Pentax HD D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR - Review 2022

Pentax faced a claiming when it released its long-awaited full-frame Thou-1—a dearth of mod lenses to go with the high-resolution camera. The Pentax Hard disk drive D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR ($one,099.95) doesn't skimp on build, matching the weather condition-sealed design of the 1000-ane, and information technology's much more affordable than alternatives for other systems. Its optical performance is in line with its price, though, with distortion and weak edge performance at wider apertures, so nosotros're not giving it peak marks. But it'due south a solid option for full-frame Pentax shooters, even if information technology doesn't perform as well every bit $ii,000 lenses for other systems.

Design

The 24-70mm is a squat, heavy lens. It measures 4.3 by iii.5 inches (Hard disk drive) at its shortest position, and extend when zoomed beyond 24mm. It'south a heavy lens at 1.7 pounds, only one that's solidly congenital. It'south sealed against dust and wet, just like the K-1. A lens hood is included, as is a soft conveying instance, and the front end chemical element supports the 82mm filter size.

Pentax HD D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR : Sample Image

The barrel is black polycarbonate, with few adornments. The zoom band is hard, textured safety, and turns smoothly and comfortably. There's a lock switch to keep it set at the 24mm position. The zoom ring is marked at the 24, 35, fifty, and 70mm positions.

An internal motor drives autofocus. The lens supports quick shift adjustments, and then you lot can adjust focus using the narrow manual ring at whatsoever signal, without having to arrange camera settings.

The lens tin can focus as close as 15 inches (38cm). It's a fine working altitude for general snaps and portraiture, only isn't quite macro territory. The maximum magnification at the closest focus distance and 70mm position is 1:v, which means that subjects are projected into the image sensor at one-fifth actual size. For a zoom lens, one:3 is typically considered macro territory.

The lens omits optical stabilization, but that's non surprising. Pentax builds stabilization into its camera bodies, not its lenses. You lot'll do good from the sensor-based stabilization system with the K-1 and every current APS-C body as well.

Prototype Quality

I tested the 24-70mm with the 36MP K-1 and Imatest software. At 24mm f/2.8 the lens scores 2,284 lines per motion-picture show acme on a center-weighted sharpness test. It's amend than the 2,250-line boilerplate we want to see at a minimum from a 36MP sensor, but just barely. The central expanse of the frame puts up iii,000 lines, which is in very proficient territory, merely it gives style to acceptable levels every bit yous motion away from heart (2,338 lines), and the outer edges of our test shot are noticeably blurred (941 lines).

To better edge performance, and overall resolution, you need to narrow the working aperture. At f/four the lens scores two,556 lines, with resolution that touches 3,000 lines through most of the frame. Edges are even so soft, at ane,386 lines. To get better results for mural shots where edge sharpness is important you lot'll want to shoot at f/5.half-dozen—the lens shows 2,858 lines on average and about 2,500 lines at the periphery—or at f/8, where you get 2,925 lines on average with fifty-fifty functioning throughout the frame.

Resolution remains strong at f/11 (ii,896 lines), but diffraction cuts into resolution at f/16 (ii,687 lines) and at the minimum f/22 setting (2,292 lines).

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Image quality is in the very good range at 35mm f/2.8, where the boilerplate score is 2,516 lines and that level of quality shows through most of the frame. The edges are noticeably soft, 1,759 lines, which can be an issue for landscape shots, but will be hidden by shallow depth of field in many other instances.

At f/4 the resolution improves to ii,697 lines and edges are crisp, 2,247 lines. We come across similar results at f/5.vi (2,711 lines), f/8 (two,660 lines), f/eleven (2,612 lines), and f/16 (ii,642 lines). In that location'due south some loss of resolution due to diffraction at f/22, simply the lens however manages ii,357 lines.

In that location's a drib in resolution at 50mm f/two.8. The lens shows 2,125 lines on average. The center of the frame tops 2,500 lines, dropping to an average of about ii,220 lines as you movement toward the edges. The periphery is noticeably blurred; ane,189 lines. Depth of field is going to hide this for many images, of form.

There's a small bump in edge clarity at f/4 (1,469 lines), with an overall improvement to 2,575 lines on average. But for crisp results across the frame, y'all'll want to shoot at f/5.6; the average score is 2,710 lines and the periphery shows a decent 1,969 lines. Things are ameliorate at f/viii, with the average score hitting 2,843 lines and the edges showing a strong 2,357 lines. Resolution remains good at f/xi (ii,778 lines) and f/xvi (2,646 lines) before taking a footstep backward at f/22 (2,393 lines).

At 70mm f/2.8 the lens delivers results similar to its 50mm f/2.8 output. It manages two,153 lines on boilerplate, with soft edges (1,335 lines). Stopping downwardly to f/4 improves the overall resolution to 2,726 lines, with edges that are acceptably crisp (2,203 lines). At f/5.6 the average score jumps to two,988 lines, and you get even performance beyond the frame at f/eight, where the average is three,054 lines. Resolution is still potent at f/eleven (2,927 lines) and f/16 (2,732 lines), before taking a slight footstep back at f/22 (2,464 lines).

Imatest also checks photos for distortion. The lens shows a strong amount of butt baloney, four.4 percent at 24mm, only relatively petty (0.viii percent) at 35mm. We meet some modest pincushion distortion at 50mm (0.4 percent), and just enough that you lot'll observe if it if you're looking for information technology at 70mm (1.ane percent). If you shoot JPGs yous can tell the K-i to remove baloney automatically. Merely Raw shooters volition demand to utilize correction manually. If Lightroom is used to convert images you lot tin apply a lens contour for ane-click adjustments.

The lens casts a noticeable vignette around the edges when shot at wider apertures, resulting in dimmed corners. At 24mm we run across dimness throughout the f-stop range, starting at -3.7EV at f/2.8 and dwindling to well-nigh -2EV at f/v.6 and smaller settings. At 35mm it's overt at f/two.8 (-ii.8EV), f/4 (-1.9EV), and f/v.half-dozen (-ane.4EV), before dropping to to a reasonable -1EV at smaller f-stops.

The story is similar at 50mm f/2.viii (-ii.5EV), but we cutting the deficit to -1EV by f/5.6. At 70mm f/2.viii the arrears is -ii.7EV; it drops to -1.7EV at f/4 and is less than -1EV at narrower settings. Over again, K-ane owners who shoot in JPG tin right for dimmed corners automatically, with iv different levels of correction available in camera. Raw photographers will have to brand adjustments manually or via a lens contour if they notice the effect distracting, though it's not e'er detrimental to an image. Some may prefer a flake of a natural vignette, especially for portraiture.

Conclusions

Because Pentax was exclusively APS-C for so long, total-frame owners don't take a ton of lenses from which to choose. The Pentax Hd D FA 24-70mm F2.eight ED SDM WR is one of a pair of standard zooms available for the system—the other is a less expensive 28-105mm F3.five-5.half dozen design. Going with the shorter 24-70mm nets wider broad-angle coverage, a brighter aperture throughout the zoom range, and image quality that'due south quite good. It's not without its flaws—it doesn't perform as well as 24-70mm designs that sell for more than $two,000, and it shows some baloney and vignetting. But Pentax owners who want a modern, f/2.eight standard zoom will certainly exist happy with its price, and for shots where edge-to-edge clarity is paramount it's simply a matter of narrowing the aperture a fleck. If y'all don't need an f/2.eight, however, don't count out the 28-105mm—it's less than half the toll and is also a very good performer.