Ricoh HD Pentax D FA 21mm F 2 4ED Limited DC WR Review | 54 Data compared

The HD Pentax-D FA 21mm f/2.4 ED Limited DC WR is a premium, weather-resistant ultra-wide-angle lens for Pentax full-frame DSLRs, featuring a high-quality aluminum build, fast DC motor autofocus, and a close 18cm minimum focusing distance. Optically, it delivers excellent edge-to-edge sharpness with minimal flare, earning a highly recommended rating for its performance. Key disadvantages include its high premium price and a fixed lens hood that limits filter options. The lens also lacks a physical aperture ring, restricting compatibility with older film bodies, though it remains a top choice for modern Pentax users.

The Pentax HD D FA 21mm F2.4 ED Limited DC WR is a compact, robustly built, and weather-sealed ultra-wide prime lens that offers exceptional image quality and very close focusing capabilities. While designed for modern full-frame K-mount cameras, it delivers sharp, wide-angle views with minimal distortion and features a specialized aluminum construction. However, the lens is expensive, retailing around $1,400, and lacks compatibility with older film cameras due to the absence of a mechanical aperture ring. It also features a focusing ring that rotates during autofocus, and it may not achieve maximum focus speed on older camera bodies like the K-1 Mark II.

The Pentax-D FA 21mm f/2.4 ED Limited DC WR is a retro-styled, ultra-wide prime lens that delivers beautiful image quality with distinct optical character, despite being limited by aging camera hardware. On the positive side, it features a durable, lightweight, and weather-sealed aluminum body weighing just 416 grams, which balances perfectly on full-frame bodies. Optically, the lens excels with minimal edge-to-edge distortion, very low chromatic aberration, and a built-in filter thread tucked neatly inside the integrated lens hood. When shooting wide open at f/2.4, it produces gorgeous background separation and a highly pleasing bokeh fall-off, while its silent autofocus motor makes it highly usable for video capture. However, the lens suffers from heavy vignetting in the corners when shot wide open, and daylight exposures often tend to overexpose slightly, requiring manual compensation. The biggest drawback is not the lens itself, but rather its poor pairing with Pentax's aging full-frame K-1 Mark II camera body, which struggles with autofocus accuracy in wider scenes, missing moving subjects like hockey players. Furthermore, at a steep price of $1,400, it represents a niche investment...

The Pentax 21mm f/2.4 Limited is a premium, vintage-inspired full-frame prime lens that offers exceptional image quality and a highly robust, all-metal build. It stands out from previous Limited lenses by incorporating weather-resistant sealing, and it includes a built-in petal hood alongside a solid metal, felt-lined lens cap. In terms of performance, the lens delivers stunning sharpness, extraordinary autofocus speed, and vibrant color rendition, especially when utilizing Ricoh's specialized "Katen" seasonal image profile. Furthermore, it demonstrates impressive optical control over ghosting, flaring, chromatic aberrations, and barrel distortion, while managing to produce smooth bokeh despite its wide 21mm focal length. However, the lens is not without its drawbacks, notably its steep retail price of $1,396.95 and an increased weight of 416g compared to older Limited primes. Optically, users will experience noticeable corner vignetting when shooting wide open at f/2.4, which requires stopping down to f/5.6 to resolve entirely. Additionally, when paired with full-frame camera bodies like the Pentax K-1 II, the lens forms a heavy 3.14-pound combination that is difficult to shoot one-handed. The autofocus system is also bottle-necked by the...

The HD Pentax-D FA 21mm F2.4 ED Limited DC WR is a premium, weather-resistant, ultra-wide-angle prime for full-frame K-mount cameras, praised for its robust aluminum construction, superb sharpness, and excellent contrast. It offers high-definition (HD) coatings, DC autofocus, and a 18 cm minimum focusing distance that allows for unique subject isolation. However, the lens is a high-cost investment that exhibits slight edge softness and vignetting at f/2.4. Furthermore, the autofocus ring rotates, the lens hood is fixed, and it lacks compatibility with older film cameras due to the modern KAF4 mount requirement.

The HD PENTAX-D FA 21mmF2.4ED Limited DC WR is evaluated by photographer Kazuyuki Okajima as a unique ultra-wide-angle lens that effectively replicates natural human vision by incorporating "peripheral vision" into a scene. A major benefit of this lens is its exceptional close-up capability, allowing users to shoot from just seven centimeters away to create lively, deep-field images of stationary subjects, insects, or animals. It delivers excellent optical performance with a uniform, high-resolution uniform expression across the frame, a smooth bokeh transition, and thin, natural outlines ideal for printing. Furthermore, it lacks distortion and edge image flow, while its sleek, aperture-ring-free barrel design offers a refined aesthetic. However, the reviewer notes a few drawbacks and specific learning curves associated with the lens. For photographers accustomed to standard or telephoto lenses, the 21mm focal length can easily create loose, overly wide-perspective images if the user does not actively and quietly approach the subject. Traditionalists may also view the physical omission of an aperture ring as a drawback, though it functions seamlessly within the camera's Program Auto or Hyper Program systems. Ultimately, while...

The Pentax HD D FA 21mm F2.4 ED Limited DC WR lens is an excellent, compact full-frame wide-angle prime featuring robust aluminum construction and weather resistance. It delivers a very wide perspective, making it ideal for landscape and architectural photography, with superb central sharpness and minimal focus breathing. Highly practical for slow, deliberate shooting, the lens includes a detailed printed distance scale and a premium Shippo-yaki enamel accent bead. Additionally, its 7.1-inch close-up focus distance facilitates stunning macro-style shots with soft, rounded background bokeh. However, its hefty £1,098.83 price tag positions it as a highly niche option, particularly given Pentax's declining full-frame market share. On the downside, the manual focus ring awkwardly rotates during autofocus, creating a minor nuisance when cradling the barrel. Optical flaws include visible barrel distortion at macro distances and a noticeable illumination drop at the corners when shooting in RAW mode. Finally, unlike older entries in the line, it lacks an on-lens physical aperture control ring, making it completely unusable on classic mechanical film cameras.