[Cambo]

I shot for two weeks straight with this lens on my camera 95% of the time while on holiday in Mexico. I used it all day, everyday, and never got tired of it. Fabulous workhorse of a lens, from 6" to infinity.

Zoom schmoom. My 16-85 now collects dust, it's images looking so ordinary next to this monster of a lens. Sorry, the 15-21-40-70 set rules, with the 21 being the go-to; 40's a bit long, but good for some things, the 15's too wide, but good for some things. The 21 is PERFECT! Man, did they ever nail this focal length, at least for me; YMMV.

Please do a DA Limited 85, 100 or a 135mm F2.8 or F4, Ricoh!

Cheers,
Cameron

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Last edited by Cambo; 06-28-2018 at 10:34 AM.

[rogerstg]

I have been looking at that DA 55-300 PLM lens myself. Some of your images are what made me look much closer at this lens.

I received mine yesterday, upgrading from the original 55-300 (non WR) that I paired with my K10D. I'd recently upgraded bodies to the KP and wanted something with quicker focus and the ability to maintain focus while using video mode. The old lens could not keep up with grand-kids playing in the backyard.

After a few test shots, I am pleased with the fast focus and IQ. especially sharpness at 300 mm and bokeh. I was pleasantly surprised.

[Shedking]

I have been wanting to practice my CLA skills and saw a fungus-infested copy for £16 posted from Japan.

Then it dawned on me that 55mm on a crop sensor is very nearly an 85mm on FF. If only I could clean it...

Sadly, that thought quickly became "if only I could open it" as I couldn't get the faceplate off. I had to resort to drilling two holes in the faceplate to get the spanner wrench in.

Eventually it yielded, so I knocked it down to the five groups and let the peroxycarbonate loose.

I now have an unbelievably well-made portrait lens.

[bdery]

The 21 is PERFECT! Man, did they ever nail this focal length, at least for me

I've always loved 21 on APS-C. On full frame I witched it (recently, and with some worry) for the FA20-35. The 21's starbursts are its best quality IMHO.

Please do a DA Limited 85, 100 or a 135mm F2.8 or F4, Ricoh!

In the meantime, you cen get the 77 and 100 macro WR, and basically get the same results The 77 is magical.

[pepperberry farm]

the lens that I am evaluating right now - Spiratone Plura-Coat by Mitake 28mm f2

virtually no data exists on this lens; I know who Spiratone and who Mitake were, but nothing on the 28mm f2 lens that Mitake made and Spiratone rebadged.... all I know is that it's a fully-manual 28mm lens, with a large aperture, large-ish barrel (62mm filter ring), all-metal constructed lens with a six-bladed iris....

and the shots are better than I had hoped for an early-K mount lens with 'Plura-Coat' coatings:

[ChristianRock]

I shot for two weeks straight with this lens on my camera 95% of the time while on holiday in Mexico. I used it all day, everyday, and never got tired of it. Fabulous workhorse of a lens, from 6" to infinity.

Zoom schmoom. My 16-85 now collects dust, it's images looking so ordinary next to this monster of a lens. Sorry, the 15-21-40-70 set rules, with the 21 being the go-to; 40's a bit long, but good for some things, the 15's too wide, but good for some things. The 21 is PERFECT! Man, did they ever nail this focal length, at least for me; YMMV.

Please do a DA Limited 85, 100 or a 135mm F2.8 or F4, Ricoh!

Cheers,
Cameron

Those are fantastic pictures... the one with the table almost jumps at you.

[eyrr]

The FA50 Macro /2.8, Picked it up for under €200 but the little grenade just rocks. It was the first lens I used in anger on the K-1 and together they sing.

I love this lens, but won't claim to have been surprised by it. Looking at images mixed with those from the newer version, I always gravitate to the ones from the FA50. I tried twice to get one from Henry's - a well known Canadian camera store. They had it listed as the FA50 but both times they sent me the D-FA. Nope, thanks, but not the droid I was looking for. I finally got a copy and I love it. The images are accurate, yet have an exquisiteness beyond that.

[eyrr]

The lens that has surprised me most is the 55-300 PLM, simply because it's just so much fun. It does so many things so well, and the quick accurate focus is a real treat, but I knew that. I just didn't expect to enjoy it so much in a big goofy grin on my face sort of way. It's my current favourite toy - I'll take it out to play just for the hell of it.

[Kerrowdown]

The A 50mm f/2.8 is a superb lens, very nice to use but a shame it doesn't go to 1:1.

I go 1:1 on other system brands for work, on the rare ocassion that I need them, but for leisure stuff... I actually find for the sort of flowery nonsense I do, the 1:2 is better as it includes a wee bit more.

The critical thing for me as with all my macro lenses, is the actual flat field of focus/sharpness, which I don't feel I get with other type of lens, please note that I said feel, nothing scientific here at all.

[monochrome]

The lenses I could mention - F35~80, M100, A50/1.2, any DA or FA Limited or * lens or any of my manual K lenses - weren’t surprises because I specifically pursued them after reading about them for years and years. But three lenses do qualify, one I suspected was good but not as good as it is, and two were like an earth shattering kaboom the first time I used them:

1. Tamron Adaptall-2 90/2.5 Macro 52B. I had read about this lens and expected it to be sharp, flat, clean and have decent bokeh. What I didn’t expect is the stunning ‘snap’ into focus from OOF as I turn the helicoid. It isn’t necessary to jog focus or use the hexagon. There’s a sudden visible change in sharpness and - bang - it is focused. Perfectly. Astounding - and no other lens I have ever used does this quite this way.
2. Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 35~80/2.8~3.8 01A. This lens was a toss-in I bought from the same seller as the 90/2.5 - both with all the caps, hoods, extenders, cases, TC’s and accessories possible. I figured I’d try it because a member had sold me two non SP Adaptall zooms that were very good. What a surprise. I don’t use it often because my hobby is the Pentax lenses, but it gives wonderful colors and has an interesting, if a little grainy, bokeh. It does pink especially well - good flower lens.
3. SMC Pentax-M 150/3.5. Got this one in pristine condition on eBay on a whim because I thought it is an odd focal length and I don’t have the K150/4. What a stunning lens. It of course has the M rendering of colors (slightly cool, but vibrant) but it is SHARP! Really - surprisingly sharp for a medium zoom tele that no one ever discusses. The Tamron 35~80 isn’t really a sleeper - lots of people know about that lens. This one is a true surprise.

[Gary H Perth]

The lenses I could mention - F35~80, M100, A50/1.2, any DA or FA Limited or * lens or any of my manual K lenses - weren’t surprises because I specifically pursued them after reading about them for years and years. But three lenses do qualify, one I suspected was good but not as good as it is, and two were like an earth shattering kaboom the first time I used them:

1. Tamron Adaptall-2 90/2.5 Macro 52B. I had read about this lens and expected it to be sharp, flat, clean and have decent bokeh. What I didn’t expect is the stunning ‘snap’ into focus from OOF as I turn the helicoid. It isn’t necessary to jog focus or use the hexagon. There’s a sudden visible change in sharpness and - bang - it is focused. Perfectly. Astounding - and no other lens I have ever used does this quite this way.
2. Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 35~80/2.8~3.8 01A. This lens was a toss-in I bought from the same seller as the 90/2.5 - both with all the caps, hoods, extenders, cases, TC’s and accessories possible. I figured I’d try it because a member had sold me two non SP Adaptall zooms that were very good. What a surprise. I don’t use it often because my hobby is the Pentax lenses, but it gives wonderful colors and has an interesting, if a little grainy, bokeh. It does pink especially well - good flower lens.
3. SMC Pentax-M 150/3.5. Got this one in pristine condition on eBay on a whim because I thought it is an odd focal length and I don’t have the K150/4. What a stunning lens. It of course has the M rendering of colors (slightly cool, but vibrant) but it is SHARP! Really - surprisingly sharp for a medium zoom that no one ever discusses. The Tamron 35~80 isn’t really a sleeper - lots of people know about that lens. This one is a true surprise.

I have items 1 and 2, and I think they are both as good as you say. One similar to your number 3 that surprised me is the Pentax A 100 f2.8 - it has the same special features that you describe for the M-150

[gofour3]

SMC Pentax-M 150/3.5. Got this one in pristine condition on eBay on a whim because I thought it is an odd focal length and I don’t have the K150/4.

Yep the 150mm focal length is not my most used either, far from it. I have a 150mm in the 35mm format and a 300mm in the 6x7 format (155mm equivalent) and rarely use either.

Phil.

[cyberjunkie]

the lens that I am evaluating right now - Spiratone Plura-Coat by Mitake 28mm f2

virtually no data exists on this lens; I know who Spiratone and who Mitake were, but nothing on the 28mm f2 lens that Mitake made and Spiratone rebadged.... all I know is that it's a fully-manual 28mm lens, with a large aperture, large-ish barrel (62mm filter ring), all-metal constructed lens with a six-bladed iris....

and the shots are better than I had hoped for an early-K mount lens with 'Plura-Coat' coatings:

Once again I agree with your taste!
The very fast, top line lenses produced by Mitake Japan, and rebranded under various names, should not be associated with the lackluster zooms sold under the Mitakon brand.
They were rather ambitious for the time, but without "special" optical glass it was not simple to design fast lenses with strong, even performance across the frame.
Their limits make them "interesting".
The most popular one is the 1.8/135mm sold under various names. I have the Porst version in PK mount.
I have another sister of your lens, the Weltblick 1.8/35mm in M42 mount. It was also rebranded with other names, like Formula 5, Eyemik, Porst, etc. in Europe, and as Spiratone in the USA.
There is another one I'm aware of, the 2.5/24mm. Never seen one in person, but I know it was sold under the same brands as the others.

I see all these lenses as worth experimenting with, and I consider them as a way to approach fast vintage primes without spending a fortune.
I guess that "Pluracoat" is just a commercial name used by Spiratone to evidence the presence of multicoated glasses. It was used for lenses coming from different makers, using different multicoating technologies.

[Sandy Hancock]

The DFA28-105. Without a doubt.

I have a lot of serious lenses, which (unsurprisingly) are excellent, but the K-1's kit lens never ceases to amaze me. On crop as well as full frame. Wide open or stopped down. Live shows in bad light. Wildlife in good light. Landscapes. Candids. Whatever.

It's probably my most used lens at the moment.

[Fenwoodian]

.
Last week I purchased a Meyer Optic Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f/2.8 M42 mount lens for just $19.95. It's body and optics are pristine. However, the aperture was stuck wide open (OK with me because I always only shoot wide open).

This lens has below average sharpness (maybe the worst I've seen), but wide open it produces a crazy amount of soap bubble bokeh.

[IMG][/IMG]