Hoya HMC Wide Auto 24mm Lens

Mike M. · 07-11-2011, 10:59 PM

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Anyone have any experience with this lens or any other Hoya branded manual focus lenses? I'm curious about the quality.

Mike

ovim · 07-11-2011, 11:46 PM

Dunno abaout the 24mm but in this old test I found on the net the Hoya 2.8/28mm gets above average points (one star less than SMC-M 2.8/28mm).

axl · 07-12-2011, 03:31 AM

Time ago there was a guy here who bought tested and discarded the Hoya HMC 28/2.8. I used to have Hoya HMC 135/2.8. They are cheap and well built lenses but that's it. The coatings are bad, contrast low and sharpness not up to standards unless you won't stop down.... If you are after cheap 24, look at Sigma Super Wide 24/2.8 (AF or MF versions). It's not the best lens (I'd say Pentax K24/2.8 is better, A24/2.8 is as K but with A contact FA*24 [good copy] beats them all) but it's decent and can be had for cheap..

Mike M. · 07-12-2011, 10:58 AM

Axl, thanks for the info. I was intrigued by the size of the Hoya -- it looked well built and is compact. But there is very little info on the net . . . which in itself probably says a lot. I'll look for something else. The days of great prices on Pentax lenses are long gone.

Mike

Nick Siebers · 07-12-2011, 08:31 PM

There was someone on here who raved about the Hoya lenses, though, I forget who that was. Might not be a bad pick-up, for the right price.

Mike M. · 07-13-2011, 11:42 AM

Nick, I was hoping to stumble upon something like that, but the search feature on this forum didn't come up with anything.

Mike

EnglishmaninNY · 12-12-2011, 10:12 AM

Its taken 2 years to get round to it but over the weekend I decided to do a little research on the hand me down lens from my dad. The HMC HOYA 24mm f2.8 happens to be one of them.

I've rarely used it as its much easier to learn with the kit lens but when I've taken a few photos its been when I needed more light than I can get with my K7 kit zoom lens. Over the weekend I noticed that the aperture ring doesn't work. Not sure if its a:
- recent problem
- problem I didn't notice because of the way I was using it
- Limitation of the compatibility of the lens/camera

When the lens is off and I rotate the ring, I don't see the blades moving (actually I don't see the blades at all). More telling though is that I've now taken some comparison shots and there's no difference in the depth of field at different apertures.

Am I doing anything wrong? Is it worth getting it fixed? Should I open it up?

BTW
There's an old post on dpreview (including photo) about it:
Hoya HMC 28mm F2.8 auto wide - anyone heard of it?: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

There's also a recent sale of the lens on ebay (you have you use google cache link to see the details):
HMC HOYA 24mm f2.8 Lens for PENTAX KR K5 K7 KM KX K1000 MX LX ME K2 MG MV1 etc | eBay

EnglishmaninNY · 12-13-2011, 12:26 PM

Here are some photos of the lens.

excanonfd · 12-13-2011, 01:09 PM

What happens when you toggle the aperture actuating lever on the back of the lens, anything? Looking at my own M series lenses, it seems your lens has stuck diaphragm blades. If you are a handyman type and not afraid of working with miniature parts, you should be able to get the blades moving again. A 24mm lens is always more valuable than a 28mm lens, perhaps getting a quote for repairing the lens might not be a bad idea.

EnglishmaninNY · 12-13-2011, 01:34 PM

I assume the aperture actuating lever is the long bit sticking out. If so it doesn't do anything :-(

Yeah handyman sounds like me and this seems like the perfect candidate to find out. I'll open it up this weekend once I've tracked down some appropriate tools. Your help is much appreciated.

I'll take some photos beforehand so there's a record of what this model is capable of.

Hopefully should be able to get some photos from the other hand me down lens at the same time. Its a Chinon 135mm f2.8 multicoated. I've had a search around for this on the internet but most references include "AUTO" which my doesn't have. I found this lens to be much more interesting. My kit zoom lens maxes out at 55mm so it really extends my reach and the large max aperture is a real bonus.

Thanks again excanonfd

**lensnut** · 06-04-2019, 02:42 PM

This is an old post but comment on Hoya lenses is sparse.

I have, and most certainly will not part with, both the M42 and the Pentax K versions of the Hoya HMC zoom and macro 25-42mm, 1:3.5. Both are phenomenal performers, being able to support crops right up to x16, for example.The K version is resident on my K1 and few lenses can get near it for performance. It is close to Pentax * quality.

The point of this post, however is to address the comments above about apparent inactivity of the iris on a Hoya 24mm when stopping down or jiggling the rear lever. The writers are correct if it is like the 25 - 42mm. Nothing happens. BUT, if you mount the lens, turn the function dial to M / manual, set the aperture and press the green button you will hear the mechanism engage as the scene is metered and the results will be exactly as you expect, or predict them to be. The iris remains wide open until the shutter is released. I have no idea why and no idea of what is (not) happening when the lens is off the camera. All I can say is that it works perfectly when properly set up on the *istD, *istDS (AEL button doubles as green button), K5, K3 and K1.I see no reason why the 24mm should not work in the same manner.

07-11-2011, 10:59 PM	#1
Mike M. Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: oregon Posts: 24	Hoya HMC Wide Auto 24mm Lens Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Anyone have any experience with this lens or any other Hoya branded manual focus lenses? I'm curious about the quality. Mike

12-13-2011, 12:26 PM	#8
EnglishmaninNY New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	Here are some photos of the lens. Attached Images

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07-11-2011, 11:46 PM	#2
ovim Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Tre, Finland Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	Dunno abaout the 24mm but in this old test I found on the net the Hoya 2.8/28mm gets above average points (one star less than SMC-M 2.8/28mm).

07-12-2011, 03:31 AM	#3
axl Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Nove Zamky, Slovakia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,183	Time ago there was a guy here who bought tested and discarded the Hoya HMC 28/2.8. I used to have Hoya HMC 135/2.8. They are cheap and well built lenses but that's it. The coatings are bad, contrast low and sharpness not up to standards unless you won't stop down.... If you are after cheap 24, look at Sigma Super Wide 24/2.8 (AF or MF versions). It's not the best lens (I'd say Pentax K24/2.8 is better, A24/2.8 is as K but with A contact FA*24 [good copy] beats them all) but it's decent and can be had for cheap..

07-12-2011, 10:58 AM	#4
Mike M. Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: oregon Posts: 24 Original Poster	Axl, thanks for the info. I was intrigued by the size of the Hoya -- it looked well built and is compact. But there is very little info on the net . . . which in itself probably says a lot. I'll look for something else. The days of great prices on Pentax lenses are long gone. Mike

07-12-2011, 08:31 PM	#5
Nick Siebers Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,165	There was someone on here who raved about the Hoya lenses, though, I forget who that was. Might not be a bad pick-up, for the right price.

07-13-2011, 11:42 AM	#6
Mike M. Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: oregon Posts: 24 Original Poster	Nick, I was hoping to stumble upon something like that, but the search feature on this forum didn't come up with anything. Mike

12-12-2011, 10:12 AM	#7
EnglishmaninNY New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	Its taken 2 years to get round to it but over the weekend I decided to do a little research on the hand me down lens from my dad. The HMC HOYA 24mm f2.8 happens to be one of them. I've rarely used it as its much easier to learn with the kit lens but when I've taken a few photos its been when I needed more light than I can get with my K7 kit zoom lens. Over the weekend I noticed that the aperture ring doesn't work. Not sure if its a: - recent problem - problem I didn't notice because of the way I was using it - Limitation of the compatibility of the lens/camera When the lens is off and I rotate the ring, I don't see the blades moving (actually I don't see the blades at all). More telling though is that I've now taken some comparison shots and there's no difference in the depth of field at different apertures. Am I doing anything wrong? Is it worth getting it fixed? Should I open it up? BTW There's an old post on dpreview (including photo) about it: Hoya HMC 28mm F2.8 auto wide - anyone heard of it?: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review There's also a recent sale of the lens on ebay (you have you use google cache link to see the details): HMC HOYA 24mm f2.8 Lens for PENTAX KR K5 K7 KM KX K1000 MX LX ME K2 MG MV1 etc \| eBay

12-13-2011, 01:09 PM	#9
excanonfd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,421	What happens when you toggle the aperture actuating lever on the back of the lens, anything? Looking at my own M series lenses, it seems your lens has stuck diaphragm blades. If you are a handyman type and not afraid of working with miniature parts, you should be able to get the blades moving again. A 24mm lens is always more valuable than a 28mm lens, perhaps getting a quote for repairing the lens might not be a bad idea.

12-13-2011, 01:34 PM	#10
EnglishmaninNY New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	I assume the aperture actuating lever is the long bit sticking out. If so it doesn't do anything :-( Yeah handyman sounds like me and this seems like the perfect candidate to find out. I'll open it up this weekend once I've tracked down some appropriate tools. Your help is much appreciated. I'll take some photos beforehand so there's a record of what this model is capable of. Hopefully should be able to get some photos from the other hand me down lens at the same time. Its a Chinon 135mm f2.8 multicoated. I've had a search around for this on the internet but most references include "AUTO" which my doesn't have. I found this lens to be much more interesting. My kit zoom lens maxes out at 55mm so it really extends my reach and the large max aperture is a real bonus. Thanks again excanonfd

06-04-2019, 02:42 PM	#11
lensnut Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2017 Photos: Gallery Posts: 37	This is an old post but comment on Hoya lenses is sparse. I have, and most certainly will not part with, both the M42 and the Pentax K versions of the Hoya HMC zoom and macro 25-42mm, 1:3.5. Both are phenomenal performers, being able to support crops right up to x16, for example.The K version is resident on my K1 and few lenses can get near it for performance. It is close to Pentax * quality. The point of this post, however is to address the comments above about apparent inactivity of the iris on a Hoya 24mm when stopping down or jiggling the rear lever. The writers are correct if it is like the 25 - 42mm. Nothing happens. BUT, if you mount the lens, turn the function dial to M / manual, set the aperture and press the green button you will hear the mechanism engage as the scene is metered and the results will be exactly as you expect, or predict them to be. The iris remains wide open until the shutter is released. I have no idea why and no idea of what is (not) happening when the lens is off the camera. All I can say is that it works perfectly when properly set up on the istD, istDS (AEL button doubles as green button), K5, K3 and K1.I see no reason why the 24mm should not work in the same manner.