Originally posted by A H Thompson What would be a good quality 35mm to add to the departing K50?
Are you talking about a 35mm focal-length DA lens? If so, consider what you are going to use it for.
General photography: f/2.4 is pretty fast enough for this and the DA35/2.4 is both relatively inexpensive and punches well above its weight.
Ultra close up/macro work: the 35/2.8 Limited Macro is outstanding, BUT it is also fiendishly expensive compared to its plastic-fantastic cousin. Not worth the extra if macro is not an absolute must.
Low light: Sigma are the kings here; they have a 35mm f/1.4, if I recall correctly. Pentax hasn't made a lens like this since the prototype 35/1.4 SMC-M lens, that never made it into general production.
For the sake of completeness, the FA 35/2.0 still exists as a new item, though it is not widely found, and has forward compatibility to the K-1 and back compatibility to all K-mount film cameras ever.