Overview SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

For the provided SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL lens, many thanks to the official PENTAX representative office in Ukraine.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

Navigation

  1. In short
  2. History
  3. Main Specifications
  4. Assembly
  5. Focusing
  6. Image quality
  7. Sample Photos
  8. My experience
  9. Alternatives
  10. Video review
  11. Price
  12. Results
  13. User Comments
  14. Add your review or question on the lens.

In this review, I will abbreviate the SMC PENTAX-DA 1:2.4 35mm AL as 'Pentax 35/2.4'

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

In short

The Pentax 35 / 2.4 is an inexpensive and high quality prime lens for Pentax cropped cameras. The lens is simplified as much as possible in details, all unnecessary things have been removed from it, many things inherent in more expensive lenses have been sacrificed. For those who value functionality, the Pentax 35 / 2.4 is the ideal solution.

Those who do not seek compromise can immediately look at HD Pentax-DA 1: 2.8 35 mm Macro Limited or SMC PENTAX-FA 1: 1.8 31 mm AL Limited.

On cropped cameras, a focal length of 30-35 mm is very popular, as it gives EGF approximately equal to 'fifty dollars', which makes it a standard (in terms of focal lengths) lens with a very wide range of possibilities. In fact, it can be argued that the Pentax 35 / 2.4 is a universal prime lens for cameras with an APS-C sensor.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

History

Pentax 35 / 2.4 was announced on September 9, 2010.

Most likely its optical design is not newly developed, but taken from full-frame lenses SMC PENTAX-FA 1: 2 35mm AL (1999), and later used in HD PENTAX-FA 1: 2 35mm (2019), the reason for this statement is clearly visible below:

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

Optical schemes of lenses SMC PENTAX-DA 1:2.4 35mm AL, HD PENTAX-FA 1:2.4 35mm and SMC PENTAX-FA 1: 2 35mm AL

You can even find information that in fact, Pentax 35 / 2.4 fully repeats full-frame lenses, and in the Pentax 35 / 2.4 circuit itself they simply made a relative aperture of 1: 2.4, thereby slightly covering and restricting the aperture and increasing some optical indicators.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

Main technical characteristics of SMC PENTAX-DA 1:2.4 35mm AL

Review Instance Name Near focus ring: SMC PENTAX-DA 1:2.4 35mm AL Ø49. On the PENTAX 35 / SMC PENTAX DA case
Basic properties
  • SMC (Super Multi Coated) - special coating of optics
  • DA - a line of lenses designed for digital cameras with APS-C sensor
  • SP (Super Protect) - special protective enlightenment / coating of the front lens
  • AF (Auto Focus) - automatic focusing by means of the camera motor
  • AL (AsphereL) - aspherical elements in the optical scheme
  • 12 different body colors
Front Filter Diameter 49 mm, plastic thread for filters
Focal length 35 mm, EGF for Pentax cameras with APS-C sensor is 52.5 mm
Zoom ratio 1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by for cropped digital cameras
Number of aperture blades 6 petals
Tags bayonet mount only
Diaphragm F / 2.4 to F / 22
MDF 0.3 m, maximum magnification ratio 1: 5.9
The weight 124 g
Optical design 6 elements in 5 groups

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm ALThe lens uses a single hybrid aspherical element. Some other lenses use a very similar optical design.

Lens hood RH-RC49. Screws into the thread of the front filter
Manufacturer country Assembled in Vietnam (Assembled in Vietnam)
Period From 9 September to 2010
3D view See
Price View prices on E-CATALOG

F / 2.4 is 2 times darker than F / 2.4. The difference between f / 2.8 and f / 2.4 is only a third of a stop. Most likely the F / 2 value was deliberately chosen to separate it from the F / 2.8 and F / XNUMX models.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

Assembly

The weight of the Pentax 35 / 2.4 lens without protective caps is only 124 grams... This is one of the lightest autofocus lenses I've ever shot. In addition, the Pentax 35 / 2.4 is sufficient compact, and the diameter of the front filter is small and is only 49 mm.

The lens can be found in 12 different body colors. This is done so that the color of the lens body matches the color of some Pentax cameras.

In general, the lens is well assembled, despite the fact that the Pentax 35 / 2.4 has plastic mount mount. Pentax 35/2.4 is a classic 'plastic fiction'resembling his brother SMC Pentax-DA 1: 1.8 50mm. The focus ring is not wide, plastic, without rubber inserts. The thread for the filters is also plastic, like the trunk of the lens itself.

The front lens has a special moisture- and dream-repellent fluorine-containing coating.

Diaphragm consists of only 6 petals and forms a hole in the shape of a regular hexagon.

In a set of delivery no hood. The lens hood must be screwed into the threads of the front filter. The front lens is very close to the filter and is not recessed into the body frame.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

Focusing

The lens does not have a built-in focus motor. Focusing is carried out by the motor of the camera. This solution simplifies and reduces the cost of lens design, but has a bad effect on noise. During focusing, the lens makes an unpleasant piercing sound.

When used on a camera Pentax K-70 with a good focusing system with 11 focusing points, 9 of which are cross-shaped, the lens did not behave in the best way. The main problem is focus misses. This is most likely due to the low travel of the focusing ring and the slow travel of the 'screwdriver' slot, which prevents the camera from accurately positioning the objective lenses at the desired focusing distance. In addition to 1000 test photos, I tried to shoot a small family network with the Pentax 35 / 2.4, as a result, from 1300 received photos, about 300 photos were with an obvious focusing error. In doing so, I have used different methods and types of autofocus. Perhaps other Pentax cameras with focusing on this lens will be better.

Auto focus speed high, closer to very high. Even though there is no built-in motor, the 'screwdriver' Pentax K-70 very quickly forces the lens to change the focusing distance, sometimes just Instantly. I observe that even on amateur Pentax cameras, the built-in focus motor works noticeably faster than a similar solution in Nikon amateur cameras.

When focusing, the front lens travels forward along with the trunk of the lens. The elongation of the trunk is small and is about 1 cm. The thread under the filters does not rotate. Focusing is carried out by moving the entire lens block. While the rear lens is moving, there is no air pump effect.

In manual focus mode, the focus ring rotates approximately 90 degrees. The ring rotates very easily, it can be rotated with one finger. During focusing, a slight friction of the plastic against the plastic is felt. When extreme positions are reached, the focus ring abuts and cannot be rotated further. Focusing manually is comfortable enough.

Unfortunately the Pentax 35 / 2.4 does not support Quick shift focus. To perform manual focusing, be sure to turn on the 'MF' manual focus mode using the switch near the camera mount. During auto focus focus ring rotates and cannot be touched. In similar lenses from some other manufacturers, the focus ring remains stationary during auto focus.

Pentax 35 / 2.4 does not have a focus mode switch. To switch the lens to manual focus, you should use the 'AF / MF' focus mode switch located near the camera mount.

The minimum focusing distance is 30 cm, and the maximum magnification ratio is 1: 5.9, which is quite normal for this kind of lens.

Focus Features:

  • There is a small effect of 'Focus Breathing' (changing the viewing angle during focusing). During focusing towards MDF, the viewing angle decreases
  • The lens does not have hard stop (hard infinity mechanical stop) which allows you to accurately and quickly focus the lens to infinity under any external conditions
  • The lens does not have a focusing distance scale, a depth of field scale, or a label for working in the IR spectrum. Equipment with useful labels is minimal
  • Focus shift (shift-focus) was not noticed
  • Pentax 35 / 2.4 has no focusing problems in Live View mode (tested on Pentax K-70), but focuses significantly slower than through JVI (the bigger problem is the Live View mode with focus on contrast)
SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

Image quality

In general, Pentax 35 / 2.4 shows a fairly high-quality image.

Sharpness

  1. in the center of the frame at F / 2.4, the lens shows confident sharpness
  2. there is a slight drop in sharpness to the edges of the frame at f / 2.4
  3. excellent resolution in the center of the frame at closed apertures in the range of F / 4-F / 5.6

Distortion

  1. there is a slight distortion, in real shooting conditions it is difficult to notice the distortion
  2. has a unified character and is easily corrected in the editor

Vignetting

  1. vignetting is very weak even at f / 2.4
  2. vignetting decreases with focus towards MDF. Most noticeable when focusing on infinity
  3. on APS-C cameras with a sensor vignetting almost disappears at f / 3.5

Aberration

  1. open apertures have palpable amount of chromatic aberration
  2. chromatic aberration significantly decrease with aperture cover
  3. there is tangible friging

Rest

  1. low levels of coma and astigmatism
  2. on heavily covered apertures, you can achieve a beautiful effect of a 6-ray star
  3. in backlight, the lens can give a small amount of flare, there are no critical features in working in backlight and side light

There is a profile for popular RAW converters for this lens.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

Sample Photos

All sample photos were taken with a camera. Pentax K-70on camera JPEG, image setting 'AUTO' with default settings. Highlight compensation: auto, shadow compensation: auto or strong, distortion correction: on, optical correction vignetting: auto, diffraction correction: on, chromatic zoom correction: on, everything else: off.

Archive with source files can download from this link (94 file JPEG, 0.9 GB). Thanks for a few photos lara_shemetiuk

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL. The lens is shown on the camera. Pentax K-70

My experience

I really like lenses that are modest in their filling and appearance, have a small price tag, but can pleasantly please with their image quality. In addition, Pentax 35 / 2.4 also pleases with fast focusing and very low weight. In addition, the capabilities of the Pentax 35 / 2.4 at full frame make it just a bestseller.

A strong minus for myself, I singled out an underestimated aperture. For example, like Nikon 35 / 1.8G almost a stop lighter than the hero from this review. Also, I did not like the accuracy of focusing on the Pentax 35 / 2.4, maybe partly the reason lies in Pentax K-70.

In general, I recommend the Pentax 35 / 2.4 for purchase and use, especially for those looking for their first fixed lens.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL. The lens is shown on the camera. Pentax K-70

Alternatives

Below I have prepared a list of Pentax autofocus lenses with a focal length range of 31-43mm:

Given the cost of the Pentax 35 / 2.4, the closest alternative is a 'longer' lens. SMC Pentax-DA 1: 1.8 50 mm.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL. The lens is shown on the camera. Pentax K-70

Video review

You can watch the video review on my Youtube channel by this link, or below:


Price

You can see prices for Pentax 35/2.4 in the catalog E-CATALOG.

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL. The lens is shown on the camera. Pentax K-70

Results

The Pentax 35 / 2.4 has a very good price / performance ratio. This is one of those lenses that can sell in large quantities and generate a lot of positive feedback from amateur photographers. The Pentax 35 / 2.4 is a sci-fi plastic for every day. The lens is a lot like its brother SMC Pentax-DA 1: 1.8 50mm.

10 main advantages

  1. low cost, on average about $ 150
  2. very fast auto focus
  3. light weight, unified with the Pentax line of lenses, a tiny diameter of the front filter
  4. special protective coating of the front lens
  5. aspherical element in the optical circuit
  6. good sharpness starting from F / 2.4 in the center of the frame
  7. low distortion and very low vignetting on APS-C
  8. the lens can work at full frame without vignetting problems (undocumented feature)
  9. there is a lens profile for modern popular RAW converters
  10. I must mention that modern Pentax SLR cameras have a built-in stabilizer, because, in fact, this lens can be conditionally attributed to lenses with a stabilizer

10 main disadvantages

  1. plastic mount, plastic body and non-rubberized focus ring
  2. there is no hood in the delivery set, the hood is not bayonet, but screwed into the thread of the front filter
  3. focusing is not internal, the trunk travels a short distance
  4. focus ring rotates during auto focus and cannot be touched, no Quick Shift Focus function
  5. no built-in focus motor (like Nikon 35 / 1.8G there is a quiet SWM motor)
  6. loud noise during auto focus
  7. with a camera Pentax K-70 there is a noticeable number of focus misses
  8. not high aperture (Other similar lenses use F/2.0 or F/1.8)
  9. few aperture blades, aperture poorly rounded
  10. noticeable chromatic aberration including friging

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Vladimir Buritsky

 

 

Comments: 26, on the topic: Review of SMC PENTAX-DA 1: 2.4 35mm AL

  • Dmitriy

    Either I'm completely stupid, or the manufacturer is completely ready to hang himself out of greed. Well, how much more expensive would a lens be if you put a metal bayonet ring on it? For ten bucks? Yes, any buyer would overpay this ten with pleasure ... but here it is a shame to look at this plastic.

    • Alexander

      Obviously, the manufacturer believes that the lens is light enough and plastic mounts will be enough

      • Arkady Shapoval

        I still think every dollar counts for a lens like this. Like 50 / 1.8, this is one of the cheapest and most affordable crop fixes for the Pentax. It is very important for the system as a whole to have 1-2 good fixes available, around such lenses the “first true” love for fixes is just forming. The 50 / 1,8 or 35 / 2,4 “should” be bought by anyone who wants something more after the kit. And this something new must be of high quality and inexpensive to once and for all make "dependence" on a particular system.

        • Carl Zeiss

          At Pentax, all fifty dollars are perfectly removed! This way, quite successful and inexpensive. Could and fork out for a metal bayonet mount. A dollar of value added to the price of the lens would not play any role for those wishing to purchase it. But the number of owners of it would only increase. Due to the plastic on the mount, by the way, I didn’t take this lens for myself. And also 35 2,0 from the same series, which I consider even more successful glass for crop. But the manual Takumar (55 1,2), for example, which has a bayonet mount made of titanium, already alone causes respect and desire to get hold of this lens. And I consider the plastic mounts on the lenses no longer to be a saving on the total amount, but a manifestation of disrespect for the potential user, from the manufacturer.

        • Sergei

          “And this something new must be of high quality and inexpensive in order to once and for all make a “dependence” on this or that system.”
          That's right, and have a plastic lens mount so that it breaks faster and the addict quickly buys a more advanced lens.

    • kotofei

      Why are you attached to this plastic mount ?! The lens weighs 150 grams, small, no one will carry a kilogram carcass FOR HIM. In addition, ATTENTION, a metal bayonet mounts to the plastic outer case of the lens using 3-5 pcs of thin screws. In all this construction, I consider these self-tapping screws and the thread threaded by them in plastic as a weak link.
      And, yes, the plastic mount has become a mass phenomenon. Is it accompanied by mass failures of this node? - No. What is the conclusion?...

      My copy of this glass behaves unusually - quite sharp on the open, then until F4 the sharpness subsides slightly and at F4.5 the sharpness is again approx. Inexplicable.

    • Koba

      $ 10 is very expensive for a metal mount, unless it is made of special anodized steel or special alloy as is the case with the Tokina 100 / 2.8 macro. The usual one will cost around $ 3, and the plastic - around $ 0,5, and since this lens is quite massive in the manufacturer's lineup, they probably saved several tens of thousands of dollars, also, well, it was necessary to separate the ordinary lens from the limited edition with what something? So they separated it ... But inside they put a hybrid aspheric lens and gave good optical performance and very good micro-contrast and price.

      • Carl Zeiss

        In mass production in large batches, the cost of a bayonet ring will be less than a dollar, even if it is made of titanium. Not to mention steel.

    • Chubbaka

      Well, do not look)

  • First Substation

    The design reminded Industar-61 for rangefinders, and it is similar in size and even in aperture ratio. Pentax probably also had a similar design in history, they decided to remind

  • Radmir

    Well, everything is correct, so that in case of something it breaks faster and you run and buy a new lens)))

  • Vladimir Buritsky

    Plastic, 2.4 instead of 1.8, the old scheme from the ancient 35/2, focusing misses, buzzing. Here you have a low price tag, well, at least a sharp aki razor

  • Koba

    The reason for focusing misses lies precisely in the fact that, since the K-S1, Pentax began to build focusing motors into cameras that work 50% faster than in older cameras (up to the K5 series inclusive), and the lenses are not "adapted" to them. When I tested my Tamron 17-50 on the K3, it worked very quickly, I was even surprised myself, but there were a lot of errors, but on the K52 it rarely makes mistakes. I guess, I can't be absolutely sure, because on my Nikon cameras, screwdriver lenses work exactly the opposite, on the D90 my old 28-105 worked fine, without errors, and on D3s it began to work significantly faster and even more accurately ...

  • Eugen

    1.DA 35 / 2.4, DA 50 / 1.8 are lenses from the same light series as DA L 18-50 / 4-5.6, DA L 55-200 / 4-5.6, DA L 55-300 / 4-5.8 , that is, budget, but the manufacturer missed the letter L apparently for marketing reasons. It is definitely worth the money.
    2. The lens is really a transitional step to the more expensive and high-quality fixes of the limited and * series.
    3. Due to the lightness and compactness, a metal bayonet mount will only increase the cost, it is superfluous here.
    4. It is inclined to front focus in low and non-standard lighting (I had more problems with DA 50 / 1.8 than with DA 35 / 2.4).
    5. Not all popular converters support it, for example, C1 does not even bother with it.
    6. My copy of the DA 35 / 2.4 about photographing a black and white world gave a strong purple fringing, which contrasted very much with the legendary expensive FA 31 / 1.8 limited, although unlike the lim it is sharper in the center and less “hare-catching”.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Thank you for sharing your experience :)

    • Carl Zeiss

      Just at 35mm. the depth of the sharply depicted space is greater. Therefore, there are less problems with it. And for the crop 35 is a more interesting and versatile focal length than 50mm.

  • Passed by ...

    Lens with a truncated constructive. This bastard is, in fact, an unloved offspring, ruined by 35 2.0, who, in turn, has #fucked the lower Limas by harshness).
    Optically, essentially the same thing, sharpness is 4-5.6 razor sharp.
    With a diaphragm, it is decided by replacing the lamellas, I did not put the Chinese mother to the original, picking up by experience.
    The big problem is the mount. I had to pour glue.
    The result was a miracle half a stop lighter than 2.0 with a one-way ticket).
    Again, in this form, on a hole 2 or so, the equivalent sharpness is approximately the same as in Lima 40ki at 2.8.
    #fought for a couple of days and as a result received from a non-working object (a cable for replacement) a worthless pseudo-staff for 5k.
    Pysy - I personally like the old sigma at 1.4 more)

  • Paul

    I would add to the disadvantages also the price. For its design, it is too expensive (today), like all Pentax lenses.

  • Shurik

    “Besides, the capabilities of the Pentax 35 / 2.4 at full frame make it just a bestseller,” how is that? If he is a crop lens?))

    • Arkady Shapoval

      A lot of lenses designed for crop feel good at full frame. Mechanically and electrically, they are fully compatible.

  • Rodion

    By the way, what fundamentally prevents it from being used on ff? Those. Well, at ef-s, they add a plastic, catchy mirror there. Without it, almost all ef-s optics on ff normally work without limited, but with vignette. What is it here?

  • Givizub

    I have such a lens, I noticed that the focus ring manually flies infinity. Sharpness does not appear when turning all the way, but a little earlier. Is this normal or is it a defect (I bought it used)?

    • BB

      Have you read the review?
      Quote: 'The lens does not have a hard stop (hard infinity mechanical stop) ...' and so on.

  • Andrei

    Arkady, you have several reviews of Pentax lenses using the K70 camera. Will there be a review on it? Your opinion is very interesting. And a comparison with the Nikon 7100, 7200.

  • Victor

    Greetings, you can find out how on the BZK (a6000) - is it possible to put it for the manual? Thank you for your reply.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Need adapter pentax k - sony e.

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