ready" can actually introduce blurring due to the movement of the sensor.

Bottom line: The focus speed you are able to achieve when using the DA35 macro limited at regular shooting distances is limited more by the camera's AF system and settings, than by the lens design or its status as a "macro" lens.

PS: As with all lenses having a short AF throw, there is a trade-off for this fast-focussing ability - manual focussing accurately is almost impossible at regular shooting distances. Fortunately, at macro distances (where you're most likely to actually use MF), it's a breeze to focus manually. Also, using manual hyperfocal techniques (e.g. for landscape photography) are next to impossible - just look at the DOF scale (F22 can't even get from infinity down to the 2 feet, which is the first distance marking on the focus scale).

[aweir]

Since my FA35mm is one of my most used lenses I considered buying the DA35mm, I also enjoy shooting macro so it would probably be a excellent choice for me too, but then I should sell my FA35mm and I dont know if I could say goodbye to such a great lens.

Maybe I should try it...

Help me finally understand this...The FA35mm is for film SLRs so on a DSLR it would be the equivalent of a 50mm lens, right? Now is the DA35mm already "made for dslr"? If so, does that mean that the focal length of a DA35mm is equivalent to 35mm on digital or is it still equivalent to 50mm? In other words if I took the DA35mm would it give me a wider FOV than the FA35mm on a DSLR?

I always assumed that a tell-tale sign of a "made for dslr" lens was that it had NO aperture ring. So that a 50mm lens IS a 50mm and not 75mm....

I find this most confusing.