[TDN]

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This lens is currently on ebay...I can't find anything about it. Only about the 70-210mm

Thought I'd post it here, if anyone's interested...

Does anyone have a clue if this is a fake or not?



Thanks

Tom

[pschlute]

It would appear to be the Pentax -F zoom 70-200, ie. not SMC. You can find it here Pentax-F 70-200/4-5.6

I have no other information.

[roscot]

SPLOSdb rates this lens as poor. I think you would disappointed with it. It is worth about US$100.00.

http://www.jcolwell.ca/_SPLOSdb/SPLOSdb-2004-09-31.pdf

[pentkon52]

SPLOSdb rates this lens as poor. I think you would disappointed with it. It is worth about US$100.00.

http://www.jcolwell.ca/_SPLOSdb/SPLOSdb-2004-09-31.pdf

I have the FA version of this lens. Its better than most people think.

I get very nice photos from it.

Not sure what, if any differences are between the f and FA. I think i paid around $200 Canadian a few years back.

Dave

[Lowell Goudge]

The Pentax F series lenses were an early attempt at autofocus predating the pentax KA mount.

I do not believe they are compatible (functionally for autofocus) with any current Pentax AF body.

From what I read during a review of the KA lens mount, the contacts are located in a completely different place so that there will be no problems encountered if they are put on a KA mount or later body.

Yhey simply will work as a K mount lens.

It is probably a lens of interest to a collector who has the matching F mount body

[fletcherkane]

The Pentax F series lenses were an early attempt at autofocus predating the pentax KA mount.

I do not believe they are compatible (functionally for autofocus) with any current Pentax AF body.

From what I read during a review of the KA lens mount, the contacts are located in a completely different place so that there will be no problems encountered if they are put on a KA mount or later body.

Yhey simply will work as a K mount lens.

It is probably a lens of interest to a collector who has the matching F mount body

Uhhh...the F series lenses work fine as an AF lens on the current Pentax models.
I have the F 50 1.7 and it works beautifully, auto-focus included FWIW
It does seem a little rare if anything.
How does this lens not show up in the database here? Is it that forgetable?

[FotoPete]

The Pentax F series lenses were an early attempt at autofocus predating the pentax KA mount.

I do not believe they are compatible (functionally for autofocus) with any current Pentax AF body.

From what I read during a review of the KA lens mount, the contacts are located in a completely different place so that there will be no problems encountered if they are put on a KA mount or later body.

Yhey simply will work as a K mount lens.

It is probably a lens of interest to a collector who has the matching F mount body

Noo this ain't the ME-F + 35-70. lol.

Anyhow, its a single coated version of a SMC Pentax-F 70-210/f4-5.6 That lens has received many good reviews. This "Pentax-F" is a standard rebrand from Pentax's Cosmicar division. Kinda like a no frills version. The optical formula has been cut back from 13 to 10 and they lack the SMC coating.

This lens may not be too bad but its lack of SMC coating will really show. More purple fringing, flare, less contrast. I have a MC Cosmicar 28mm (rebranded SMC Pentax-A/M v2 28mm) and even though I count like 3-4 coatings, it flares easily and PFs badly. Something not even my kit lens is capable of doing.

I'd look for the SMC-Pentax-F 70-210/4-5.6 and stay away from no frills variants like this one.

[247nino]

SPLOSdb rates this lens as poor. I think you would disappointed with it. It is worth about US$100.00.

http://www.jcolwell.ca/_SPLOSdb/SPLOSdb-2004-09-31.pdf

I dont think its a bad lens even if it doesnt have SMC, here are some samples

[Cloudy Wizzard]

This lens is currently on ebay...I can't find anything about it.

did you find it on the Belgian ebay (ebay.be) or on the "international" one ?

I don't see it on ebay.be and I've been looking there for Pentax lenses for the past days. (even recently bought the A version of that lens last monday, now just waiting for it to arrive).

[GaryML]

This lens is currently on ebay...I can't find anything about it. Only about the 70-210mm

Thought I'd post it here, if anyone's interested...

Does anyone have a clue if this is a fake or not?

Just to clear up a few mis-conceptions:

It is not a fake. It is a K mount AF lens compatible will all Pentax AF film and digital cameras.

(Pentax never made a screw mount AF lens. There was a special K-mount AF lens that would auto-focus only with the ME-F camera (and the AF mechanism, sensor and batteries were built into the lens itself), but this isn't that lens. That SMC-AF 35-70mm f2.8 lens for the ME-F will work on any K-mount camera, but it will only AF on an ME-F body.)

This lens was sold by Pentax under the names Pentax-F and Takumar-F. It was made in Japan by Asahi Optical/Pentax. It is a completely different optical formula from the Pentax SMC-F 70-210mm f4-5.6 lens. It does not have SMC but the optics are coated. It is also a little longer than the SMC-F 70-210mm and the build quality is similar, but the aperture ring feels slightly more flimsy. It was sold as a bargain alternative to the more expensive SMC-F. There was at least one other Pentax-F/Takumar-F zoom lens (a 28-70mm I believe) as well as a few Takumar-A K mount economy lenses. Some of the Takumar-A lenses are truly dreadful, like the 135mm f2.5. Of all the economy Pentax-F/Takumar lenses, the 70-200mm was probably the best of the bunch.

I own a copy of the Takumar-F version of the lens that I purchased new around 1990 for use with my wife's SF-10 film camera. It is actually a decent performer. Images are sharp and the AF and zoom function smoothly. It appears to have slightly less contrast than the SMC lenses but otherwise it delivers nice images across the zoom range. We took it to Yosemite years ago and my wife produced some wonderful images using this lens (shot on Velvia 50 with a tripod-mounted camera). I haven't noticed any problem with flare, but we use it with a lens hood at all times. I did some test shots with this lens using a *ist DL digital body and the results were good.

[ericc]

JIt is actually a decent performer. Images are sharp and the AF and zoom function smoothly. It appears to have slightly less contrast than the SMC lenses but otherwise it delivers nice images across the zoom range.

I'll second that. It's no FA *, but it doesn't suck, either. With the appropriate caution of "don't point it directly at the sun", it does quite well. The only drawback is the blasted thing is heavy. Even compared to other zooms available in the 80's and 90's. Certainly heavier than these plasticky DA's.

[karlito]

how are you managing to get a good result with the lens??? i find it hard to get a good shot with that lens. any tips??

[Col]

did you find it on the Belgian ebay (ebay.be) or on the "international" one ?

I don't see it on ebay.be and I've been looking there for Pentax lenses for the past days. (even recently bought the A version of that lens last monday, now just waiting for it to arrive).

Its on the UK ebay
eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

[boriscleto]

Its on the UK ebay
eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Notice the date of the post you are replying to. Thread necromancy...

[stevebrot]

FWIW...$100 USD (or CA for that matter) is too much money. $45 would be more appropriate. In other words, what would you be willing to pay for an off-brand AF lens at the same focal length?


Steve