| Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-FA 20-35mm F4 AL
I have never used this lens a lot on APS-C because of the unappealing focus range and also because I have crop format lenses that cover a broader range with good image quality (like the DA 16-45/4).
It’s on full-frame that this lens really shines: it offers a very useful range, from super-wide to normal-wide, in a compact package with superb image quality. There is no other compact full-frame wide-zoom with constant aperture that can rival the FA 20-35 when it comes to consistently delivering gorgeous pictures with great micro-contrast and fantastic colors.
The FA 20-35/4 AL is really a small lens that takes very little space in the bag and is quite light (245g), yet it is very useful by replacing both a 20mm super-wide and a 35mm normal-wide, as well as all the focal lengths in between. It is really usable throughout the zoom range at any aperture.
At the 20mm end, the corners are a bit soft wide open, but the whole frame sharpens up nicely at F/8-F/11 –of course, people usually don't shoot landscape wide open anyway. For interior scenes or night shots where the corners are not really important, the lens is perfectly usable at F/4. I have made some comparisons with my Pentax FA 20/2.8 on full-frame and I consistently prefer the results from the FA 20-35: pure resolution is equivalent (maybe a tad better on the 20/2.8 when stopped down) but micro-contrast and colors are so much better on the zoom. Surprisingly, the zoom is also much more resistant to flare. This migh... |
