D FA 21 Limited is one of the three.

**volley** · 05-15-2020, 12:39 AM - **1 Like**

I'm glad nobody heard me saying my "I don't need another lens" mantra ...
This lens is a surprise and (to me) much more appealing than the 1.4/85. Great!!!!

**NZ_Ross** · 05-15-2020, 12:39 AM - **4 Likes**

Pentax: Just take my money!!!

house · 05-15-2020, 12:45 AM

It looks a fair bit less retro than previous limiteds. Perhaps it's the focus motors that force the more fuselage like aesthetics. Like a limited some one kept in their mouth for to long and it got smooth like a piece of candy.

It seems Pentax often attempt to steer the conversation towards the strength of the gear. Which makes one wonder about the weaknesses.

This lens seems to be made for me

lets just hope they don't milk the limited branding with a exaggerated price. These days even the cheap chinese lenses feature limited like build quality, perhaphs the cost implications aren't that huge anymore. If limiteds could find a more reasonable price/performance ratio the line could become a great asset. A lens like the one shown is never going to be cheap but as I said it's the ratio that matters.

Shooting more non limited primes on FF I've come to realize just how important built in hoods are for a nice prime based lifestyle. Fiddling with a separate hood makes changing lenses at least three times as cumbersome.

Coiseam · 05-15-2020, 01:22 AM - **1 Like**

Something beyond expectations. I thought a new wide-angle prime would be a * (star) one. The focal length is just perfect (24mm is a bit not wide enough), plus WR and a new motor.

One question: what about filters?

P. S. I feel it should be a 22 lim, not a 21 lim, 21 is quite common and it's a FA limited, focal length should be something odd like 31 or 43 or 77, c'mon!

splash_fr · 05-15-2020, 01:30 AM

Originally posted by Mistral75

It's f/4 or brighter since there is a '4' mark on the depth-of-field scale.

Well spotted, good sir!
And I'm totally fine with f/4...

rgds, Gerd.

gazonk · 05-15-2020, 01:36 AM

Wow! I had planned to save for the 15-30, but now this seems more tempting. I'm not hoping for a "full frame DA15" though! I hope it's less "difficult" than the DA15, it's weak corners and curved field of focus has caused me a lot of trouble (though when it shines, it shines, of course).

beholder3 · 05-15-2020, 01:39 AM - **3 Likes**

It is also good news that they can show the prototypes around like this, so early 2021 selling date might not be impossible. They did not just show a plastic mock-up or talk about it.

I am really more positively surprised than I expected. I did fear they would go for a large, fast, clunky DFA* UWA lens design which I'd be much less inclined to use.
Portability I do favor more than some aperture I'd never use on a UWA anyhow. My Laowa 12 / 2.8 I seldom use at something else than F5.6 and the same will probably apply here.

And all of a sudden there is no more relevant gaps in the available FF prime lineup. With 11, 12, 21, 31, 35, 43, 50, 77, 85, 100mm all being available in great quality.

house · 05-15-2020, 01:45 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by gazonk

Wow! I had planned to save for the 15-30, but now this seems more tempting. I'm not hoping for a "full frame DA15" though! I hope it's less "difficult" than the DA15, it's weak corners and curved field of focus has caused me a lot of trouble (though when it shines, it shines, of course).

Looking at the lens I'd imagine it performs better than the DA 15. It's not a tiny lens. The sales pitch about bokeh and shapshots might suggest that they've done the da15 priorities again, I hope they've put more effort in the corner sharpness and field curvature this time.

I have a love/hate relationship with the da15. Everything but corner sharpness is great and sometimes you can frame in such a way that even the corners aren't an issue. Getting the shots I need reliably has proven impossible. For what Ricoh calls snapshots the da 15 is an amazing lens.

Smolk · 05-15-2020, 02:01 AM - **2 Likes**

31 and 43 are primes, so 23, or 19 perhaps
Agreed, a very attractive lens it seems to be

Paul the Sunman · 05-15-2020, 02:02 AM - **4 Likes**

Originally posted by Coiseam

P. S. I feel it should be a 22 lim, not a 21 lim, 21 is quite common and it's a FA limited, focal length should be something odd like 31 or 43 or 77, c'mon!

But 22 is even, not odd. 21 is odd. Get it right!

chaxdaman · 05-15-2020, 02:04 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Paul the Sunman

But 22 is even, not odd. 21 is odd. Get it right!

They should have made it a prime number - a 19mm!

gazonk · 05-15-2020, 02:04 AM

Given all the talk about bokeh in the video - and the size of the front element - I'd be surprised if it's just an f/4 lens. Maybe f/2.9 or 3.1?

Ishpuini · 05-15-2020, 02:09 AM - **1 Like**

Nice complement to the 31, 43 and 77. Esp for APS-C shooters. On the K-1 (which I don't have) it would be too wide for me I think. I'm inclined to get this one to fill out my FA series, despite already having the DA21/3.2. I suspect the DFA21/4 will be considerably better optically than the tiny DA21/3.2, which I always liked for its field-of-view on APS-C, but I never warmed to its IQ. Actually, the DA20-40 has completely taken over the DA21's place in my limited kit (not so the FA limiteds though).

Paul the Sunman · 05-15-2020, 02:14 AM - **11 Likes**

Originally posted by gazonk

Given all the talk about bokeh in the video - and the size of the front element - I'd be surprised if it's just an f/4 lens. Maybe f/2.9 or 3.1?

I'm betting on f/3.14159. It's a nice round number.

antipattern · 05-15-2020, 02:19 AM - **2 Likes**

In one on the lens surveys by Ricoh a few years ago, I put the D-FA21 Limited as a top priority on the list. Now it's finally announced, including WR and revised AF. I'm really looking forward to its release, and I just hope it will do starbursts as nicely as the DA15. Then I will be happy. I'm pretty sure my wallet will say no for a while though and my voigtlander 20/3.5 will be very sad. Oh well.

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05-15-2020, 12:39 AM - 1 Like	#31
volley Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Springe Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,693	I'm glad nobody heard me saying my "I don't need another lens" mantra ... This lens is a surprise and (to me) much more appealing than the 1.4/85. Great!!!!

05-15-2020, 12:39 AM - 4 Likes	#32
NZ_Ross Kiwi Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Timaru Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,225	Pentax: Just take my money!!!

05-15-2020, 12:45 AM	#33
house Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 3,306	It looks a fair bit less retro than previous limiteds. Perhaps it's the focus motors that force the more fuselage like aesthetics. Like a limited some one kept in their mouth for to long and it got smooth like a piece of candy. It seems Pentax often attempt to steer the conversation towards the strength of the gear. Which makes one wonder about the weaknesses. This lens seems to be made for me lets just hope they don't milk the limited branding with a exaggerated price. These days even the cheap chinese lenses feature limited like build quality, perhaphs the cost implications aren't that huge anymore. If limiteds could find a more reasonable price/performance ratio the line could become a great asset. A lens like the one shown is never going to be cheap but as I said it's the ratio that matters. Shooting more non limited primes on FF I've come to realize just how important built in hoods are for a nice prime based lifestyle. Fiddling with a separate hood makes changing lenses at least three times as cumbersome.

05-15-2020, 01:22 AM - 1 Like	#34
Coiseam Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 205	Something beyond expectations. I thought a new wide-angle prime would be a * (star) one. The focal length is just perfect (24mm is a bit not wide enough), plus WR and a new motor. One question: what about filters? P. S. I feel it should be a 22 lim, not a 21 lim, 21 is quite common and it's a FA limited, focal length should be something odd like 31 or 43 or 77, c'mon!

05-15-2020, 01:30 AM	#35
splash_fr Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 178	Originally posted by Mistral75 It's f/4 or brighter since there is a '4' mark on the depth-of-field scale. Well spotted, good sir! And I'm totally fine with f/4... rgds, Gerd.

05-15-2020, 01:36 AM	#36
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Wow! I had planned to save for the 15-30, but now this seems more tempting. I'm not hoping for a "full frame DA15" though! I hope it's less "difficult" than the DA15, it's weak corners and curved field of focus has caused me a lot of trouble (though when it shines, it shines, of course).

05-15-2020, 01:39 AM - 3 Likes	#37
beholder3 Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3,112	It is also good news that they can show the prototypes around like this, so early 2021 selling date might not be impossible. They did not just show a plastic mock-up or talk about it. I am really more positively surprised than I expected. I did fear they would go for a large, fast, clunky DFA* UWA lens design which I'd be much less inclined to use. Portability I do favor more than some aperture I'd never use on a UWA anyhow. My Laowa 12 / 2.8 I seldom use at something else than F5.6 and the same will probably apply here. And all of a sudden there is no more relevant gaps in the available FF prime lineup. With 11, 12, 21, 31, 35, 43, 50, 77, 85, 100mm all being available in great quality.

05-15-2020, 01:45 AM - 1 Like	#38
house Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 3,306	Originally posted by gazonk Wow! I had planned to save for the 15-30, but now this seems more tempting. I'm not hoping for a "full frame DA15" though! I hope it's less "difficult" than the DA15, it's weak corners and curved field of focus has caused me a lot of trouble (though when it shines, it shines, of course). Looking at the lens I'd imagine it performs better than the DA 15. It's not a tiny lens. The sales pitch about bokeh and shapshots might suggest that they've done the da15 priorities again, I hope they've put more effort in the corner sharpness and field curvature this time. I have a love/hate relationship with the da15. Everything but corner sharpness is great and sometimes you can frame in such a way that even the corners aren't an issue. Getting the shots I need reliably has proven impossible. For what Ricoh calls snapshots the da 15 is an amazing lens.

05-15-2020, 02:01 AM - 2 Likes	#39
Smolk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Eerbeek Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,857	31 and 43 are primes, so 23, or 19 perhaps Agreed, a very attractive lens it seems to be

05-15-2020, 02:02 AM - 4 Likes	#40
Paul the Sunman Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,843	Originally posted by Coiseam P. S. I feel it should be a 22 lim, not a 21 lim, 21 is quite common and it's a FA limited, focal length should be something odd like 31 or 43 or 77, c'mon! But 22 is even, not odd. 21 is odd. Get it right!

05-15-2020, 02:04 AM - 1 Like	#41
chaxdaman Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Philippines Posts: 33	Originally posted by Paul the Sunman But 22 is even, not odd. 21 is odd. Get it right! They should have made it a prime number - a 19mm!

05-15-2020, 02:04 AM	#42
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Given all the talk about bokeh in the video - and the size of the front element - I'd be surprised if it's just an f/4 lens. Maybe f/2.9 or 3.1?

05-15-2020, 02:09 AM - 1 Like	#43
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727	Nice complement to the 31, 43 and 77. Esp for APS-C shooters. On the K-1 (which I don't have) it would be too wide for me I think. I'm inclined to get this one to fill out my FA series, despite already having the DA21/3.2. I suspect the DFA21/4 will be considerably better optically than the tiny DA21/3.2, which I always liked for its field-of-view on APS-C, but I never warmed to its IQ. Actually, the DA20-40 has completely taken over the DA21's place in my limited kit (not so the FA limiteds though).

05-15-2020, 02:14 AM - 11 Likes	#44
Paul the Sunman Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,843	Originally posted by gazonk Given all the talk about bokeh in the video - and the size of the front element - I'd be surprised if it's just an f/4 lens. Maybe f/2.9 or 3.1? I'm betting on f/3.14159. It's a nice round number.

05-15-2020, 02:19 AM - 2 Likes	#45
antipattern Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 232	In one on the lens surveys by Ricoh a few years ago, I put the D-FA21 Limited as a top priority on the list. Now it's finally announced, including WR and revised AF. I'm really looking forward to its release, and I just hope it will do starbursts as nicely as the DA15. Then I will be happy. I'm pretty sure my wallet will say no for a while though and my voigtlander 20/3.5 will be very sad. Oh well.