[49 mm] I've owned many Pentax prime lenses, going back to the FA28, FA50, FA135, and in the limited series, the FA31, FA43, FA77, DA21, and DA35. I currently own the DA15, DA40 and this DA70.

This lens, the DA 70 is the sharpest of them all. I have also owned a Leica Summicron 50mm F2 and I think this DA70 is as good as the Leica in image quality. At least to the naked eye. Put 'em under a microscope and you may find the summicron is a bit better but for value for the money buy Pentax. In fact it is this limited series of lenses that has me buying Pentax cameras.

[Front] Ive had this lens for a long time, and its my main concert photo lens. Image quality is excellent, from sharpness to bokeh to contrast and color. Its unobtrusive, easy to move around, and the perfect focal length for portraits from a medium distance. Ive also used it for other applications such as telephoto landscapes, its easy to have in the bag thanks to its small size.

[Snap-On] This is a new lens and I have shot fewer than 100 images, all inside with available light and varying ISO. Portraits of my cats are great. No people portraits available due to lack of model releases at this time. Lens has typical great Pentax Limited build quality and fast AF. The lens itself is a beautiful piece of machinery. Built-in sliding hood works well. Lens cap is not an issue and does not fall off unless you put it over the hood and then push the hood back into the barrel.

[0.1 lb] I like being brought a little closer with the 70mm. This lens also seem to deliver very good color and clarity.
Autofocus is fast and picture quality is quite good.

[Front] I have a collection of old pentax lens and cameras. I just got an mx-s on *. I have a K20 from a few years ago. I have a spotmatic with the 50mm takumar. Today that lens would cost $1200. I shot pentax for years before selling it all and going for canon autofocus. After a while I started buying it back. Lately I have acquired some L glass and a canon 6d. I am telling you all this to put my remarks and rating into perspective. The 70mm da is the smallest portrait lens you will find. I also have a green ring 40mm da. I don't like the sound of them. I don't like the focus rings. It's probably why I have collected maybe 20 manual focus pentax lenses. With the canon 6d and the 50mm L or the 135mm L I can shoot in the dark and the out of focus! It gives me goose bumps. But, but.. when you look at the pictures that the da produces.. its that old pentax magic. Portraits, portraits, and travel portraits! In travel portraits, you don't actually want the background out of focus. If you were going to do that .. f1.2 you could take the photos in a parking lot at home. Anyway, the da are just something I can't avoid. I know, I know.. I ought to pick up a newer camera to make them shine. I'll probably get there.

[Front] Compact + light weight + inexpensive + good color rendering = total satisfaction.

[Front] I bought this lens to use mostly for portraits, because of the weight/performance compromise. It is so light and compact it enables me to carry a small bag for daily use, and also makes the camera (K3ii) much easier to handle compared to heavier options; for me that was worth the relatively lower brightness. Wide open portraits look great! Sharpness and iq are excellent, build quality is great. I keep the hood on all the time, because otherwise the provided lens cap won't attach. You could also use a pinch cap directly w/o the hood. Highly recommended!

[0.1 lb] This lens is incredible. Mounted on a K-3, this lens is a killer, I used it mainly for portrait and close-up. At f/2.4 or even 2.8, the bokeh is wonderful and the details great. It is well build for a DA (actually a new HD DA type in Ricoh/Pentax arsenal). The only thing that can discourage people for buying this lens is this price. It is not a telezoom, not a SDM and not tropicalized but opens at f/2.4 constantly (very bright), slim for a 70mm and sold with a very discret hood (I really like it because very efficient). The only thing that decided me is the pictures taken with this lens. Once you see them, you want the lens. You won't regret it.

[Snap-On] After reading the reviews for the non HD version, I was hoping the HD version would be even better. I can't directly compare this one with the older model but the top ratings are true. I was surprised how sharp it was at 2.4 but by F4 I was amazed. I generally shoot landscapes so I couldn't decide if i really needed this since it's more of a portrait lens. I bought it as like new and so it was already a good deal then @ had their prime sale and I couldn't resist. It arrived sealed in the original packaging so was shocked it really was more or less brand new.The bokeh is excellent, much better than any other lens in my bag. This is my first limited lens and it lives up to the hype. Colors and contrast just look different from my other lenses. As with most lenses, I would say this is sharpest from F4-F16. Beyond F16 it softens up again but nothing to complain about. You really only notice it if you look at 100%. This and the Pentax K-3 are a great combo. Would be interesting to compare the pictures to the soon to be here full frame and see if you can really see a difference. I guess I'll never know as the full frame is more than I need.

[49 mm] I am using this lens on a Pentax K-5, which is APSC, producing a full-frame equivalent focal length of 52.5mm. It is very light and takes up little room, so carrying it along with other lenses is no problem. Using this lens helped me take better photos of the houses along small, narrow streets, compared with using my 50mm (75mm full-frame equivalent.) Its also great for portraits, especially if you need to capture a bit of background. Its a great buy, especially at this price.