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10-22-2015, 03:43 AM - 20 Likes   #1
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HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 Club

I thought I would go ahead and make a dedicated thread with some photos from this new lens. I hope others feel free to add their own photos as well as they get their copies. I'll just say up front that I am not a professional and not a great lens tester. Photos will probably not be perfect, but hopefully they are good enough to show a little bit of the features of the new lens.

I guess a few comments about the build. It is a big lens -- bigger than the 16-50 f2.8, which is pretty good sized in my book. Of course, it is an f2.8 lens that covers a full frame image circle. Not surprising, but it isn't a small lens. Auto focus is silent and feels fast. I know Pentax listed this as an "SDM" lens, but it feels faster than the SDM lenses I own (16-50, 50-135, 55, 200) and it seems to lock focus quickly on a K3. The zoom ring is in front of the focus ring which is something that I am not used to and took a little bit of adjustment. I did not do any manual focusing, so no comments really on that aspect of the lens.

This is my son at 70mm and f2.8 -- normally I'd crop this a little bit, but I thought I would leave it as originally shot so folks can see the whole frame.



70mm and f4



A few shots that look a bokeh.

70mm f4



70mm f2.8



70mm f2.8



A couple of landscape shots.

24mm f4



63mm f8



A couple of shots looking at flare. I would say it is better than the 16-50 when it comes to flare (not hard to be better than that lens), but not nearly as good as Pentax primes (also not unexpected). I would normally have fixed the flare in these photos, but I left for the purposes of showing what it looks like.

24mm f2.8



24mm f4



I hope these photos are helpful and again, I apologize if the photos weren't perfect, focus points weren't right, etc.

Edit: I will mention that I did make a review in the Pentax Forums' review section and have a lot of images there from both the K3 and K-1. Several members have PMed me as well and I am glad to answer any questions that I can with regard to its performance versus other lenses that I have used.


Last edited by Rondec; 05-31-2016 at 07:41 AM.
10-22-2015, 03:54 AM - 1 Like   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
and again, I apologize if the photos weren't perfect, focus points weren't right, etc.
No need to apologise - at this stage we NEED to see what it looks like straight out of the camera in day to day use, without any post-processing tricks to hide or reduce any flaws. And the pics are gorgeous. You really know how to make a lens perform.

Zoom ring up front is also something we see on the 18-135, and it's odd - I keep thinking I'm adjusting focus and I zoom instead. No doubt this was done to keep the MF ring close to the motor, where it really ought to be for an internally-driven lens - for a screwdrive lens it probably isn't as critical, but it puts me in mind of the British Firestreak air-air missile - the tailfin steering actuators were in the mid-body, extending back to the tail, but the compressed air bottles that drove them were also in the tail with pipes running forward to the actuators. Awkward, but so were all the early AAM designs - and that one lasted thirty years. Much like screw-drive AF, really...
10-22-2015, 04:08 AM   #3
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Nice images. Thank you.

The 24-70 looks like a keeper to me, despite it's extra heft. The faster AF is certainly a nice bonus, especially as an event zoom.
10-22-2015, 04:34 AM   #4
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Tempted. Just can't get over the 82mm filter thread.

10-22-2015, 05:03 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
the 82mm filter thread.
The desire to stay constant at f/2.8 all the way from 24 to 70 doesn't exactly help its cause! Personally, I'm NOT tempted - I can't justify the heft and cost for the sort of shooting I do - but it doesn't stop me admiring the achievement. I suspect the 28-100-ish zoom which we're promised is going to be the variable aperture (e.g. 3.5-5.6) kit lens, and that might keep the size and weight down a bit.
10-22-2015, 05:11 AM   #6
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This looks like a winner. The first pic of your son and the first 70mm f4 shot are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
10-22-2015, 05:17 AM   #7
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It looks like a better version of my Tamron 28-75 screw drive. This one has a better focal range (24-70 is a better range on APSC than 28-75), silent AF and better corner sharpness, coatings, and is more expensive. I'd probably get it if I did not already have the Tamron 28-75.

10-22-2015, 06:02 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
Tempted. Just can't get over the 82mm filter thread.
Most of my filters are 82mm after the Sigma lenses I have sold.
10-22-2015, 06:11 AM   #9
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I was really pleasantly surprised with regard to the price on this lens. Understanding that it is a Tamron with tweaks, 1300 dollars is still quite a bit less than what I thought it would come out at. I had thought that it would be closer to 1800, which would be pretty steep. I just remember when the 18-270 was released and it was quite a bit more than the Tamron versions for other mounts.
10-22-2015, 07:23 AM   #10
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tasty lens!!!
10-22-2015, 07:24 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
This is my son at 70mm and f2.8
This one looks reasonably sharp at 70/2.8. Usually lenses are least sharp at maximum aperture at the full zoom length. But this does not look like the case. That would also mean at other focal lengths its going to be only better. The bokeh is good too. (a tad bit harsh for my taste if you will). The focus/zoom rings confusion is going to make me mad if the 70-200 does not follow the suite. Cos 24-70 and 70-200 are the mostly the bread and butter of pro photographers and having the zoom/focus rings differently placed on these 2 is going to be a bummer. Does anyone know or have used the 70-200 and and know if the zoom ring is aligned with this 24-70?
10-22-2015, 07:30 AM - 1 Like   #12
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I think one question that is unanswerable right now is how borders and corners will do on full frame. Obviously they will be at least a little softer, but I don't know how much softer. But certainly center sharpness is going to be adequate either way.
10-22-2015, 08:21 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by shardulm Quote
This one looks reasonably sharp at 70/2.8. Usually lenses are least sharp at maximum aperture at the full zoom length. But this does not look like the case. That would also mean at other focal lengths its going to be only better.
Not necessarily.

The lab tests of the Tamron version on Optyczne/Lenstip indicate a "sour spot" mid-range,
similar to the 24mm sour spot on the DA 20-40.

Significantly, Pentax/Ricoh only reveal MTF curves for the D FA 24-70 at the two extremes (24mm and 70mm).
10-22-2015, 08:36 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
I know Pentax listed this as an "SDM" lens, but it feels faster than the SDM lenses I own (16-50, 50-135, 55, 200) and it seems to lock focus quickly on a K3.
Could it be because it’s actually Tamron’s USD? About the only reservations I “might” have is the size of this lens, at least for main walk around. My most used lens is a 16-50 which I find a bit large and heavy at times. Other than that, based on your samples this lens looks like winner. Thanks for sharing.
10-22-2015, 08:54 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
I think one question that is unanswerable right now is how borders and corners will do on full frame. Obviously they will be at least a little softer, but I don't know how much softer. But certainly center sharpness is going to be adequate either way.

Corners if not borders can be checked with sensor moving (composition adjustment)!
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