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Pentax Lens Review Database » Film Era Pentax K-Mount Lenses » FA Zoom Lenses
SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6 Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6

Sharpness 
 6.0
Aberrations 
 6.6
Bokeh 
 6.6
Autofocus 
 7.8
Handling 
 6.8
Value 
 7.7
Reviews Views Date of last review
18 92,934 Wed November 4, 2020
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
83% of reviewers $35.40 6.67
SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6

SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6
supersize
SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6
supersize

Description:
This inexpensive zoom lens has a plastic bayonet and no distance scale. It was often sold bundled with a camera as a kit lens. The 28-90mm range is very convenient as a walk around lens on a film camera.

SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
Yes (A setting)
Diaphragm
Automatic, 6 blades
Optics
10 elements, 8 groups
Mount Variant
KAF
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F3.5-5.6
Min. Aperture
F22-38
Focusing
AF (screwdrive)
Quick-shift
No
Min. Focus
40 cm
Max. Magnification
0.28x
Filter Size
58 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 55-18 ° / 46-15 °
Full frame: 75-27 ° / 65-23 °
Hood
Case
S80-120
Lens Cap
Plastic clip-on
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
66.5 x 67.5 mm (2.6 x 2.7 in.)
Weight
195 g (6.9 oz.)
Production Years
2001 to 2004
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-FA 1:3.5-5.6 28-90mm
Product Code
27697
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Plastic bayonet
Features:
Screwdrive AutofocusAperture RingAutomatic ApertureFull-Frame SupportDiscontinued
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6
Author:
Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 16-18 of 18
New Member

Registered: June, 2007
Location: Halifax, Canada
Posts: 22

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: June 21, 2007 Recommended | Price: $100.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: CHEAP! Good AF speed, Aperture Ring
Cons: Plastic build, filter size is a bit big, no DOF scale

I've had this lens for a while. I originally used it on a k1000, but found there to be minor issues with the old body and new lens. I had to have the aperture lever repaired once because the k1000 was a bit hard on it. On my PZ-1 it's been nothing but creamy goodness. I've shot 2 weddings with it and have nothing but good things to say about it in that regard. Solid color reproduction, acceptable contrast, and is very light. The PZ-1 is a dream to use light lenses on especially when using a big flash thanks to it's hot shoe over the left side hand grip. Very easy to hold through a long shoot.

Now if it only had a DOF scale...
   
Veteran Member

Registered: February, 2007
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 1,056
Review Date: March 5, 2007 Recommended | Price: $20.00 | Rating: 6 

 
Pros: inexpensive, quick AF, surprisingly good IQ
Cons: build quality, plastic mount, MF capability

I found this when looking for an inexpensive autofocus zoom lens to supplement the assortment of old primes I normally use. Although my expectations were pretty low, this lens has surprisingly good image quality, especially at intermediate apertures. The autofocus is fast and accurate, but with a short depth of field it can have a hard time focusing on the correct subject. The focus ring is very sloppy, so the focus is hard to tweak manually. Not surprisingly the housing is made of cheap plastic, but I was surprised that even the bayonet mount is plastic, which makes me question its durability. However, since it was only US$20 I don't lose a lot of sleep over it.

Overall a surprisingly good, inexpensive, lightweight AF zoom lens. It's the one I reach for when I go from Photographer composing Photographs to just a dad taking quick snapshots of his kid.
   
Administrator

Registered: September, 2006
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Posts: 4,407
Review Date: January 7, 2007 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Value for money. Very light. Pictures crisp and sharp.
Cons: Plastic bayonet. Build quality so-so.

The smc Pentax-FA 28-90mm f/3.5-5.6 is an inexpensive zoom lens and it often came bundled with a Pentax film SLR. It performs rather well considering that it was priced below $100. It is an auto-focus zoom and can be focused manually despite the lack of a distance scale. The lens barrel and lens mount are made of plastic and build quality is below average - even the bayonet is made of plastic. In return it weighs only 195 grams. It comes with no lens hood and you must take care to avoid flare when shooting backlit objects.

I prefer the FA 24-90 over the FA 28-90. The 24-90 is better built and goes down to 24mm, which is significant in particular on a digital body.

I would rate it 5 or 6 for build quality, but it takes sharp and contrasty pictures, so the rating for optical quality is at least an 8 giving an overall rating of 7.

Sample photos:
http://themotec.com/Ole/WEB_Gallery20/
Add Review of SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm F3.5-5.6



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