After 35 and 50mm focal lengths, short telephotos are amongst my favourite lenses. Their versatility goes far beyond portraiture to become the third in a trinity of lenses that I covet. For decades I have kept one or two lenses of this criteria in my bag starting with 100 and 135mm Zuiko’s. As I moved into the digital world I added further short tele’s to my collection. Prior to getting into Pentax gear I purchased a Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75 f2 ASPH. And it is the disillusion that came with this lens that caused me to discover what has turned out to be one of my favourite short telephoto lenses of all time - Pentax’s D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW.
My belief in Leica was tainted considerably thanks to the unreliability of the APO-Summicron-SL 75 f2. It was intended to be one of my ‘flagship’ purchases, and came with a significant cost. Within months of ownership, it developed problems that resulted in its return to Leica’s repair centre in Germany. Several weeks later I received it back only for it to develop different problems shortly after. Again it went back in Germany for repair but was gone almost five months this time. Leica fixed it, but also blessed it with a small dint on the front of the barrel which was not there prior to repair. These problems along with several issues I have experienced with other Leica products over the years lead me to believe that Quality Control at their manufacturing plant was far from good. These experiences galvanised me in to spinning up a second system and, with a heavy heart, I sold the 75mm Summicron to begin financing it. So it was that I found myself longing for a short telephoto for my new Pentax system.
While researching my recently acquired HD Pentax-DFA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW (to give it its full title), I had noticed that a 85mm lens was also available which could be considered its sibling. Appearing after a long delay due to technical problems, a small batch (600 units) was produced in my preferred silver finish. So I began my research to see if this would fulfil my needs, which concluded with owning one.
Design and Handling
The HD Pentax-D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW Lens is the fastest short telephoto lens I have owned, all others having a f2.0 or f2.8 maximum aperture. I would have been happy with another f2.0 lens but it was the 85’s fast aperture that really piqued my interest as it provided me with a new learning opportunity regarding extremely shallow depth of field at a short telephoto perspective.
The specification of such a lens comes with some downsides, the most significant of these being weight and size. There is no escaping the physics a lens like this requires, especially if the design calls for little or no compromise. As this was a brand new design, the challenges the designers faced were many as can be evidenced here. But what came to market was an optic that was truly special.
Speed aside, the HD Pentax-D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW Lens is, without doubt, the largest and heaviest short telephoto lens I have used or owned. It crams twelve large glass elements into the barrel, including three Super ED and one Aspherical element. The large maximum aperture results in a filter size of 82mm so there is little wonder that it weighs in at more than 1350 grams. With a length of approximately 123mm (sans hood) there is plenty to grab hold of which, on the one hand, can be perceived as bulky. On the other, it can be easily handled with gloved hands.
The barrel is devoid of controls except for a switch allowing focus to be changed quickly from auto to manual focus. This and a distance scale window are all that detract from a very clean and efficient looking design. The rubberised manual focus ring is large and very well damped but there are no hard stops to indicate the end of the helicoid travel, giving away its ‘fly by wire’ design. For some users this can be off-putting, especially if coming from more traditional manual focus optics. As I have been using a mix of older style lenses along with more recent designs, I have become used to this therefore it bothers me not.
I have read that the external barrel is manufactured from a metal alloy similar to the HD Pentax-DFA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW. However I remain unconvinced of this as it feels more like a high grade polycarbonate composite. The sound when tapping it also alludes to this as do almost invisible seams running the length or the barrel, suggesting a moulded origin. I am not sure if this is visible on the standard black version or indeed if the limited nature of the silver edition was subject to a different manufacturing process. Whatever the materials used, it feels robust and build for professional use.
The lens hood is a rather large cylindrical affair than adds a couple of centimetres to the overall size. I do not use filters to protect the large end element, making a hood is mandatory for me. This one certainly protects the exposed glass surface from bumps and helps to make the lens very flare resistant. There are two nice touches to the hood; 1) its external facing edge has a rubberised finish, protecting it from getting damaged, and 2) a small removable cut-out window allows a polarising filter to be rotated when attached. What I do not like about DFA* Pentax hoods in general is the bold branding stamped onto the external surface…I would rather the name ‘Pentax’ was embossed into the hood similar to the Limited range of lens caps. In my opinion this would give the lens a far more premium feel and reflect the high cost of the product.
One of the more unusual design aspects is the use of a concave instead of convex front element. A convex design helps to reduce some aberrations, notably chromatic, but it seems a rare aspect of lens design. The only other lens I have owned similar to this is an Olympus 50mm f2 macro lens for the Four Thirds System. This was also a short telephoto lens so maybe it is a choice made when designing some short telephoto lenses that use a complex design. Whatever the reason, this element is enormous requiring the use of 82mm filters. It also uses Pentax’s ‘Super Protect’ coating which helps repel dirt. Thankfully the coating is also pretty tough so it can be cleaned without too much fear of marking the element.
Typical of all DFA* lenses, the 85mm is environmentally sealed to minimise dust and moisture ingress. It is not IP rated but the many environmental seals used in its construction allow continued use in harsh conditions. As Pentax DSLR’s are also environmentally sealed, the entire rig will stand up to some pretty dire situations.
In Use
Many photographers see an 85mm lens as primarily one that is used for portraiture. It is true that this focal length delivers flattering results, but there is much more to its capabilities. This is a large lens so I can see why it may be chosen for use in a studio environment - after all, it adds considerable weight to either a K3 mkiii or K1 mkii body. I used it for several days in a row last year as my only telephoto solution while in Greece with my K3 mkiii body. The field of view was similar to the classic 135mm lens, and one I enjoyed a lot many years ago. Sadly it is a focal length that has fallen out of favour with many brands, so having a ‘pseudo’ version that I can readily use is a bonus. However, this lens is really designed with the larger sensor K1 series bodies in mind allowing it to be used as a true 85mm optic. As a K1 is slightly larger that a K3 body, I find the lens more comfortable to use on the former. A fast aperture 85mm focal length suits the way I often ‘see’ images in my mind. But there is no getting away from the fact that a full day’s shooting tells on my ageing neck and shoulders. Of course a slower lens would come with size and weight reductions but also preclude me from the shallow depth of field that comes with a f1.4 aperture.
The D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW lens does not have its own image stabilisation system built in, taking advantage of technology within the camera body to mitigate shake. Personal experience tells me that it works very well as I have often taken very usable hand held shots at speeds as low as 1/10th second. I do not like carrying tripods around anymore so having a proven in-body solution is a fantastic alternative to toting a 3 legged monster on all but the most demanding shoots.
There is a little vignetting when used wide open and a small amount of Lateral Chromatic Aberration is present in high contrast areas. Similarly, purple fringing can be found at wide apertures but quickly vanishes by f2.8. Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration is present mostly in the green part of the colour spectrum, but is very low and, as I am not particularly sensitive to this, I do not find it a problem.
It is very apparent that this lens is designed to be used wide open as it delivers premium performance at f1.4, reminding me a lot of my Leica 50mm Summilux lens. The whole image, from centre to corner is excellent. If I look at a pixel level, corners are a tiny bit softer compared to the rest of the image. In reality it does not have any impact and goes unnoticed. Use the lens between f2.8 and f8, and the results are bitingly sharp. Aberrations are virtually non-existent. Across all apertures it delivers a colour palette that is typical of Pentax…that is to say vibrant and realistic without being too saturated. Contrast is also well balanced and life-like.
Pentax DSLR’s are often criticised for their autofocus speed and general performance, and it is true that they lag behind much of the mirrorless generation. The online negativity around this comes from a lot of regurgitated nonsense from naysayers who have not used a Pentax DSLR. The K3 mkiii is fast and accurate enough for most applications and the mkii version of the K1 is not too far behind it. I agree that both cameras hunt a little in some circumstances but this does not make them ‘bad’ or unusable. What is very important when using fast lenses in the Pentax system is that the autofocus is finely calibrated for each lens. This can make the difference between a perfectly focussed image that demonstrates 3D qualities and one that lacks overall sharpness. My K3 mkiii requires more adjustment than my K1 mkii but without this, neither camera will deliver a perfectly sharp result. Yep, it’s a bit of a fiddle carrying out the task but the difference cannot be underestimated. A fine lens such as this D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW will never shine if the camera is not calibrated accurately.
Do I find that this Pentax 85mm makes a suitable replacement for my Leica APO 75mm lens? If truth be told I believe it does. The D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW is larger and heavier and exhibits a small amount of CA wide open, whereas the Leica is close to flawless. But on a cost to performance ratio, the Pentax was always going to win. It gives me a faster aperture at around 30% of the cost of the Leica. Then there is the reliability factor; to have to return a premium Leica lens twice is as many years to have faults fixed is very poor in my opinion. Any brand will have duds but Leica’s claim to quality and attention to detail, backed by a signed quality certificate (issued with a new product and following a repair) does not exactly feel credible.
A lens of this focal length and aperture has a learning curve that I am in the process of fully understanding. It is very easy to get carried away and shoot everything at f1.4. Indeed the lens has been design to exploit this property, but this practice does not suit every subject or condition. If I see a picture in my mind that I wish to create using the lens’ maximum aperture, I compose and shoot it. But I shoot a second (sometimes third) picture also, using my judgement for additional depth of field. After all, a portrait with just an eye in perfect focus may not be the desired result, so selecting an f2 or 2.4 aperture may be beneficial. Stopped down a little still delivers gorgeous bokeh.
To sum up
The Pentax D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW is an absolute pleasure to use. Wide open results can be quite magical and exhibit some of the illusive ‘pixie dust’ found in several of Pentax’s other prime lenses. As yet I cannot really fault it and salute the designers bringing it to market in the declining years of DSLR sales.
With the short telephoto and standard focal lengths addressed by the D FA* 85mm and 50mm F1.4ED SDM AW lenses, it would be truly grand if a HD Pentax-DFA* 35mm F1.4 SDM AW was released. I remain optimistic this may happen in 2025 or 2026.
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