What's the highest rated lens you own according to PF?

swanlefitte · 03-26-2019, 02:09 PM - **2 Likes**

I am surprised more than a handful get higher than a 3. They can't pass the bike focus test, definitely not the manual focus ones in af mode, and how many are clickless for video?

it's like this site is biased toward Pentax. 🤔

**PJ1** · 03-26-2019, 02:23 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pschlute

Don't know about ratings but the highest resolving lens has to be the DFA 50mm 1.4

That is true at apertures up to f5.6 After f5.6 it is apparently surpassed by the Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 (8-element) Same testing body, same method (apparently).

HD Pentax-D FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW Lens Review | ePHOTOzine

Asahi Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 Model I (8-Element) Vintage Lens Review | ePHOTOzine

You could even throw the Super Takumar 55mm f2 in to the mix there. Not bad for a $40 lens.

Asahi Super Takumar 55mm f/2.0 M42 Vintage Lens Review | ePHOTOzine

A good lens is just a good lens. But "best" depends on what you want to do with it. Or how much fun you can have with it.

**c.a.m** · 03-26-2019, 03:30 PM - **1 Like**

I have a variety of new and old lenses.

Top lens by PF review ratings:

HD DA 21/3.2, 9.85, 13 reviews

The K 30/2.8 has been my most surprising lens — it’s a great little chunk of glass that never fails to deliver. Rating 9.69.

My most often used lens, the DA* 50-135, squeaks by at just 9.01 (138), but it’s a great lens IMO. Its ratings are penalized because of the SDM AF issues, but I converted mine to screwdrive.

Wheatfield · 03-26-2019, 04:44 PM - **1 Like**

I have the FA* 200/4 Macro. I love it. It certainly lives up to its reputation, and it was worth way more than I paid for it. It scored a 10 on the database. Because of what I paid, I would give it a 10 out of 10 for value. I don't mind the handling of it.

TaoMaas · 03-26-2019, 09:11 PM

Looks like my highest rated lens is my Pentax A* 200mm f2.8 at a 9.83 rating. My 50mm and 100mm F series macros are right behind at 9.7 and 9.73, respectively. Just for fun, I thought I'd look to see what my lowest rated lens was. My FA 28-80 f3.5-5.6 AL comes in at a whopping 6.67.

**RobA_Oz** · 03-26-2019, 09:24 PM

My highest is the FA77/1.8, at 9.73, just pipping the DA35/2.8 Macro at 9.70, which is not much of a surprise, but they both beat the FA31/1.8 & FA43/1.9 Limiteds which could only manage a 9.51 & 9.48 respectively, which was a surprise.

keos · 03-26-2019, 09:32 PM

HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm AW SDM

It is heavy for a normal lens; took it on a photo shoot and kept reaching for the 77mm to save my arms, only to be pulled back by the image quality. it is tack sharp and exposed an AF issue on my K1-II which has been in the repair shop for 7 weeks. So not sure whether to like it or hate it. That reminds me, I should register the lens.

vector · 03-26-2019, 09:38 PM

I have read a lot of lens reviews on this site, always wary of bias and lack of qualifications of the reviewer as I read. I can only compare against my own experience and averages do mean something even if it's only something subjective. Higher ranked glass is "liked" by the reviewer for whatever reason. Comparing against the list of glass I own I have surmised that anything in the mid 8's and above is likely more than good enough for my amateur skills. Lower 8's probably still ok but not great. Lower, maybe not worth it as I am unlikely to really like something that everyone else generally doesn't. Ranking my glass like this I wouldn't necessarily rank them in this order. My F 28 is not my favourite or best lens though it is good. Likewise for my DA15. The FA 50 f1.4 doesn't seem to get as much love as it deserves. It renders some beautiful images, much better than the DA 35 or 50. I also have never really loved the Tamron 90 macro, but the 70-200 is fantastic.

Pentax-F 28mm f2.8 -- 9.5
Pentax HD DA 15mm Limited f4 -- 9.33
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 -- 9.28
Tamron 90mm Macro f2.8 -- 9.27
Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 -- 9.22
Pentax DA 35mm f2.4 -- 9.16
Samyang 85mm f1.4 -- 8.98
Pentax FA 50mm f1.4 -- 8.91
Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 -- 8.79
Samyang 14mm f2.8 -- 8.71
Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 -- 8.67
Pentax-M 50mm f2 -- 8.22
Pentax-A 50mm f2 -- 7.88

**PKMike** · 03-26-2019, 09:44 PM - **1 Like**

A* 85 F1.4

9.93 Rating. Yes it lives up to it.

$399 New about 30 years ago. Worth every penny and much more.

bdery · 03-27-2019, 05:00 AM

Originally posted by PJ1

That is true at apertures up to f5.6 After f5.6 it is apparently surpassed by the Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 (8-element) Same testing body, same method (apparently).

HD Pentax-D FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW Lens Review | ePHOTOzine

Asahi Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 Model I (8-Element) Vintage Lens Review | ePHOTOzine

You could even throw the Super Takumar 55mm f2 in to the mix there. Not bad for a $40 lens.

Asahi Super Takumar 55mm f/2.0 M42 Vintage Lens Review | ePHOTOzine

A good lens is just a good lens. But "best" depends on what you want to do with it. Or how much fun you can have with it.

A good lens is a good lens, true.

What makes the D FA* so good (after having tested it thoroughly for many weeks) is just how consistently good it is. Most lenses are good to excellent ni the center, when you stop them down a bit. The D FA* has excellent sharpness across the whole frame, even wide open.Its control of aberrations, vignetting, flare are also among the best. Its AF speed is probably the best on K-mount currently, especially in low light.

I'd summarize by saying it has almost no optical flaws, which is unique in itself.

TaoMaas · 03-27-2019, 05:38 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by vector

Comparing against the list of glass I own I have surmised that anything in the mid 8's and above is likely more than good enough for my amateur skills.

That's pretty much how I feel, too. For the most part, my lenses far exceed what I need them to do. I really don't pay a lot of attention to how a lens is rated because I've always felt that almost everything Pentax has ever made has been decent...even the kit lenses. That's not to say that my 28-80mm that was rated a 6.67 is all that great, but for the price and its intended use, it does just fine.

**WPRESTO** · 03-27-2019, 08:12 AM

The worst of my lenses are probably too good for my photo skills, but it gives me confidence and makes me feel good that the images i attempt will never be limited or spoiled by the optics I'm using.

SUGGESTION-REQUEST: FROM THIS POINT ON, (previous posters welcome to contribute) ALSO MENTION WHAT IN YOUR OPINION IS OR WAS THE WORST, MOST DISAPPOINTING LENS YOU'VE EVER OWNED OR USED.

For me it was a 1000mm f11 reflex Takumar. I worked for weeks with one trying everything I could, but didn't manage to capture a single acceptable image. IMHO, IQ was just awful.

TaoMaas · 03-27-2019, 08:28 AM

My biggest disappointment wasn't so much about the lens as it was my expectations. Many years ago, I bought one of the early Sigma 400mm f5.6 lenses, expecting it to be significantly better than the old Tele-Astranar 400mm f5.6 pre-set lens that I'd been using. But honestly...it wasn't. It was a lot more convenient to use, but there wasn't that much difference between the images each lens produced, despite one costing almost 8X as much as the other.

timb64 · 03-27-2019, 09:02 AM

Biggest disappointment was an Opteka 500 Mirror lens, cheap for a reason!

bdery · 03-27-2019, 10:01 AM

Originally posted by WPRESTO

SUGGESTION-REQUEST: FROM THIS POINT ON, (previous posters welcome to contribute) ALSO MENTION WHAT IN YOUR OPINION IS OR WAS THE WORST, MOST DISAPPOINTING LENS YOU'VE EVER OWNED OR USED.

Great subtopic.That's a hard one to answer however. for a lens to be disappointing it needs to be below expectations, which can be small indeed.

The worst lens I've used was probably the Takumar Bayonet 80-200 zoom, or some third-party equivalent. However, "worst" is not the question being asked, and I had no expectations for these lenses.

The biggest disappointment was probably when I tried to use the Sigma 17-70 F2.8-F4.5 (first version of that lens) on live view. It hunted like crazy. A true disappointment.

03-26-2019, 09:24 PM	#51
RobA_Oz Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,197	My highest is the FA77/1.8, at 9.73, just pipping the DA35/2.8 Macro at 9.70, which is not much of a surprise, but they both beat the FA31/1.8 & FA43/1.9 Limiteds which could only manage a 9.51 & 9.48 respectively, which was a surprise. Last edited by RobA_Oz; 03-27-2019 at 12:01 AM.

03-27-2019, 08:28 AM	#58
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	My biggest disappointment wasn't so much about the lens as it was my expectations. Many years ago, I bought one of the early Sigma 400mm f5.6 lenses, expecting it to be significantly better than the old Tele-Astranar 400mm f5.6 pre-set lens that I'd been using. But honestly...it wasn't. It was a lot more convenient to use, but there wasn't that much difference between the images each lens produced, despite one costing almost 8X as much as the other. Last edited by TaoMaas; 03-27-2019 at 12:10 PM.

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03-26-2019, 02:09 PM - 2 Likes	#46
swanlefitte Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,068	I am surprised more than a handful get higher than a 3. They can't pass the bike focus test, definitely not the manual focus ones in af mode, and how many are clickless for video? it's like this site is biased toward Pentax. 🤔

03-26-2019, 02:23 PM - 1 Like	#47
PJ1 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Toowoomba, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,484	Originally posted by pschlute Don't know about ratings but the highest resolving lens has to be the DFA 50mm 1.4 That is true at apertures up to f5.6 After f5.6 it is apparently surpassed by the Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 (8-element) Same testing body, same method (apparently). HD Pentax-D FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW Lens Review \| ePHOTOzine Asahi Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 Model I (8-Element) Vintage Lens Review \| ePHOTOzine You could even throw the Super Takumar 55mm f2 in to the mix there. Not bad for a $40 lens. Asahi Super Takumar 55mm f/2.0 M42 Vintage Lens Review \| ePHOTOzine A good lens is just a good lens. But "best" depends on what you want to do with it. Or how much fun you can have with it.

03-26-2019, 03:30 PM - 1 Like	#48
c.a.m Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ottawa, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,189	I have a variety of new and old lenses. Top lens by PF review ratings: HD DA 21/3.2, 9.85, 13 reviews The K 30/2.8 has been my most surprising lens — it’s a great little chunk of glass that never fails to deliver. Rating 9.69. My most often used lens, the DA* 50-135, squeaks by at just 9.01 (138), but it’s a great lens IMO. Its ratings are penalized because of the SDM AF issues, but I converted mine to screwdrive.

03-26-2019, 04:44 PM - 1 Like	#49
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	I have the FA* 200/4 Macro. I love it. It certainly lives up to its reputation, and it was worth way more than I paid for it. It scored a 10 on the database. Because of what I paid, I would give it a 10 out of 10 for value. I don't mind the handling of it.

03-26-2019, 09:11 PM	#50
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Looks like my highest rated lens is my Pentax A* 200mm f2.8 at a 9.83 rating. My 50mm and 100mm F series macros are right behind at 9.7 and 9.73, respectively. Just for fun, I thought I'd look to see what my lowest rated lens was. My FA 28-80 f3.5-5.6 AL comes in at a whopping 6.67.

03-26-2019, 09:32 PM	#52
keos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 108	HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm AW SDM It is heavy for a normal lens; took it on a photo shoot and kept reaching for the 77mm to save my arms, only to be pulled back by the image quality. it is tack sharp and exposed an AF issue on my K1-II which has been in the repair shop for 7 weeks. So not sure whether to like it or hate it. That reminds me, I should register the lens.

03-26-2019, 09:38 PM	#53
vector Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Alberta Posts: 713	I have read a lot of lens reviews on this site, always wary of bias and lack of qualifications of the reviewer as I read. I can only compare against my own experience and averages do mean something even if it's only something subjective. Higher ranked glass is "liked" by the reviewer for whatever reason. Comparing against the list of glass I own I have surmised that anything in the mid 8's and above is likely more than good enough for my amateur skills. Lower 8's probably still ok but not great. Lower, maybe not worth it as I am unlikely to really like something that everyone else generally doesn't. Ranking my glass like this I wouldn't necessarily rank them in this order. My F 28 is not my favourite or best lens though it is good. Likewise for my DA15. The FA 50 f1.4 doesn't seem to get as much love as it deserves. It renders some beautiful images, much better than the DA 35 or 50. I also have never really loved the Tamron 90 macro, but the 70-200 is fantastic. Pentax-F 28mm f2.8 -- 9.5 Pentax HD DA 15mm Limited f4 -- 9.33 Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 -- 9.28 Tamron 90mm Macro f2.8 -- 9.27 Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 -- 9.22 Pentax DA 35mm f2.4 -- 9.16 Samyang 85mm f1.4 -- 8.98 Pentax FA 50mm f1.4 -- 8.91 Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 -- 8.79 Samyang 14mm f2.8 -- 8.71 Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 -- 8.67 Pentax-M 50mm f2 -- 8.22 Pentax-A 50mm f2 -- 7.88

03-26-2019, 09:44 PM - 1 Like	#54
PKMike Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 628	A* 85 F1.4 9.93 Rating. Yes it lives up to it. $399 New about 30 years ago. Worth every penny and much more.

03-27-2019, 05:00 AM	#55
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by PJ1 That is true at apertures up to f5.6 After f5.6 it is apparently surpassed by the Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 (8-element) Same testing body, same method (apparently). HD Pentax-D FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW Lens Review \| ePHOTOzine Asahi Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 Model I (8-Element) Vintage Lens Review \| ePHOTOzine You could even throw the Super Takumar 55mm f2 in to the mix there. Not bad for a $40 lens. Asahi Super Takumar 55mm f/2.0 M42 Vintage Lens Review \| ePHOTOzine A good lens is just a good lens. But "best" depends on what you want to do with it. Or how much fun you can have with it. A good lens is a good lens, true. What makes the D FA* so good (after having tested it thoroughly for many weeks) is just how consistently good it is. Most lenses are good to excellent ni the center, when you stop them down a bit. The D FA* has excellent sharpness across the whole frame, even wide open.Its control of aberrations, vignetting, flare are also among the best. Its AF speed is probably the best on K-mount currently, especially in low light. I'd summarize by saying it has almost no optical flaws, which is unique in itself.

03-27-2019, 05:38 AM - 2 Likes	#56
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Originally posted by vector Comparing against the list of glass I own I have surmised that anything in the mid 8's and above is likely more than good enough for my amateur skills. That's pretty much how I feel, too. For the most part, my lenses far exceed what I need them to do. I really don't pay a lot of attention to how a lens is rated because I've always felt that almost everything Pentax has ever made has been decent...even the kit lenses. That's not to say that my 28-80mm that was rated a 6.67 is all that great, but for the price and its intended use, it does just fine.

03-27-2019, 08:12 AM	#57
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,108	The worst of my lenses are probably too good for my photo skills, but it gives me confidence and makes me feel good that the images i attempt will never be limited or spoiled by the optics I'm using. SUGGESTION-REQUEST: FROM THIS POINT ON, (previous posters welcome to contribute) ALSO MENTION WHAT IN YOUR OPINION IS OR WAS THE WORST, MOST DISAPPOINTING LENS YOU'VE EVER OWNED OR USED. For me it was a 1000mm f11 reflex Takumar. I worked for weeks with one trying everything I could, but didn't manage to capture a single acceptable image. IMHO, IQ was just awful.

03-27-2019, 09:02 AM	#59
timb64 Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: /Situation : Doing my best to avoid idiots! Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,510	Biggest disappointment was an Opteka 500 Mirror lens, cheap for a reason!

03-27-2019, 10:01 AM	#60
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by WPRESTO SUGGESTION-REQUEST: FROM THIS POINT ON, (previous posters welcome to contribute) ALSO MENTION WHAT IN YOUR OPINION IS OR WAS THE WORST, MOST DISAPPOINTING LENS YOU'VE EVER OWNED OR USED. Great subtopic.That's a hard one to answer however. for a lens to be disappointing it needs to be below expectations, which can be small indeed. The worst lens I've used was probably the Takumar Bayonet 80-200 zoom, or some third-party equivalent. However, "worst" is not the question being asked, and I had no expectations for these lenses. The biggest disappointment was probably when I tried to use the Sigma 17-70 F2.8-F4.5 (first version of that lens) on live view. It hunted like crazy. A true disappointment.