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04-02-2019, 10:24 PM   #91
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QuoteOriginally posted by TaoMaas Quote
Doh! I didn't even think to check the ratings on my 6X7 lenses. I've got that same 55mm f/4 so I guess it qualifies as my top-rated lens.
It hadn't occurred to me to check my 645 lenses but the 75mm and 150mm both get a 9.5 so don't quite make it to the top, though they're very close.

04-04-2019, 07:18 PM   #92
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My highest-rated lens is an old Auto Sears 200mm/f3.5 - it's a 10! From all of two ratings, but hey - nobody said what the sample size had to be.

Auto-Sears 200mm 3.5 Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
04-07-2019, 02:19 AM   #93
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
That said, there is some serious "grade inflation" going on in the lens rating index as every lens I own except for the DA *16-50 and 55-300 have ratings of over 9 and even the 16-50 and 55-300 have ratings of 8.5-ish. I don't think you can really trust the numbers here.
You're right that there's a bit of 'grade inflation' going on, but in my experience it's still consistent (as long as there's a decent number of reviews for a lens). Ie. my assumption is that anything generally considered to be 'good' is >9.0, whereas anything <9.0 has a decent number of detractors.

Where I've noticed huge variation in ratings is early, film era wide-angles, that are rated very highly by film shooters and poorly by digital shooters. K24/f2.8 (8.37) and Super-Takumar 28/f3.5 (8.43) are two good examples of this.


QuoteOriginally posted by bdery Quote
The M 50's rating is skewed much higher than the FA 50's and there's no reason for that.
Handling? I would rate a M50 over a FA50 based primarily on build and ergonomics.
04-07-2019, 09:28 AM   #94
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Don't know for sure, but I would guess my DF A 100mm Macro F 2.8 WR.

04-07-2019, 10:19 AM   #95
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'According to PF". My DA* 60-250 at 9.56. However, I've done comparisons showing my Tamron 90 is slightly better, I disagree that my DFA 100 macro is as low as 9.0 and I have many other disagreements with lens ratings.

When you have enough lenses to make your own comparisons, many of the forum ratings don't make a lot of sense.
04-07-2019, 02:03 PM   #96
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Of my 20 lenses, my highest rated is:


SMC Pentax-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro @ 9.7

Followed by:
The H D FA 70-200 f/ 2.8 @ 9.67.
SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro WR @ 9.62
FA* 300mm F 4.5 @ 9.56
HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW @ 9.55
HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR @ 9.24
04-08-2019, 04:39 AM   #97
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QuoteOriginally posted by nickthetasmaniac Quote
Handling? I would rate a M50 over a FA50 based primarily on build and ergonomics.
Build quality and MF are better on the M, but it lacks AF and is a worse optical performer. There is no reason for the M to be rated higher than the FA.

QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
When you have enough lenses to make your own comparisons, many of the forum ratings don't make a lot of sense.
Amen. Comments, evaluations, samples are useful, numbers do tell part of the story but not close to the whole truth.

04-08-2019, 10:08 PM   #98
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QuoteOriginally posted by bdery Quote
Build quality and MF are better on the M, but it lacks AF and is a worse optical performer. There is no reason for the M to be rated higher than the FA.
Are we talking f/1.7 or f/1.4? I have both 1.7s and would rate the M higher than the FA because of the build quality and handling, which together make it much more pleasurable to use. Optically there's no difference, and the M certainly gets a lot more use than the FA.

Like the 1.7s, the 1.4s also have the same optical construction, the only difference being possible changes in the coating over the years.

Beyond build and handling, price also has an impact on rating - a used FA costs more than double a used M, in the case of the 1.7 probably quadruple, so people will naturally take that into account.

I think it's fair for the Ms to rate higher than their FA equivalents. AF is handy but it detracts from the pleasure of taking photos, even if it allows some shots that wouldn't be possible with a manual focus lens.
04-09-2019, 04:49 AM - 1 Like   #99
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
Are we talking f/1.7 or f/1.4? I have both 1.7s and would rate the M higher than the FA because of the build quality and handling, which together make it much more pleasurable to use. Optically there's no difference, and the M certainly gets a lot more use than the FA.
QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
Like the 1.7s, the 1.4s also have the same optical construction, the only difference being possible changes in the coating over the years.
In this case, I'm talking about the F1.4.

Having tested both thoroughly for an upcoming review, I can tell you that more than coatings have changed. The FA is a superior lens optically. Vignetting, contrast, sharpness in particular are improved. Throw in AF, electronic communication, MTF tables in the lens, and the nicer build of the M stops being sufficient for the higher rating.
04-12-2019, 05:27 AM   #100
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The highest rated lens in my stable is the SMC Pentax-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro. Rating of 9.68, with most reviews giving a 9.5 or 10 for sharpness. I have to agree, it is one extremely sharp lens and makes a great all around short telephoto on a Pentax digital body. The only real issue with this lens is it’s very under-damped manual focus action and noisy autofocus.
I’d put this lens up against the legendary 55mm Micro Nikkor any time.
04-14-2019, 09:13 AM   #101
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QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
When you have enough lenses to make your own comparisons, many of the forum ratings don't make a lot of sense.
^^^ This.

A perfect example is the M* 300/4 (9.70 rating) versus the A* 300/4 (9.06 rating)

Same basic lens . . . . same optics, min focus, # blades, weight, etc. Only difference is the A* has the electronic contact for aperture. So why the difference in ratings? .
04-14-2019, 09:16 AM   #102
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QuoteOriginally posted by onlineflyer Quote
^^^ This.

A perfect example is the M* 300/4 (9.70 rating) versus the A* 300/4 (9.06 rating)

Same basic lens . . . . same optics, min focus, # blades, weight, etc. Only difference is the A* has the electronic contact for aperture. So why the difference in ratings? .
Build quality is my guess between M and A lenses.
04-14-2019, 09:23 AM - 1 Like   #103
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QuoteOriginally posted by bdery Quote
Build quality and MF are better on the M, but it lacks AF and is a worse optical performer. There is no reason for the M to be rated higher than the FA.



Amen. Comments, evaluations, samples are useful, numbers do tell part of the story but not close to the whole truth.
We need an algorithm to rate the evaluators and assign "reliability" scores, so we know what were are reading.
04-14-2019, 09:42 AM - 1 Like   #104
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QuoteOriginally posted by Docrwm Quote
Build quality is my guess between M and A lenses.
Nope, M rates higher in sharpness, aberrations, bokeh, and 'handling'. Doesn't make sense.
04-14-2019, 12:32 PM   #105
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I guess it's because 4 reviews is not really enough form a realistic statistical comparison.
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