[pmighetto]

Hi,

I've got a SMC Pentax FAJ 28-80mm AL f/3.5-5.6 lens which I think came with my *istD digital camera. After looking at more recent reviews it looks like this is not a bad kit lens after all. Since I've now upgraded my digital lenses, I want to use this one on one of my kids SF1 or SF1N 35mm film cameras. I know this lens doesn't have the A-ring but I have others that do so I'll use them when teaching the kids how and when to use the A-ring.

Can any one tell me the zoom range of this lens when used on film cameras?

Better yet can you tell me the conversion factor number so I can multiply it by the zoom range of my other digital zooms so I can find out the range for these lenses when used on film cameras?

Thanks for the help.

Best Regards,

Paul Mighetto

[boriscleto]

28-80 mm

The FA series were designed for film. The DA zooms are not likely to be useable on film as they will vignette at the wide end.

Pentax K-Mount Lenses Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series

Crop factor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In digital photography, a crop factor is related to the ratio of the dimensions of a camera's imaging area compared to a reference format; most often, this term is applied to digital cameras, relative to 35 mm film format as a reference. In the case of digital cameras, the imaging device would be a digital sensor. The most commonly used definition of crop factor is the ratio of a 35mm frame's diagonal (43.3mm) to the diagonal of the image sensor in question; that is, CF=diag35mm/diagsensor. Given the same 3:2 aspect ratio as 35mm's 36mm x 24mm area, this is equivalent to the ratio of heights or ratio of widths; the ratio of sensor areas is the square of the crop factor.

The crop factor is also commonly referred to as the focal length multiplier ("FLM") since multiplying a lens focal length by the crop factor or FLM gives the focal length of a lens that would yield the same field of view if used on the reference format. For example, a lens with a 50mm focal length on an imaging area with a crop factor of 1.6 with respect to the reference format (usually 35mm) will yield the same field of view that a lens with an 80mm focal length will yield on the reference format. It is important to note that the focal length of the lens does not change by using a smaller imaging area; the field of view is correspondingly smaller because a smaller area of the image circle cast by the lens is used by the smaller imaging area.

The term format factor is sometimes also used, and is a more neutral term that corresponds to the German word for this concept, Formatfaktor.

[TER-OR]

This lens on a film body will be similar to an 18-55 on a digital body, judging by field of view. This was a standard kit zoom of its time.

[pmighetto]

Thanks a lot,

"The FA series were designed for film." This explains everything. I always assumed I got a digital lens with my digital camera *ispD" kit.

The least Pentax could have done was to update there kits when digital lenses became available. This has been one reason, I wait a couple of years before I purchase. I like to make sure other manufactures support the products too.
Plus, I think I purchases it for around $700.00 instead of the original list price which was just under $1700.00. I just wish I could find my original paper work. I would have never have tossed it until long after I no longer owned it.

[TER-OR]

They did produce a new kit lens for digital - the 18-55, which as mentioned gives a similar view to the 28-80 on film. That 18-55 has been redesigned twice now, and is reportedly one of the better kit zooms on the market. The new one is the Weather Resistant version, making those K50s fully weather-resistant.

I don't know whether the *istD was marketed in a kit with a lens, that was well before my time with DSLRs. Perhaps the first generation of DSLRs taught the manufacturers some valuable lessons. The K10 was packaged with the 18-55, though.

[boriscleto]

They did produce a new kit lens for digital - the 18-55, which as mentioned gives a similar view to the 28-80 on film. That 18-55 has been redesigned twice now, and is reportedly one of the better kit zooms on the market. The new one is the Weather Resistant version, making those K50s fully weather-resistant.

I don't know whether the *istD was marketed in a kit with a lens, that was well before my time with DSLRs. Perhaps the first generation of DSLRs taught the manufacturers some valuable lessons. The K10 was packaged with the 18-55, though.

At the time the *ist D was introduced (2003) Pentax also introduced the FA J 18-35 and the DA 16-45. The rest of the DA series came later.

Pentax *ist D SLR Review: Lens Mount, Lenses, Af System - Steves Digicams

[Lowell Goudge]

Hi,

I've got a SMC Pentax FAJ 28-80mm AL f/3.5-5.6 lens which I think came with my *istD digital camera. After looking at more recent reviews it looks like this is not a bad kit lens after all. Since I've now upgraded my digital lenses, I want to use this one on one of my kids SF1 or SF1N 35mm film cameras. I know this lens doesn't have the A-ring but I have others that do so I'll use them when teaching the kids how and when to use the A-ring.

Can any one tell me the zoom range of this lens when used on film cameras?

Better yet can you tell me the conversion factor number so I can multiply it by the zoom range of my other digital zooms so I can find out the range for these lenses when used on film cameras?

Thanks for the help.

Best Regards,

Paul Mighetto

The original kit lens for the *istD was the FA-J 18-35. I know, I bought an early production *istD within 1 month of the cameras release date, still have both the lens and camera by the way.

The 28-80 would have come as a list lens for the film *ist.