Pentax SMC-M 35mm f2.8: under a Sofia rain, and beyond

One of the sharpest manual lenses ever came into my hands. Very small, typically for a Pentax gem, in production somewhere from late 1970s to 1984. Such a convenient focus length: on a 1.5 crop equals 50mm focus length, that is, a normal one. Very long focus throw – which is definitely something I prefer – min focus distance from the subject is around 30 cm., great for objects and street walk around. Bokeh is fluid, in spite of the 5 aperture blades. In 2016 on a trip to Israel I found that this is the lens I most used among the whole bag of glass I’d taken with me. Simply wonderful.

The only cons I can think of, might be the aperture: I’d always have more light, yet this one is very normal with the 35mm focus length. Photos taken wide open (f2.8), ISO 400, on a Pentax K20D.

Read a full review here.