Author: | | New Member Registered: October, 2021 Location: Visby, Gotland Posts: 18 | Review Date: October 6, 2021 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Good lens overall | Cons: | A little plastic | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-x
| | This is a good lens overall. The zoom range 35-70 is usefull and it is easy to operate. Not a high-end lens in any way, but I find this older Pentax-lenses optically very solid performers.
Some sample photos: | | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2019 Posts: 2 3 users found this helpful | Review Date: October 27, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Overall a great lens | Cons: | None so far | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
| | This lens also has pretty good low light performance. IQ is top-notch. Color reproduction is just great.
Right-click the following images and click "Open Image in New Tab", then zoom in.
- Pentax-A 35-70mm F3.5-4.5
- Pentax K-50 DSLR (16.3mp)
- mounted on tripod
- aperture priority
- ISO 100
- F3.5
- white balance set to AWB for most pics
- focus peaking enabled on camera
- using manual focus assist
- 2-second timer
During the day with natural light, 1 second exposure:
Macro, during the day with natural light, cropped in camera after taking shots, both 4 second exposure:
Took these at 9am on a Sunday morning with natural light coming in from a window.
70mm, F11, 2 or 3 second exposure:
This shot was taken in a living room at night with just one soft incandescent lamp turned on across the room.
White balance set to tungsten, 8 second exposure:
These two were shot in the living room in the late afternoon:
Do yourself a favor and right-click on the below image, then click "Open image in new tab". Zoom in, pan around. Then prepare to pick your jaw up from the ground.
Yeah, this lens is highly recommended by one such as myself.
| | | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: February 9, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $35.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Sharp, easy to use, tiny | Cons: | Plastic design and build | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: ME Super Ricoh KR10
| | It's sad that it's so under-rated, I think. Macro sharpness perfection. Best macro I have ever used. Lovely across-the-focal-and aperture range imaging with high quality sharpness. Some folks who don't trust zooms and who turn only to heavy and multiple primes need to use this lens as it will change some minds.
f3.5 to f22 is a very useful aperture range for most work, although you won't get the best from this lens outside of the f5.6 to f11 range or the 40mm to 60mm focal length. This does limit the lens, but that's the nature of zoom lens design.
It's tiny and weighs next to nothing, so it's prefect for photography where you don't want to look covered in lenses like Sputnik being wheeled up the road on a trolley. Pretty much the size of an A or M series 50mm lens but with a better range of application.
Because of the nature of the zoom and macro function built around a rather weak and aged plastic design, the zoom/focus mechanism can become a little lumpy, dry and wobbly with age, but that's nothing to worry about unless you are particularly unrealistic and super-fussy when buying vintage lenses for less than $40. Make sure you don't pay more than that for this lens. As with the rest of the plastic made lenses in the A Series range, the aperture ring gets sticky and worn out through time. If you are buying one and the seller states it's dry and just needs lubrication, don't buy it as the the ring is more likely to be worn out, the internal mechanism is broken, or it's just an old ruined lens.
| | | | Junior Member Registered: March, 2014 Posts: 38 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: August 14, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Light, small, sharp | Cons: | none unless you want to quibble about the limited range | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K10, MX, K1000
| | I've heard some negative about this lens, but in all honesty, I don't think that you can go wrong adding this little fella to your kit.
If you like manual lenses, and want to go on a walkabout to a park or zoo, or a midway or some other peopled area, it's as good as it gets. It's small, light and more than acceptably sharp.
I use it very frequently for portraits, and shots of children. On the small cmos sensor, it works out to be a 50 - 105 zoom. Perfect people lens.
Recommended. | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2015 Posts: 3,505 | Review Date: July 1, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Sharp, good colours, light | Cons: | No AF compared to the F Version | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 7
Camera Used: K5II, K30, K-01
| | The main reason for writing this review is to point out, there are two different versions of this lens on the market:
SMC Version
Non-SMC Version
I guess that the bad reviews of this lens are about the non SMC Version!
The SMC Version is a very good lens, excellent for portrait but as one can find the Autofocus F 35-70, which is basically the very same but with a superfast (noicy screwdrive) AF, why bother with the A Version?
Nevertheless, it is really a good lens. Three primes within one body, light, not too fast .... but at 2,8 it would be much larger.
Of course the A Version looks better than the F Version (to my taste).
Very good on the K-01 with Peak-On, easy to focus then.
| | | | Forum Member Registered: September, 2013 Posts: 62 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: December 28, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $90.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | compact, solid design, A-mode compatible with DSLR | Cons: | may be a little slow, also soft a litttle | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: ME-super
| | It was my second zoom after TAMRON 28-50, and tamron was not to good.
I was Using is for short period on the ME-super and was upgraded it for M35-70/2.8-3.5 only because last one was faster.
35-70/2.8-3.5 also has a better sharpness.
other all it is a good-enough lens, compatible (now) with DSLR because it has an Auto mode of aperture ring.
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2010 Posts: 753 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: September 13, 2012 | Not Recommended
| Rating: 5 |
Pros: | very compact zoom, very light | Cons: | build quality, zoom range too small for today's standards | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 5
Handling: 5
Value: 7
Camera Used: K20d
| | Better avoid this lens for serious photography....maybe it can be useful for some fun zoom effect shots, if you intend to use it for serious photos than that better buy 16-45, which is great value for price.
Only positives of this lens I can think of are small size and weight. Build quality is rubbish, focusing ring is not smooth at all, same applies for zoom mechanism. Optical quality is pretty mediocre.
| | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Posts: 18,076 | Review Date: May 31, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | IQ, sharp, good "macro" application, zoom range (for me), "one touch" zoom | Cons: | Too short focus throw, rotating front element | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-5, K-r
| | Bonjour,
A very good compact and versatile lens for my usages ... on APS-C = about 50mm to 105mm. IQ is good and the macro application does quite well. Sharp, good colors, 49mm filters, etc. ... but the bokeh is only average for my tastes and the focus throw is too short for me.
I like the "one touch" (pull/push) focus/zoom set up ... reminds me of one of my Tamron Adaptall-2 zooms, but it's just a personal preference here IMHO. I almost wish that my SMC A 35-105 f3.5 was of the same design ...
Still testing and awaiting sunnier days for a long test shoot, but the lens definitely deserves a "8" in my books, based on what I've seen thus far ... quite pleased. A+ et salut, John le Frog | | | | Junior Member Registered: September, 2009 Location: Galati on Danube-Romania Posts: 33 5 users found this helpful | Review Date: February 18, 2011 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | An "eye like" image as the Good Old ones lenses, not excessive sharp or contrasted | Cons: | The range on APSC senzor (not a true fault), manual focus | | An old styled good lens with an original perfume. Yes, the focal range is moved in 53-105mm domain, but if this is suitable for you, voila the little treasure. Good mechanic (my one), reduced dimension and light. Can be accurate focused with focus indicator on Pentax K7 unlike many other manual lenses.
In dimmed light it overexposes 1/2 to 2/3 EV, that means an equivalent of f2.8 (on K7). Images have a natural (film) aspect, not very sharp or contrasted. But they can be post-processed to increase sharpness, there is place for this.
A lens is a link of the chain: lens/camera/post-process soft and the lens must be judged and integrated with the camera and p.p (in or out of the camera). I post some examples of photos with this lens on K7 (protection filter and hub included). All are taken as PEF and p.p. in an appropriate (for me) RAW soft processor on PC. | | | | Forum Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 59 | Review Date: October 3, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $53.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Sharp pictures 90% of the time, Good price for people on a budget, Good focal length range, great close-up lens | Cons: | Construction is a little loose for an SMC Pentax Lens, zoom creep, sometimes pictures aren't as sharp as one would like them to be | | I bought this lens for $53 before I went on a trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Northern Texas in September 2010 because I needed a wide angle lens (a must for taking shots of a canyon). It worked perfectly with the rolls of Kodachrome 64 I used and produced really nice pictures with it.
This lens is also really good for close up shots and for really nice wide angle shots; the focal length range is excellent for everyday shots (it's on my K1000 all the time). I've taken a few group photos and portraits with it and they've all turned out excellent. I also like some of the macro pictures I've taken with it. It's a great overall lens.
The construction is a little loose, which sometimes lets the lens zoom mechanism slide all over the place when I walk (sometimes when I'm taking a picture), but I overlook that because of its overall great performance. If I could rate it, I would rate it 8.5/10, but the ratings only let me rate it with whole numbers instead of increments. I would recommend this lens to everyone.
| | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2010 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 813 3 users found this helpful | Review Date: September 23, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | IQ, Colour, Contrast, Good macro capability | Cons: | Quaint push-pull zoom, | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
| | A very good lens for next to nothing outlay.
Best at 50-70mm focal length, and as a big bonus very good macro abilities at 70mm (see photo below).
On my K-x and K-7 the lens will actually do F3.5 at 70mm (or so it reports)
I give it a 9 mainly because of great image quality.
Is this lens sharp?
Enjoy
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2009 Posts: 417 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: June 21, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 6 |
Pros: | Compact, sharp, 0.25x macro, 49mm filter | Cons: | Fiddly mechanism, slow at the long end. | | At worst, it will function as a cap for a spare body to protect the mirror! Dinky little lens which is quite sharp and retains the 49mm filter ring. Optically, its not as sharp as the f4 35-70mm which I have also tried out. My example has slightly stiff focussing which results from the single ring for both focus and zoom action, and I guess this will be common for this lens given its age and the fact that it was the A kit lens.
I've taken some wedding photos for mates with this, the type of situation where it excels. I didn't want to risk spilling champagne into my primes, and it performed flawlessly whilst the light was good. Zooms are a compromise on quality, and a Mf1.7 would have produced some nicer out of focus effects than this can achieve, and would be able to continue into poor light without the need for a flash. However, for the 5x7 B&W prints I made for them, you could still see individual hairs on the brides blonde head, from 2m away with this lens. Pretty sharp.
I use manual lenses for film, on the basis of OOF highlights from their larger apertures and reduced depth of field, sharpness with their larger and fewer elements, and manual focus accuracy. This lens represents a compromise on all 3 of these aspects and defeats the purpose of using the old Pentax lenses. It also feels tacky in comparison to the M lenses which I prefer.
I'm giving it a harsh 6 which translates as "change it soon".
| | | | New Member Registered: June, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 6 | Review Date: May 30, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $35.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | light weight, optical quality | Cons: | construction quality | | This is an excellent walk-about lens due to its light weight, compact size, and good optical quality. One could do a whole lot worse. I do find it reassuring that even Pentax's "throw away" lenses, like this one (throw away in that it's often a loss leader or included as part of a basic "kit") is a good lens. They don't build junk.
I highly recommend this lens as a great general purpose short zoom for general photography.
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2008 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,165 | Review Date: September 3, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Compact, sharp, nice color rendition, macro abillity (1:4) | Cons: | Not fast, have to enter focal length to use SR | | This is a very nice lens. I use it on a K100D, where the FOV is equivalent to 52-105mm. It has become my "walk-around lens" especially for heading to the park with the kids. I used to walk around with a film body and a 50mm, so I like the focal length. The ability to zoom in for candid portraits or for semi-macro (1:4 or so) shots of flowers is gravy. It really isn't much bigger than a M 50mm, very portable.
The only downsides I see with this: it isn't fast, and changing the focal length each time I zoom is a little clumsy. (I am not sure how much difference this makes, maybe I could just leave it on 50mm and not worry?). In order to use the lens for hand-held indoor shots with natural light I have to push the ISO and get a little noise. I haven't noticed any distortion, although I'm no expert in that. It seems very sharp to me, too. If you have the chance, get one!
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2008 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 2,703 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: April 8, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Very small, quick handling, plenty sharp, wonderful color and contrast | Cons: | Could be a little wider, some zoom creep | | Gosh, I love this lens! This is easily my favorite lens and the one most likely to be on the camera when I leave the house. It serves as my walkaround lens, my aquarium shooting lens, and has done a very good job with portraits as well. It has the great combination of sharpness, contrast, and wonderful color.
It even has a "macro" setting at 70mm that allows you to get pretty close, but its definitely not a true macro (1:4?). Still, it comes in handy for close up shooting when you want to travel light. This lens is very compact (a little bigger than the A50/1.7), it's light, and very easy to use. Focus is smooth and quick as is the one-touch zoom.
I've read that the constant aperture (F4) version of this lens is better, but you are going to have to pry this thing from my cold, dead fingers! Yeah, it's MF, but that's something I can live with when I'm getting images like these. There are times when I wish it were a little wider or maybe a little longer, but I'd rather focus on the positives than on its shortcomings. There's a reason why I constantly rave about this thing.
Link to thread with some pics: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/24681-pentax-3...3-5-4-5-a.html | | |