| Author: | | New Member Registered: June, 2020 Posts: 2 | | Review Date: July 14, 2021 | Not Recommended | Price: $260.00
| Rating: 1 |
| Pros: | Built to last | | Cons: | Sharpness, micro contrast, weak until f8 | | Sharpness: 1
Aberrations: 2
Bokeh: 4
Handling: 9
Value: 1
Camera Used: Nikon Z5
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I was looking for this lens for five years. Price on the market is unreal and too high even for fanatics and fanboys. I found copy with clear glass and oil free aperture blades for 260 USD. After few shots using Nikon Z5 and Canon 60D conclusion is next:
NO. I DO NOT recommend this lens.
Lens is not decentered, not broken and without fugus. It is just too soft on all apertures except f11. It is prone to all kinds of flares on digital sensor. Micro contrast is rubbish and small details are smudged and eaten by sensor reflections.
Maybe I got lemon? Well, it does not matter. This lens, believe or not, is the first bad macro lens in my vintage collection (Pentax, Olympus, Minolta, Tamron, Nikon, Canon). And was the most expensive.
Conclusion: "Do not buy legends. Their price is based on status, and not on optical quality."
EDIT (09.09.2021.): I tried a good sample of this lens few days ago and despite it is very fine lens, I say - NO. I still do not recommend it. Tamron 90/2.5 BBAR, Tamron 90/2.8, Vivitar 90/2.8 and Minolta 100/4 can be found for 150eur and are far superior to this overpriced "legend".
| | | | | | | amateur dirt farmer Registered: December, 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Posts: 41,659 | | Review Date: December 29, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | clarity, bokeh, color rendition, sharpness, build quality | | Cons: | difficult to find at a reasonable price | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-3, Fuji X-T4
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the SMC A 100mm f2.8 Macro is an amazing, interesting beast - why would Pentax create a singular lens in both size and composition, and never use it again?
- the lens is bigger in every dimension than the A 100/4 Macro
- the lens' composition is completely different than the A 100/4 Macro and also not carried over to the later F/FA/D FA macros....
granted, the following lenses were good in their own right, and the D FA series should be labeled as 'Limited' lenses...
anyways....
prices for the A 100/2.8 Macro are just about the only downside I could find - prices range from expensive to just silly.... I count myself lucky in finding a good copy at B&H for a decent price...
and everything else you can think of, this lens honestly excels at - being a macro, the clarity and sharpness are to be expected, but the bokeh is really smooth, colors are the expected-Pentax warm (even on my Fuji's)...
it is not an overly-heavy lens, but feels well-built and handles very nicely, especially the monster focus ring...
but what about the photos?
 glassware by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 thistle seed head by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 frosted by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 rain drop by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 sunrise by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
as I stated in my SIC review, I wish I had chased a copy of this lens down much sooner....
the rest of this lens' album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperberryfarm/albums/72177720312873631/ | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2009 Location: Champagne Ardennes, France Posts: 20 | | Review Date: October 29, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | A setting, relatively small, good IQ, nice to use | | Cons: | not for the price | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K30
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Nice short tele with 1:1 macro. Colors are excellent and sharpness is ok stopped down to f4. I am suprised with the good flare control of this lens. No chromatic aberrations. I was using a Panagor PMC 90 f2.8 macro (excellent) before and will sell it because of no A setting. Excellent macro lens for nature (you don't need to be too close of butterflies for example in comparaison with the A 50 macro).
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2009 Location: Spring Green, WI Posts: 926
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 29, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, bokeh, quality | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K-3ii
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I had--and loved--the Kiron 105/2.8 macro, but when I saw this lens, I decided to make the switch. It's lighter than the Kiron, which is nice, even though it's hefty, too.
One of the first positives I noticed in the images made with this macro was the color palette. Pentax, through and through. The Kiron always seemed a bit cool to me and I'd have to spend time getting the white balance just so. With the A 100/2.8 macro, the colors were spot on.
Sharp? Yes. Bokeh? Yes. Handling? Yes--though I wish my focus ring had a bit more damping.
Overall, it's a great lens.
True, there are some over-priced copies on eBay, but that's true of any great lens. (And I suppose there are sub-par copies out there, though I sure didn't get one.)
 | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2016 Posts: 543
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 22, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $370.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, contrasty, macro | | Cons: | No autofocus (had to come up with something) | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
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Superb bit of kit - unsure how the below user justified such a review but anyone with half a brain cell would be able to distinguish between the expected performance and a crocked example.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2009 Location: Cork Posts: 1,882
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 21, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $595.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Rendering and focus action | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1
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A bit of a rarity. As others have mentioned before, the focusing action on this has a learning curve to it, but, once mastered, it is absolutely sublime.
I'll leave a couple of imagea to look at to cover sharpness, bokeh, aberrations.
 In the Groove
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,090
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 10, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $612.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Speed, optics, focal length, magnification, handling & build. | | Cons: | Hard to find, so it's pricey. | | Camera Used: MZ-S
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The A100/2.8 Macro was released in 1985 and remained in production until 1989. It was replaced by the optically different Auto-Focus version the F100/2.8 Macro, which was released in 1987. The A100/2.8 Macro was Pentax’s first fast 100mm macro and was available for sale alongside the slower A100/4 version. In 1988 Pentax had six macro lenses available in the 35mm format! (F50/2.8, F100/2.8, A100/2.8, A100/4, A*200/4 and the K100/4 Bellows)
Optics:
Excellent optics! The A100/2.8 Macro also features a (FREE) focusing system.
Focal Length:
The 100mm focal length allows for a decent working distance when doing macro work, so it’s a lot better than the shorter 50mm version. Though doing 1.0x magnification in the field, handheld, is still not easy. I find most of my shots are around .25x to .5x magnification, when I’m shooting handheld outdoors. This is also a great focal length for portrait, landscape or detail work.
Build:
The A100/2.8 Macro is a well-built lens on par with any older Takumar/K/M series lens that I own. The aperture & focusing rings are also smooth when you turn them.
Usage/Handling:
The A100/2.8 Macro weighs 470 grams, so it’s easy to handhold. Manual focusing is superb with the nice big focusing ring and not an afterthought like on the F/FA versions. The A100/2.8 Macro also has an excellent distance/magnification scale, which you don’t find on the auto focus versions either.
The A100/2.8 Macro has a 58mm filter ring and requires no hood, due to the deeply recessed front element. The A100/2.8 Macro came with the HG-140 hard lens case and also fits nicely in the S80-120 soft case.
Speed:
F/2.8 is fast for a macro lens, especially a 100mm. The A100/2.8 Macro is the same speed as the regular “A” Series 100mm prime!
Magnification:
The A100/2.8 Macro has 1.0x magnification, which was a first for a Pentax macro lens of this focal length.
The A100/2.8 Macro vs my other similar FL macro lenses:
I also own the K100/4 macro, this is how I rate the two against each other:
Optics: (tie)
Speed: A100/2.8, K100/4
Magnification: A100/2.8, K100/4
Minimum Focusing Distance: A100/2.8, K100/4
Build: (tie)
Handling: (tie)
Overall, the A100/2.8 Macro is my favorite. I rated the K100/4 Macro as a 9 and will give the A100/2.8 Macro a 10.
Summary:
The A100/2.8 Macro is another great Pentax macro lens and due to its fast speed, is a lens that I can also use as a regular 100mm prime on occasion. I have always liked the 100mm-105mm focal length for traveling to big cities, where longer telephotos aren’t much use for me. The A100/2.8 Macro will be a good option if I’m also planning to do some macro shooting.
Price:
I bought my A100/2.8 Macro on eBay and it’s in mint condition. I paid $612USD, I purchased the lens case separately.
Sample shots taken with the A100/2.8 Macro. Photos are medium resolution scans from original slides and negatives.
Camera: MZ-S Film: Kodak Ektachrome 100 ISO: 100
Camera: MZ-S Film: Kodak Ektachrome 100 ISO: 100
Camera: MZ-S Film: Kodak Portra 400 ISO: 400
Camera: MZ-S Film: Kodak Portra 400 ISO: 400
Camera: MZ-S Film: Kodak Portra 400 ISO: 400
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2011 Location: The Canadian WetCoast Posts: 384
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 29, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Fantastic IQ | | Cons: | "Numb" focusing ring | |
This lens doesn't come out from my camera bag often during the last couple decades as I reserve it as a true macro and copying lens only. Once it is mounted, and especially with an extension tube for magnification, it open another dimension to my photographic vision.
I have compared this lens IQ with more modern and prestige macro lenses, but hardly notice much difference in terms of sharpness, contrast & saturation. I also notice as previous reviewers pointed out, that it probes to flare more when wide open on a dSLR than on film camera. Although that reason alone is not enough to convince me to get the "new & improved" version.
Major criticism from me is the focusing ring really "numb", which can be hard when focusing manually with magnified subjects even on a tripod. | | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2008 Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia Posts: 297
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 22, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Amazingly sharp, excellent consruction, smooth focus | | Cons: | Availability and price | |
After wanting this lens for some time I finally found it at an estate sale in mint condition for a great price (so low I won't list it to prevent skewing the average). I had refused to pay the over-inflated prices seen online lately. I've used this for insect macro, portraits and light box work, all with outstanding results. This lens is a joy to handle and I prefer it over all similar macro lenses I've tried. This really could have been a star* lens.
If you can find it a reasonable price, don't hesitate.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2008 Location: Waterloo, Ontario Posts: 4,461
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 19, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Incredibly sharp and contrasty, fast | | Cons: | Manual focus but hardly an issue for most macro work, expensive | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 8
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I bought this lens new in the early 1990s. The Pentax A 100mm f 2.8 macro is one fine piece of glass. It has achieved a “legendary” status amongst its users. If incredibly sharp and contrasty images make for a “legendary” lens this one deserves the title. The build quality is absolutely world class in every way. It is a tad on the heavy side (470g.) probably due to its all metal construction and accepts 58mm filters. It is a “true” 1.1 macro lens with a minimum focusing distance of 31 cm. The front element is deeply recessed and as a result no lens hood is needed. Focusing with the A 100/2.8 takes a bit of getting used to. Initially I found it difficult but after prolonged use it is just second nature now.
As DAP notes above this may be "due to the fact that the lens racked out to 1:1 with only one revolution of the focus ring." It can be "finicky" until you get used to it. The rear element protrudes a bit and could be prone to damage if you are not cautious when changing lenses. Some respected forum members (Wheatfield, arpaagent) have noted sensor refelctions when using it wide open on digital. Boz Dimitrov provides further details at
http://kmp.bdimitrov.de/lenses/primes/short-tele/A100f2.8-Macro.html
It works very well on both my Pentax K10 digital and MX film camera. It is very versatile and I use it for macro work, as a portrait lens and once in a while for birding.
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If I had one complaint about this lens, at least for film, it would be that it is too short. Longer is always better in macro. I find I have to get too close for some shots. On the digital K10 this is not as big an issue as it performs as a 150mm macro. The added length makes a big difference for lighting setup as does the f 2.8 speed. I would love to have the Pentax A 200mm macro but it is hard to find and who can afford it? It seems we always want what we can't have. For the moment the A 100mm macro more than meets my close up needs. Here's a recent insect shot - handheld on a windy day.
======
I recently had a chance to compare the A 100 2.8 macro with Pentax's current offering the much lighter D FA 100 2.8 macro. It was a quick and dirty comparison and permitted little more than a chance to evaluate build quality. On this level alone the difference was staggering. The A version featured all metal construction, a 58mm vs 49mm barrel and was much more substantial in every way. The D model was auto focus but seemed to hunt a lot when focusing. It was my impression I could focus at least as well manually. This was a quick first impression of course but I can't see where the auto focus was any improvement at all as far as macro work goes. As a portrait lens the D version's auto focus is welcome and it would be much less weight (345 grams) to carry around. These features don't trump the build quality issue in my mind and I won't be upgrading to the D model for that reason alone. There were just too many plastic bits for my taste. I assume image making abilities would be comparable but I didn't have the time to really check this out. I have watched for the A 100 2.8 macro on EBAY for over a year now and note it seldom makes an appearance. Like myself, those who have a copy are holding on to it.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2007 Posts: 151 | | Review Date: May 29, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Really sharp | | Cons: | Expensive, focus is touchy and underdamped | |
Honestly I was kind of disappointed when I got my hands on this lens. After hearing how "legendary" it was I guess I was expecting a bit more. The build is good - all metal and relatively solid. The sharpness and overall image quality was fantastic (I would give it a 10 in this respect), but in no way was it any better than my much cheaper Tokina 90mm macro. I guess my main problem with the lens was the focus "feel" - it was way underdamped (it could be that it was just a problem with my copy) and due to the fact that the lens racked out to 1:1 with only one revolution of the focus ring, it was a bit too finicky for my liking. I sold it shortly after I bought it and haven't missed it in the least.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: November, 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 46 | | Review Date: April 30, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Outstanding optical quality, magnification 1:1. | | Cons: | Not AF (not a problem for me). | |
The best Macro 100mm lens Pentax made.
I have the M100 f/4 Macro and the FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro; no discussion: this is a really outstanding Macro from Pentax, the best 100 ever. Only the FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro it's similar (and obviously the A* 200mm F/4 Macro ED).
A dream.
Ezio
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