Pentax-DA 35mm F2.4 AL
Specifications
The Pentax smc DA 35mm F2.4 AL prime lens is physically a rather simple one, as implied by the unusually short collection of acronyms in the name. Let's decipher what all that vegetable soup really is, especially for those that are considering a Pentax lens for the first time and don't understand what any of it means:
smc | "Super Multi Coating" or Pentax's iconnic lens coating originating from before the K-mount itself (it has of course evolved and been improved over the years however without any changes to the name). Since Photokina 2012, it has been replaced by the superior HD, or "High Definition," nano-crystal coating for newer lenses announced since then. |
DA | Lenses created by Pentax that are optimized for digital sensors. |
L* | Lenses that are the "DA L" designation are Pentax's consumer lenses that are designed for maximum cost savings to those whom purchase them. The DA L series is a budget series and differs from the DA series in that its lenses do not offer quick-shift focusing and have plastic rather than metal mounts (discussed more in detail on the "Construction and Handling" page) *EDITORIAL NOTE: Although this lens does not have the L designation, it certainly fits all the characteristics of it. Frankly we're slightly confused as to why Pentax chose not to officially identify this lens as an L lens. |
F | "F-Stop," signifying the widest (fastest) apeture of this lens. |
AL | "Aspherical Lens," or specially formed glass to not only reduce spherical aberrations and enhance the overall image quality, but also to help maintain maximum compactness of the lens design. |
Lens Specifications
Below are the official specifications for the DA 35mm F2.4 AL. Additionally, for your comparing convenience, we provided the specifications for Pentax's premium 35mm prime lens, the HD DA 35mm F2.8 Limited Macro. For the rest of this in-depth review, we will use the HD 35mm Limited as a direct baseline for comparing the Plastic Fantastic regarding all aspects of its optical quality.
| Official Lens Name | SMC Pentax-DA  | HD Pentax-DA  |
| Optical Formula | 6 elements in 5 groups | 9 elements in 8 groups |
| Extra Dispersion (ED) Elements | No | No |
| Aspherical Lens Elements | Yes - One | No |
| Super Protect Lens Coating | Yes | Yes |
| Image Circle | APS-C only (*Full Frame unofficially) | APS-C only |
| Autofocus | Traditional Screwdrive (w/ all Pentax DSLRs) | Traditional Screwdrive (w/ all Pentax DSLRs) |
| Field of View | Horizontal: 38° , Diagonal: 44° | Horizontal: 38° , Diagonal: 44° |
| Maximum Aperture | F2.4 | F2.8 |
| Minimum Aperture | F22 | F22 |
| Aperture Blades | 6 (straight) | 9 (rounded) |
| Aperture Ring | No - controlled via camera body | No - controlled via camera body |
| Max. Magnification | 0.17x (1:6) | 1.00x (1:1) |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 30 cm (11.8 in) | 14.0 cm (5.5 in) |
| Internal Focus | No | No |
| Internal Zoom | Not Applicable - Prime Lens | Not Applicable - Prime Lens |
| Filter Diameter | 49mm | 49mm |
| Lens Cap | Included, plastic pinch type | HD 35mm Limited Metal Push-in Cap |
| Lends Hood | None | Built-in, Slide-out Metal Tubular Hood |
| Case | No | Yes, Limited Soft Case |
| Diameter x Length | 64 x 46 mm (2.5 x 1.8 in) | 63 x 46.5 mm (2.5 x 1.8 in) |
| Weight | 125 g (4.4 oz) | 214 g (7.6 oz) |
| Mount Designation | KAF | KAF |
| Full Time Manual Focus Override | No | Yes |
| Weather Sealing | No | No |
| Tripod Collar | No | No |
| Price | MSRP / At launch: $216.95 (US) Current street price: $145.95 | MSRP / At launch: $749 (US) Current street price: $596.95 |
As this is a DA-series lens, modern Pentax DSLRs will support in-camera distortion and aberration correction when this lens is mounted.
The front element is SP ("Super Protect") coated. A special fluoride compound applied to the front element, SP coating repels grease, water droplets, dust, and finger prints and is easier to clean should it get dirty than without the coating. This coating does not imply weather/environmental sealing from water and dust ingress, which this lens does not feature.
