The Best Value Pentax Lens?

Here are some images I took yesterday with the K Series 35mm f3.5. I think they nicely demonstrate the capabilities of this lens (although they were handheld and I could get them a bit sharper). I might make them into a triptych when I work out how.

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The lens cost me £30 odd. One recently went on here for £75, which is probably a fair market value.

I find this lens absolutely excels in many ways, sharpness, colour reproduction, lack of CA.

My question: Is the K35mmf3.5 the best value Pentax lens in the catalogue?

That lens (K35mmf3.5) came out very poorly in this test:

http://erphotoreview.com/wordpress/?p=729

The latest 35mm f/2.4 is much better

yep, but that is just one test.....quite opposite seems to be reviews of owners of this lens or Yoshihiko Takinami's findings. There must be some reason why this lens is rarely seen to be for sale. Perhaps nobody wants to let it go?

Interesting. I've got an SMC Takumar 35/3.5 which, I believe, is optically identical.

I didn't get on well with it (difficult to focus accurately), but it looks like it might be worth persevering with.

I would say that you were very lucky 1.) to find this lens for sale and 2.)to get it for 30£

Incredibly lucky to get it that cheap! They didn't have a K 50mm f1.4 for about the same money did they?

I'd say the best value current lens is the 35mm f2.4, the image quality isn't far off the Ltds in the right hands.

Best value classic lens? Probably one of the M 50mm variants. Even the f2 is still a pretty impressive performer despite being the cheap kit lens of its day.

I bought a mint 28mm f3.5 M series for £28 recently, with original hard case and genuine Pentax Skylight filter. Not sure if this represents the same sort of bargain as your K series 35mm, but from tests I've done so far this also seems to be a very sharp and contrasty lens.

Regards
David

Agree with Matt the biggest bargain at the minute has to be the 35mm 2.4 stunningly sharp lens...

I really like these three tractor details, Dr. O.

Definitely agree... it's a little faster than the DA35 macro with smoother bokeh too.

Interesting. I can't make head nor tail of those reviews which are all numbers, statistics and graphs. Me I'm a simpleton and I just look at the piccies.

I was really thinking of what is the best value for money lens at market value, rather than a particular bargain found. So I would compare my K35 at £75 (the recent price here) versus a M501.7 at £30. I have some 50f1.7's and an f2,but have I've not used a f1.4 or 1.2. My 35 blows the 50 1.7 away and so I think is better value.

The comparison with the DAL35mm f2.4 is interesting, since the second hand prices are probably comparable. I haven't seen that many pictures with that lens, but of those I have seen I would say that it excels for portraiture.

What got me thinking about this lens was Frogfish's poll on favourite/most used lenses. The K35 didn't even feature in any of the categories, which I found surprising since I consider it both stunningly good and pretty cheap, a well kept secret perhaps. If I were forced to keep only one lens from my collection it would probably be the K35.

The problem with the old manual 'M' lenses is that they don't meter
correctly on the digital cameras and you can't operate the aperture
from the camera. Can be slightly improved by chopping off the
aperture lever and using it like a pre-set

The 'A' series are slightly better for metering and
seeing the aperture in the viewfinder.

Hardly any of these lenses have any character, your better off with
a 55mm f/1.4 Tomioka for around £60 or if you can afford it the f/1.2
for £500 link

The best value has to be the 18-55mm Kit Lens which beats just about
all these old lenses and does AF as well

There's also a lot of very good Pentax M and A zooms available for
under £70 such as 35-70mm's and for slightly more the 35-105mm A zoom.

Are you having a competition with yourself to try and fit as many controversial statements into one post as possible?

Hi Adrian.

Lens aside,for a moment.

I really rate the images, just looking at them, I can smell the hot engine oil, an unbeatable fragrance.

Yea I know, I am a sad old git.

Take care.

Yes, I agree the tractor pix are just great. I'm with you Adrian when you say lens test reports can confuse. What's important to me is the result I get with the lens on my camera not what some magazine writer, probably with his or her own prejudices, writes.
David

A lot of those shots are flattered by being taken on full frame. You won't get shots looking like that on a Pentax (unless you get a Sigma 30mm f1.4)