Pentax Have Officially Announced Development Of The FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW Lens

After originally being shown to the world over a year ago, Pentax have now officially announced development of the new D FA* lens, the 85mm f/1.4

Posted: 24/03/2020 - 11:05

Pentax have officially announced the development of a new-generation high-performance star-series lens, the HD Pentax-D FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW.

Shown at CP+ in Japan in February of last year, the lens is set to be the second new-generation D-FA lens, following the 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW which received an Editor's Choice award in our review.

Pentax say the lens series has the following credentials:

Best possible image quality with uniform sharpness from the centre to the edges of the image.
Large aperture with particularly expressive images.
High build quality, durable materials for longevity and easy handling

"After the release of the PENTAX-D FA* 50mm, it quickly became one of the most popular lenses for use with the PENTAX 35mm system. Since then, many PENTAX photographers have requested additional lenses to extend the range of prime lenses. Based on this, it is with great pleasure that we announce the development of another high-performance lens in this series. With the HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW, we continue to pursue particularly high image quality without compromise.", comment Pentax.

Pentax say that the lens should be available from late 2020, and no pricing has been announced as yet.

Pentax-D FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens key features:

By incorporating three Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass optical elements, it effectively compensates chromatic aberrations and produces brilliant, high-contrast images even from open aperture.
Adopts one aspherical lens and achieves high delineation performance with good correction of spherical aberration, coma and field curvature.
High speed and smooth operation with newly developed SDM (Supersonic Direct-drive Motor) equipped with high torque ring-type ultrasonic motor.
Developing as an AW (All Weather model) this lens features a dependable dustproof, weather-resistant structure to prevent the intrusion of water and dust into the lens interior.

Looking for more Pentax kit? Check out our Pentax reviews.

Members photos with related tags: Pentax,85mm

Nigelk Nigelk

583 posts
12 years

Posted 25/03/2020 - 08:02 Link

I'm not sure how to describe this rate of development but, it's good to know that Pentax continue to crawl forward.
I'm certainly very happy with my DA*11-18mm and I see nothing but praise for the latest 50mm so I'm sure this lens will also be excellent.

GeoffSteyning GeoffSteyning

16 posts
9 years

Posted 05/04/2020 - 12:05 Link

I take it this is aimed at the professional portrait/formal photographer, using the K-1. Just the job for that. I don't know where in the market this will be aiming for..... the Canon equivalent (85mm f/1.4) is £1,369 at my local retailer. Not many amateurs can justify that expense.