[monochrome]

I feel the same way about my Tamron 52BB. But Tamron slapped a SP on it, so it isn't surprising And the SP 35-80 01A. I never thought I would consider a manual focus zoom from the 1970s one of my best lenses...A lens that costs about $40 these days...(depending on if it has an adapter, or what kind of adapter...)

I also have the 52BB, a 52B (which I actually prefer) and the 01a. I’ve managed to acquire the hoods and cases for all three, 1.4x and 2x TC, and the 1:1 extension tube(s) for the Macros. So there are two of my treasured 3P K-mount (sort of) lenses.

The third is the Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 Macro with case and 1:1 Extension, AKA ‘Bokina’ In it’s Tokina iteration (though the Vivitar is the same lens). I have the PK mount version.

I’ll simply never sell those three lenses.

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Last edited by monochrome; 09-21-2018 at 06:12 PM.

[richfam]

Mine would be the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4, purchased new earlier this year.

I bought it for shooting night sports, and it works well for that, but I find that I'm using it for all sorts of other subjects as well.

Two examples:

* It's a great lens for twilight shooting; I love walking around town at dusk with this lens just to see what I come across.

* It's also ideal for shooting through a car window. At f/4 the DoF is narrow enough to make any dirt on the window disappear, but the lens is so sharp at that aperture that I can still get sharp images despite shooting through an extra layer of glass.

Honorable mention goes to my 28-year-old Kalimar 500mm f/8 Pre-Set lens: it's fun to use with surprisingly good image quality, but it is so big and awkward that I don't take it out very often.

[Digitalis]

The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG.


Pentax K-1 Sigma 100-300mm f/4 @ 240mm ISO 800 1/500th f/5.6

The 100-300mm f/4 has been a surprisingly handy lens for me - I have used it for concert photography, studio portraiture, still life, and wildlife.

[photolady95]

The only one I treasure most. My Vivitar 200mm f3.5. Took this photo. Hand held on a monopod.

[kernos]

Beyond a doubt the Tokina AT-X 90mm 2.5 macro is the best non-Pentax lens I own. They call it the bokina for a reason, but what is in focus is fairly sharp at 2.5 and extremely sharp for everything above that.



Number two is probably the remounted Canon FL 55mm 1.2. I have the Porst 55 1.2 and i (at least my copu) is both soft and psychedelic wide open. This can be fun, but the Canon is much sharper wide open and the bokeh is lovely instead of florid.
Wide open, notice the detail in the center



Number three has plenty of sharpness, but really off the hook bubble bokeh if you hit the light right. 3D too. Spiratone 24mm Plura-coat 2.8 This shot demonstrates the extreme.

[Just1MoreDave]

fair enough....



(goes searching for another hidden gem by Komine)

Their Vivitar 135/2.8 is pretty good, and their 200/3.5 is too. These are generally cheap, like $25, especially in M42 mount. Vivitar sold Tokina-made versions of these two, which I haven't used but are supposed to also be good. I believe Komine made the 135/2.8 Close-Focus, a 1:2 macro lens similar in style to your 55/2.8.

I did buy a Komine-made Vivitar 24mm f2.0 with a KA mount. The Kiron version is really good. The Komine has a lot of coma so it's not sharp at all wide open, which makes focusing challenging. I have the Sigma Superwide II 24/2.8 which is very sharp so the Komine just takes Christmas light photos, where coma is fun.

[photolady95]

I guess I could say my Tamron 90mm f2.8 Adaptal 2 72B is my other favorite. the 1:1 macro M lens. It takes photos like this:



This was a Single in Challenge Month lens. In March 2017

[cyberjunkie]

(goes searching for another hidden gem by Komine)

Komine lenses might see little celebration on the Web, but I've been told that both macros (yours and the 90mm) are great lenses: sharp, 1:1 reproduction ratio, and good, solid build.
Probably the only hyped Komine-made lens is the 3rd version of the Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm, also available in PKA mount. It's believed to be the best of the four generations of the Series 1 zoom.
I remember there is a page dedicated to the Series 1 70-210 zooms. Quite instructive.

Talking about MF zooms... I've seen a few of them chosen as personal favourites.
I tend to shoot with primes, and if I need a zoom it's often in one of those occasions when AF is very welcomed
So I only chose one MF zoom, and only because it's such a wonderful, specialistic photographic tool.
While it's a common belief that seventies/eighties MF zooms lag behind newer projects, I found that it's not always true.
Apart from some of the Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm zooms, which I never tried, there are others that still do pretty well, even by todays's standards.
Some are quite old, like the Vivitar Series 1 Flat Field 4.5/90-180mm (Kino-made). It's still impressive at close range.
The macro setting of most old zooms is kind of a joke, though a couple of Tamron SP optics did a good job letting you take close-up pictures with good sharpness (for example the 60-300mm goes down to 1:1.55 at 60mm, and the old 70-210mm reaches 1:2 at the long end).

Here is some lens p0rrn of MF zooms I 'treasure' (xposted from other thread):






---------- Post added 22-09-18 at 12:30 PM ----------

I have one of the 28/2s. I've never been able to use it on a DSLR because it has the long aperture shield and one of the screws is stripped... Actually the 28 is a Kiron...

Most (all?) Kiron/Kino lenses have the diaphragm lever guard that protrudes too much, interfering with the two power contacts inside the PKAF mount.
Protect the back optic with some paper/tape and file down 2 or 3mm, then use a black marker to blacken the exposed aluminium.
I had it done professionally with a burr, then I decided to take care of the problem by myself. With a small file it's quick and quite easy

[Sandy Hancock]

Then there are the third party lenses I would have treasured if I hadn't sold them (or given them away).

Helios 44-2. Gave it away before the K-1 was released. I want it back.

Sigma 8-16. Sold it because it was too big for my APS-C vision. Hell of a good lens though.

[kypfer]

My Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 with it's matching EX 2x adaptor is my most favoured PK-mount lens, but I have several screw-mount lenses (that I use with an M42-PK adapter) that I'd find it hard to live without

[WPRESTO]

Tokina 90mm f2.5 + dedicated 1:1 adapter. Excellent macro.
Sigma 8~16mm. For decades Sigma has set a benchmark for UWA zooms. This one is equivalent to 12~24mm on FF, and IQ is really good.
Laowa/Venus 12mm, a FF prime, very good IQ, reasonable size (=smaller than either of the Irix UWA primes, smaller than a Pentax 15~30mm).

[wtlwdwgn]

I only have two 3rd party lenses now; a Sigma 150-500 f/5-6.3 and a Tamron SP 70-200 f/2.8. Of the two I like the Tamron better but I need the reach of the 150-500.

Tamron.


Sigma.

[Wasp]

My favorite non-Pentax lens is the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 that I bought used a few months ago.

Here is an example that show just how shallow the depth of field is. Love it!




My other favorite is the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6, bought new for about $100.

[BigMackCam]

My favorite non-Pentax lens is the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 that I bought used a few months ago.

I don't have it in K-mount, but own the Samyang-branded version in Sony A-mount. It's a fantastic lens... Really, quite excellent optically

[disconnekt]

For me it's the Kalimar 50mm f1.7, mainly because it's my only k-mount lens lol