Pentax HD FA 31mm F/1.8 Limited noir

Truly premium lens - etalon of Pentax limited lenses. Bokeh rendering + sharpness at low apertures gives photos special interesting look, that is unique.

Not a lens to be judged purely on benchmarks, it needs to be judged on the image you receive. Price wise, can be expensive but don't forget you are buying a lens aristocrat :-) I got mine 2nd hand and it equated to €675 which to me is a bargain for what it delivers.

Highly recommended Note: my sample was made in Japan

Here we have a very fine lens indeed. It is an ideal fast standard for DSLRs, but then so is the 35mm f2.4 and that is offered at a fraction of the price. The less expensive lens is also excellent, but not quite as good as this 31mm. Casual users may not appreciate the difference, but keen users will. Not in isolation, but when given the chance to compare there is a difference. There is also a difference between a plastic construction and the gorgeous aluminium finish that we have here. If we compare this 31mm with Leica prices, then we have tremendous value for money, but less so perhaps for those who are happy with a kit lens or one of the already very well made plastic lenses. For photographers who make large prints for exhibition then this 31mm will add a new level of pleasure in its rendering and subtle qualities.

My standard normal lens on the K20D. My standard wide-angle on the LX. Near to perfect image quality. However, when size and weight matter, I sometimes replace it with the A28/2.