Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Wideangle Prime lens with 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
KAF Mount cameras.
What type of photography is the Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L lens good for?
The choice of photography type for which you intend to use the Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 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 FA 31mm F1.8 L, the HD Pentax-FA 31mm F1.8 Ltd.
Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount with Same Focal and Aperture Range
Reasons to Buy the Pentax smc FA 31mm F1.8 AL Limited Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Pentax smc FA 31mm F1.8 AL Limited lens in a list form to assist you in determining whether it offers the features you need.
| Autofocus |
| Aperture Ring |
| DoF(Depth of Field) Scale |
| Hood supplied |
| Fast Aperture |
| Covers Full-Frame Sensor |
| 9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh |
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Lens Mount
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 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 FA 31mm F1.8 L has a maximum diameter of 65mm and a total length of 69mm. It weighs 345g / 12.2 oz.
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L has a filter thread of 58mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L:
You can also check All Pentax KAF Mount Lenses with 58mm Filter Thread Size to find the matching lenses.
Focal Range
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L has a fixed focal length of 31mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 46.5mm.
Optical Image Stabilization
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 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 FA 31mm F1.8 L has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.16x with a minimum focusing distance of 0.3m. 0.16x 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 Pentax smc FA 31mm F1.8 AL Limited features a maximum aperture of F1.8 and can be stopped down to a minimum aperture of F22. With an exceptionally wide F1.8 maximum aperture, this lens excels in challenging low-light environments, letting you shoot at lower ISO speeds to keep images clean and noise-free. Given the wider 31mm 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 FA 31mm F1.8 L's optical formula consists of 9 elements in 7 groups .
Lens Hood
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L comes with a built-in petal shaped lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos.
Body Colour
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L is available in Black and Silver color.
Popular Comparisons of Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L
Here are the 8 most popular comparisons of the Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L Lens
In addition, it would be interesting to check which lenses from other mounts are most commonly compared with the Pentax smc FA 31mm F1.8 AL Limited.
Top Alternatives of Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L in Other Lens Mounts
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