Pentax DA 35mm f2.8 Ltd Macro lens

Bought one of these off Ebay a few weeks ago but not really had a chance to use it so decided to take it out this afternoon.

I thought the DA* zooms were good but the colours and detail from this thing just blew me away.

Its an absolute cracker of a lens, My most used at the moment. Before I bought it I was tossing up between the 35mm macro and the FA 31, I went for the 35mm and was immediately impressed, it has me wondering just how good the 31mm must be.

Clarky,
I see that you have got tons of lenses. Including macros.
Maybe you can tell me sth sensible to my unsensible questions?
link
Why is 35mm macro a cracker for you ?
:

A cracker for me as well.

You can use it as a walkabout lens (52.5mm in 35mm film terms) but it is also instantly a brilliant macro lens.

My Sigma 105 macro whilst brilliant as a macro lens is not used for anything else.

Nice lens for general purpose use, as Hyram says, equating to the classic 50mm standard lens on 35mm.

Its OK sharp at all distances and that and the the 1 to 1 macro capability makes it a good walkabout lens as Hyram says.

Expensive, though. I paid £279 for mine a few months ago and its gone up to £475 now. I'm less sure at that price.

I did exactly the same thinking, ended up with the 35 and don't really want the 31 any more. Which has saved me a few bob.

My reaction to the photos I took on my first outing with it made my jaw drop, and I hadn't actually used its macro capabilities once! Now I'm happy to travel with it as my only lens and love the fact that I'm not limited to how close I can go into my subjects. I would have liked it to be an f/2 lens rather than f/2.8 but then it would have been as big and heavy as the 31 so I guess I can live with that compromise.

Thirded as a cracker!

I paid £280 for mine too but comparing it to other current lens prices I reckon it is still good value at £475.

You all have different lenses to compare ! I have got only my two zooms and NOT a single prime.

I am planning a travel trip soon. And my fingers are itching for the 35 already
Just it is a great amount of money to go again...and I have to be totally sure about what I am buying.

A rather appropriate name for the pub in the picture. Asahi Optical Co., 'Asahi' = The Rising Sun

Wow, well spotted.

I wonder if horses have anything to do with pentax?

And yes, back on topic, the DA35 is a great lens (rendering, sharpness, colours, macro) and might be all one needs on a camera. But since I have plenty of other lenses I found I did not use it enough to justify keeping it. It was too "inbetweeny". It also requires you use autofocus, since the last microscopic twitch of the focus ring covers most of the range. I enjoy manual focus which this lens really only supports in the macro range.