HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses

What's New

The Pentax HD Limited primes differ from their SMC Limited predecessors in several ways.  We describe each difference below.

Coating Type

The new HD FA Limited primes are treated with Pentax's HD coating rather than the Super Multi Coating (SMC).

SMC 31mm (left) vs HD 31mm (right)

HD coatings have been in use for many years on Pentax lenses, with great success. They do an even better job of reducing flare and ghosting, while improving contrast. Pentax lenses have long been among the best in the industry with regards to their coatings, and it is good to see the popular FA Limited benefit from the improved HD coatings. The changes will be discussed in details in the following pages.

Aperture Blades

All three HD FA Limiteds now have rounded aperture blades, which means that at narrow aperture settings, their diaphragms will appear more circular. The SMC FA Limiteds had straight aperture blades and polygonal diaphragms. The number of aperture blades in each lens remains unchanged.

The photo below shots the difference in the aperture diaphragm when stopped down to F4 on the HD and SMC 43mm lenses.

This change means that the out-of-focus rendering (bokeh) from the HD Limiteds will different from that of the SMC Limiteds. Again, read on to find out what the difference is in practice.

Super Protect Coating

The front element of the three new lenses has been treated with Pentax's Super Protect coating, which was not found on the SMC versions.

The Super Protect coating repels water and dust, protects the underlying lens coating, and makes the front element easier to clean. It also helps prevent superficial scratches. SP coating really does make a difference in cleaning and durability, something we have observed frequently when reviewing lenses.

Body Design

The lenses retain the same appearance as their predecessors, except of course for the names engraved on the barrels. The one exception is for the HD 43mm, which now features the half-sphere button to help with alignment when mounting on camera.

HD 43mm (left) vs SMC 43mm (right)

The three lenses are available in silver and black.

List Price

The new lenses have the same list price as their predecessors. Of course, rebates and promotions can vary, and it is likely that the SMC versions will see discount to move older stock at some point.