| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Posts: 2,236
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 27, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build quality, rendering, AF speed, MF 'feel', 3-D | | Cons: | lens-hood is plastic, silver finish | |
I’m lucky to be the second hand owner of a FA*24mm almost as new.
(to bad box and pouch were not included).
I give it some time of use before posting my review, so here it’s…
PROS:
- As an FA* lens, the build quality of this lens is, of course, top-notch.
- It's a bright lens that gives crispy, contrast and true-to-life color reproduction with a 3-D 'feel'. I also like the bokeh (that’s the subject on which, sometimes lens is controversial)
- Great landscape performer with the plus that can be used with a cokin series P holder with no vignetting.
- The resultant focal length of 36mm on DSLR might please some.
- Sliding AF/MF clutch
CONS:
- Resultant focal length of 36mm on DSLR might not please everyone.
- Sliding AF/MF clutch instead of quickshift
- Silver finish
- Might be consider “big”
Conclusion:
I know it’s a controversial lens but it's one of my favourite’s lenses. (I had DA21 and still have DA12-24)
If you have one, keep it.
For some samples check
"Islet by Night", "Captain", "A new beginning", "Peace Corps" etc at http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/nunofonseca | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2008 Location: Aberdeen Scotland Posts: 398 | | Review Date: January 17, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very equal quality within the frame | | Cons: | obsolete clutch mechanism | |
This is the best quality Pentax lens i'v posessed - i'v bought it in Jan 2010 for steep price 600Euro - the condition was new&unused (the pouch wasn't even unpacked). For the first couple of shots i couldnt set the AF correction (it has happend to me before with 43ltd) - but after one day of play i'v ended up with +3 correction - apparently the lens needed some boot up movement, kind of startting period after couple of years lieing in the store. Mechanically it must be some kind of amasing job, af is unbelievable fast and accurate on K20D and it is silent, mach more silent then other my screw drive lenses. Color rendition beats everything i knew before. Aperture blades are unbelievable equall&precise. I didnt notice reported drop of quality at the edges - there is slight trace of purple chromatic aberration at f2.0 comparing to the center, but really nothing to worry about. No even trace of decentering effect. I'll be looking for FA*85f1.4 and i'll buy it even for 1400$... | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2008 Location: Facebook - See ya there. Posts: 248
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 15, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build quality, rendering, AF speed, MF 'feel', 3-D quality at times | | Cons: | Size, sharpness wide-open, silver finish | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
| |
This lens is a strong 9 - a real contrast/color machine.
It is a controversial lens, but should be seen as simply the digital version of the FA35/2... basically, it is gonna produce an angle of view on digital that the FA35 used to produce (or still does) on film. So don't be scared off by the angle of view - and remember we pay dearly for wide-angle in digital. Especially fast wide-angle which the FA*24 is every bit of. The build quality is all metal (aside from focusing ring) and is a serious tank... no issues here. The AF speed is quick as you would expect from a wide angle - and much quicker than you would expect from a lens design of this age (nearly 20 years old at this point). It is every bit the rival of the DA21 in this area, and faster than the FA31.
The image quality is superb @ f2.8 and tighter... however, this lens is no slouch wide-open; with the local contrast of the lens making up for raw sharpness. I typically shoot with this lens at f2.5 - f4 indoors and in low-light; I find it is very functional for this purpose. It produces really 'unique' looking images with my K20D... the rendering is detailed and almost 'painted' looking... very unique in personality much like the FA*85. I have no qualms with image quality and have owned many of the Limited lenses and have shot with the FA*85 and FA*300.
The lens is big - and the lenshood doesn't help; it is also rather big. It is nice to hold onto when on your camera, but not as nice when lugging around on your back. The lens isn't tack-sharp wide open... but what lens is? Speed is still speed and the extra 1.3 stops over the DA21 (along with comparable AF speed) led me to sell the DA21 and buy the FA*24. Finally, the silver finish which can flake is annoying, but I think this is the plight of all FA* owners.
My gallery of shots from this lens:
http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc130/AMMouse/Pentax%20K100D%20Super/Pentax%20FA24/
FA*24 @ f2.8
FA*24 @ f2.8
FA*24 @ f3.5
FA*24 @ f6.3
FA*24 @ f8
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: November, 2007 Location: Rotterdam Posts: 61 | | Review Date: December 17, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build quality, image quality | | Cons: | none found | |
This lens is an very good lens. I did travel with only this lens through Peru and Bolivia and it did not disappoint me. This lens did all the work perfectly. For travelling it is an all-around lens. From landscapes to self-portraits from me and an girl friend. 
Others did find the weight of this lens too much, but I did like it! With it size it gives me an good balance with my K100D.
The weakspot with this lens is that it is inside not very strong with portrait photos. My DA70 is then much sharper. But that is the only weakspot that I could find. But for outside it is the best lens you can find!
An nice thing on this lens is the ring to switch easily from MF to AF or otherwise. But sometimes you will switch by accident to MF.. Totally this system works easier and faster then the button on my K100D for switching.
Try to get this lens if you can! It is not easy to get one!
BTW: my price was around the 350 euro.
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Michigan/USA Posts: 173 | | Review Date: October 23, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Fast, sharp, color. | | Cons: | Hood awkward, mis-focus on k10d. | |
I love the results from this lens. The 24mm is good even on cropped format, but I must always completely manual focus or adjust focus before taking photo. Probably not an issue on k20d or other future cameras that allow focus adjustments for the lens. Looks unsharp if you settle for camera's autofocus. This is a lens that produces an image that looks better than what was seen through the viewfinder, it's great.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2008 Location: Southern California, USA Posts: 729
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 24, 2008 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Perfect focal length and very fast aperture, great bokeh | | Cons: | A little bit heavy & big but compromised by its quality. | |
One of my most used walk around lens.
It's a perfect focal length for APS-C for general walk. (equals to 36mm in 35mm format)
The build quality can only be matched by the Limiteds. Even though it's more on heavy side, but I find it balances my camera very well.
The contrast of the photo produced is amazing. I haven't seen any other lens like it within the same focal length. At f/2 it looks sharper than my FA 43/Ltd but it's actually because of the greater contrast it produces.
Resolution wise, it's pretty sharp @f/2 but not as sharp as my FA 43/Ltd @ f/2. The contrast makes the pictures looks so sharp. So it's kind of different kind of sharpness. If you like great contrast, this lens is a must have.
Stopped down 1 stop, @f/2.8 it's very sharp. The peak point of sharpness is @ f/4.
But don't be fooled by the number. I'm comparing it to my FA 43/Ltd which is regarded as "one of the sharpest lens in the world".
The bokeh is a little bit busy but still looks very good. I think it's one of the best bokeh for a wide angle lens. Well maybe since no other wide angle lens can open as this one @ f/2.
The only downside is that it's more on the heavy side and the lens hood is pretty big too (67mm filter thread) so make sure you have a decent size of camera bag. The hood is reversible and looks perfectly matching the lens.
I use it mostly w/ my K100D and I think it will balance better w/ K10D or K20D.
The front lens is not rotating so it's easier to put filter on but no small hole on the hood to adjust the filter position.
Don't lose the hood since it's very hard to find the replacement.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with this lens. I'd recommend to keep it if you have one.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2007 Location: Warsaw Posts: 338
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 29, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $330.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | color rendition, contrast, sharpnes | | Cons: | quite big | | New or Used: New
| |
My copy is second or even more ... hand. It has many marks of previous owners. But still ok.
It is sharp at f2. So before f2.8 I still have f2 and f2.4. Comparing with K24/2.8 it is more contrast, better colours and has better (some) bokeh.
I agree that is is quite big and heavy comparing to other 24 from Pentax.
here is example of how it works with f2.0 in quite dark room.
After one year I decided to promote it from 8 to 9. I had chance to use it few times for landscapes and it gave me great colors.
In 2010, I sold the old lens and bought a better one. I paid twice as much, but I think this lens is worth the higher price.
I had FA20/2.8 and if I do not need a lens wider than 24mm I always take with me my lovely FA*24
More samples here | | | | | Forum Member Registered: June, 2007 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 93 | | Review Date: August 18, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | The IQ that it produces | | Cons: | The weight and size | |
I'm on my second copy of this lens and it produces pictures that are just beautiful. However its to big for me as a walk around lens which means it has to go. I'm aware that is a slight trade down in IQ but I hope its worth it. I havent seen another lens at this FL outside of Leica produce this IQ.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: West Chester, PA Posts: 1,420 | | Review Date: June 4, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $360.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, wide aperture, contrast, build qualtiy | | Cons: | Chromatic aberration, purple fringing | |
Simply a terrific lens. It is sharp - even sharp for those who value sharpness over all other attributes - and produces vivid, contrast-y images.
The build quality is good, although the push/pull of the Auto Focus ring isn't ideal IMO. The hood is spring-loaded and snaps solidly into place. It reverses on the lens so that you can store with the cap on.
Certainly the only real negatives are the chromatic aberrations (easily noticeable on high-contrast transitions especially at wide apertures and at the edges) and it can tend towards purple fringing. I find it to be about the same as the 31mm Limited in both of those areas (maybe a touch more CA) - in other words I am not going to stop using the lens because of it.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: February, 2007 Location: Gloucester UK Posts: 441
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 2, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $370.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Fast, sharp, superb colour and 3D effect, build quality | | Cons: | slight CA (easily corrected) | |
It's  !
My favourite walk around prime, I probably have more shots with this lens than any other prime. It's somewhat fat and bulky compared with other Pentax primes, but for an F2.0 24mm it's smaller than any other and it balances well on the camera. I love it.
Maligned by some others. I just think they don't know when the're well off! It has a small amount of easily correctable CA and sometimes a bit of PF under very harsh and bright light (again easily correctable).
It is quite an early 1991 design and I just hope that Pentax bring out an updated DA version with quick shift etc., we deserve it! I know it would be hugely popular.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 9 | | Review Date: January 28, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $349.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | AF-Manual Clutch-Shift mechanism, Very sharp abover f4.0, versatile (24mm on film, 36mm on DSLR) | | Cons: | A bit heavy, unsharp at widest aperatures | |
Although reluctant after reading reviews elsewhere about softness wide open, I decided to try this lens at f4.5 and ISO 1600 on my DS to shoot an indoor choir concert last week, and wow! Very useable at shutter speeds above 1/125 to stop action, but needed ISO 3200 to use 1/250. As reported elsewhere, I concur that this lens, especially when stopped down, imparts a 3-D 'feel' to images, especially when compared to similar focal-length zooms, such as the SMCP-FA 20-35mm f4. I find the resultant focal length of 36mm on my DSLR very useable, and image quality makes this lens worth seeking out.
| | | | | Administrator
Site Webmaster Registered: September, 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 51,608
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 10, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid construction, AF/MF clutch, Fast, Excellent color reproduction | | Cons: | Price | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 7
| |
Before I even start commenting on this lens, I just want to state that it has true-to-life color reproduction that can't be matched by any other lens in its class.
Since it's a star-series lens, it features a sliding AF/MF clutch, among other things. This one of Pentax's better innovations, as it allows for easy MF and faster AF. Add to this the beautiful design, solid metal construction, and included bayonet hood.
Although this 24mm is heavier than similar lenses like the FA 20mm/2.8 and 35mm/2, it's very, very easy to hold and is simply a pleasure to use.
It's sharp at all apertures, incidentally being the fastest of all Pentax 24mm's. Landscape photos are crisp and very clear, and haze is reduced to a minimum. I can't complain about close-ups, either, since vignetting doesn't occur.
Obviously, this lens is more useful as a wide-angle on film SLRs, but it's a great little gem nevertheless. Highly recommended for any serious photographer! It produces great photos on all bodies!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2006 Location: Ontario Posts: 744
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 9, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Great build, substantial feel, sharp | | Cons: | cost | |
Like other FA* lenses, the build quality of this lens is top-notch. Metal construction for the barrel give it a good heft. Only real difference is the lens-hood is plastic and less robust than other hoods in the FA* line.
Whether on a MZ-S, DS2 or K10D, I've always loved the feel of this lens. It's the perfect size to get a good grip on, which helps when hand-holding it in poor light.
At f/2.0, it's also one of the brighter 24mm lenses out there.
OOF renderings are very nice and sharpness has never been a problem with this lens, whether being used with slide-film or on a digital body.
This lens can be used with a cokin series P holder with no vignetting.
The only negative thing that can be said for this lens - and it's relative to the format being used - is that for film, you get what you pay for. For digital, the 14mm is less expensive and gives you a slightly greater angle of view. The FA* 24mm won't disappoint, but for use on a digital camera, the cost does not justify what you'd be getting. I would therefore say that unless you are going to use it for both film and digital, or if you require the larger aperture, you might better be served by a DA 21mm ltd. or the DA 12-24mm zoom.
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