[SOLD] Pentax FA 28-70mm F4 AL

*Ivan Glisin* · 11-09-2008, 01:41 PM

FOR SALE: FA 28-70mm F4 AL in excellent condition: clean, optically and mechanically flawless. Comes with original box, front cap and a Pentax snap-on rear cap. I have purchased this lens from Henry's Camera in Toronto as refurbished by Pentax Canada (there is a sticker on the box). The lens looks and feels new and unlike some other examples I have handled it has a tight zoom ring (no usual wobbling).

Price: US$70 + shipping (usually US$15-25 to USA/CAN). PayPal preferred.

Douglas_of_Sweden · 11-09-2008, 05:26 PM

I hope you don't mind a free bump, Ivan.
This looks like any of the black plastic kit zooms of the F and FA generation, 28-70, 28-80, 35-70, 35-80...with apertures like 3.5-5.6 or so, of which several are quite crappy.
Look again. Constant aperture 4, and the optics is the best among the kit zooms in that time, only second to the FA*28-70/2.8. Excellent lens. Would spend much more time on my K20D if it had a bit more wide angle coverage on the DSLR. Now it is a good medium to portrait range zoom. Just talked my mother into taking her copy of the MZ5 (which she hid in the piano!) and try it on her K100D as a short portrait lens. Lots of lens for the money. Building can't be as bad as it might first feel either since I've dropped mine with the MZ5 some times, and it still works. AF is quite snappy also, probably because of it's small size, but the manual focus feeling is not so good (but not the worst of it's kind). If you have tried the FA50/1.4 you know how what this lens feels like to handle.

Realize I should post this on the lens review data base...

*woof* · 11-09-2008, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Douglas_of_Sweden

I hope you don't mind a free bump, Ivan.
This looks like any of the black plastic kit zooms of the F and FA generation, 28-70, 28-80, 35-70, 35-80...with apertures like 3.5-5.6 or so, of which several are quite crappy.
Look again. Constant aperture 4, and the optics is the best among the kit zooms in that time, only second to the FA*28-70/2.8. Excellent lens. Would spend much more time on my K20D if it had a bit more wide angle coverage on the DSLR. Now it is a good medium to portrait range zoom. Just talked my mother into taking her copy of the MZ5 (which she hid in the piano!) and try it on her K100D as a short portrait lens. Lots of lens for the money. Building can't be as bad as it might first feel either since I've dropped mine with the MZ5 some times, and it still works. AF is quite snappy also, probably because of it's small size, but the manual focus feeling is not so good (but not the worst of it's kind). If you have tried the FA50/1.4 you know how what this lens feels like to handle.

Realize I should post this on the lens review data base...

I agree with all said here. I like it very much as a stand in for my Tamron 28-75mm, especially where I want a nice light lens. It gets a lot of use on my PZ-1 and K10D. See further comments here:

Brief Comments

woof

*Ivan Glisin* · 11-09-2008, 07:35 PM

I agree with both of you. This is an amazing lens for it's price!

I am selling it mainly because I have that range now covered by DA 18-55 II which I am very pleased with (pictures of FA 28-70 are in fact taken with DA 18-55 II) and DA 55-300 which are both very good lenses (although not constant aperture but very close to f/4 in 28-70mm range anyway).

Very nice with MZ/ZX, and it does look very good even on my MX!

creampuff · 11-09-2008, 07:51 PM

I sold this lens to a friend awhile back. Aww, I want to own this lens again...
Ivan, consider shipping to Singapore?

K100D FA 28-70mm f/4

*Ivan Glisin* · 11-10-2008, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by creampuff

I sold this lens to a friend awhile back. Aww, I want to own this lens again...
Ivan, consider shipping to Singapore?

Sure. Shipping charges range from $15 (international air, not trackable, may take time to deliver) to $60 (insured, registered, 6 business days delivery). Send me a PM if you are interested.

leadbelly · 11-10-2008, 06:15 AM

nice deal. been looking for one of those...

Substitute · 11-10-2008, 07:03 AM

PM with strong interest

legacyb4 · 11-10-2008, 07:16 AM

For that price, you can't go wrong.

Now if Ivan would only consider selling the 20-35 at the same price range...

*Ivan Glisin* · 11-10-2008, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Substitute

PM with strong interest

Sale pending.

Substitute · 11-10-2008, 10:20 AM

yep this will serve as a backup for my star 28-70mm when it's too heavy...