Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Wideangle Prime lens with APS-C / DX max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
KAF Mount cameras.
What type of photography is the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L lens good for?
The choice of photography type for which you intend to use the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L is a crucial decision factor. Below, we have assessed its suitability for various photography scenarios:
There is only one more lens with the Pentax KAF mount that has the exact same focal and aperture range with the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L, the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L.
Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount with Same Focal and Aperture Range
Reasons to Buy the HD Pentax DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the HD Pentax DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited lens in a list form to assist you in determining whether it offers the features you need.
| Autofocus |
| Distance Scale |
| DoF(Depth of Field) Scale |
| Hood supplied |
| Full-time Manual Focusing |
| Min focus distance of 0.2m / 7.9 inch |
| Light weight at only 134g / 4.7 oz |
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Buy Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L from Amazon or B&H PHOTO
| Not so fast for a short Prime Lens |
Lens Mount
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L is compatible with cameras that have a 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.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
The size and weight are crucial factors to consider when searching for your next lens. Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L has a maximum diameter of 63mm and a total length of 25mm. It weighs 134g / 4.7 oz.
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L has a filter thread of 49mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L:
You can also check All Pentax KAF Mount Lenses with 49mm Filter Thread Size to find the matching lenses.
Focal Range
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L has a fixed focal length of 21mm which has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 31.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
Optical Image Stabilization
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L doesn't have an optical image stabilization system so the only option to stabilize the image taken with this lens is to mount on a camera body with IBIS (sensor based In-body image stabilization).
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.17x with a minimum focusing distance of 0.2m. 0.17x ratio is quite low, making this lens unsuitable even for modest close-up photography.
Below are the 3 Wideangle Prime type Pentax KAF mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
The HD Pentax DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited features a maximum aperture of F3.2 and can be stopped down to a minimum aperture of F22. While a maximum aperture of F3.2 requires a bit more ambient light or a bump in ISO when shooting indoors, it keeps the physical size of the lens much smaller and easier to carry. Given the wider 21mm field of view, the background will naturally stay a bit more in focus, making it ideal for environmental portraits, street photography, or landscapes where context matters. The minimum setting of F22 is excellent for deep depth of field work like macro photography, though you may want to avoid the absolute smallest settings to skip the sharpness loss caused by optical diffraction.
Optical Formula
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L's optical formula consists of 8 elements in 5 groups . Special elements used in this design is High-grade multi-layer HD (High Definition) Coating.
Lens Hood
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L comes with a removable lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos. The model number of the hood is MH-RBB43.
Body Colour
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L is available in Black and Silver color.
Popular Comparisons of Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L
Here are the 8 most popular comparisons of the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L Lens
In addition, it would be interesting to check which lenses from other mounts are most commonly compared with the HD Pentax DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited.
Top Alternatives of Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L in Other Lens Mounts
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