| Author: | | Pentaxian Registered: July, 2011 Posts: 2,389 | | Review Date: August 9, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $999.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Optically and mechanically much above average | | Cons: | Asks for a full format camera, no quick shift AF, loud AF | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
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This is an excellent lens, but on APS-C sensors a full frame lens is an overaccomplishment as replacement for a normal 50 mm lens. Image quality improves visibly when stopped down - pretty good, but not perfect. The lens shade is OK, but does not allow attaching large filter (graduated filters...).
The lens can be imporved. It lacks a quick shift foucs and weather sealing for modern cameras. SDM AF would requires an increase in size which I would object.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2009 Posts: 4,571 | | Review Date: August 4, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $1,200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Exquisite image quality, very usable wide open, bokeh to die for, useful focal length, build quality | | Cons: | Much bigger and heavier than other limited primes, occasional misses with AF, 58mm filter size | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: New
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I've owned this lens a few months now and probably have taken well over 2,000 photos with it.
From the very first image that I loaded on my computer screen it was obvious to me that the IQ was very special. The colours were wonderful, the image was sharp sharp, and the bokeh was so smooth even compared to my DA limiteds. In the many images since I haven't changed my view, it has a knack of turning snapshots into beautiful photos more so than my DA21 or DA40 which I also own. In my view the IQ of the FA31 is superior even to the FA77 which is no slouch itself  .
Focus for me on my K-x and my K-5 was dead on, no BF or FF. However I've noticed it has a tendency to occasionally miss focus more so than my DA's, although this could be because most of my shots would be < f/2.8.
The only other downside would be it is quite a bit bigger and heavier than my DA limiteds and the FA77. I guess this is the price we pay for speed, FF capability and probably that extra bit of IQ.
As a result of it's 58mm thread I tend to use my DA40 or DA21 for landscape shots as I own more 49mm filters which take up much less space than 58m ones, and these can be shared across all my other primes.
I really like the integrated hood and cap, others seem not too but I've found it's great. The cap is a perfect snug fit. The whole build quality is exceptional as you'd expect from a lens this price.
The FA31 is now my "go to" lens for all my people photos and pretty well lives on my camera when I'm at home or out with the family. Wide enough to get a few people in the frame, and long enough to do very nice 1/2 body shots. It's the perfect "family" documentary lens for me, I guess no surprise as it's a normal lens in 35mm equiv terms.
As a result of how I use this lens I don't post many images from it on the web, however it's actually my most used lens and if push came to shove I'd have to say it's my favourite lens even over the wonderful DA15 (which I probably have an unhealthy obsesion with  ). I tend to change my mind on which of these 2 is my favourite on a daily basis, but that's my view today anyway .
I bought my (AIV) copy locally which cost me a bit of a premium as I wanted to ensure I got a good copy and at the time only owned a K-x which couldn't adjust individually for a lens.
This is an expensive lens but as they say, you remember the quality long after you forget the price. My view is it's worth every cent I paid for it.
The sample photos below are all scaned from 35mm film negatives to give an idea of how this performs on FF.
Sun, water, sand, what more could you ask by Twitchphoto, on Flickr
Sand in my toes by Twitchphoto, on Flickr
Untitled by Twitchphoto, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2011 Location: Marseille Posts: 3 | | Review Date: July 25, 2011 | Not Recommended | Price: $995.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | netteté surprenante, qualité image et contratste, boeh | | Cons: | | |
Cette lentille est la plus nette de mes objectifs penatx (avant les DA 70 et 40 limited, et avant le DA* 50-135). Et de loin : qualité d'image surprenante.
Pour le bokeh, les autres objectifs sont aussi bons.
Qualité de construction irréprochable
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2007 Posts: 12 | | Review Date: June 30, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $1,149.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Image quality, build quality, looks, bokeh | | Cons: | Purple fringing | |
A lot has already been said about this lens and I agree with most of it. Sharp wide open and sharper stopped down, great bokeh, nice colours and I even like the build in shade and lens-cap.
The downside is that purple fringing is rather extreme (on a K5). Bare trees against a bright clouded sky makes the entire sky behind the trees glow purple. In postprocessing you can only do so much.
I do a lot of B&W, but if I really need a color shot in these situations I take out the cheap kit-zoom which in this respect (and this respect only) performs much better.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Ohio, USA/ India Posts: 478 | | Review Date: May 16, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $969.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build, Bokeh, Rendering, IQ, Versatile | | Cons: | Occasional CA | |
This is a dream lens for a reason. I consider myself lucky that I could finally afford it. It is one of the most versatile primes I have shot with. It can do portraits, take in a sweeping view of a cityscape, and do some close ups with astounding bokeh. It is very handy for indoor portraits of kids, product shots etc.
Occasionally there is some CA. This is not even a real negative. As a photographer one needs to know how to use one's gear (and not shoot a harshly backlit tree branch!)
I think over time Pentax should put a bold ASSEMBLED IN VIETNAM sign on their lenses. The recent batch of FA limiteds are just as spectacular as the MIJs and people should not doubt the quality of a lens just because it got assembled elsewhere.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2010 Posts: 753 | | Review Date: April 19, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $899.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | rendering, bokeh, low distortion and CA, beautifully crafted | | Cons: | autofocus, expensive | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 7
New or Used: Used
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Not an easy lens to handle, yet very nice all purpose all around lens. It took me a while to figure out how to get the not-flat-looking images out of it and to make use of its very good resolution. Optically the lens is designed well so there are no worries with distortion, chromatic aberations or vigneting. And to add some 'cream on top' this lens looks special mounted on black camera and attracts some attention. I find it more difficult to learn than FA43 which is more forgiving. Between those two I don't think i would be able to pick one i prefer...
edit: just to explain the AF con - AF is quite fast, but not very reliable, it misses quite a lot. Contrary to others I don't find the built in hood to be a problem, vice versa it's a nice feature. When needed i just mount 3 cheap Cokin 58mm extender rings to provide full cover. In comparison with old K30/2,8 i was surprised that the older lens was showing less CA but FA31 is still very good with CA.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2010 Location: British Columbia Posts: 120 | | Review Date: March 31, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $890.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | build, buttery smooth bokeh | | Cons: | bokeh fringing | |
After a year of use I'll write down some of my thoughts and reference against the Pentax M35 f2 and the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 zoom:
Sharpness
Sharper lens than either Tamron or M35 f2 at f2 and f2.8 which is where I usually shoot. The Tamron holds it own in the centre compared to the Ltd, but falls apart compared to the Limited once you get off-centre and to the corners. These are based on informal tests..
Contrast
Very good contrast even in wide apertures. I get the feeling though that stopped down say f4.5 it does not look any more or less contrasty than either Tamron or M35.
Flare/Bokeh
Resists flare quite well even in backlit or sidelit situations. Bokeh is very very smooth. But the otherwise excellent bokeh exhibits a fair amount of bokeh fringing, or longitudinal chromatic abberation (cyan fringing).
Build/Handling/AF
One of the nicest AF built lenses I've ever handled (I really like the Pentax 14mm build and handling). The focus ring spins when AF'ing which is typical for AF lenses of that era. The AF on this lens tends to be quite sensitive to where you place the AF point; had a higher frequency of misfocused pics until I adjusted.
Overall Comments
I really enjoyed the field of view offered with this lens on a dSLR and sharpness is very good. One of the great selling points of this lens, bokeh, does show cyan fringing; mind you there are some even more expensive lenses from other marques with the same problem. So shouldn't be a showstopper but for me it does knock off a few marks from an otherwise unique lens.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2011 Posts: 74 | | Review Date: March 18, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $1,130.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | So sharp its dangerous (corner to corner), build, colours | | Cons: | built in hood and cap, price tag, some CA | |
*note that I paid £700GBP, the $1130USD is a conversion accurate on 18/03/11
The best lens that I own by far!
It is crazy sharp from corner to corner, even wide open, -i'm surprised it gets even sharper around f/5!
IQ: +'s: creamy wonderful bokeh, great colours and contrast... did i mention sharp? I honestly think this is one of the sharpest fast lenses wide open ever! There's also this 'thing' which i can't quite put my finger on, its rendering is really special, it has this very 3d-like artistic quality which I can't quite put into words - search flickr for Pentax 31mm!. -'s CA is quite apparent wide open, stopping down helps and imho doesn't really get rid of it.
Build wise: +'s it's built like a tank! it makes other lenses I've had feel like toys in comparison. -'s the lens hood is rather annoying, its quite small and I dont think it really helps in relation to stopping flare, which it seems quite resisitant to anyway! The only thing I hate about this lens is the lens cap (so not actually the lens!). It's pretty tight and tricky to slide on, at times it slides on at an angle and actually scratched off some of the matt black finish on my lens! :'( only 1mm or so but still... its such a pricey lens lol... I'd highly recommend a plastic 58mm pinch cap in place of the original
edit: I didnt deduct points for the cap and hood, because I guess I should have been more careful putting the cap on tbh (but be aware of it)... and the hood is just my opinion, others may find the hood fine. ultimately its about IQ, which the 31mm certainly delivers in!
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 4,005 | | Review Date: December 24, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $975.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, Colour rendering, Superb pictures | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: New
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The lens is really sharp. The colour rendering is fantastic. Coupled with the K-7, the lens gives superb pictures. The image quality is really astonishing. The construction is sturdy and solid.
The hood does not bother me.
The relatively high price is definitely justified.
Edit: since, I used it with the K-01 and K-3. The FA31mm delivers outstanding pictures with both.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: August, 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 7,484
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 15, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $595.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Color, Bokeh, Sharp | | Cons: | Current price | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
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It is rare that I will give a lens a solid 10 but there is no 9.5 so 10 it is. I've owned this lens since the summer of 2008 when I still had my original K10d. That camera tended to mis-focus, even with this lens but I remained confident it was the camera and not the lens so I kept it. This remains one of my favorite photos I've ever taken with this lens.
It was taken with that K10d at f5.6. I don't know exactly what it is about this photo that I like so much. Perhaps it's the 3D pop off of my screen, both computer and HDTV large screen.
I have used this lens on all 4 of the Pentax flag ship cameras and on each, it has met or exceeded my expectations. On all of the cameras I did not note any delay to auto focus. I will say that on both the K10 and K20 cameras, sharp photos at f1.8 were somewhat difficult to achieve. I don't know if it was because the cameras were front or back focusing (which I actually suspect with the K10d). I think it was more due to the huge wide open aperture of the lens. This can be easily verified by taking the lens off of the A setting and going full manual by rotating the aperture ring. It just isn't something I've done but if you suspect you have a bad copy, I would suggest trying that before returning it. That is, if there Is such a thing as a bad FA31. On the K7 however, things did clean up a little but at f1.8 but still not up to snuff for a (now) $1100 lens. After Pentax released corrective software for the FA limiteds, it did clean up quite nicely.
After installing that software, I took my 3 FA Limited lenses down to the Fort Street Bridge for a test run. I'll discuss these more in another review but here are a couple from that shoot. Go ahead and click the photos to pixel peep.
More Here...
FortStreetBridge - a set on Flickr
I should note here that the problems were with AF only. I could get sharp photos at f1.8 with Manual focus so I know it was not the lens. On the K5, simply divine.
Taken at f1.8 at about 9 feet..
We are focusing on the bounce box on top of the washing machine. Here is a 200% crop of that same area (same photo).
I know 200% doesn't do much to show off the lens, especially a photo of a cardboard box but, the fact that at 200% crop, 9 feet away, at f1.8 and I can still read the numbers on the UPC, pretty impressive to me.
I've spared you from looking at my dog in this review but you won't get away without some train photos.
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More here, including some photos for you brick wall pixel peepers.
Index of /Photos/HelpandStuff/31mmReview
There is also a link in there where I took some of the same photos with my DA35mm f2.8 1:1 Limited for those of you who wish to compare the two.
In conclusion (somewhat), this lens makes a great focal length for an all around lens. It is also fast enough to capture those intimate moments once you've gone past the fighting about the price. If you can spare the change and this lens is on your radar, by all means, let me be one of the many telling you how to spend your money. Pay as much or as little as you like for it but either way, it's worth every penny.
More photos here (and it's ever growing). All Exifs are in tact.
Pentax FA 31mm Limited - a set on Flickr
Thank you for your time.
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2008 Posts: 817 | | Review Date: December 14, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $635.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Bokeh, Sharpness, Colors, Build, Feel | | Cons: | Size | |
There's no new praise that can be given to this lens, so I will just outline the features that really stand out for me.
First of all, it's image quality is spectacular. Sharpness is great from 1.8, colors are accurate, and when bokeh is in effect it is smooth and silky.
The build quality of the lens is also spectacular. It is a solid, well-built lens that is well suited to any old, all metal film body, as well as new DSLR's. Manual focusing is a breeze, although not quite as nice as the K through A lenses I've used. However, I shoot film almost exclusively, using an LX, and I've never had a problem finding proper focus quickly and accurately with the 31mm.
On top of all that, I have found it to be an absolutely perfect walkaround lens on film. It is a bit too long for my tastes on digital, but it really shines on a high quality film body. The combination of moderately wide focal length and large max aperture makes it quite versatile.
The bottom line is that I am consistently amazed by the images produced using this lens, and it is currently my most used lens by far. I don't know if I would buy it at the price it currently goes for, only because I simply couldn't afford it, but if you can afford it you are unlikely to regret buying it. It is the last lens I would sell, and for very good reasons.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2009 Location: Brisbane Posts: 126
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 1, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $740.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, build, bokeh, colours | | Cons: | lens hood & cap, size | |
To state it as simply as possible, I absolutely agree that this is the lens to own - it is simply amazing! The image quality, bokeh and colours are unbeatable. My copy does have a back focus issue which was a little annoying as my K-x doesn't have an AF adjustment for individual lenses. Once this was sorted (i.e. AF adjusted by Pentax Australia) I have simply fallen in love with this lens.
My original lens buying plan had a DA 35mm lens pencilled in to fill this focal length but when a DA 40mm came up for sale locally for a good price I decided to get that instead. It is an amazing lens and I couldn't bear to part with it but wanted something a bit wider so jumped when I was able to get a FA 31mm. I thought I loved the DA 40mm but the FA 31mm has stolen my heart. That being said, I still use the DA 40mm more but only because I'm too nervous to take the FA 31mm with me everyday so I save it for when I specifically heading out to shoot.
The only negative that I can think of for this lens is that the lens hood is annoying (particularly when using a CPL filter). Whilst its not the smallest options of lenses in similar focal lengths, it feels like a perfect balance of size, weight and build (and certainly those other lenses can't match its image quality). Quick shift would be nice but I can live without that. The only other possible improvement to this lens would be if Pentax could bring out a FF DSLR to use it with too.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: January, 2008 Location: Sørumsand, Norway Posts: 59 | | Review Date: June 6, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $960.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, bokeh, colour | | Cons: | Hard to find one | |
Bought this lens almost 6 months ago. Sold my DA 40mm Ltd f2.8, my FA 35mm f2 and even added some money extra to buy this instead, and have never regretted that. Even though those lenses were good, this lens has it all and always perform outstanding. Sharpness, bokeh, colour rendition, fast (and it is sharp full open also). Besides these qualities, it is well built and is like carrying a jewel.
The lens hood is a bit awkward, but it has not caused any problems either. For me this is not a lens that I would often use filters on anyway.
| | | | | | | | Review Date: May 25, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $1,150.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Small, Solid Build | | Cons: | None | |
Simply the best Pentax wide angle lens. Buy it, prior Pentax full frame comes out.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2009 Location: Montgomery, TX Posts: 66 | | Review Date: May 12, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Design and Build | | Cons: | price | |
One thing that needs to be kept in mind was this lens was designed for film cameras, and at that point it produces incredible results.
On the digital, its not as amazing, but that is probably why they made a DA version, right?
This is one of the lens you can let a nobody take a picture with on GREEN MODE, and the picture will still looks AMAZING!
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