HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR Review

HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR  Handling and Features

Clearly heavier and more substantial in build than the 28-105mm, this lens shows the same level of care in its finish and the smoothness of its controls. The wide zoom ring is smooth and positive in action. There is a locking catch that can be operated at 24mm, to prevent the lens extending under its own weight when being carried. Closer to the camera body is the manual focus ring, which is as smooth as the zoom action. It is ideally placed to make adjustment convenient and can be operated after AF has locked to make final tweaks to the focus point. This Quick Shift feature can be very useful, especially at closer distances. The distance scale is under a clear plastic window and gives distances in both feet and metres.

A clip on lens cap is provided and also an effective bayonet fit petal lens hood. Even with modern lens coatings, it is a good idea to always use a lens hood. It reduces flare and increases image contrast. The lens has the latest HD (High Definition) multi-coating, plus an SP (Super-Protect) coating on the front element to repel water, grease and dirt.

AF is achieved with the latest version of the in-lens SDM (Supersonic Direct Motor) system, which is fast and silent. There seems to be no tendency to hunt and the system locks on every time.

Each section within this WR (Weather Resistant) lens is sealed to prevent the ingress of water and dust, so we can continue to shoot in rain and mist, or anywhere where water splashes are likely.

Optical construction is 17 elements in 12 groups. There are three Aspherical elements, three ED (Extra Low Dispersion) and one Anomalous Dispersion glass element. The diaphragm has nine blades, which helps to improve bokeh, the smoothness of the out of focus areas. This is a constant aperture zoom, with a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, so it is ideal for lower light levels and for calculating flash levels manually.

Closest focusing distance is a useful 0.38m, a magnification of 0.20x. There is an 82mm filter thread. Finally, the lens weighs 787g, or 812g with the lens hood.

24-70mm on 35mm-format equates to 37-107mm on APS-C, and this lens can, of course, be used on all the previous crop sensor Pentax DSLRs. For older cameras, the AF system needs a K10D (with firmware 1.3) or later, otherwise it will be manual focus only. This means that all Pentax bodies from the last few years will be fully compatible.

Pentax lenses are always very simple in use, there generally being no special switches or mechanisms that have to be considered. This lens is no exception and is basically hassle-free. It focuses snappily, zooming and focusing actions are smooth and even and the lens hood clips cleanly into place without having to fiddle with it. Balance on the K-1 is excellent and the combination is easily manageable despite the weight of the combination of lens and body. For Pentax users used to APS-C sized lenses, this new lens may seem large and heavy, but it works well as a unit.

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