Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 limited macro
It is mine! All mine! :barb :barb :barb:barb
I was hopeful and a bit skeptical when I started reading reviews about this lens with titles like "An Optical Paragon", but I decided to get it anyway. Who needs a new dryer? :rofl
I've only shot a handful of tests with it, and I can say its all true. Wonderfully sharp, with an amazing ability to close focus. I doubt I'll be chasing any bees with this lens due to the FL, but on the other hand, I could imagine being very happy with just this lens mounted on my camera for normal walk around use.
Here's a quick set of test shots -- no PP except some quick capture sharpening.
I was hopeful and a bit skeptical when I started reading reviews about this lens with titles like "An Optical Paragon", but I decided to get it anyway. Who needs a new dryer? :rofl
I've only shot a handful of tests with it, and I can say its all true. Wonderfully sharp, with an amazing ability to close focus. I doubt I'll be chasing any bees with this lens due to the FL, but on the other hand, I could imagine being very happy with just this lens mounted on my camera for normal walk around use.
Here's a quick set of test shots -- no PP except some quick capture sharpening.
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Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Congratulations!
Mine has absolutely lived on the K200D since I got it. It is like my old 50mm 1.7, except with autofocus, 1:1 macro, and weather sealing: love it.
Yes, I wish it was F2.0 or faster, but as compact as it is, I can't complain. I played with a K7 in the store today... good thing it had the bulky 16-50 on it, and I didn't take my DA 35, or I probably would have left with it...
I actually don't mind f/2.8 as the widest aperture, because this lens seems to hit its stride even wide open. Looking at my FA50 1.4, only a handful of my keepers were shot wider than 2.8, and the ones shot wide open are either "dreamy" or "mushy" depending on how charitable I want to be.
Is the DA35 weather sealed? Didn't think it was -- only the "star" and WR lenses.
I was concerned about focus speed, but does focus faster than I feared, and I learned a trick from pentaxforums to speed up focusing and reduce hunting: for non-macro image, use the quick-shift clutch to spin the focus length to infinity, then let it autofocus. Seems to work.
At any rate, here's to fine glass and good shooting
nope, my bad on the weather sealing, it isn't sealed. Built like a tank, though.
And agree on the autofocus - DA series lenses, with the quick-shift, are great for that. I do the same thing on my DA 55-300 when it hunts a bit in low light.
I bought a small camera bag to hold just the camera, DA 35, lens pen, and spare batteries. Lowepro Rezo 110 AW.
Then I took it on a 3400km motorcycle trip in my tank bag, as my only camera/lens for the trip. Don't want to hijack too much, so I linked the large pics to thumbnails below. Really simplifies the process for me - I shoot in Av all the time, so it is simply compose, double check DOF, any exposure compensation, *click*. Although with the K200D it is more like *kerthwack*.
edit: that's odd, I have sharing turned on, and had posted them at ADV. I changed to just the photos. They were displaying fine from here.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I took it on the SS Badger (coal fired car ferry across lake michigan) and just wandered around the ship taking pics. The macro ability is incredibly useful when you happen across weird details, and handholding is easy with in-body IS and the relatively wide FOV.
I sold my 10-20 and a teleconverter recently. All I really want to do is wander around with this lens.
and maybe the 15mm or 21mm pancake just in case
Still $540 at B&H, I think I paid right at $500 for mine.
$700 is fairly ridiculous for that lens, though they are asking a princely sum for the DA 55 1.4 as well.