| Author: | | Forum Member Registered: September, 2012 Location: Tokyo Posts: 72
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 25, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $110.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | build quality, longevity, feel, size, optics | | Cons: | a bit ... boring ? | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: K7
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A very popular lens judging by how many reviews this one has here. Is it worth adding another ?
I picked this one up for 9000 yen, about $110 at time of writing ( Sep 2012 ), at a dealer in Tokyo. You can get them for less, or indeed pay more. There are plenty about. It works perfectly with aperture set to A on my K7. Optically it is all fine, nothing to note. Build is exemplary. This lens will last.
There is no rating for "drama" or "atmosphere" or "feeling", but if there was, I'd rate it a 3. That's the only problem with this lens in my opinion. It does nothing wrong, it's just a bit boring. On a full-frame, I'd expect that comment to be less valid. But on a crop sensor, the field of view combined with neutral colours, slightly slow aperture, and unremarkable bokeh, just give me relatively dull, flat pictures.
It's small and easy to carry. I just much prefer the older Takumars for their bit of drama.
Paul
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 13
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 5, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $72.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharper than the kit lens | | Cons: | A little heavy on C/A | |
Not a bad lens -- works as it should. Goes well with the K2000. Auto aperture seems accurate enough. No auto-focus and those APS-C viewfinders are tiny. Nevertheless, once you get it down, pictures are nice and sharp. Think about this: Ken Rockwell with a $299 point-and-shoot and you with a K-5 and FA 31, who's going to take the better pictures? It's all about your own abilities. I got a screw-on, 49mm, metal lens-hood that was made for telephoto's. An excellent match. Satisfied with the lens, but hoping Pentax will introduce a new 28mm soon.
Indoor shots to demonstrate sharpness:
100% for pixel-peeping (center):
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2010 Location: British Columbia Posts: 120
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 17, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small, light, very good optical quality for the price | | Cons: | Short focus throw | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
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The A 28mm f2.8 has quite similar optical quality to the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 non-VC lens (which I own). Actually I think it's slightly sharper, and vignettes less than the modern zoom. I like the colours that come out of the 28mm better than the Tamron as well, though a quick white balance adjustment in post makes this a moot point.
In terms of CA, the Tamron does better but the 28mm is still quite good.
The lens was difficult to focus precisely because it takes only 90 degrees turn from min focus to infinity. That's my only major complaint.
Overall, I would give the lens an 8.5, but increase it to 9 because of the bang for buck.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2008 Location: Brampton, ON, Canada Posts: 2,456
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 12, 2011 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Small, reasonably fast, useful FL | | Cons: | A bit prone to contrast loss | |
Useful - not quite a "normal" FL replacement on digital, but not bad.
I had my copy for a number of years (10 at least), and it was a good, well travelled performer (Paperbag now has it) .
Build quality is excellent, and the manual focusing is a treat.
Optically, as others have mentioned, the rendering is very neutral. Sharpness is adequate.
My one recommendation is to purchase a collapsible rubber hood to prevent contrast loss and flare.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2011 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 20, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $70.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | 42mm on DSLR, A-setting, nice when stopped down, small | | Cons: | overall build, loose focus ring, bit hard to focus accurately | |
I have bought this lens due to two reasons. Firstly I wanted to try A lens (after two M lenses I already had). Secondly I wanted to get as close to 50mm on DSLD (K20D) as I can without buying more expensive and harder to get 35mm lens.
I was already spoiled with M50/1.7 and M75-150/4 so when it arrived I was less than thrilled with overall quality of A28/2.8. It doesn't feel as sturdy as M50/1.7. Moreover focusing ring works in some uneven manner (bit loose at 0.7m, at least my one) and it just breaks loose while I press the shutter so it is possible to accidentally turn it then. Also it is not as sharp as my both M lenses... In fact due to loose focusing ring and not-so-sharp images at first I thought that I have got damaged lens.
I am overall pleased with performance I got however. It's small. It is 42mm on DSLR, which renders really nice view. It gives nice colors and details (if you won't miss focus) too. The A-setting (along with exposure compensation) allows to get accurate exposition in vast majority of shots which really makes quite a difference from "slower to operate" M lenses. Additionally at f2.8 you can take some hand-held photos in dim light quite easily. And it has not so bad bokeh too.
All in all this is my choice for general walk-around lens for now.
evening:
low light, high iso:
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: June, 2009 Posts: 35
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 7, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $90.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, cheap, good built quality by today's standards | | Cons: | | |
I just want to add a few particulars to the other reviews. I had mixed results from the start with a K20D and this lens. Not very high in resolution, it seemed. But then some shots turned out very very sharp.
The problem is with the regular focusing screens in the digital slrs the point of perfect focus is quite vague. So i used the green light focus confirmation. After a while I tried focusing the lens with live view at 8x. In my lens there is a slight constant difference between perfect focus and the steady green light point, like 1 millimetre on the lens scale. Completely unperceptible through the viewfinder, and hard to spot on pictures if you close the lens down, but when you get it right it's very very sharp even at f/2.8. For maximum sharpness focus using live view and f/2.8. Again, the difference in sharpness at 100% is huge, at least in my lens, even if you're going for f/8
| | | | | Moderator Registered: July, 2011 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,774 | | Review Date: February 28, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Compact nice focusing feel | | Cons: | none | |
I have come to really appreciate the A series 28mm. The slightly wide field of view but not too excessive width makes it easy for most subjects. Not having to use the green button for metering is really a nice convenience. The extra bonus of how well the lens performs as a macro lens when reversed was a pleasant surprise. Easy to focus with a nice throw for the focus ring. I used the rectangular lens hood from the Takumar era, it fits nicely on the lens barrel but unless you are using a filter it can stop you easily achieving infinity focus. It seemed to help with the contrast when the hood was used. Another Pentax lens well worth having in your kit.
Some photos
 fishing by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
 up sky by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
 the cape by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
 dimm close by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2018 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: August 16, 2018 | Not Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | compact and good build, cheapü | | Cons: | not good enough on digital | | Sharpness: 5
Aberrations: 4
Bokeh: 5
Handling: 9
Value: 7
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
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I was rather disappointed with this lens. Got it cheap in a good condition and compared it with the 18-55 WR (tested it with F8). The good thing is, that I now appreciate much more my 18-55 because it is so much better, especially in the centre. In the corners there was a small advantage for the full frame 28mm but that doesn't justify using it.
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2013 Posts: 4 | | Review Date: September 27, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $36.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Nice built , nice sharpness, very cheap in my country | | Cons: | Not yet fou d | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5
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Just bought and surely this lens is good
Mine is not really smooth in the body, looks like it wasnt kept in the right place before.. But still nothing is wrong with the shot taken
I think i am in love in this lense | | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2012 Location: Cirebon Posts: 29 | | Review Date: August 30, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $55.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Lightweight, Good enough build, Sharpness | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-01
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[+]
- Small and lightweight.
- Natural color rendering.
- Sharp enough at wide open but TOO SHARP for portrait.
[-]
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: August, 2012 Posts: 33 | | Review Date: March 9, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, A-mode, colours, resolution, "normal lens" on APS-C | | Cons: | Slightly wobbly barrell compared to M-version | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-30
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My favourite lens by far! So versatile, so sharp and very enjoyable to use, and all of this for peanuts (60-100 USD)! I've also owned the 28mm f3.5 M-version which is known for it's crazy colours and, in comparison, this A-version is miles sharper and has much better resolution, especially at infinity and far away objects.
I have no problem using this wide open, but I usually shoot between f4 and 5.6. Honestly, I haven't seen much difference in corner sharpness but then again I don't really pixel peep. Focusing with lens is extremely easy and on bright sunny day you can always just place it to f8 and snap away ("f8 and be there"). But even wide open it's very easy to spot the focus point.
Some claim this lens is boring to which I must retort that it's hardly the lens' fault if your pictures turn out boring. 
It has some aberrations and fringing when shot against high-contrast light, but this is easily fixed with PS or LR (literally one button) so it doesn't really bother me, but film users should probably take note.
I would rate this a strong 9. It's not a ten - no lens is perfect - but it is my favourite and the one I'd recommend to every Pentaxian, especially DSLR users looking for a good, cheap "normal lens" (43mm FF equivalent).
Below a couple of shots I have taken with this lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apaasi/8538327117/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apaasi/8533684761/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apaasi/8533685029/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apaasi/8534792814/in/photostream | | | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2011 Posts: 258 | | Review Date: February 23, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Small, sharp | | Cons: | Not sharp enough for prime (some zooms are better), PF | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K200D
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This is a test between one M 28 2.8 version 2(the same lens optically as the A28 2.8) and my DA 16-45. If we are talking about pure resolution without mentioning the CAs of the DA lens I think that the will have only one plus against the zoom(which is not one of the best zooms after all...) the only plus is the size. So in my opinion if you can get it cheaply the A28 2.8 is good lens, if you must pay too much for it better go for a zoom like this one. I must find one sigma 17-70 to check too, I'm guessing the prime will have hard time!
PS I'll show some field shots soon!
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2009 Location: Treviso (Italy) Posts: 87 | | Review Date: August 8, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Dimension, building, sharp | | Cons: | colors | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 9
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Excellent manual focus lens. Little, well built and sharp.
But with quite cold colors imho.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: Hong Kong / Irvine, CA Posts: 636 | | Review Date: July 24, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | a normal lens on DSLR | | Cons: | 5 aperture blades | |
It's a normal lens on a DSLR.
not fast enough, not wide enough.
It does carry A lens characteristic .
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2010 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: July 20, 2011 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
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Good solid lens. Nice bokeh and fairly sharp. If you can pick up a copy for a reasonable price you won't be sorry.
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