Author: | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2018 Location: Quebec City, Quebec Posts: 6,494 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: March 4, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Extreme sharpness all across the frame. Makes high-resolution sensors shine. | Cons: | None. | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K20, K3
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| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,437 3 users found this helpful | Review Date: May 29, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $217.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Exceedingly sharp, aperture ring, quick AF, lights, compact, great focus-to-out-of-focus transition, gorgeously soft blurry areas | Cons: | Bizarre lens hood | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-1, K-3, MZ-S, K2DMD
| | This has quickly become one of my three go-to lenses for my K-1. Paired with the 31mm FA Limited and 77mm FA Limited, this is part of a trio that can accomplish basically any need.
The photos should speak volumes about the lens' sharpness, color transmission, clarity, and image quality. This is a fantastic lens that's light, compact, and a great performer. It has one really weird aspect which is the lens hood. It mounts onto the lens body but the focusing element protrudes. So the closer your focus, the less effect that the lens hood has. But the advantage of that is the the hood always protects the front element and it won't bump into whatever you're photographing because this lens has a LOT of movement.
Overall, one of my top three lenses for Pentax, probably one of the five best that I've ever used ever.
| | | | New Member Registered: December, 2007 Location: Tallinn Posts: 22 | Review Date: February 21, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $220.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Light, good IQ. | Cons: | Closeup range focus hunting, slow focus. | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K-3
| | I find it very good lens for the first 1:1 macro lens. Closeup AF is ridiculously hunting, but I use manual focus or set clamp on. 1:1 focus is best to be used on a macro rail to help focusing anyway, because even 1mm is notable distance.
Lens barrell extends beyond own lens hood in the 1:1 macro mode, so it is useless for a macro closeups.
With clamp on lens switches to MF with focus locked signal sent to the camera body (at least on my K-3), so that you decide whether you ready or not.
CA is obvious full open at F/2.8 but reduces as you stop down the lens even down from F/3.2. It is light and beautiful lens to use. Lack of the focus limiter is a shame but successor of this lens doesn't have clamp switch neither.
| | | | Forum Member Registered: November, 2009 Location: Israel Posts: 55 | Review Date: February 16, 2012 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Very sharp. Can be used for portrets too. | Cons: | Purple fringing is a problem. | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-X,K-5
| | Positive:
Very, very very sharp. Very good bokeh. Not heavy. Apperture can be set on body of the lens.
Can be used for portraits too.
Negative:
Build quality is so-so. On my lens i can turn focus ring even after it reached the real limit and when the lens is at minimum focus distance the lens wobbles - not a real problem but does not feel right. Focus is pretty slow.
Conclusion:
Excellent sharpness + 1:1 magnification + 100mm focal length = excellent macro lens. If it was built like new WR 100mm but still had the aperture controls this could be perfect macro lens.
| | | | | Banned Registered: May, 2011 Location: Earth Posts: 10 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: October 8, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $325.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | aperture ring, big rubber focusing ring, IQ no less than DFA WR, ready for FF | Cons: | plastic, don't buy for the AF capability... | New or Used: Used
| | I currently have three macro lens setups. The DFA 100mm, DFA 100mm WR, & a vivi 2x macro focusing ring with a 50 1.4 mounted to compare it to the DFA.
DFA and DFA WR. IQ is eqaul to my eye. Focusing is easier with the ring on the DFA.
The real big advantage of the DFA to some may be it has a aperture ring and the WR does not. For the used price I paid the DFA is way more bang for the buck. Since the only advantage of the WR is WR. Plastics on DFA could be a negative for some. Typical Macro AF could use a limiter. Only comment when comparing this lens to my vivi setup, save for a mid to high end macro prime if you want execlent results.
| | | | Senior Member Registered: August, 2007 Location: new jersey Posts: 112 | Review Date: July 30, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Fast to focus very sharp | Cons: | none | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 6
Value: 10
New or Used: New
| | I keep this on my 20d all the time with a PENTAX AF 160FC Auto Macro Ring Flash on it. | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Detroit Posts: 3,491 | Review Date: April 14, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $370.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | sharp, sturdy, light weight | Cons: | none | | I bought this lens used just before the price increase.
I've never been sorry.
This has to be one of the most versatile lenses ever made in this length.
Always sharp, great contrast and color.
Perfect for macro and anything else you would use this FL for.
The only thing that annoys me from time to time is the focus lock, which I sometimes engage by accident, and then wonder why it won't focus.
My silliness, not the lenses.
It would work fine on a focus rail. I just have to get one of those to get full use of this gem.
If you can find one for a reasonable price......buy it!
| | | | New Member Registered: August, 2010 Posts: 20 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: August 19, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | sharp, bright colours and simple. | Cons: | none | | An excellent score all round. Sharp, detailed results. Most complained about the absence of a focus limiter but it has a manual focus ring which helps considerably so I don't really consider that not having a focus limiter is a drawback.
It is lightweight an very practical. Great for macros and portraits and architectural details
Go ahead and buy it!
| | | | | Review Date: February 26, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | sharp, contrast, handling | Cons: | none | | I bought this lens as a Schneider-Kreuznach, but its exactly the same as the Pentax DFA. I think the lens isn't nearly perfect, it is perfect. Look at this picture, this was my first one with this nice glass. | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: egypt Posts: 435 | Review Date: February 7, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $520.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | great in macro,portrait | Cons: | na | | it is the best in the macro range.
ibought it for macro issues but i find it is very sharp in portrait.
light,sharp results,excellent colors.
| | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 173 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: June 19, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $480.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | bokeh, speed, size, sharpness, contrast and overall IQ | Cons: | lack of focus limiter maybe | | IMO this is the best 100mm Macro lens to get for Pentax dSLR's. It is very compact and lighweight for a 100mm f/2.8 lens. It is perfectly fine wide-open and extremely sharp in the usual macro range of f/4-f/13 - its overall a very very good lens with superb IQ - great contrast, awesome (smooth and buttery) bokeh and lovely color rendition. The focus clamp is a very good idea and quick shift focusing is great and due to the large focusing reach manual focusing is very easy and precise. A focus limiter is lacking but even without it this lens deserves a 10 for its IQ and compact size/weight.
| | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2020 Location: Wrocław Posts: 33 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: March 13, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $290.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | size, image quality, sharpness, bokeh, weight | Cons: | AF speed | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K20d
| | I love this lens. This lens is one of those Pentax glasses, that you know third-party manufacturers may do better, but in almost every single considerable way it is well-thought product, in better image quality and lot of advantages.
I have sold that lens, but 8-10 years ago I used to use it for portraits and macro.
In portrais it doesn't require stopped down. It makes nice, creamy bokeh. Sometimes it is to sharp, but I wouldn't consider that as a negative aspect.
In macro it depends how you do it, but I used to use it without AF and withone home-made lamp diffusor.
To be honest, I prefer this insted of FA/DFA 50 macro. Because of its weight and size and portrait capabilities. The only thing that spoils the overall score is slow AF, but I undertand that this product is not design for fast AF-actions. Agata at f/3.5 by Campanelli, on Flickr Aeshna cyanea female at f/9.0 by Campanelli, on Flickr
| | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 32 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: April 28, 2017 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Sharpness!!! ; Light weight | Cons: | Built quality | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K30
| | Ultra-sharp lens, Very Good from center to corners at full aperture, Excellent above!
Low distortion, low vignetting, low flare, very good colors.
It is also very light, good for my shoulders!
What I don't like is the built quality, especially the focusing: it is 'lose'.
| | | | New Member Registered: October, 2015 Posts: 1 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: October 21, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $460.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | sharp, bokeh | Cons: | autofocus | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: k5
| | great lens, love the minimum focusing distance (12") . solid, but light lens only real complaint is the auto focus. It is loud and can hunt when focusing in close, bu a great lens over all, absolutely recommend this for anyone who does macro.
| | | | New Member Registered: October, 2008 Posts: 1 | Review Date: February 8, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $360.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Sharp, good contrast | Cons: | Build quality not as good as my other Pentax lenses | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 7
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: GX-20, K-30
| | A very sharp lens (from f4 up, 2.8 is certainnly softer on mine).
The focal length isn't one I turn to often but it can serve well in non-macro situations, particularly if you want to stand back from the family and observe more.
Contrast is good and very rarely needs increasing in post.
The clamp function is wasted on me, a focus range limiter would have been better (particularly when it decides to go the wrong way through the range, I should probably use MF more).
Also the focus ring will turn past the end 'stops', whether this is damaging I don't know but certainly is strange.
At the price I bought this it is a must have.
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