Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens USA

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I owned 5 Pentax lenses for my K7, three of them were DA Limiteds -- the 15mm, 21mm, and this, the 35mm Macro. This lens was by far the best of my Pentax lenses. As you can tell by my selection, I tend to favor wide angle lenses, shooting a lot of landscape and cityscape photography, but the images this lens produced were so seductive that it was the one I reached for first. I found both its resolution and color reproduction superior to my other Pentax lenses. The Macro function was just a bonus for me, but it inspired quite a lot of interesting photographic experiments.

I have never used the 31mm FA Limited. It has a reputation as the finest of Pentax's current lenses. The only valid reason for shooting Pentax and not owning this lens would be if you can afford the 31mm lens and feel the two are redundant and aren't interested in the Macro capabilities of this lens.

Finally, the construction of this lens is wonderful, probably up there with Zeiss lenses for tactile pleasure in use.

The only negative is that the lens cap was designed in such a way that it was prone to fall off frequently, but it's not anything you can't live with.

To conclude, if you shoot Pentax, you should be shooting through this lens.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Very sharp, excellent IQ, and a really cool all metal construction with built in lens hood make this truly a remarkable lens. Focusing is fast when compared to other macros that have a huge focal adjustment range. Highly recommended.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Great prime lens. It is light but appears sturdy. Focus is quick (with K-5) (quicker than with my Pentax 100mm macro WR). Only con so far is that for full 1:1 macro, the lens is VERY close to the subject.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Started with a 16-50mm and wanted a smaller lens that wouldn't create a flash shadow. Amazing macro results, sharp, very fast focus.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Good walk around lens if you like occasional macro and focal length suites you.
Build quality is excellent, it is a joy simply to use it. Lack of apperture ring is not that great but all new Pentax lenses are like this.

Capable of shooting macros of stationary objects and very brave insects. Though for real close up you need to use external flash since the lens blocks the light. I found that usual flash with bouncer works well. Probably macro ring will be even better.
What makes it slightly less then perfect in my opinion:
Focus speed and bokeh are ok but nothing special.
Not as sharp as DFA 100mm 2.8 macro.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

About 2 years ago I sold all of my Canon equipment and put the cash in the stock market. Getting back in, I have switched to the Pentax world and this lens is one of the key elements of that transition. I have been very impressed with the speed and clarity of my indoor photos - primarily family and friends in close settings. It is great for outdoor shots where the goal is to try and 'take it all in', which is very difficult along the Wasatch Front here in Utah. As a non-pro photographer this lens is everything I could want in a lens. I would be hard pressed to imagine how a lens like this could be improved for professional use.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I use the Pentax Macro lens for photographing food for publishing on a blog. It allows me to get up close with a precise focus that makes the food appetizing and eye-catching. I can't really criticize this lens. So far in my experience, it's excellent.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

This pentax 35mm macro produces sharp images and clear, crisp colors. Well constructed and has not disappointed in my macro photography.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Great lens which doubles as a "normal" lens and a macro lens. Unless you are a total macro enthusiast looking for bugs this lens is enough. Otherwise go for the 100. This lens is great for walk around and occasional flower closeup or other detail. It is sharp!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Great lens, solid, fast, sharp.
Not just for macro use, you can use it for daily event.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Excellent build quality and color. It feels solid and the pictures are very sharp. Got it for only a week. A great, lightweight, inconspicuous and versatile walk-around lens, really like it, especially the macro capability.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I purchased for use as a macro lens with general purpose landscape and portrait applications. I was also looking for a durable walk around lens with superior image quality. As expected the image quality is top notch and the look and feel of this Pentax limited is outstanding (I even like the slip on metal lens cap!). Have been very pleased with its macro capability and also appears very fine for general landscape applications. As I'd read in reviews prior to purchase the auto focus is relatively slow, although the manual override can help... it is slow to find the target meaning fast moving objects mid view are more difficult to capture. So will still suit most of what I wanted (and what it promised) but maybe not quite the perfect walk about lens

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I love this lens so much!! Nothing to say but just good. But it and you will not regret!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I've been using this lens for months now and It puts out every time. This lens is beautifully sharp and focuses almost as close as you could possibly want. I bought this lens for myself because of it's close focus and fast Aperture. Possibly my favorite lens in my bag!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I got a bad one ... but then the last 5 pentax lenses I have purchased have been sub standard. [...] It would not focus on anything past about 10 inches away (manual or Auto) and when on auto focus it ran from one end to the other with a horrible grinding noise. After a closer look I saw weird marks on the focusing ring. Pentax needs to re hire their quality control people at their Viet Namese lens factory. [...] I have made the switch from Pentax to Nikon and couldnt be happier with my new d7000 and a 50 1.8 that works like a dream.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Best all around lens of the DA Ltd series, with a normal (50mm) perspective, and macro. For landscape and portraits, the lens throw is smaller than you would expect with a macro, so auto focusing is fast. The total lens throw is about 180 deg, but most of this is down at the macro end of the focus. It's a good 1 sec to auto focus from one end to the other, and it occasionally hunts for focus on a K-x.

The built in lens hood is very nice. Get a regular 49mm squeeze lens cap - it's more secure than the supplied slip on lens cap.

The lens is very sharp, right up there with the DA 40 and DA 70. Superb construction. The lens hood might be plastic, but the rest of the lens is a solid chunk of metal and glass.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

This lens is excellent at what it is designed to do.. take macro and portrait (up close) shots. It is not designed for landscape and its autofocus is not very accurate for landscape shots. Overall I have had a lot of difficulty in getting landscapes into focus well... but you can always use manual focus if you have the time... I think this lens is really a gem though... it is a perfect walk around lens that allows you to take amazing macro shots and decent landscape shots...

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

This is a 5/5 for what it is.... A short macro that does up close portraits well... while the focal length is not ideal for portraits the close focus makes for wonderful artistic shots... there is no doubt that this lens does up close well... it does have resolution difficulty at distance and is not ideal for landscapes... but overall amazing lens!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Well built metal construction.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

fantastic build quality and excellent colour rendition

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I owned 5 Pentax lenses for my K7, three of them were DA Limiteds -- the 15mm, 21mm, and this, the 35mm Macro. This lens was by far the best of my Pentax lenses. As you can tell by my selection, I tend to favor wide angle lenses, shooting a lot of landscape and cityscape photography, but the images this lens produced were so seductive that it was the one I reached for first. I found both its resolution and color reproduction superior to my other Pentax lenses. The Macro function was just a bonus for me, but it inspired quite a lot of interesting photographic experiments.

I have never used the 31mm FA Limited. It has a reputation as the finest of Pentax's current lenses. The only valid reason for shooting Pentax and not owning this lens would be if you can afford the 31mm lens and feel the two are redundant and aren't interested in the Macro capabilities of this lens.

Finally, the construction of this lens is wonderful, probably up there with Zeiss lenses for tactile pleasure in use.

The only negative is that the lens cap was designed in such a way that it was prone to fall off frequently, but it's not anything you can't live with.

To conclude, if you shoot Pentax, you should be shooting through this lens.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Very sharp, excellent IQ, and a really cool all metal construction with built in lens hood make this truly a remarkable lens. Focusing is fast when compared to other macros that have a huge focal adjustment range. Highly recommended.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Great prime lens. It is light but appears sturdy. Focus is quick (with K-5) (quicker than with my Pentax 100mm macro WR). Only con so far is that for full 1:1 macro, the lens is VERY close to the subject.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Started with a 16-50mm and wanted a smaller lens that wouldn't create a flash shadow. Amazing macro results, sharp, very fast focus.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Good walk around lens if you like occasional macro and focal length suites you.
Build quality is excellent, it is a joy simply to use it. Lack of apperture ring is not that great but all new Pentax lenses are like this.

Capable of shooting macros of stationary objects and very brave insects. Though for real close up you need to use external flash since the lens blocks the light. I found that usual flash with bouncer works well. Probably macro ring will be even better.
What makes it slightly less then perfect in my opinion:
Focus speed and bokeh are ok but nothing special.
Not as sharp as DFA 100mm 2.8 macro.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

About 2 years ago I sold all of my Canon equipment and put the cash in the stock market. Getting back in, I have switched to the Pentax world and this lens is one of the key elements of that transition. I have been very impressed with the speed and clarity of my indoor photos - primarily family and friends in close settings. It is great for outdoor shots where the goal is to try and 'take it all in', which is very difficult along the Wasatch Front here in Utah. As a non-pro photographer this lens is everything I could want in a lens. I would be hard pressed to imagine how a lens like this could be improved for professional use.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I use the Pentax Macro lens for photographing food for publishing on a blog. It allows me to get up close with a precise focus that makes the food appetizing and eye-catching. I can't really criticize this lens. So far in my experience, it's excellent.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

This pentax 35mm macro produces sharp images and clear, crisp colors. Well constructed and has not disappointed in my macro photography.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Great lens which doubles as a "normal" lens and a macro lens. Unless you are a total macro enthusiast looking for bugs this lens is enough. Otherwise go for the 100. This lens is great for walk around and occasional flower closeup or other detail. It is sharp!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Great lens, solid, fast, sharp.
Not just for macro use, you can use it for daily event.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Excellent build quality and color. It feels solid and the pictures are very sharp. Got it for only a week. A great, lightweight, inconspicuous and versatile walk-around lens, really like it, especially the macro capability.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I purchased for use as a macro lens with general purpose landscape and portrait applications. I was also looking for a durable walk around lens with superior image quality. As expected the image quality is top notch and the look and feel of this Pentax limited is outstanding (I even like the slip on metal lens cap!). Have been very pleased with its macro capability and also appears very fine for general landscape applications. As I'd read in reviews prior to purchase the auto focus is relatively slow, although the manual override can help... it is slow to find the target meaning fast moving objects mid view are more difficult to capture. So will still suit most of what I wanted (and what it promised) but maybe not quite the perfect walk about lens

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I love this lens so much!! Nothing to say but just good. But it and you will not regret!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I've been using this lens for months now and It puts out every time. This lens is beautifully sharp and focuses almost as close as you could possibly want. I bought this lens for myself because of it's close focus and fast Aperture. Possibly my favorite lens in my bag!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

I got a bad one ... but then the last 5 pentax lenses I have purchased have been sub standard. [...] It would not focus on anything past about 10 inches away (manual or Auto) and when on auto focus it ran from one end to the other with a horrible grinding noise. After a closer look I saw weird marks on the focusing ring. Pentax needs to re hire their quality control people at their Viet Namese lens factory. [...] I have made the switch from Pentax to Nikon and couldnt be happier with my new d7000 and a 50 1.8 that works like a dream.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Best all around lens of the DA Ltd series, with a normal (50mm) perspective, and macro. For landscape and portraits, the lens throw is smaller than you would expect with a macro, so auto focusing is fast. The total lens throw is about 180 deg, but most of this is down at the macro end of the focus. It's a good 1 sec to auto focus from one end to the other, and it occasionally hunts for focus on a K-x.

The built in lens hood is very nice. Get a regular 49mm squeeze lens cap - it's more secure than the supplied slip on lens cap.

The lens is very sharp, right up there with the DA 40 and DA 70. Superb construction. The lens hood might be plastic, but the rest of the lens is a solid chunk of metal and glass.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

This lens is excellent at what it is designed to do.. take macro and portrait (up close) shots. It is not designed for landscape and its autofocus is not very accurate for landscape shots. Overall I have had a lot of difficulty in getting landscapes into focus well... but you can always use manual focus if you have the time... I think this lens is really a gem though... it is a perfect walk around lens that allows you to take amazing macro shots and decent landscape shots...

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

This is a 5/5 for what it is.... A short macro that does up close portraits well... while the focal length is not ideal for portraits the close focus makes for wonderful artistic shots... there is no doubt that this lens does up close well... it does have resolution difficulty at distance and is not ideal for landscapes... but overall amazing lens!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

Well built metal construction.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Series Autofocus Lens:

fantastic build quality and excellent colour rendition