LENS, PENTAK FIXED, PDA 21mm,

I love this lens. The focal length is directly in the "sweet spot" for street photography, indoors, landscapes and even aerial photos. It focuses amazingly close for dramatic macro-like effects, and when you combine this with a small aperture you can get a very wide depth-of-field, as well. Overall, a very well-made "stealth" lens that is a versatile must-have!

Back in the '80's I owned a Pentax ME Super and I thereafter soon bought several "M" lenses to go with it (most notably the 28mm F2.8 and the 135mm F3.5). These lenses were given the "M" classification because of their Miniature size. I always loved the optical and mechanical performance of those little wonders. I have now finally found in the 21st Century an equivalent (actually they're even a bit better!) in the Pentax Limited Series. I am now the proud owner of three of that breed: the DA 21mm f3.2, the DA 35mm f2.8 Macro and the DA 70mm f2.4. I love the 21mm- it's perfect for street photography,landscapes, all around "snapshots" and, with it's close focusing, even near macro. It's small in size and light in weight which makes it a joy to carry and it is actually made of real metal! It focuses quite fast with AF and if needed it can be overridden to manual focus without pushing any buttons or moving any levers. While it is in the wide angle family, it is not an ultra wide, so there is little to no distortion to be found. I would highly reccomend this lens (and any member of the Pentax Limited Series, for that matter) to anyone who wishes to push the boundaries of their photographic experience and invest in some superior quality primes. You can see the difference!

Without getting into the optical qualities in detail, I can only say that I find the drawing and color properties pleasing. Focus is fast, and the build quality is excellent.

Combined with the Pentax K10D, this is my sketchpad -- the kit I carry when I don't carry much.

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