The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax 50mm F1.8 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 35mm F2.8 Macro L is the longer of the two lenses at 47mm. The Pentax 50mm F1.8 with a length of 39mm, is 8mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 63mm.
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 50mm F1.8 weighs 122g, which means it is 93g (43%) lighter than the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L which has a weight of 215g.
Filter Threads
The Pentax 50mm F1.8 has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L has a 49mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Pentax 50mm F1.8:
And these are the 49mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L:
Lens Mounts
Both the Pentax 50mm F1.8 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 50mm F1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
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.
