[lesmore49]

Mine...'fanfare or trumpets'....here they are:

- Pentax 'A' F 3.5 35-105mm Macro
- Pentax 12-24mm...Popular Photography says...best of the bunch
- Pentax 55-300mm....for a consumer lens this punches above it's weight class
- Pentax 10-17 mm F 3.5, Fish eye

I got them all .

[John Poirier]

Some of you may remember the J.Colwell SPLOS.DB Pentax lens rating and pricing database from about 10 years ago, published by this Canadian photographer and collector. You may also remember Robert Monaghan's Megasite and the sub-forum Cult Classics. That set of pages may well be the source of the Vivitar Series 1 fetish among manual focus people here.

Unfortunately the Cult Classics pages went dark several years ago and have never come back up. But J. Colwell has done it again - in May, 2011 he posted a .pdf of the contents of the pages to Fred Miranda.com, linked HERE You can download the .pdf (its 64 pages) and perhaps it will refreshj your memory of stellar, Legendary Lenses you once owned that should be in this Thread

There are also links to what's left of the megasite!!

I own or have owned these in PK or P/KA mount: I have no idea how to rank them, nor will I limit myself to 10 lenses. I can't tell you what possessed me in any given month to sell one of these and try another other than that's what I do. I have and have owned lots more lenses, but these are the ones I beleive should be considered for Legend status.

Tamron SP 90/2.5 Macro BB
Tamron SP 70~210/3.5
Tamron 35~80/2.8~3.8
Vivitar Series 1 ver. 3 70~210/2.8~4.0
Vivitar Series 1 105/2.5 Macro (bought NOS in California) - never should have sold that one
K24/2.8
K28/3.5
K50/1.2
A50/1.4
FA50/2.8 Macro
K135/2.5
K200/2.5

I've come across an archived version of the Monaghan Cult Classics site. Third Party Lenses Resource Megasite Home Page Much if not all of it seems to be there.

The Vivitar Series 1 fetish is an interesting phenomenon. I had access to a version 1 or 2 Series ! 70-210 many years ago. Tested it, found it lacking in flare control and colour rendition relative to both Pentax A 70-210 and first generation AF Nikkor 80-200/2.8. I'd also rate the Pentax F 70-210, M 70-150, K 85-210 and SMC 85-210 higher based on later comparisons of those lenses with A 70-210. While the Series 1 lenses were excellent for their time, there are many equally good or better zooms around.

OTOH, I've owned a Vivitar Series 1 300/3.0 since 1980. Bought it for shooting hockey when I was in the newspaper business. A really nice lens- sharp, good contrast, and focuses close. Still a pleasure to use.

A legend? Sure. Why not?

John

[DirkG]

If I remember well you also had K20/4 once, haven't you? How does it compare to Contax Zeiss 21/2.8? To me it is pretty good glass, but I have seen some tests of Zeiss 21 and my jaw dropped, though never heard anybody comparing Pentax 20/4 directly to Contax 21.

The superior image quality of Contax Zeiss 21/2.8 shows up specifically in the corners. If the expression "corner to corner sharpness" was ever applied with good reason, it would be in relation to the Zeiss 21/2.8. (Of course, I am talking about cropped sensor use here. I wouldn't know if the sharpness extends to the corners on full frame.) So, as a landscape lens, when you want to capture the fine detail of a tree to the left and a mountain top to the right, it is really amazing.

In the center of the image, I would rate the performance of K20/4 and Contax Zeiss 21/2.8 to be on a par. The color cast is different, with contrasty 'Zeiss colors' versus brighter colors on the Pentax, but the center resolution is similar - with this nuance that in my experience the Zeiss reaches its maximum at f4 already, whereas the Pentax is best when stopped down to f8.

Distorsion and purple fringing are better controlled on the Zeiss (in the case of purple fringing, much better - it can be pretty outspoken on K20/4), but flare is a bigger problem for the Zeiss than for the Pentax.

All in all, I have always been positively impressed by K20/4 (which I found much more appealing than DA21), and that impression has not evaporated by using the Contax Zeiss 21/2.8. The Zeiss is superior, definitely, but in my book, K20/4 is still a very good and extremely enjoyable lens.

[Moe49]

DA15ltd - no one makes one of this quality at this size for APS-C DSLRs
FA*24 - Fantastic walkabout FL; great contrast; good speed and enough for some shallow DOF effects; nice bokeh considering its a 24mm which is not the case for many WA focal lengths
FA*85 - Bokehlicious;
FA43ltd - small and portable; versatile FL even on APS-C; sharp; well made; nice OOF rendition; did I say sharp?
FA77ltd - so small for a portrait prime; well made; sharp and nice OOF rendition; much smaller and therefore portable than 85mm options for almost the same effect
FA*80-200 - Every FL is sharp and very contrasty. One of the most contrasty lens I have. Beautiful bokeh at every focal length too.
FA*200 - Sharp and in every way comparable to the 80-200, except that is not a zoom. But much more portable and lighter to handle.
F*300 - sharp from wide open. So small and easy to handle for a 300mm. Built in hood. Just wonderful piece of engineering that is again unique to Pentax

+1
I have some of these Pentax "Holy Grails", and my experience agrees with your short assesments of them.

I would add that I cannot shoot the 300mm without a monopod/tripod. It is just impossible for me to keep distant subjects within the frame and get a steady shot with it handheld.

I also use a monopod/tripod with the 80-200mm because of it's weight. It is easy to shoot handheld, but it is much easier to pack about on a stick rather than hanging from my shoulder.

The other four lenses you list are currently on my 'wish' list, and I will likely get at least two of them

---

Last edited by Moe49; 07-02-2012 at 12:08 PM.

[slackercruster]

I guess any lens which is still available cannot be classed as "legendary" because its reputation is still being formed. Once it has stopped being available and is out of the catalogue, then it becomes a legend (or not) to be picked up second-hand or from old stock tucked away somewhere.

The only one I've used which might qualify is the smc-A 50mm f1.4. Love this lens.

Others which might be legendary and which I would certainly buy if I could afford them (which I can't) are some of the Voigtlander and Zeiss lenses.

I don't know whether the FA 31mm or FA 77mm, for example, are legendary prospects but I suspect we will have to wait ten or twenty years to find out, until the delight in ownership has faded and we are left only with the images.

We don't have to be that tight on definitions of legendary. You can offer current lenses you think will fit the bill.

Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 is one that comes to mind if we were discussing Nikon. So, yes current models are OK.

[Bart]

FA 31mm Ltd
FA 43mm Ltd
A 50mm f1.2
FA 77mm Ltd
Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 125mm f2.5
Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 180mm f4
FA* 300m f4.5
FA* 28-70mm
FA* 80-200mm
And last but not least: 50mm f1.4 Super Takumar

[rvannatta]

Well I looked a what others have and I agree with some and disagree with others here is my shot

K/28/f2. I bought this animal new with by K2 Camera body. It deserves a legand status because it was not only a high quality lens, it was wider and faster than the run of the mill 35mm f/2.8 or 3.5 usually pushed on people as a "wide angle" in its day. Used it as my walking around lens for 20 years until it alas walked off.
FA*24/f2 Once again pushed the envelope on 'wider and faster' while providing quality as a centerpiece.
K-15/3.5 Bubble nose (in various mounts) A lens that still creates a clamor when one comes up for sale. I have no idea why it isn't mentioned more. It's just unique.
Pentax 200 mm Macro: Obviously a legend. few earthlings (including me) have ever seen one. Big foot must have rounded them all up and hidden them in his cave.
Pentax A*400 f/2.8. I own 3 of this long family ( conflict declaration-- the 300/f2.8 is for sale). the 400 rates as the legend of them because it comes close to breaking the pentax weight record (6 kilos) at around 13 lbs. and is just one of those OH my God lenses to see.. the odd ball 145mm front filter size qualfies it as well. Only the 600/f4 and the 1200/f8 are larger and heavier. aside from the 1200 it is probably the most rare.
Finally, I would nominate the Pentax M* and A* 300/f4.---this lens pair is just special for its short barrel. It was a good 300 by any measure, and the short barrel
just makes it superspecial.

---

Last edited by rvannatta; 02-14-2012 at 08:04 PM.

[Zav]

Regarding the K-15, I personally did not find it very good, The DA15 is simply better in my opinion.

[zapp]

Let me add a couple lenses that can be converted to Pentax
LeicaR 15 mm (II), LeicaR 90AA, LeicaR 100 Apo Macro, LeicaR 4/280 Apo - not completely sure the 15 mm fits after conversion

[pinholecam]

+1
I have some of these Pentax "Holy Grails", and my experience agrees with your short assesments of them.

I would add that I cannot shoot the 300mm without a monopod/tripod, it is just impossible for me to get a steady shot with it handheld.

I also use a monopod/tripod with the 80-200mm because of it's weight. It is easy to shoot handheld, but it is much easier to pack about on a stick rather than hanging from my shoulder.

The other four lenses you list are currently on my 'wish' list, and I will likely get at least two of them

Its nice to hear other experiences with those lenses.
Yes, F*300 is pretty hard to get steady shots w/o a mono/tripod at that FL. I'd often need 1/250 or better to get steady shots, but on the K5 with higher ISO performance, I've also noticed that its easier to do it.



Gd luck getting the others you plan on buying

[pinholecam]

Very good MF lenses, that I have :


K24/2.8 - 'smallish'; very sharp from wide open in the center and very good contrast; I find that it has a sweet spot from f3.2 to f4 where the subject just 'pops' with the sharpness and contrast, while the bkgnd remains slightly OOF.

Revuenon/Cosina 55/1.2 - f1.2 and unique bokeh. Simply makes magic for shallow DOF shots for objects within minimum focus distance to about 2m

M85/2 - I'd go as far as to consider it the spiritual predecessor of the 77ltd. So small for a 85mm (almost the size of a 50/1.4). My go to shallow DOF and portrait prime due to its portability. Sharpness from wide open is real good too, and though the 77ltd is sharper on MTF, in real images, the differences is not significant nor apparent. Only weakness is CA and loss of contrast in very bright situations.

K135/2.5 - Fast, good contrast and nice rendering. Too bad its at the limit of my MF ability due to size and long focus throw. A wonderful long portrait lens w/o breaking the bank.

[Abbazz]

Well, I could just make a list like anyone and their dog, that would include all the Voigtländer Apo Lanthars, as well as the Pentax Stars and Limiteds... But we all get bored by those lenses delivering perfectly sharp and aberration free pictures! So let's get a bit more creative...

Here's my top 10 (only among the lenses I own, and in no particular order):

1. Pentax DA 18-250/3.5-6.3: the mother of all lenses. Champion for versatility and more useful than ever, now that there are DSLRs capable of delivering good quality high ISO pictures and correcting the aberrations on the spot!

2. Pentax DA 35/2.8 Macro Limited: we need at least one Limited here, don't we? To my taste, this is the best of the bunch: punchy colors, useful focal length, great contrast and macro icing on the cake!

3. Pentax DA 10-17/3.5-4.5 FE: for all the wide end needs. I prefer fish-eyes to rectilinear ultra wide angles, because I feel their circular distortion is more acceptable than the linear elongation that happens on the borders of pictures taken with rectilinear lenses.

4. Pentax F* 300/4.5: for the reach. My best telephoto and one of the most compact 300s. Works great with teleconverters too.

5. Voigtländer Nokton 58/1.4: a good quality fast lens for those low light situations. And its focal length of 58mm makes it a perfect lens for portraiture on an APS-C sensor (87mm equivalent).

6. Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100/2.8: a fun short telephoto. Wide open it's quite dreamy with a rather unusual bokeh, but it sharpens nicely when stopped down. Good looking lens too!

7. Tamron Adaptall SP 350/5.6: a mirror telephoto for donuts lovers. Light and compact telephoto of high optical quality. Very useful close focusing ability.

8. Pentax FA 85/2.8 Soft Focus: for those pictorial shots. I love soft focus lenses and this one is a great one. Autofocus is a big plus.

9. Voigtländer 180/4: great telephoto in the pocket. A compact telephoto with superb optical quality and close focusing ability. My favorite landscape lens!

10. Helios 40-2 85/1.5: beautiful portrait lens. Although this lens is even better when used on full frame cameras, it delivers nice results for headshots on APS-C DSLRs.

Cheers!

Abbazz

[TOUGEFC]

After looking at 4 pages, I would agree with many, dis-agree with many, many I doubt and many are questionable.

Of the all the lenses Ive used over the years only two make the " legendary status"

The FA77 ltd and the DA*55 f/1.4

[Patriot]

Legendary lenses I've owned :

A 50mm f1.2
A 100mm f2.8 macro
F 50 f/1.7
FA 31mm Ltd
FA 43mm Ltd
FA 77mm Ltd
FA* 300m f4.5
Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 125mm f2.5
Pentax TC AF 1.7x

[Abbazz]

I made a few modifications to my previous list, in order to include a wider range of lenses of all kinds.

Here's my revised top 10 (only among the lenses I own, and in focal length order):

1. Pentax DA 10-17/3.5-4.5 FE: for all the wide end needs. I prefer fish-eyes to rectilinear ultra wide angles, because I feel their circular distortion is more acceptable than the linear elongation that happens on the borders of pictures taken with rectilinear lenses.

2. Pentax DA 18-250/3.5-6.3: the mother of all lenses. Champion for versatility and more useful than ever, now that there are DSLRs capable of delivering good quality high ISO pictures and correcting the aberrations on the spot!

3. Arax 35/2.8 Tilt/Shift: a lens that rocks and rolls! Initially designed for a short lived Ukrainian 4.5 x 6 SLR, this 35mm lens has a large coverage, allowing an impressive range of shifts ans tilts when mounted in front of an APS-C sensor.

4. Pentax DA 35/2.8 Macro Limited: we need at least one Limited here, don't we? To my taste, this is the best of the bunch: punchy colors, useful focal length, great contrast and macro icing on the cake!

5. Porst 55/1.2: a fast lens for those low light situations. Its focal length of 55mm makes it a perfect lens for portraiture on an APS-C sensor (83mm equivalent). Il's quite dreamy when used close up and wide open -- which is great for portraits -- but much sharper at a greater distance or at infinity, even at F/1.2, which makes it a great lens for low light stage shots!

6. Pentax FA 85/2.8 Soft Focus: for those pictorial shots. I love soft focus lenses and this one is a great one. Autofocus is a big plus.

7. Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100/2.8: a fun short telephoto. Wide open it's quite dreamy with a rather unusual bokeh, but it sharpens nicely when stopped down. Good looking lens too!

8. Voigtländer 180/4: great telephoto in the pocket. A compact telephoto with superb optical quality and close focusing ability. Of course, the 125mm is a tiny bit better optically and also focuses closer, but it's much bigger and heavier too, making it a shelf queen... This 180 is my favorite landscape and nature lens!

9. Pentax F* 300/4.5: for the reach. My best telephoto and one of the most compact 300s. Works great with teleconverters too.

10. Tamron Adaptall SP 350/5.6: a mirror telephoto for doughnuts lovers. Light and compact telephoto of high optical quality. Very useful close focusing ability.

Cheers!

Abbazz