These are the best Pentax lenses for food photography when you want crisp micro-contrast, flattering color, and flexible working distances for overhead flats, 45° hero shots, and tight ingredient macros—across APS-C and full-frame K-mount bodies. The HD PENTAX-D FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR is the studio staple: true 1:1 reproduction, metal WR build, HD/SP coatings that keep speculars clean on glass and glaze, rounded blades for creamy falloff, and Quick-Shift for instant manual trim—perfect for crumb texture, frosting peaks, and label details with enough working distance to keep lights and reflectors clear. For smaller sets or restaurant tables, the HD PENTAX-DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited (APS-C) delivers 1:1 in a jewel-like body, rendering flat-lays with edge-to-edge bite and close-focus drama for garnishes; full-frame shooters can add the smc/HD PENTAX-FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro or the LAOWA 100mm f/2.8 2× Ultra Macro APO (K-mount) when you need more than life-size with APO-clean edges on chrome cutlery and bottles. Lifestyle-food scenes sing with Limited character: the smc/HD PENTAX-FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited (wide-normal glow for tablescapes), FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited (buttery transitions at café distance), and FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited (compressed, elegant background melt for plated heroes) bring tactile color and sunstars when you stop down; on APS-C, the HD PENTAX-DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited is a pocket pancake that slips under boom arms for overhead rigs, while the HD PENTAX-DA 70mm f/2.4 Limited gives flattering compression for pastries and cocktails. Zoom flexibility helps on mixed sets: the HD PENTAX-D FA 24–70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR is the full-frame workhorse from environmental kitchen frames to tight half-macro details, the compact HD PENTAX-D FA 28–105mm f/3.5–5.6 ED DC WR travels light with punchy micro-contrast, and the HD PENTAX-DA★ 16–50mm f/2.8 ED PLM AW (APS-C) adds lightning-fast, quiet AF around hot pans and sizzles; the smc/HD PENTAX-DA★ 50–135mm f/2.8 delivers creamy tele separation for plated mains and drink pours. For bottle/label product sets and silky background wash, the HD PENTAX-D FA★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW and HD PENTAX-D FA★ 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW render luxurious bokeh with sealed confidence, while the Samyang 135mm f/2 (K-mount) is a value tele with buttery blur and a long, precise manual throw for deliberate studio focus pulls. Across the lineup, Pentax body strengths streamline the workflow: in-body Shake Reduction stabilizes handheld styling shots (disable SR on tripod for stacks), Pixel Shift yields retouch-friendly micro-detail on static sets, focus bracketing/stacking on newer bodies delivers front-to-back sharpness for layered dishes, and reliable WR builds keep shooting through kitchen steam and patio drizzle. Practical picks: use D FA 100/2.8 Macro WR for 1:1 hero detail, DA 35/2.8 Macro Limited for APS-C flat-lays, FA 50/2.8 Macro or Laowa 100/2.8 2× when you need extreme close-ups, FA 31/1.8 + 43/1.9 + 77/1.8 Limited for lifestyle depth with signature rendering, D FA 24–70/2.8 for fast set coverage, and DA★ 16–50/2.8 PLM or DA★ 50–135/2.8 when you want zoom agility with premium look. Shooting tips: work 45° at ~50–100mm for dimensional plates, use polarizers to tame glare on sauces and ceramics, set a generous subject-to-background distance for larger, smoother highlights, stop to f/4–f/8 for full-plate clarity (stack when needed), and keep white balance consistent with a gray card—Pentax HD coatings and color profiles reward careful light with rich, natural tonality straight out of camera.