[JaroslawBrzezinski]

A friend kindly lent me three Pentax lenses from 1980s to let me put them through their paces. He purchased the lenses some 20 years ago, kept them in some closet and not used them even once. A great shame if you ask me as they proved to be top-notch performers. The full entry is at my blog in Polish here:
https://towarzystwonieustraszonychsoczewek.blogspot.com/2018/03/trojca-asahi-z-g...
I am posting the final conclusion translated into English:
"Besides the fact they are extremely rare - particularly here in Poland - the Pentax-A* series lenses are characterized by such built quality and beauty of the produced images that they are highly dangerous for the faint of heart: they make it beat faster when you borrow them, and give you a heartache when you have to return them."
Best
Jarek

[ramseybuckeye]

Excellent photos

[ofer4]

Very cool, Jarek. Thanks for sharing!

[Sandy Hancock]

Any chance he wants to sell any of them?

[Cabessius]

What makes these lenses so great and stellar?.
A special optical formula or glass treatment?

[Andrea K]

I know that the A* 85 has no exotic glass inside, it's "only" a wonderful optical formula.
Reference: Marco Cavina site
(autotranslated by Google)

[Wasp]

He purchased the lenses some 20 years ago, kept them in some closet and not used them even once. A great shame if you ask me as they proved to be top-notch performers.

A great shame indeed. They cost a lot of money back then.

I don't have any of these lenses but I do have a K 200mm f/2.5. One can great results with it but you have to work at it. The depth of field is razor thin and if you don't pay attention you get unfocused rubbish images. Back in the film days it was even harder, I guess. No live view, no quick review.

[steve_k]

Thank You for sharing your work. The shots are excellent. I have several A series lenses that I love. Now you make me want to go out and buy 3 more. 🙂

[gofour3]

Back in the film days it was even harder, I guess. No live view, no quick review.

Easier as the viewfinders were bigger and brighter, also interchangeable focusing screens on many models to make critical focusing easier. (MX, LX)

Phil.

[monochrome]

Easier as the viewfinders were bigger and brighter, also interchangeable focusing screens on many models to make critical focusing easier. (MX, LX)

Phil.

Didn’t have AF modules stealing light through a semester-silvered mirror.

[PKMike]

I have owned the A*85 for more than 30 years (along with it's sibling A*300F4). It is amazing and easily my favorite lens.

[JaroslawBrzezinski]

Excellent photos

Thanks, just a few snapshots taken with lenses that deserve a better photographer than I will ever be.
Best
Jarek

---------- Post added 03-17-18 at 09:25 AM ----------

Very cool, Jarek. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks. It a pleasure to share images and reflections with Pentax community.
Best
Jarek

---------- Post added 03-17-18 at 09:29 AM ----------

Any chance he wants to sell any of them?

Not a chance and as I am allowed to use the lenses from time to time I am selfish enough to strongly recommend against selling the lenses.
Best
Jarek

---------- Post added 03-17-18 at 09:32 AM ----------

What makes these lenses so great and stellar?.
A special optical formula or glass treatment?

A* 200/2.8 ED has two ED glass elements to correct secondary spectrum. Otherwise the lenses owe their special properties to excellent optical formulas and tight assembly tolerances.
Best
Jarek

---------- Post added 03-17-18 at 09:35 AM ----------

A great shame indeed. They cost a lot of money back then.

I don't have any of these lenses but I do have a K 200mm f/2.5. One can great results with it but you have to work at it. The depth of field is razor thin and if you don't pay attention you get unfocused rubbish images. Back in the film days it was even harder, I guess. No live view, no quick review.

Old focusing screens and viewfinder were beter. But live view makes life much easier now.
Best
Jarek

[KDD]

Great photos. I have my A* 135mm f1.8. It is very good.

[JaroslawBrzezinski]

Thank You for sharing your work. The shots are excellent. I have several A series lenses that I love. Now you make me want to go out and buy 3 more. 🙂

Thanks! Unfortunately those 3 lenses are neither very easy to find nor is such purchase easy on the wallet.
Best
Jarek

[maw]

A friend kindly lent me three Pentax lenses from 1980s to let me put them through their paces

Hi Ronald,

Very grateful for the presentation of these authentic gems, I think every Pentaxian would want at least one. and thanks so much for your availability and for the beautiful photos.

Last week I read on Nadirmagazine in Italy, the comparison between the Limited 77mm f/1.8 and FA 85mm f/1.4 that somehow are placed in the Olympus of Pentax lenses.
I have seen on ebay several copies of the A* 200mm and also of the A* 85mm, but always very rare and expensive.

If someone is interested, I put the link to the real test on film of 77mm Limited vs FA 85mm located on Nadirmagazine.