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Pentax SMC-FA* 24mm f/2 AL [IF] - Review / Lab Test Report |
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Lens Reviews -
Pentax
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Review by Klaus Schroiff, published June 2007
Special thanks to Oliver Kirchner for providing this lens!
Introduction
The Pentax SMC-FA* 24mm f/2 AL [IF] is another representative of the old
professional grade lens league. Typical for the FA* lenses designed during
the late film era Pentax used a silver finish to distinguish them from the
rest of the gang. The FA* 24mm f/2 was discontinued back in 2004 so you
will probably not be able to find it new in shops out there anymore. Naturally
it is a full format lens and when used on today's APS-C DSLR its field-of-view
is equivalent to about 36mm - a moderate wide-angle lens.
The build quality of the lens is very good with an outer shell made of metal.
The focus ring has a slightly higher friction and operates only reasonably
smooth and it is not damped. The FA* 24mm f/2 features a focus-clutch mechanism
so you change from AF to MF by pushing/pulling the focus ring - the implementation
on the tested sample feels a little sticky. As mentioned in the lens' name
it uses an internal focusing [IF] group so it does not change its
physical length regardless of the focus setting and the front element
does not rotate.
The FA* 24mm f/2 has no internal AF motor and relies on a slotted drive screw
operated by the camera so AF operations generate a moderate
degree of noise. The AF speed is very fast on the K10D.
| Specifications |
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| Equiv. focal length | 36 mm (full format equivalent) |
| Equiv. aperture | f/3 (full format equivalent, in terms of depth-of-field) |
| Optical construction | 11 elements in 9 groups |
| Number of aperture blades | 8 |
| min. focus distance | 0.3 m (max. magnification ratio 1:8) |
| Dimensions | 73 x 66 mm |
| Weight | 405 g |
| Filter size | 67 mm (non-rotating) |
| Hood | petal shaped, snap-on type (supplied) |
| Other features | AF/MF clutch |
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