[mbukal]

if anyone has experience with the PROMASTER SPECTRUM7 AF 19-35 / 3,5-4,5, that lens I have a chance to buy for about $ 140 = in Europe, I need on a K-1, before on the Pentaxes, on the apsc, I had Pentax DA12-24 / 4, thanks.

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Last edited by mbukal; 12-21-2017 at 12:09 PM.

[jatrax]

Promaster 19-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Spectrum 7 Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

[zjacreman]

I briefly owned the manual focus version w/ Phoenix branding. They're all the same Cosina lens. Have you looked at the reviews?

I didn't hate it, but I wound up selling it to put the money toward a Pentax FA 20-35 instead. The build quality was OK, optics seemed acceptable. On the K-1, the MF version didn't adjust maximum aperture with the zoom range, so in A mode it always read as max f4.5; hopefully the AF version does better.

Film-era ultrawide zooms are getting to be so rare now that if you don't like it, you can probably make back your $140 on it. I turned a slight profit on the MF version.

[UMC]

if anyone has experience with the PROMASTER SPECTRUM7 AF 19-35 / 3,5-4,5, that lens I have a chance to buy for about $ 140 = in Europe, I need on a K-1, before on the Pentaxes, on the apsc, I had Pentax DA12-24 / 4, thanks.

As zjacreman already said, the 19-35 is a Cosina design, which was sold in several variants:

Cosina 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 MC (KAR)
Cosina 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 MC (KAF) black and silver version

Phoenix MF 19-35mm 1_3.5-4.5 Zoom (KAR) [caution: I once saw one on Ebay that had a front ring that said "Phoenix 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 AF Zoom" but the bayonet proved that it was MF]
Phoenix 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 AF Zoom (KAF) black and silver version

Promaster Spectrum 7 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 MC (KAR)
Promaster Spectrum 7 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 MC (KAF) black and silver version

MC Soligor Zoom 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 (KAR)
MC Soligor AF Zoom 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 (KAR) [Again one that says AF on the front ring, but the bayonet shows a Ricoh pin instead of AF drive]
MC Soligor AF Zoom 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 (KAF)

Tokina AF 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 (KAF) 2 design variants [not 100% sure if this is really the Cosina OEM lens]

Vivitar Series 1 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5 Multi Coated (KAR)
Vivitar Series 1 19-35mm 1_3.5-4.5 MC Auto Focus Zoom (KAF) black and silver version

Alternatives for FF are:
smc Pentax-FAJ 1:4-5.6 18-35mm AL

Even wider:
HD Pentax-D FA 15-30mm F2.8 ED SDM WR (KAF3) [the best option, if you can afford it]
Sigma Zoom 15-30mm 1:3.5-4.5 DG (KAF) [quite rare, but relatively cheap <300 €]
Sigma 12-24mm 1:4.5-5.6 DG EX (KAF) [The ultimate ultra-wide-angle-zoom for FF, rare and in most cases 500+ €]

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Last edited by UMC; 12-22-2017 at 02:53 AM.

[mikesbike]

There was also the Tokina AF 19-35mm f/3.5-4.5 which received very good reviews during the film era. Its plastic body was of very good quality. It takes a 77mm filter size. The previous Tokina model, and also taking a 77mm filter, the AF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5, and very well-built with metal construction, was also a very well-regarded model. Just be sure not to get the older one of 72mm filter size, which had vignetting issues. Tokina also made an AF 20-35mm f/2.8 pro model.

[TwoUptons]

I have the Tokina 20-35 f3.5, and it's decent lens.
Build quality is great, and once dcshooter cleaned out some oil that was all over an inner element, the flare (while still pretty bad) is tolerable.
It shows up as the 19-35 Tokina in Exif, so I'm not sure how much difference there is between them optically.

I did play with one of the 19-35 Cosina lenses (I think it was a Vivitar or Promaster) 20 years ago, and it was terrible on film.
So much so that I have avoided them since when I've seen them.

I hope you have better luck...

Here's one from last weekend with the Tokina...



-Eric

[mbukal]

frighten me for PROMASTER SPECTRUM 7 AF 19-35 / 3.5-4.9, reading on internet promaster spectrum7 should be constructively better and sharper than Pentax FAJ 18-35 / 4-5.6