Pentax FA 31mm Limited lens

SMC Pentax-FA 31mm f/1.8 AL Limited
Maker Pentax
Technical data
Type Prime
Focus drive Screwdrive
Focal length 31mm
Focal length (35mm equiv.) 46.5mm
Aperture (max/min) f/1.8 / f/22
Close focus distance 12 inches (30 cm)
Max. magnification 0.16x
Diaphragm blades 9
Construction 9 elements / 7 groups
Features
Application Normal lens (APS-C), Wide-angle lens (Full frame)
Physical
Max. length 2.7 inches (69 mm)
Diameter 2.6 inches (66 mm)
Weight 12.2 ounces (350 g)
Filter diameter 58mm
Accessories
Lens hood Built-in
Angle of view
Diagonal 70° (full frame), 50° (APS-C)
Retail info
MSRP 1,299.95 USD USD

The SMC Pentax-FA 31mm f/1.8 AL Limited is a full-frame moderate wide-angle lens for Pentax K-mount. On an APS-C camera, it gives a normal field of view. It lacks Quick Shift Focus, which is now found on most other Pentax lenses, and therefore does not allow manual focusing while in autofocus mode.

History

The eventual design of this lens was the second major attempt. An earlier design by Jun Hirakawa of a smaller 31mm f/2.4 lens was rejected by management for being too "slow" (i.e. too narrow a maximum aperture), and so the f/1.8 version came to be developed by Takayuki Ito and Masayuki Murata.[1]

Reception

Popular Photography said in its March 2002 issue that the Pentax 31mm Limited was one of the greatest prime lenses they had ever tested.[2] Photozone called it "an excellent lens",[3] and ePhotozone noted, "If we compare this 31mm with Leica prices, then we have tremendous value for money".[4] In a Pentax Lens Tournament held in 2014, the users of pentaxforums.com, one of the biggest Pentax-related online communities, voted the 31mm Limited to be the Greatest Normal Pentax lens[5] as well as the Second Greatest Pentax Lens of All Time after the FA 77mm Limited.[6]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.