The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro and the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Pentax D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 81mm. The Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L with a length of 47mm, is 34mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro also has a larger diameter of 68mm compared to the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L's 63mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L weighs 214g, 37% (131g) lighter than the Pentax D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro's weight of 345g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Pentax D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro and the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L have the same Filter thread size of 49mm.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Pentax D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro and the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L has the same Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF lenses are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III.
Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L is also available in Pentax KAF mount.
Focal Range
Pentax D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
150mm.
On the other hand, the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 52.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
