| Author: | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2012 Location: Vancouver Island, BC Posts: 238 | | Review Date: July 10, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $305.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great all around lens, street + macro | | Cons: | haven't found any | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5
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Wow...
Great lens
Love the size, sharpness, FOV, macro...
It is a beautiful piece of craftwork
Got it used mint (HD version) at a price that would be pretty good for the SMC version... so pretty pleased with the result.
| | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: May, 2014 Posts: 29
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 20, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $760.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharpness, build quality, general look on the camera | | Cons: | some CA, generally purple | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-3 black
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well I just got this lens to partner with my K-3. I have been using thr Tamron 17-50 F2.8 which is a cracking lens for the money. I wanted a prime 35mm lens for general use and closeups. I already have the plastic 35mm DA lens but while this is a good enough lens, it does seem to lack something, namely sharpness. To be honest I am still getting to grips with the K-3 so some of the issues with the plastic 35mm are very probably on my own making.
The 35mm F2.8 is a really nice lens. It looks great, especially if you like the retro look of the silver model. The built in lens hood is a nice idea, and little finishes like the felt in the lens cap make it seem a bit more of a premier offering.
I have just been using this lens for the usual flower shots and a few snaps around the garden. I really like the images it produces. Sharpness is there and focusing seems pretty decent. It looks the business on the K-3
The only issue I have had is some CA at lower F stops but this seems to be power for the course for most 35mm lenses. It was pretty fierce on a couple of images but sorted with Photoshop easily. Colours are rich and the images have a sharp 'contrasty' look.
This images is a deep zoom into a F wide open shot, some CA visable
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 4,854
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 14, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
| |
Hello,
This lense is a perfect walkaround lense. The focal length allow for many subjects. f/2.8 give decent low light performance. The macro feature mean you can focus as close as you want and can easily closeup of small objects.
With this lense you can do everything: landscape, portraiture, macro, indoors...
Now it is a bit expensive you'd say what would you want it? Well this lense has exceptionnal contrast and great resistance to flare. The colors are punchy. It is extremely sharp from corners to corners from f/2.8 and even better at f/4. it make it an excelent landscape lense not many would dream to match even on larger format (like FF). If you shoot many landscapes, if you want to occasionnally shoot small objects or macro (flowers...) this lense is for you.
Really not many lenses match that, that's truely impressive.
You may not want it for portraiture because it is bit too sharp and the bokeh while wonderfull in macro is good but more average at normal settings. Near the same focal length you'd be better of with FA31 or FA43 for that.
Me I decided that the FA77 was for portraiture and people and that my DA35 ltd was for landscapes. But that's up to you.
It replaced my DA35 f/2.4 and for sure it is better lense in every aspects.
Here a few examples:
IMGP5081 by Nicolas, sur Flickr
IMGP5036 by Nicolas, sur Flickr
| | | | | Moderator
Site Supporter Registered: February, 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Posts: 11,275
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 11, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | SHARP! unique FL for macro, versatile, beautiful | | Cons: | occasional jittery bokeh | |
This lens is absolutely brilliant! For a while it made me seriously question whether I needed to keep my FA31.
As a macro, it lets you really get inside your subject which can produce some stunning perspectives.
It also performs very well as a general purpose normal lens as well. Distortion is minimal, aberrations are well controlled and is super sharp.
And it's a limited, with all the build quality and tactile joy that entails. In fact it looks very similar to the FA77, which is in my opinion the most beautiful of the lot.
| | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2015 Posts: 12,249
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 6, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build quality, size, macro, sharpness wide open, color, AF | | Cons: | could be f2, but it's already sharp wide open | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5, K-3
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I purchased this lens long after the DA 40ltd because I wanted a normal lens, and 40mm was a bit too long, I had the choice between DA L35 2.4 (plastic), FA 35 f2, FA 31 Ltd. The DA 35 macro ltd is not as fast as the FA 31 and FA 35 2, but at f2.8 it is already sharp, while other lenses are softer when at f2 or f1.8. The DA 35 macro is also cheaper than FA 31, and is designed for digital (unlike the FA 35 2). The third party alternative was Sigma 30 1.4, with potential AF issues, not maro.
HD DA 35 macro Ltd pros:
- size
- build quality
- image quality immediately from wide open
- HD coating / color rendering
- macro
- field of view
Cons:
- humm, difficult to find
- still compete with standard zoom that also has a very good sharpness at 35mm, and the HD DA 35 macro ltd (@2.8 this 35 macro is way better than the zoom).
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2013 Posts: 4
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 30, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, macro capability, build quality, small size | | Cons: | lens hood kind of odd | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3, K-5
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I bought this lens used but in new-like condition. Mostly I use it out in the streets and the smallish size helps a lot as my K-3 with battery grip weighs quite sufficiently already.
Best I like the image quality, above all sharpness, and the build quality. I must confess that I'm a fan of well made and solid technical things and this one surely meets that criterion.
Rather seldom I use it for macro shots but it's great to be able to capture small details even when on the road.
The only thing I find disturbing at times is the lens hood and its mechanical construction but you get used to it. I own many lenses and overall this is one of my favourites.
Some sample images in flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jarimakila/16231905432
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jarimakila/16795692451
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jarimakila/15966918496
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jarimakila/15799721347
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2010 Location: California Posts: 2,223
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 16, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Perfect colors, sharp, macro, light, limited | | Cons: | Are you kidding me? | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K5 and K3
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I have not used this lens much, but I do like it a lo. Here are samples:
 Bright&Colorful-1 by Palenquero, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2012 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: October 2, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5 and K20
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I love this lens. The image quality is very good. The sharpness is simply great. I own a 105mm Sigma EX as well. I recon the 35mm Macro limited is the same league or even better.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2013 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 2,444
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 31, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $550.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Outstanding IQ, Sharpness, Macro, build quality | | Cons: | It could be better to have a way to lock the hood in place | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-30
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First time I heard that there's a 35mm macro lens in Pentax's line up, I laughed and said who on earth may need macro on 35mm FL!?
About one year later I bought the lens. 
And now, after one month of using it, I should say it's "The one lens to rule them all". hahaha.
The DA35ltd is a fantastic walk around lens. It's image quality is simply outstanding as everyone knows. and it's macro capability is a nice bonus for a walk around lens. because of it's working distance, I used the macro feature up to about 1:2 macro magnification most of the times, and even I thought maybe it could be better if Pentax made it as a 1:2 macro only! so people won't complain you have to hit the subject but then they'd say it's only 1:2!
And even though it's a 35mm macro lens, I was successful in shooting some nice insect macros with it. (definitely I prefer the DFA100macro for these kind of shots, but then when you only has this one! it's possible)
  
Because of it's fantastic sharpness, stitching shots is feasible with this lens, and I liked my result.
Blue hour by mtux, on Flickr
It's nice for landscape works too!
Here I had to merge 5 shots to one 32bit HDR to have good detail in both sky and land:
Morning at Boh Tea farms by mtux, on Flickr
And one more big thing that I found about this lens is it's quality on separating the subject from background and making a 3D shot, that's amazing!
I was after this feature for a long time
All in all, I love this lens.
Cons:
I can think of your imagination only. | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2010 Location: Wangaratta, Victoria Posts: 6,951
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 24, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $519.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, IQ, build | | Cons: | focus hunts sometimes | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K5
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Beautifully constructed and looks the part (in silver!). My best photographic buy by far. I would rather 'zoom with my feet' than take this lens off my camera. The reviews of the SMC version say it all.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: egypt Posts: 435 | | Review Date: June 12, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Leica like. versatile. handsome looking with the red tape. very sharp | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K 3
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I would recommend this lens to any one looking for a versatile and sharpen lens. Top quality and valuable lens.
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