| Author: | | New Member Registered: November, 2011 Posts: 15 | | Review Date: June 27, 2023 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Everything | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K1
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I picked this up along with an A28mm and A50mm lens for a bargain price. The 100mm lens looks hardly used and in pristine condition.  | | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 32
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 29, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $270.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Light, telescopic hood, I.Q. | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K30, K70
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A wonderful all-round lens, under the radar due to common focal length and aperture.
It is already very good at 2.8 from center to edge, and excellent everywhere at f/4.0 and above.
Very convenient also: light, telescopic hood.
Its only problem in my opinion is the 100/2.8 Macro D-FA-WR: a little bit larger and heavier, but not so much, and it has macro capability and autofocus.
| | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2014 Location: Paris Posts: 9 | | Review Date: September 28, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-3
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One of my best lenses, even though I'm also using DA* lenses (Studio (Products and Portraits) & Documentary Reports). Great feeling while focusing, sharp and precise, would highly recommend it!
here are some examples:
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: October, 2014 Posts: 7 | | Review Date: March 30, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp ,nice bokeh | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5II
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very happy to own this little jem. always used wide open.
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2010 Location: California Posts: 2,223
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 2, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | small, A setting | | Cons: | not that sharp wide open, the S-Tak 105/2.8 is a much better lens and cheaper | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5 & K3
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I recommend it for those who want a portrait lens. It is not the Pentax DA 77mm f1.8, but it has soemthing that the 77 does not have in terms of character.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2013 Location: Northern Minnesota Posts: 1,812 | | Review Date: November 23, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $190.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Easy to focus, sharp, great color and contrast, nicely built | | Cons: | Hood is too short so CA is a minor problem in high contrast | |
I got this cheap because the original owner had engraved his name and phone number on the barrel. Well, I won't be selling it, so the engraving is just an historical artifact. This manual focus lens picks up lock immediately and I DO NOT have to bracket focus as I do on my A135/2.8. Because of the quick focus, I think it is as fast on stationary subjects as any auto focus lens. The colors and contrast are special and the focal length is very useful for me. I love this lens.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2012 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 128
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 12, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharpness, relatively low cost, great color | | Cons: | stupid built-in lens hood, rare, bokeh | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: *ist D, MX
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I got this lens used for about $180USD from an Ebay seller… he apparently bought it, decided he didn't want it, and ended up selling it at a $50-100 loss. (Mostly because he didn't list it correctly.)
Like all "-A" lenses, the lens is well-built: all metal construction, fairly tight controls, and comfy rubber grip on the focus ring. This lens is so much smaller than I expected.
I've found this lens quite sharp, very contrasty, and plenty fast (for this focal length). I don't use it half as much as I ought to, even though I think it's my sharpest lens. The bokeh could be smoother—one forum poster once described it as "busy". It's not terrible, but it could be better.
Here are some samples!
 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2008 Location: Worcestershire, UK Posts: 677
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 26, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $285.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Compact, Smooth, Beautiful images | | Cons: | None for me | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5
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Probably the most under-rated lens in the Pentax A series line-up. I'm sure I'll be shot down in flames for saying this, but I believe its performance is almost worthy of a "Green Star"  - indeed if they had given it a faster maximum aperture I'm sure it would have been.
The focus movement is beautifully smooth. It is superb quality right from f2.8, and It is light and compact (not as small as the DA ltd's). Sharpness and Background focus are not quite as good as the 85 1.4's, but are far better than most other lenses.
I bought a mint condition copy about 10 years ago for about $150, and sold it about 5 years ago making a little bit of profit. It was only when I was looking through some old photos a couple of years ago that I realised that a lot of the distinctive ones were taken with the 100mm A lens so I hunted down another copy and don't intend to let it go!
If you find one second hand don't hesitate to buy it | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2010 Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 17, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $260.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | resolution, sharp, easy to focus | | Cons: | none | |
I love this lens! It produces astonishing pictures! Probably this is the best lens in my collection. I take it as a replacement of third party 135mm lens on my K10D. I'll never sell it!
Here is one example followed by a 100% crop from the same picture.
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2010 Posts: 753 | | Review Date: November 17, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $330.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | compactness, resolution, colour rendering, A setting | | Cons: | bit expensive, rare, bokeh | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
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This lens is lightweight, compact and discreet medium telephoto. 100mm lens effectively replaced my 135 and 85mm lens. Resolution wise i compared it to highly regarded SMC 135mm/2.5 and I cannot see any real difference. In my own opinion A 100mm produces better colours, maybe shifted a bit to warmer tones. It is easier to focus than 135/2.5 and but produces bokeh which is not that nice as K135/2.5 or K105/2.8. If i can I'll give it 8 for it is decent prefomer in compact body.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2008 Location: USA Posts: 1,901 | | Review Date: August 22, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, very lightweight, Pentax build quality | | Cons: | short focus throw, lens flare | |
I was amazed at how light it was when I first received it. I was just expecting something heavier from an older lens. No complaints about sharpness and contrast. It does exibit a little flare though.
I will just let the image speak for the lens.
I would probably still have this lens but I noticed it had a bit of fungus so I returned it to K.E.H.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: Norfolk Posts: 85 | | Review Date: March 17, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Compact with long reach on dSLR. | | Cons: | None | |
What a cracker this one is! It'll stay with me forever. So compact yet on the *istDS it provides a 150mm reach. With film it's the perfect portrait lens and good for selective landscape too. Great handling and no complaints about picture quality.
One tiny criticism: the slide-out hood is not deep enough. I usually screw in a better one.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2009 Location: Sterling, VA Posts: 70 | | Review Date: December 10, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Small, great optics | | Cons: | | |
What a great lens. I use it for portraits and it performs fantastic. The build quality is what one would expect and the sharpeness of the pics are first rate. Picked this in a pawn shop. Definitely won't sell it.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,236
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 9, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Top quality wide open; nice A-series color; small and light | | Cons: | none | |
This lens really is a 10. I almost hate to say this, because it may become more expensive if I ever have to replace it  , but it really deserves it.
At first I was skeptical of the high ratings because I hadn't seen many extraordinary sample photos (it's hard to find many examples), but when I found one for sale I decided to give it a try. This is a lens I can simply count on to give me a high percentage of "keepers," so besides its genuine nice qualities, I guess that's the secret to this lens.
I suppose the only drawback is it doesn't have macro, but most great "close up" shots, such as typical flower shots, don't require a macro anyway, and this lens really delivers. And, since it isn't a macro, it's surprisingly light and compact. If I want a lens that I know will pick up the beautiful colors or lighting in a scene, I choose this one or my A24/2.8.
Along with the A24/2.8 and A50/1.7 I have a nice A series collection. The rest of my lenses are FA (with a couple of DAs and an F) and I like them all, but none of them quite give me the feeling I have something "special" like these three A series lenses do (although a few come close - specifically, my FA20-35/4, F50/1.4, and FA28-105/3.2-4.5 (for its unique color)).
The sharpness is good on this lens too - better than my A24/2.8, and as good or better than my new (old stock) FA135/2.8 or my previous A135/2.8. It gives excellent results at f/3.2. When I first got it (about 4 months ago) I took a couple dozen sharp test shots on my K100D Super before realizing I'd left the camera at f/2.8 the whole time - something I would have noticed from reviewing the pictures on most lenses. It also does well with the K200D and K-x I now have, as well as on film.
The 10 rating is not intended to suggest it's equal to a * or Limited lens, but I doubt many photographers would be ashamed to have it in their kit. I don't have any of those pricier lenses to compare it to, but amongst its peers, it's at the top of its class!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 7,451
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 30, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great build quality, sharp from wide open, lightweight and small, smoooooooth bokeh | | Cons: | Rare, generally pricy (I got lucky) | |
Found this in mint condition (basically never used) on my local Craigslist. What a find! Very sharp from f/2.8 and razor sharp stopped down. Great colors, contrast, and very creamy bokeh. Manual focusing is buttery smooth, and the A-contacts are a great plus. I don't think I'll ever sell it.
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