There aren’t many line-ups of lenses that are loved as much as Pentax’s Limited series and K-mount photographers hold the prime optics in high esteem thanks to their lightweight dimensions and excellent image quality. Well, now Pentax DLSR users have no less than three new options to choose from as the brand announced the arrival of a trio of new Limited lenses; the HD PENTAX-FA 31mm F1.8 Limited, HD PENTAX-FA 43mm F1.9 Limited and HD PENTAX-FA 77mm F1.8 Limited.
Of course, Pentax photographers may be tempted to add all three to their kit bag when they start shipping in April as each optic is designed to excel at different jobs and all feature Pentax’s HD coating technology to HD coating to minimise light reflections and ghosting. All of the lenses are available in black and silver and feature a classic retro-chic analogue-style design with a mechanical aperture selection directly on the lens with the matching depth-of-field scale above the aperture ring.
So let’s start with the widest of the new arrivals and the 31mm F1.8 Limited, which tips the scales at just 341g and features a minimum focusing distance of just 30cm. The versatile focal length lends itself to everything from architecture and landscape photography to reportage and travel image-making. Pentax says the 31mm; ‘offers sharp imaging performance with natural perspective and high contrast.’
Many often question why the Limited range features apparently random focal lengths and Pentax explains this in the detail about the second lens to be announced, the 43mm F1.9 Limited; ‘In purely mathematical terms, the standard lens of the series with its focal length of 43 mm corresponds exactly to the diagonal of the image sensor of a 35 mm full-frame camera, and thus to the natural angle of vision of the human eye.’ Weighing only 155g and a genuine alternative for a standard 50mm optics, the 43mm will prove useful for street and wedding photography and the f/1.9 maximum aperture will help keep shutter speeds fast in low light conditions.
The final lens Limited lens to be announced is the 77mm F1.8 Limited, which will certainly be of interest with portrait photographers. Pentax says of the optic, which tips the scales at just 270g and features a built-in lens hood; ‘Thanks to the optimal correction of chromatic aberrations, it is able to precisely reproduce even the finest details, such as hair.’ What’s more, when paired with an APS-C sensor DSLR such as the Pentax KP, the focal length switches up to 115mm.
