| Author: | | New Member Registered: June, 2023 Posts: 9 | | Review Date: August 9, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | All generes lens | | Cons: | No WR | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3iii Monochrome
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Its the best all around lens with APSC or Fullframe, construction and optical quality are amazing and the price is also good. An all around lens, the only cons is that is no WR
| | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: March, 2016 Location: Mississippi Posts: 523 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: September, 2020 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,457 | | Review Date: June 21, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $579.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Lovely build quality, fantastic image rendering | | Cons: | Older screw-drive AF and some CA for an expensive prime lens | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-1 Mark II
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My first FA Limited, the way this lens renders wide open through f2.8 is very unique, it feels like an image that's already been put through creative image processing, yet is straight out of camera. Stopped down at f8 I was very impressed by the sharpness and color rendition. Yes, there is chromatic aberration, but if you can't live with that for such a unique lens then you shouldn't be a Pentax shooter anyway, as so many of our lenses are film-era optical designs which do not address the way CA shows up on a digital sensor.
One thing I can note as well is the FUYUNO image profile, added to the K3III and K1 via firmware and only usable with this lens and one other (a DA Limited lens). It's a profile designed to offer contrasty "wintry" mood and, while it's not winter when I gained access to this profile and as I write this, it is an interesting look. I'm not in favor of locking down JPEG profiles to specific lenses, but given that we weren't owed this profile I won't complain too much - I do think it should also be available for the older SMC version, but whatever. I like some of the images I've taken with this profile, it also works for street.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: March, 2021 Posts: 995
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 14, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Bokeh, Sharpness, Build | | Cons: | minor lens abberations | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K1
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Bought this with the other Amigos (including the 21mm) and this one turned out to be my GoTo in most situations. Vignetting is significant, but easily addressed in post. Extremely strong performance in the centre, good at the edges. Perfect for most landscaeps and interiors. Flare is controlled very well thanks to the new HD, but does get hairy in very harsh situations. Pano stitching is a breeze given the low field distortion and close focus capabilities.
| | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2015 Location: USA Posts: 2,844
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 14, 2023 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Nice bokeh | | Cons: | CA, not as good as the Pentax 20-40 Limited | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 4
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 4
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3ii
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I owned this lens a few years ago. During the time that I owned it, I also owned the Pentax
HD Pentax-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 Limited DC WR (aka bag of primes).
I performed informal side-by-side comparisons between the two lenses. To my surprise, I found that I slightly preferred the overall IQ of the 20-40mm lens over the 31mm prime. In fact, based on these tests, I sold my 31mm lens and never regretted it.
. | | | | | Banned Registered: February, 2022 Posts: 2
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 25, 2022 | Not Recommended | Price: $1,068.00
| Rating: 1 |
| Pros: | None. | | Cons: | All. | | Sharpness: 1
Aberrations: 1
Bokeh: 1
Autofocus: 1
Handling: 1
Value: 1
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-1ii
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This lens is an old, criminally overpriced, mediocre piece of glass that cannot be used during the day. I can think of no lens I've ever used whose reputation was so very, very, very far away from reality. If you are the kind of person who thinks that Chromatic Aberration is "Pixie Dust," then go for it. Otherwise: avoid.
EDIT: Due to a rather unfortunate number of hostile messages I've received about this review, I'd like to make myself a bit more clear. I am a high-volume professional wedding photographer who, since the beginning of 2022, has done nearly 35 weddings. 100% of my weddings are done outdoors, but there are times that I need something fast in order to shoot the interiors of limousines and helicopters as well. I bought this lens for my K-1, hoping it would complement my Panasonic/Leica 42.5 Nocticron that I run on my second body, and that the two in combination would allow me to replace the Pentax 24-70, which I have taken nearly 60,000 shots with in the past year. However, I did not purchase it for over one-thousand dollars in order to stop it down to achieve an acceptable result. I have used hundreds of lenses in my decades of photography, and this is the most absurdly overpriced, overhyped lens I have used, with results that are professionally totally unacceptable. I have been happy with the K-1, and the 24-70 has given me and my clients many good results. I have used the DA* 50/1.4, and it is a remarkably good lens. I have nearly 40 vintage M42/K lenses, all of which I have enjoyed using in one way or another. This lens is singularly disappointing, given its reputation and its astoundingly out-of-alignment price, and I stand by my abysmally low rating without any hesitation whatsoever. If you are a hobbyist who enjoys fiddling around with overpriced glass in order to achieve decent results, I am in no position to stop you. As someone who needs his gear to work well without any time for second-guessing, I can tell you that this is not that lens.
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2020 Location: Ferrara Italia Posts: 133
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 14, 2021 | Not Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K1
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Used a few times but with great satisfaction. Just close the aperture a couple of stops and it becomes a wonderful lens.
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: June, 2020 Posts: 103
8 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 24, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $1,111.10
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharp enough, bokeh is nice when wide open | | Cons: | Vignettes under f2.8, some purple fringing below f3 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-1 II
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A brand new 20 year old lens. Must be knocked down a few stops to avoid pretty poor vignetting. Purple fringing is visible in high contrast areas, but not too bad even wide open, pretty gone after about three stops. Must use camera body switch to change into manual focus mode, you cannot just override the focus by turning the lens. If you want a prime wide angle for your K-1 then this does get you the best one available from Pentax, but still can't be used in the care-free way the state of the art D FA 50 1.4 can be. In return, it's not the size or weight of the 50 either.
Remember to update your firmware before use.
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