My latest Pentax lens...

No, it's not a DA, FA, A, etc. - in fact, it won't fit any Pentax camera!

It's the Pentax-L 43mm f2.8 Special, a version of the DA43 Limited made in the Leica screw mount about 10 years ago. Only about 2000 were made, and they have become a collector's item. AFAIK, it's the only lens that Pentax ever made for use on the Leica, and was probably a response to the oft-repeated claim that Leica glass was superior to all other. The 43 Special has a very good reputation among Leicaphiles. It costs even more than the FA version!

Note that it's substantially longer than the FA32. This is because the Leica body has a much shorter registration distance than Pentax. Also, the aperture ring is at the front of the lens and the focusing ring is at the rear, to be consistent with other Leica lenses. It's extremely well made, equal to Leica's own lenses in build quality IMO.

In coming days I'll compare this lens on a Leica M8.2 to the DA43 on a Pentax K-10, which has the same megapixel count as the Leica. I will throw in a comparison to the Leica Summicron 50/2 if my copy arrives by then.
--
Jim King - Retired Colormonger - Suburban Detroit, Michigan, USA; GMT -5h (EST)
Pentaxian for over 45 years.

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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

• Sir Winston Churchill

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The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.

• Albert Einstein