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SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro

Sharpness 
 9.6
Aberrations 
 8.5
Bokeh 
 9.4
Autofocus 
 7.1
Handling 
 8.2
Value 
 9.2
Reviews Views Date of last review
40 171,167 Fri March 13, 2020
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $416.14 9.00
SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro

SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro
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SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro
supersize

Description:
This lens features a clamp and 1:1 macro magnification. Optically it is the same as the predecessor, the smc Pentax-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro, and optically also the same as the Weather Resistant successor.

SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
Yes (A setting)
Diaphragm
Automatic, 8 blades
Optics
9 elements, 8 groups
Mount Variant
KAF
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F2.8
Min. Aperture
F32
Focusing
AF (screwdrive)
Quick-shift
Yes
Min. Focus
30 cm
Max. Magnification
1x
Filter Size
49 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 16 ° / 14 °
Full frame: 24 ° / 20 °
Hood
PH-RBB 49mm
Case
S80-120
Lens Cap
Lens Cap F 49mm
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Focus Clamp
Diam x Length
67.5 x 80.5 mm (2.7 x 3.2 in.)
Weight
345 g (12.2 oz.)
w/ Hood: +38g
Production Years
2004 to 2009
Launch Price
$565 USD
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-D FA 1:2.8 100mm -MACRO-
Reviews
User reviews
Features:
Screwdrive AutofocusQuick ShiftAperture RingAutomatic ApertureFull-Frame SupportDiscontinued
Purchase: Buy the SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro
Sample Photos: View Sample Photos
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro Buy the SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro
Author:
Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 16-30 of 40
Senior Member

Registered: August, 2007
Location: new jersey
Posts: 112
Review Date: July 30, 2011 Recommended | Price: $400.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Fast to focus very sharp
Cons: none
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 6    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 5    Handling: 6    Value: 10    New or Used: New   

I keep this on my 20d all the time with a PENTAX AF 160FC Auto Macro Ring Flash on it.

   
Site Supporter

Registered: July, 2008
Location: Detroit
Posts: 3,491
Review Date: April 14, 2011 Recommended | Price: $370.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharp, sturdy, light weight
Cons: none

I bought this lens used just before the price increase.
I've never been sorry.
This has to be one of the most versatile lenses ever made in this length.
Always sharp, great contrast and color.
Perfect for macro and anything else you would use this FL for.
The only thing that annoys me from time to time is the focus lock, which I sometimes engage by accident, and then wonder why it won't focus.
My silliness, not the lenses.
It would work fine on a focus rail. I just have to get one of those to get full use of this gem.
If you can find one for a reasonable price......buy it!
   
New Member

Registered: December, 2010
Location: Galway, Ireland
Posts: 6
Review Date: December 22, 2010 Recommended | Price: $460.00 | Rating: N/A 

 
Pros: TACK sharp, Even wide open
Cons: Focus is horribly slow, CA is unbearable
New or Used: New   

Love this lens - I think everyone should have one in their collection. Tack sharp even wide open - And better still at f/4.

More than just a macro lens, too. I find it excellent for portraits.

Draw backs however are pretty large, Focusing is very very slow and very loud, And I think Pentax should have put a focus limiter on it... CA is also terrible, in fact shooting with the sun in front of you is sometimes unusable, to the extent that it can't even be fixed easily in post.

(Non working links deleted)
   
Veteran Member

Registered: December, 2010
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,332

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: December 19, 2010 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Terrific optics in compact lens
Cons: Build not the nicest
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 8    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: k100d, k5iis   

I find this macro still pretty sharp at f/2.8, and into the scary sharp range from f/4.0 and on. Diffraction does take hold at f/16 and beyond. I'll only use f/32 out of dire need of deeper DOF but it's good to have the option available.

The colour rendition and contrast are wonderful, the bokeh is smooth when focused at macro and normal working distances. At f/2.8 there are green/magenta edges on the high contrast edges in the out of focus areas, but nothing too offensive. I've fallen so in love with its performance that I use it for everything possible. Macro (of course), portraits, landscapes, low-light mid-telephoto work, and a general walk around lens. If I can fit it into 100mm, I will. And I've never been disappointed.

The supplied lens hood is nice and protective, but given how deeply recessed the from element is you can safely go hoodless in many circumstances. Even with the hood, it is very small and compact and feels right at home on my k100d. Having a small, non-threatening telephoto is a great plus for candid portraits. I find the length just perfect for kids indoors.

Autofocus on my k100d in dimly lit areas can be a disaster if it misses and has to go hunting through the full range. Fortunately it is very easy to manual focus with the large focus ring, even with the very short throw over the 3' to infinity focus range (about 45 degrees). A focus limiter would be nice, more useful than the focus clamp which I rarely find a need for. A plus- the focus ring doesn't turn when auto focusing, a nice plus that makes holding it easy.

UPDATE (July 2015) - Autofocus with the much newer k5iis is much more reliable and very rarely ends up hunting when used at 'normal' shooting distances, and it's actually pretty quick. I still prefer manual focus for close-ups (from about a quarter life size to 1:1).

The plastic construction is solid for a modern plastic lens, but leaves something to be desired compared to even cheapish old super takumars. This doesn't affect the image quality, so I can live with it, but this keeps my rating to a 9, partly because the new sturdier version was announced about a month after I purchased mine and I'm slightly bitter (the weather resistance would be nice too!).

At macro working distances, there is some light loss, about 1.5-2 stops at 1:1. Automatic exposure modes will automatically compensate for it, but you have to manually take it into account if you are using manual external flashes. It's not a big deal to compensate for this, but it's not something I was not aware of (this is my first macro lens)

I've never used a lens with the "Limited" or "DA*" labels, but if one can perform noticeably better optically than a DFA 100mm, I'd probably try to marry it.

Some samples from the DFA100mm paired with a k100d and a k5iis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/tags/dfa100mm
   
New Member

Registered: August, 2009
Location: 3city
Posts: 10

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: October 17, 2010 Recommended | Price: $330.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: bokeh, weight, paid price
Cons: no focus limiter

I bought this lens as used.

Rates:

Sharpness: 10
Bokeh: 10
Colour rendition: 10
Handling: 9
Build quality: 8 (DFA)

If this lens would have focus limiter it would be my best macro lens.

Used as telephoto, rarely macro lens.
   
New Member

Registered: March, 2010
Posts: 3
Review Date: October 8, 2010 Recommended | Price: $800.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: compact, light, optical quality
Cons: a bit soft wide open
New or Used: New   

This is an excellent lens despite it is fairly expensive in Europe. It was close to €600 in August 2010. Since I bought it, it is the most of the time on my Pentax KX. You can find here few photos made with this lens.

(Non working links deleted)
   
Veteran Member

Registered: April, 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,901

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: August 22, 2010 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Great contrast and shapness, lightweight
Cons: worthless ( to me ) focus clamp, price

All in all it's right at the top as far as the optics go. The level of contrast delivered from this lens is high and the colors are bright and clean.
Its also very lightweight which I know is a plus for some, but I go both way on that end. I like a lens that feels a little more substantial. Focus throw is a little short also because most my macro work is done manual.
I never really did figure out the purpose of the focus clamp either, I mean WHY?
Why didn't they just put in a limiter instead.

So optically I would give it a 9+.
Build and functionality an 8-
   
New Member

Registered: August, 2010
Posts: 20

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: August 19, 2010 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharp, bright colours and simple.
Cons: none

An excellent score all round. Sharp, detailed results. Most complained about the absence of a focus limiter but it has a manual focus ring which helps considerably so I don't really consider that not having a focus limiter is a drawback.

It is lightweight an very practical. Great for macros and portraits and architectural details

Go ahead and buy it!
   
Site Supporter

Registered: December, 2007
Location: Montreal
Posts: 1,249

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: June 9, 2010 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Light, great optics, covers FF, Quick shift
Cons: 8 blades only, OK build, no focus limiter, cyan/magenta fringing
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 8    Value: 10   

Optically it's very sharp and contrasty with no distortions, something you kind of expect from a macro lens. It's also one of the lightest macro out there. One of the best feature is the quick shift as you don't have to switch to MF like for example the Tamron 90mm macro.

Negatives:
- No focus limiter although the general focus speed is very good.
- 8 blades, the Tokina version offers 9, the new WR only 8 but rounded, so sometimes octogonal highlights will appear
- Build is not bad but not great either, it feels a bit plasticy, something corrected in the new WR version
- MF is good (better than Tamron 90mm) but not as good as the silky smooth new WR version
- Cyan/Magenta fringing appearing on white OOF transitions

I will probably upgrade mine (it's currently in the marketplace) to the newer WR version because I love the optics, the build and new WR will be great to have.

Pictures taken with this lens
   
Senior Member

Registered: May, 2009
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 132

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: January 27, 2010 Recommended | Price: $435.87 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Quick Shift (!), Lovely bokeh, Peak in right place, Front element nicely recessed, Cheaper than competitors (when I bought it)
Cons: Focus hunts (like all macro lenses), not tack-sharp wide open

I have this in its Samsung guise, and love it. The AF hunts like a wolf, and sometimes just gives up, like all macro lenses do, but with quick shift you have the advantage of being able to turn it manually to roughly the right place which always solves the problem.

Now one thing that has to be noted about this lens is that (unlike, for example, the Tamron 90mm f2.8) it is not tack-sharp wide open. However when stopped down to the sort of apertures you'll want to use for macro, it is much sharper (in fact sharper than the Tamron above f5.6 IIRC)

Also this is a very light lens, especially given the focal length and macro capability. Some other reviews have stated that the front element on this one is vulnerable due to not being recessed as much as it is on the Tamron. I don't have personal experience with the latter so I don't know how true this statement is, but the front element on this lens is very well protected and (although I haven't used it in bright sunlight much, it being winter) I very much doubt if the hood will be needed for protection against knocks or flare.

The colour rendition of this lens is lovely - in fact it's my current favourite in that regard - and the bokeh is very smooth indeed.

In short, this is a fabulous lens and (if you can find one at the pre-hike prices like I did) should be regarded as a definite purchase. If however you have to pay the new price (£520 - about $840 - here in the UK) then you have to consider whether you'd rather pay the price premium (over the Tamron and Sigma) or put that extra money towards another lens.
   
Review Date: June 9, 2009 Recommended | Price: $150.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: image quality, size
Cons: focus limiter, focus limiter, focus limiter

Love this lens and it lives on my camera. Image quality is superb and it is beautifully compact. If only it had a focus limiter!
   
Site Supporter

Registered: March, 2009
Location: Washington, USA
Posts: 85
Review Date: April 1, 2009 Recommended | Price: $450.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: exceptional image quality, lightweight
Cons: fragility when fully extended

It's interesting to see the criticism brand lenses receive versus the slack third party glass gets. If I was to trust the online noise, image is smeared wide open, autofocus sloppy and hunts, built is no good, Tamron/Sigma are better in all regards, etc. Fortunately I confided my good sense and went ahead with the purchase - and am not disappointed in the least.
Image quality is truly exceptional both at close and normal range. Resolution is excellent wide open and by f/4 it out-resolves the K20D sensor. Bokeh is very smooth at all apertures, no double images, no hard edged halos at any distance. It's also the most consistent lens across the image frame I've ever used. Also, resolution and lack of chroma aberration holds up very well when adding additional extension. I have pushed the lens to 2:1 without any image quality loss.
Autofocus is very precise both with K10D and K20D (no compensation needed) and the ability to quickly adjust the focus manually largely alleviates the lack of focus range lock.
P-TTL flash exposure with this lens must be the most accurate I've seen - I just don't need to compensate flash output anymore.
I've also seen reports about the disproportionate and redundant hood the lens comes with. In my experience the hood is truly a must in macro work as it protects not so much against light rays (front glass element is already receded) as it prevents bumps in the rather fragile inner tube that extends at 1:1 to almost twice the lens size. And that may be my only criticism of the lens, but if this is the price to pay for an extremely lightweight, high optical quality macro I can take in any hike or climb - then so be it.
Ah, I need something more to justify the 9 grade : my sample - at least - focuses just a tad beyond infinity, enough to compromise the sharpness at any aperture. It's said to be expected for an AF lens that has to cope with a wide temperature range, etc. - but I can swear that when I originally got the lens (new), infinity and end of focus throw coincided.
   
Review Date: February 26, 2009 Recommended | Price: $450.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharp, contrast, handling
Cons: none

I bought this lens as a Schneider-Kreuznach, but its exactly the same as the Pentax DFA. I think the lens isn't nearly perfect, it is perfect. Look at this picture, this was my first one with this nice glass.
   
Inactive Account

Registered: September, 2007
Location: Belgium
Posts: 18
Review Date: February 11, 2009 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, delivers near-perfect images
Cons: none

I rated this lens a 10 because :

- It delivers some of the sharpest images i've seen.
Results are very close to the quality of my Pentax-M lenses.
(Pentax-M 50mm 1.4 and Pentax-M 100mm 2.8)

- I don't really care about "build quality" but the build quality seems decent enough to me. I think it's not easy to break this lens.

- AF sometimes chases around (and only in low light), but it's still a HUGE IMPROVEMENT (speed and accuracy) over the AF on my DA* 16-50mm with the crappy SDM AF.
In low light I also tend to use manual focus anyway.

- It's a true macro lens, while also being a very usefull portrait lens
   
Veteran Member

Registered: February, 2009
Location: egypt
Posts: 435
Review Date: February 7, 2009 Recommended | Price: $520.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: great in macro,portrait
Cons: na

it is the best in the macro range.
ibought it for macro issues but i find it is very sharp in portrait.
light,sharp results,excellent colors.
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