» smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mm F4 AL[IF] SDM lens
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Pentax has launched a consumer-level standard zoom lens for its range of digital SLRs: the slightly unwieldily named smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mmF4AL[IF] SDM. The lens offers the useful equivalent zoom range of 26-107mm combined with a maximum aperture of F4.0 and Pentax' SDM system which uses a supersonic motor for focusing. The latter is only compatible with Pentax' latest DSLR offerings - the K20D, K200D, K100D Super and K10D. On all other bodies focus mode will default to manual focus. Read the whole article here
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» Pentax 200mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM SMC DA* lens test
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Announced at PMA2007 and released near the end of that year, the 200mm f/2.8 DA* is the third version of this telephoto prime released by Pentax since 1984. The DA* incorporates the latest technology available from Pentax, most notably the SDM (''Supersonic Drive Motor'') autofocus system, bringing it on par with other major manufacturers.
The 200mm f/2.8 DA* is a designed-for-digital lens, offering a 300mm equivalent field-of-view when mounted on a Pentax digital SLR camera. You may see some hard vignetting if you try to mount it on a K-mount film SLR. It also doesn't have an aperture ring, common for newer lenses, so your film body would have to be able to set lens apertures to work correctly.
The 200mm f/2.8 DA* is available for around $1,000. The lens comes with an enormous circular-style lens hood, and takes 77mm filters. Read the whole review here.
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» Pentax 75-300mm f/4.5-5.8 AL SMC P-FA J
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The Pentax 75-300mm f/4.5-5.8 FA-J was released following the then-new *ist film SLR, in February of 2003. The lens is still widely available, in either an all-black finish or a silver/black color scheme.
The lens is designed to fit the a standard 35mm image circle, so it should work fine on a film body; however, being a FA-J series lens, there is no aperture ring, so your film body will have to be able to set the aperture on the lens. The lens is a variable aperture lens, in that as you increase the focal length, both the minimum and maximum aperture sizes increase. Read the whole test here. You can buy the lens here
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» Pentax 18-35mm f/4-5.6 AL SMC P-FA J lens review
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 The 18-35mm f/4-5.6 wide angle zoom lens was initially a kit lens option for the *ist series of dSLR cameras. The lens has now been discontinued, replaced in the lineup by the APS-C sized 16-45mm f/4 ED.
The lens name bears a long list of standards. SMC stands for Pentax's proprietary ''super multi-coating''; AL represents the lens' use of aspherical lens elements; FA explains the lens is autofocus-enabled, with a digital chip in the lens; and the J designation explains the lens is part of Pentax's budget series of lenses, with a plastic lens mount and no aperture ring. Read the whole review here
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» Pentax 40mm f/2.8 Limited SMC P-DA lens review
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 The 40mm f/2.8 SMC P-DA limited edition is a fixed-focal length ''pancake'' lens, one of the smallest lenses to bear that moniker, and probably the smallest that Pentax produces. A pancake lens is typically constructed with the fewest number of lens elements possible, and in this case the 40mm is no exception, with just 5 lens elements in four groups. Read the whole review here
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» Pentax 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 ED IF SMC P-DA Fish-Eye lens review
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If you've ever had the problem of not being able to get everything into the frame, an ultra-wide angle lens may be the solution. The Pentax 10-17mm ƒ/3.5-4.5 IF SMC P-DA Fisheye is one such lens, offering up to 180 degrees of coverage when set to 10mm. The lens has an effective focal length of 15-27mm when mounted on a Pentax digital body. As a designed-for -digital lens, it will mount on older Pentax film bodies, but there's no aperture ring so it won't work properly if the camera can't set the aperture. Further, the glass elements are designed for the smaller APS-C sensor, so vignetting will occur at the wider focal lengths. But if you're fine with these caveats be prepared for some really wild barrel distortion, as the lens produces results which don't attempt to correct for distortion - the ''fish-eye'' effect. Read the whole review here.
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» Pentax 43mm f/1.9 Limited SMC P-FA lens test
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 The Pentax limited edition lenses show off a polish and refinement you don't see in average lenses. From the first moment you mount the 43mm f/1.9 you can tell it's been manufactured with an eye to detail.
With a 35mm image circle, the 43mm is fully backward-compatible with all Pentax K-mount film bodies. On a subframe sensor body, the lens will give an effective field of view of around 65mm, a very unusual focal length. It's quite light for its construction, and makes a very compact camera package when mounted to a Pentax body. It takes 49mm filters, and is available now for around $470. Read the whole test here
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» Pentax 100mm f/2.8 Macro SMC P-FA
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The 100mm f/2.8 SMC P-FA has been discontinued and replaced by the P-D FA model, but that doesn't mean it's not still widely available. A full-frame lens design built with several features that make macro shooting a real pleasure, the lens will give an effective field of view of 150mm when mounted on Pentax digital (APS-C) SLR cameras.
The lens comes with a lens cap, but no hood, given that the design makes is so that the lens doesn't need one. While it has been discontinued, its street value is around $450. Read the whole test here
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» Pentax 21mm f/3.2 Limited SMC P-DA lens test
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 There isn't an official definition for a ''pancake'' lens, but it's certainly appropriate to class the 21mm ƒ/3.2 AL as one. At only 190 grams (4.9 oz) and one inch long, the lens/body combination becomes very small and portable.
The 21mm f/3.2 AL is a designed-for-digital lens: built with a smaller imaging circle design, it will vignette on a Pentax film body. It replicates a field of view of just over 31mm on a digital body. The lens comes equipped with an interesting lens hood, takes your choice of either 43mm or 49mm filters, and is available now for around $430. You can read the whole review here & you can buy the lens here
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» Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 SMC P-DA lens review
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The Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is the ''kit'' lens sold with the K10D and K100 (and previous ''*ist'') digital SLR cameras. It is designed to fit a camera with an APS-C (''subframe'') sensor, so while it will mount on Pentax film bodies, it will show obvious vignetting to some degree.
Small and light, the 18-55mm represents a field of view of approximately 28-80mm in 35mm terms. To economize and create a more efficient design, the lens is equipped with a variable aperture; as the zoom extends the focal length, both the smallest and the largest aperture changes. Read the whole review here & you can buy the lens here
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» Pentax announces 55mm, 17-70mm, 60-250mm Lenses
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Pentax will exhibit three DSLR lenses currently under development at this week’s PMA show. The smc PENTAX-DA 55mm F1.4 SDM is a moderate-telephoto lens offering a focal length equivalent to 84.5mm. The smc PENTAX-DA 60-250mm F4 ED [IF] SDM is a telephoto zoom lens covering moderate- to super-telephoto ranges (92-383mm). Finally, the smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mm F4 [IF] SDM is a moderate-telephoto zoom lens equivalent to 26-107mm. Two of the lenses are slated for a Summer 2008 release. Read the whole article here
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» Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 AF lens test
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This high-speed, normal prime ($199, street) has been around for a decade. Why test it now? No other lens in the current Pentax catalog can throw backgrounds into creamy defocus like this. Even better, on a Pentax K10D, K100D, or K100D Super DSLR, it scales up to a medium-tele 75mm, a fine choice for portraits. Better still? The low price. Read the test here
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» Pentax DA 40mm and 70mm Limited lens review, tested with Pentax K10D
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Pentax has a tradition of producing particularly small prime lenses, and its ‘Limited’ range of digital-only DA models are exceptional even by the company’s own standards. The DA 40mm f2.8 Limited lens, announced in December 2004, measures just 15mm thick, justifiably earning its nickname of a ‘pancake’ lens. Mount this on a Pentax DSLR and you’ll have a seriously small and light combination offering a near-standard equivalent focal length of 60mm.
The latest model in the Limited range is the DA 70mm f2.4, announced in September 2006. With an equivalent focal length of 105mm when mounted on a Pentax DSLR, the DA 70mm offers short telephoto capabilities that are ideal for portraiture and cropped landscape shots. While not quite as slim as the DA 40mm model, the DA 70mm is still extremely compact at a mere 26mm thick. It’s pictured here with its supplied lens hood attached. Read the whole article here
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» Pentax Releases Details on New Lenses
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Pentax has released details on the new line of high-end digital SLR lenses that the company announced at Photokina in September 2006. The smc Pentax-DA* series will debut in spring 2007 with a wide-angle zoom and a telephoto zoom. Both weatherproof lenses have Pentax KAF2 mounts and are designed to work exclusively with Pentax digital SLRs.
The smc Pentax-DA* 16mm-50mm F2.8 ED AL[IF]SDM has a 35mm-equivalent focal-length range of 24.5mm to 76.5mm and a 0.3-meter minimum focus distance. It incorporates two ED (extra-low dispersion) elements and three aspherical elements to reduce optical flaws. In addition, its front element has Pentax's SP coating to repel dust, water, and grease. Read the whole article here
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