DAL 35mm available

SRS have the new 35mm in stock - £150. Just in case anyone is interested!

PS: So why have I not already ordered one? They just reduced the DA35 Macro to £375, putting me right back to square one in the decision stakes

Get the Macro Ltd- brilliant!!! Cheers, Gary

Excellent, cheaper than expected!

Not helping!

Get the 35mm Ltd Macro, we got 2!

Wouldn't sell the Tammy if it were me. The MFD on the new lens is about a foot - so not in FA43 territory but nor would it make up for the loss of a macro lens.

Is there any indication that this lens 'cuts it'????

Regards
Chris:

The DAL35? A thread on the Other Forum had a few sample shots from Photokina - looked sharp and the bokeh was very nice. If I find the thread within the editing time limit I'll add it here!

EDIT: http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/115913-any-sample-pics-new-pentax-35mm-prime.html

Hope the samples are useful to those trying to decide - they have only made me veer towards the DA35... erm I mean the 'fast-ish standard prime'... THE SHINY METAL ONE

Allow me to explain - I don't have any issue with the technical quality of the sample shots. In fact they are all great. My problem is that I'm perfectly happy with the subject isolation/bokeh of the third photo (the portrait of the younger bloke)... and that was taken at f4. So in other words it isn't a shot that I (had I the same amount of talent as the person who took the sample shots, which is unlikely ) could not have taken with the Macro.

PS: Realise this is a double post. Promise to post some shots with whatever lens I get in exchange for the mods cancelling the tar-and-feathering!

They do look nice. On a K-7!!! ISO400. My steely will not to LBA again this year may well crumble in the face of this reasonable onslaught.

Please can somebody pass on e to photozone.de and lend them a GX20 to test on.

Now I want a 28mm f2.8 and a 15mm f3.5. Same price.

Where were the 18-135mm examples.

For me, should this new lens be evaluated solely on it's price?
After all, it wasn't that long ago that you could buy an FA50 1.4 for the same price as the new 35, were people questioning the quality of that lens at it's price point, it is now of course twice that price.
Just strange Pentax pricing policy I guess.

Images look pleasing to my eye though
Regards
Chris

I need wider. As per Mowog's thread. The older lenses are great but leave you taking a step back, or paying through the nose.

Its a good start and will sell well at this price. All the people who come here saying what lens should I upgrade to can now include this as a reasonable upgrade to a kit lens. Its a "I'll give it a try" price.

I'll wait for the reviews but looking at the samples I'm optimistic. Most of all about the Pentax balance between performance and pricing. I can't afford LTD or * lenses and end up buying Sigma/Tamron/Voigtlander rather than new Pentax lenses.

At this price Pentax might see some profits in the coffers as a fair chunk of users buy one of these either with the kit lens or pretty soon after.

I hope this creates a positive link between new lenses offering what the user wants and then buys, rather than eking out dodgy performance from some old SMC-K 28mm, great for ebay but naff all use to Pentax turnover, profits and healthy future.

The point is not so much whether this lens is worth the money - it certainly seems to be. There are really two pressing questions in price terms:

1. Why is this lens about the same price as the Nikon 35mm f1.8, despite the latter having a silent motor, quick shift, and an extra stop of speed/bokeh?

2. For those who could buy the DA35, should they buy that lens or the 35mm f2.4?

3. Why is this 'only' f2.4 when Pentax had a 35mm f2 lens until about 9 months ago? Why couldn't they just put digital coatings on the FA35?

OK so that's three things, but I think I've summarised the questions which have been raised.

Still, if the DA35 Macro did not exist I would be jumping all over this lens - I suspect a million eBay CZJ Flektogon sellers just cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced, if you can forgive a popculture reference

Well, mine's on order. As it's supposed to be a birthday present I won't be getting my hands on it until late November, but I thought it might be an idea to order now so as to avoid them going out of stock.

Looking forward to your review and example shots. (please)