Pentax 35mm DA L F2.4 AL Lens

We have a confession to make. Our reviewer is used to higher end DA and even premium DA* and Limited level glass. As such, it could be very easy to dismiss this Plastic Fantastic as sub-par from a build quality stand point.

Pentax's latest prime lens offering, the DA L 35mm F2.4 AL, is a lightweight budget lens designed with the amateur photographer just beginning to explore the use of prime lenses in DSLR photography.

The SMC Pentax-DA 35mm f/2.4 AL Lens is reviewed by John Riley.

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  Very high quality optics, Compact, Highly cost effective, Helps disciplined approach, Well made

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  No weather sealing, No Quick Shift, No lens hood provided

It is not easy to write a summary here. On the one hand I would like to praise this lens a lot. Such a good pros/cons ratio is a rare thing in this price segment and the flaws are definitely nothing serious; many pros are really important and of high calibre for a change.

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  small and compact construction,, splendid image quality in the frame centre,, decent image quality on the edge of the frame,, slight chromatic aberration,, low distortion,, very low coma,, negligible astigmatism, good transmission and work against bright light,, autofocus working with lightning...

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  plastic casing and mount,, noisy focusing mechanism,, noticeable vignetting.

The Pentax SMC DA 35mm f/2.4 AL may be a low-cost prime lens but it is actually a more than decent performer. This isn't overly surprising actually because moderately fast prime lenses tend to be a very safe bet.

This is another low-cost Pentax "DA" lens that I tested extensively on a rented full-frame K-1, with a rented excellent Sigma 35/1.4 ART as the comparison lens. The Sigma did very well, of course, but careful review of the same shots taken with the Pentax 35/2.4 showed that the Pentax lens produced...

this is a hot tip for engaged photographers. between f 4 and f 5,6 it reaches highest possible sharpness. I'm very impressed by color rendition, contrast and finest contours Even in the edges/corners very high sharpness. My close-ups of fowers: each shooting a feast for my eyes. really excellent.

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  extremely sharp single lens

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  plastic buildt

I really love this lens. Great for traveling and taking pictures where there isn't a lot of space.

Needed a cheap "normal" lens to leave on for general walking around and was trying to decide between this lens, one of the pancake 40mm variants, a 50mm of some sort, or a Sigma fast normal AF lens.

This lens performed as expected, maybe better in certain areas. It produces a sharp image with good to great color quality. I hoped for a bit smoother bokeh seeing as it's an F2.4, but it's still pleasing and certainly gets the job done. It performs well under low light conditions.