I see that some people refer to M or A type lenses. I assumed that that meant they were auto or manual but seemingly not.
What does it stand for? I was looking for a 28/3.5 but apparently one is better than the other. if anybody has any thoughts on the 28/3.5 they would be appreciated also. Gareth Pentax made 3 "series" of manual focus bayonet mount lenses. The original SMCP generally referred to as the K. Then came the M series which were usually smaller then the K's. The A series added electrical contacts and an A setting which allowed the camera to set the aperture in various settings. Often, but not exclusively, the K's were considered the best built with the best feel, followed by the M's, with a lot of members not caring for the build feel of many of the A lenses. Some optical designs stayed the same between series, some did not. Boz's and Stan's sites are good sources of info on the various lenses. I have one of the K 28/3.5 which is highly regarded for it's lack of distortion. It has worked well for me but as I don't shoot a lot of 35mm wide angle I usually prefer the K35/3.5, another of the considered exceptional lenses. Butch
