Film era K-mount zoom lenses to potentially fill a gap.

pathdoc · 01-04-2016, 01:13 PM

I currently have, in full-frame, the span from 19mm to 210mm covered as follows...

From 19mm to 35mm, the Vivitar f/3.5 Series 1, which I believe is constant 3.5.

From 28mm to 90mm, the Pentax FA 28-90mm f3.5-5.6

At the tele end, I have managed to grossly overpopulate the 70/80-200/210mm bracket, but the important one here is a Sigma 70-210mm f/3.5-5.6, because of all of them it is the lightest, most compact, and (like its shorter focal length brethren) has A contacts.

Thus I have what amounts to full functionality all the way from 19mm to 210mm with three lenses with ALL my K-mount film bodies (all of which are manual focus). HOWEVER, the one glaring problem here is the dismal manual focus of the FA28-90, a thing which AFAIK is a feature of the lens rather than a bug of my copy. There is almost literally no damping at all, and I am seriously considering either swapping this back to the K-5 (on which its performance as a lightweight, outdoor fair-weather lens is more than adequate) or - shock-horror - parting with it. (Can you hear my dismal wailing beginning already?

)

SO the gap I would like to fill is the immortal kit lens gap... from 35mm to 70mm, ideally in PK-A, mount or third-party compatible therewith, cheap and cheerful. I can make do without the A contacts if necessary, as the two most likely candidate cameras are the ME and the P30T, but my P3 would occasionally (e.g. flash) benefit from full auto, especially if I end up giving it to one of my kids at some stage.

I know there's some good, some bad and some extremely horrifically ugly K, M and A-era zooms out there in this range, and the lens reviews don't always tell the whole story, nor do they really allow a back-and-forth discussion. At this stage I'm mostly in the gathering-information phase; acquisition would most likely occur on a holiday, when I'm in a big city and can actually handle an example of one or more of the recommended lenses, put it on the K-5 for sample shots, etc, and possibly hand the 28-90 over in some sort of exchange for it (thus I try to mitigate my LBA).

At this stage my standard of focus damping could best be defined as "not worse than the 28mm, 50mm/1.4 or 135mm/2.8 FA primes", all of which are quite acceptable for me when put to that test. Slowing down to f/5.6 at the long end is a price I would be prepared to pay, but something faster (or constant aperture) would be a very definite advantage.

Your thoughts are welcome. For the record, yes, I have seriously considered making the 28-90 on a film camera a "single in" challenge contender to let it justify its presence, but you necessarily wouldn't be seeing the pictures without a significant delay, which seems to miss the whole point of "single in".

**boriscleto** · 01-04-2016, 01:56 PM

The "Stack of Primes"...

SMC Pentax-A 35-105mm F3.5 Reviews - A Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

pathdoc · 01-04-2016, 02:52 PM

The big danger with this is that I would then go looking for a 100-300 or 80-320 to link up properly with the upper part of its range and leave less overlap. LBA = the harshest mistress.

**gofour3** · 01-04-2016, 03:06 PM

Originally posted by boriscleto

The "Stack of Primes"...

SMC Pentax-A 35-105mm F3.5 Reviews - A Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Yeah that would be my first choice as well. I also have the M35-70/2.8-3.5 which is also pretty good and a bit lighter, though it has no "A" setting as the OP requested.

Phil.

**monochrome** · 01-04-2016, 03:12 PM

A35~70/4 and M75~150. About $100 the pair.

pathdoc · 01-04-2016, 04:14 PM

The stack of primes is very appetite whetting, but it comes across as quite a weighty beast on paper. The M35-70 has the advantage of being fast (though it slows down a little at the zoom end), and it's just a shame that the 35-70 f/2.8 wasn't made in a purely manual focus version, or it would have been absolutely perfect. A35-70/4.0 looks significantly lighter, and for the constant f4 I could live with the half-stop loss at the short end to keep half a stop at the long.

Ultimately it would all depend on whether I found one in the flesh and how it felt on the camera.

Any experience with third-party options?

troika · 01-04-2016, 04:24 PM

Originally posted by boriscleto

The "Stack of Primes"...

SMC Pentax-A 35-105mm F3.5 Reviews - A Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Yep. Beat me to it, but I was thinking the same thing.

---------- Post added 01-04-16 at 03:25 PM ----------

Originally posted by pathdoc

The stack of primes is very appetite whetting, but it comes across as quite a weighty beast on paper. ...

No, I don't feel that way about it at all. Good build quality, not unwieldy at all.

Fogel70 · 01-04-2016, 05:29 PM

I would be happy to use 50/1.4 to cover the gap between 35-70mm.

**southlander** · 01-04-2016, 05:40 PM

I got a M 35-70 in the mail yesterday. Looks to be in absolutely mint condition which is a good start.

Will report back when i have had time to try it out.

The variable aperture of this lens is only 2/3rds of a stop, and only 1/3rd of a stop over a lot of the zoom range. Not a lot at all compared to the 1.3+ stop variation of kit zooms and it starts anyway from a relatively fast F2.8 (so you don't end up anywhere like the rather annoying F5.6+ at the long end of consumer zooms). If your camera has in-camera metering (and I count the Green button on dSLR's), I don't see a small variation in aperture over the zoom range as much of an issue in real life use.

First observation is that it is quite weighty for its size, so there must be lots of glass inside. I'm not a huge fan of push-pull zoom mechanisms, I'll see how I warm to this on the M 35-70.

FA24-90 3.5-4.5 might be another option. I have one of those somewhere. I'll drag it out and remind myself of the focusing ring feel.

pathdoc · 01-04-2016, 05:46 PM

Originally posted by Fogel70

I would be happy to use 50/1.4 to cover the gap between 35-70mm.

That thought did occur to me as a practical in the field option, and I have a couple of 50mm primes that could do the job, but this post is primarily to look at zoom options.

---------- Post added 04-01-16 at 21:19 ----------

Originally posted by southlander

I got a M 35-70 in the mail yesterday. Looks to be in absolutely mint condition which is a good start...

...variable aperture of this lens is only 2/3rds of a stop, and only 1/3rd of a stop over a lot of the zoom range. Not a lot at all compared to the 1.3+ stop variation of kit zooms and it starts anyway from a relatively fast F2.8 (so you don't end up anywhere like the rather annoying F5.6+ at the long end of consumer zooms)...

... FA24-90 3.5-4.5 might be another option. I have one of those somewhere. I'll drag it out and remind myself of the focusing ring feel.

What convenient timing!! All grist for the LBA mill, and many thanks; I look forward to your impressions in due course.

GeneV · 01-04-2016, 05:51 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

A35~70/4 and M75~150. About $100 the pair.

The M75-150 is a great performer. It does not have the A contact, but mine still gets use. It is also nice on an A6000,with adapter, but that is another story entirely.

**monochrome** · 01-04-2016, 05:52 PM

1. adaptall-2.org
2. Tamron SP Adaptall-2 35-80mm F/2.8-3.8 Model 01A

The Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 35~80/2.8~3.8 01A is a stellar sleeper medium zoom I had some years ago and foolishly sold to KEH. The second link is fully descriptive. With the correct adapter the lens functions as a 'A' lens.

**boriscleto** · 01-05-2016, 07:09 AM

Originally posted by GeneV

The M75-150 is a great performer. It does not have the A contact, but mine still gets use. It is also nice on an A6000,with adapter, but that is another story entirely.

I have mine attached to a Q10...

pathdoc · 01-05-2016, 07:31 AM

Originally posted by GeneV

The M75-150 is a great performer.

I believe you, but I already have the FL range thoroughly covered several times over. There comes a time when LBA really is just about the collecting and not about the utility, and IMO to get this when I have two 80-200's, a 70-210 and a (very large and heavy screwmount) 70-220 f/3.5 would be to go to a place I really don't want to go. This is about potentially replacing a lens in the 28-35 to 70-80mm range, so let's keep things on topic.

**pepperberry farm** · 01-05-2016, 08:05 AM

TSOP would be my vote, also.... and it's not that heavy....

01-04-2016, 01:13 PM	#1
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	Film era K-mount zoom lenses to potentially fill a gap. I currently have, in full-frame, the span from 19mm to 210mm covered as follows... From 19mm to 35mm, the Vivitar f/3.5 Series 1, which I believe is constant 3.5. From 28mm to 90mm, the Pentax FA 28-90mm f3.5-5.6 At the tele end, I have managed to grossly overpopulate the 70/80-200/210mm bracket, but the important one here is a Sigma 70-210mm f/3.5-5.6, because of all of them it is the lightest, most compact, and (like its shorter focal length brethren) has A contacts. Thus I have what amounts to full functionality all the way from 19mm to 210mm with three lenses with ALL my K-mount film bodies (all of which are manual focus). HOWEVER, the one glaring problem here is the dismal manual focus of the FA28-90, a thing which AFAIK is a feature of the lens rather than a bug of my copy. There is almost literally no damping at all, and I am seriously considering either swapping this back to the K-5 (on which its performance as a lightweight, outdoor fair-weather lens is more than adequate) or - shock-horror - parting with it. (Can you hear my dismal wailing beginning already? ) SO the gap I would like to fill is the immortal kit lens gap... from 35mm to 70mm, ideally in PK-A, mount or third-party compatible therewith, cheap and cheerful. I can make do without the A contacts if necessary, as the two most likely candidate cameras are the ME and the P30T, but my P3 would occasionally (e.g. flash) benefit from full auto, especially if I end up giving it to one of my kids at some stage. I know there's some good, some bad and some extremely horrifically ugly K, M and A-era zooms out there in this range, and the lens reviews don't always tell the whole story, nor do they really allow a back-and-forth discussion. At this stage I'm mostly in the gathering-information phase; acquisition would most likely occur on a holiday, when I'm in a big city and can actually handle an example of one or more of the recommended lenses, put it on the K-5 for sample shots, etc, and possibly hand the 28-90 over in some sort of exchange for it (thus I try to mitigate my LBA). At this stage my standard of focus damping could best be defined as "not worse than the 28mm, 50mm/1.4 or 135mm/2.8 FA primes", all of which are quite acceptable for me when put to that test. Slowing down to f/5.6 at the long end is a price I would be prepared to pay, but something faster (or constant aperture) would be a very definite advantage. Your thoughts are welcome. For the record, yes, I have seriously considered making the 28-90 on a film camera a "single in" challenge contender to let it justify its presence, but you necessarily wouldn't be seeing the pictures without a significant delay, which seems to miss the whole point of "single in".

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01-04-2016, 01:56 PM	#2
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	The "Stack of Primes"... SMC Pentax-A 35-105mm F3.5 Reviews - A Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

01-04-2016, 02:52 PM	#3
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381 Original Poster	The big danger with this is that I would then go looking for a 100-300 or 80-320 to link up properly with the upper part of its range and leave less overlap. LBA = the harshest mistress.

01-04-2016, 03:06 PM	#4
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,091	Originally posted by boriscleto The "Stack of Primes"... SMC Pentax-A 35-105mm F3.5 Reviews - A Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database Yeah that would be my first choice as well. I also have the M35-70/2.8-3.5 which is also pretty good and a bit lighter, though it has no "A" setting as the OP requested. Phil.

01-04-2016, 03:12 PM	#5
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	A35~70/4 and M75~150. About $100 the pair.

01-04-2016, 04:14 PM	#6
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381 Original Poster	The stack of primes is very appetite whetting, but it comes across as quite a weighty beast on paper. The M35-70 has the advantage of being fast (though it slows down a little at the zoom end), and it's just a shame that the 35-70 f/2.8 wasn't made in a purely manual focus version, or it would have been absolutely perfect. A35-70/4.0 looks significantly lighter, and for the constant f4 I could live with the half-stop loss at the short end to keep half a stop at the long. Ultimately it would all depend on whether I found one in the flesh and how it felt on the camera. Any experience with third-party options?

01-04-2016, 04:24 PM	#7
troika Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Seattle, WA USA Posts: 1,753	Originally posted by boriscleto The "Stack of Primes"... SMC Pentax-A 35-105mm F3.5 Reviews - A Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database Yep. Beat me to it, but I was thinking the same thing. ---------- Post added 01-04-16 at 03:25 PM ---------- Originally posted by pathdoc The stack of primes is very appetite whetting, but it comes across as quite a weighty beast on paper. ... No, I don't feel that way about it at all. Good build quality, not unwieldy at all.

01-04-2016, 05:29 PM	#8
Fogel70 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Photos: Albums Posts: 3,062	I would be happy to use 50/1.4 to cover the gap between 35-70mm.

01-04-2016, 05:40 PM	#9
southlander Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Adelaide Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,364	I got a M 35-70 in the mail yesterday. Looks to be in absolutely mint condition which is a good start. Will report back when i have had time to try it out. The variable aperture of this lens is only 2/3rds of a stop, and only 1/3rd of a stop over a lot of the zoom range. Not a lot at all compared to the 1.3+ stop variation of kit zooms and it starts anyway from a relatively fast F2.8 (so you don't end up anywhere like the rather annoying F5.6+ at the long end of consumer zooms). If your camera has in-camera metering (and I count the Green button on dSLR's), I don't see a small variation in aperture over the zoom range as much of an issue in real life use. First observation is that it is quite weighty for its size, so there must be lots of glass inside. I'm not a huge fan of push-pull zoom mechanisms, I'll see how I warm to this on the M 35-70. FA24-90 3.5-4.5 might be another option. I have one of those somewhere. I'll drag it out and remind myself of the focusing ring feel.

01-04-2016, 05:46 PM	#10
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381 Original Poster	Originally posted by Fogel70 I would be happy to use 50/1.4 to cover the gap between 35-70mm. That thought did occur to me as a practical in the field option, and I have a couple of 50mm primes that could do the job, but this post is primarily to look at zoom options. ---------- Post added 04-01-16 at 21:19 ---------- Originally posted by southlander I got a M 35-70 in the mail yesterday. Looks to be in absolutely mint condition which is a good start... ...variable aperture of this lens is only 2/3rds of a stop, and only 1/3rd of a stop over a lot of the zoom range. Not a lot at all compared to the 1.3+ stop variation of kit zooms and it starts anyway from a relatively fast F2.8 (so you don't end up anywhere like the rather annoying F5.6+ at the long end of consumer zooms)... ... FA24-90 3.5-4.5 might be another option. I have one of those somewhere. I'll drag it out and remind myself of the focusing ring feel. What convenient timing!! All grist for the LBA mill, and many thanks; I look forward to your impressions in due course.

01-04-2016, 05:51 PM	#11
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by monochrome A35~70/4 and M75~150. About $100 the pair. The M75-150 is a great performer. It does not have the A contact, but mine still gets use. It is also nice on an A6000,with adapter, but that is another story entirely.

01-04-2016, 05:52 PM	#12
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	1. adaptall-2.org 2. Tamron SP Adaptall-2 35-80mm F/2.8-3.8 Model 01A The Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 35~80/2.8~3.8 01A is a stellar sleeper medium zoom I had some years ago and foolishly sold to KEH. The second link is fully descriptive. With the correct adapter the lens functions as a 'A' lens.

01-05-2016, 07:09 AM	#13
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by GeneV The M75-150 is a great performer. It does not have the A contact, but mine still gets use. It is also nice on an A6000,with adapter, but that is another story entirely. I have mine attached to a Q10...

01-05-2016, 07:31 AM	#14
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381 Original Poster	Originally posted by GeneV The M75-150 is a great performer. I believe you, but I already have the FL range thoroughly covered several times over. There comes a time when LBA really is just about the collecting and not about the utility, and IMO to get this when I have two 80-200's, a 70-210 and a (very large and heavy screwmount) 70-220 f/3.5 would be to go to a place I really don't want to go. This is about potentially replacing a lens in the 28-35 to 70-80mm range, so let's keep things on topic.

01-05-2016, 08:05 AM	#15
pepperberry farm amateur dirt farmer Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 41,676	TSOP would be my vote, also.... and it's not that heavy....