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SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft

Sharpness 
 9.0
Aberrations 
 8.0
Bokeh 
 9.0
Autofocus 
 8.0
Handling 
 8.0
Value 
 9.0
Reviews Views Date of last review
3 43,540 Mon January 31, 2022
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $530.00 9.33
SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft

SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft
supersize
SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft
supersize

Description:
This is a soft-focus lens where the image softness is controlled by the aperture ring (the larger the aperure, the softer the image). The aperture works manually from F2.8 to F5.6 ("stop down" mode), and automatically from F5.6 - F22 (will meter at F5.6 in that range). This lens does not have the "A" setting on its aperture ring.



SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
Yes (no A setting)
Diaphragm
Automatic/Manual, 6 blades
Optics
5 elements, 5 groups
Mount Variant
KAF
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F2.8
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
AF (screwdrive)
Quick-shift
No
Min. Focus
30 cm
Max. Magnification
0.13x
Filter Size
49 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 55 ° / 46 °
Full frame: 75 ° / 65 °
Hood
PH-SB49
Case
S70-70
Lens Cap
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Soft Focus
Diam x Length
65.6 x 40.3 mm (2.6 x 1.6 in.)
Weight
195 g (6.9 oz.)
Production Years
1997 to 2004
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-FA 1:2.8 28mm -SOFT-
Product Code
22530
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Soft Focus adjustable with the aperture ring.
Aperture operation: Manual (F2.8-5.6), automatic (F5.6-22).
Features:
Screwdrive AutofocusAperture RingFull-Frame SupportDiscontinued
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft
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Moderator

Registered: July, 2011
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 1,730

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: January 31, 2022 Recommended | Price: $800.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Unique images
Cons: Non A metering

I have always liked the feel of soft lenses from my film days where I had a copy of the 85mm 2.2 , family time ate in to my hobby budget when the 28mm FA Soft lens was released and I missed out on buying one back then. Even nowadays, it is a rare lens to find for sale, I used to call it my unicorn lens as it was as common as a unicorn. The lens delivers that real 80's feel of dreamy images, normally used with the 85mm to deliver flattering portraits, the lens deliver sharp images when stopped down to f8-22,however below that there is a soft/sharp image delivered together. The lens gives a sharp image with a secondary diffuse/soft image superimposed over the sharp image to give a somewhat dreamy effect. Highlights can really diffuse themselves a long way to almost overwhelm surrounding areas of the image, it also demands plenty of images being taken as what you think you have in the viewfinder , sometimes is quite different to what appears on the computer screen. In the digital age this is not a real issue but back in the film film days it would have cost a lot of wasted film. In rating this lens, I have to give it a 10 for aberrations , not because of how few there are but for how different they are, the same with sharpness, even the softest setting still has an underlying sharp image with a diffuse softness over the top.
In use, even though it is an FA series lens it has no "A" setting, so it is green button metering just like an M or K series lens. However it then zips in to focus using the screw drive mechanism. A little Frankenstein feel to the lens with low and high tech merging together a little like the images it delivers.
Developing the images in Lightroom can deliver images that can have some real punch to the colours, yet still have a muted /soft feel to them. The lens also really works with flowers, it gives the right amount of softness to the rendering of them.
I used the older Takumar rectangular lens hood which fitted on nicely and increased the contrast of the lens.
I really enjoyed using the lens, it delivers images no other lens can, not for every day use, but it certainly is one to keep in the bag for it's unique rendering, this one is not going up for sale.

Some of my favourite images

cow truck by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr

misty set by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr

heady by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr

soft flowers by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr

and to show 2 versions of the same image

soft face by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
sharp face by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
   
Site Supporter

Registered: October, 2008
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 8,085

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 11, 2021 Recommended | Price: $260.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Soft-focus feature, focal length.
Cons: Clunky handling, build. Speciality lens and not for everyday use.
New or Used: Used    Camera Used: Pentax manual and auto focus film bodies   

The FA28/2.8 Soft was released in 1997 and it’s a one-off wide angle soft-focus lens. Its design is based on the regular Pentax FA28/2.8 AL wide angle lens, that was released six years earlier. The FA28/2.8 Soft remained in production until 2004, when it was discontinued along with the FA28/2.8 AL version.

Optics:
You can’t judge the optics of the FA28/2.8 Soft lens like a regular 28mm prime, as it’s “soft” from f2.8 to f8. Never the less at apertures f11 or above, in the lens’s “sharp” mode, it’s a pretty sharp 28mm lens. Although it’s probably not going to be as good as the regular FA28/2.8 lens, as that had aspherical elements.

Speed:
F/2.8 is an average speed for a soft-focus lens, but again speed does not really matter like with a regular 28mm prime.

Build/Handling:
The FA28/2.8 Soft is almost the same size/weight as the regular FA28/2.8 AL, so it’s a pretty small lightweight lens. Its build is typical of a non FA LTD or FA* lens, lots of plastic and a wobbly moving focus & aperture ring. Overall, a clunky handling below average built lens.

Usage:
The FA28/2.8 Soft is a unique lens as it can be used as a “Soft Focus” lens from f2.8 to f8 and as a regular lens from f11 to f22. The “Soft Focus” effect is controlled by the aperture ring and is at its highest degree at f2.8 and at its lowest at f8 where it’s almost gone. The FA28/2.8 Soft also has a manual diaphragm from f2.8 to f4.8, so you have to use stop-down metering in that range. From f5.6 to f22 it has an automatic diaphragm, so you can use open aperture metering in that range. As a result the image in the viewfinder will always be “soft” in the open aperture metering range, so you will need to use the camera's DOF preview to focus. The FA28/2.8 Soft also has no “A” setting on aperture ring, so it’s different from regular “FA” Series lenses. I only use manual focus with this lens, so I can’t comment on its AF capabilities in either the “sharp” or “soft” modes.

FOCAL LENGTH: Most Soft-Focus lenses are made with a “standard portrait” 85mm focal length, so 28mm is a rather unique wider angle of view. The 28mm focal length is great for dreamy landscape/cityscape shots. The Pentax “A” 1.4x rear converter works well with this lens and you then get the FOV of a 39mm lens, which is great for shooting closer things like boats/cars and so on. This rear converter actually enhances the soft-focus affect, so it’s opposite of what a rear converter usually does. 😊

CAMERA SELECTION: I only shoot film and have dozens of Pentax manual & auto focus film bodies. The FA28/2.8 Soft works best with a body that has aperture priority and a DOF preview. Using it on a fully manual body is a pain, as the lens is aperture dependent for its main soft-focus function. A camera with no DOF preview will not let you focus properly. A body that has a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 or higher is also preferred, otherwise shooing at f2.8 may not be possible without using a ND filter, which is also a pain to use on a soft-focus lens as it makes the viewfinder even darker. Since this lens has no “A” aperture setting, any film camera with a crippled k-mount will not work properly, as the camera can’t control the aperture setting. (My *ist film body is an example)

FILM & EXPOSURE: For better results I recommends using a slower fine grain film when using the soft-focus feature. (50-100 ISO) Also to shoot in the aperture range of f4 to f2.8 in sunny weather, you need a slower film or you might have to use a ND filter to get bellow the maximum shutter speed of the camera you are using. Grainy films or expired films will result in a hot mess. I also use B&W film occasionally, but coloured soft-focus shots seem to look better. Note make sure you don’t overexpose your shot as it will be ruined using the soft-focus effect.

FOCUSING WITH NO SOFT-FOCUS EFFECT: When using the “sharp” apertures f11 to f22, the open aperture used will be f5.6 so the viewfinder is a bit soft. I need to use the DOF preview on the camera to focus correctly.

FOCUSING USING THE SOFT-FOCUS EFFECT: Using the soft-focus range of f2.8 to f8, I usually compose and focus the shot using f11 & DOF preview and then move the aperture to the degree of soft focus that I want. The image in the view finder will show the degree of softness, so you will get a rough idea how the final shot will look like. (Note for f5.6 to f8 you will need to use the cameras DOF preview, as these are open metering apertures) I recommend taking a few shots using different soft-focus apertures, as the maximum degree of softness at f2.8 may be too much for a lot of subjects. For me f4 seems to be the sweet spot of the lens.

You can also focus with the aperture set at the degree of soft-focus effect that you want, but that’s when you will have AF issues. For manually focusing you also can’t rely on the green focus confirmation light or split-image macro prism, so it’s best to manually focus off the matt focusing screen. If you change the soft-focus aperture then you will need to refocus, as you’ll get focus drift.

HOOD: The FA28/2.8 Soft uses the same plastic clip-on lens hood used by any Pentax 28mm-35mm lens with a 49mm filter ring, this hood was originally designed for the M Series wide angle lenses. Use it, as flare will ruin your soft-focus shot.

CASE: The FA28/2.8 comes with the S70-70 soft case.

Summary:
The FA28/2.8 Soft is the only wide-angle soft-focus lens that Pentax made, so the focal length is the best feature of this lens. If you like soft-focus lenses then this is a must have focal length. This lens can also be used as an ordinary 28mm lens, so you get the best of both worlds. However, a soft-focus is still a specialty lens like a macro or shift lens, so it’s not for everyone or everyday use. You can always go old school and try soft-focus filters, Vaseline or cover your lens with a stocking to attempt the soft-focus effect, or use some current s/w, but neither will ever be as good as a true soft-focus lens like the FA 28/2.8 Soft lens.

Price: I found my FA28/2.8 Soft online and it cost $259.99. It’s in excellent+ condition and I bought the case & hood separately.


Sample shots taken with the FA28/2.8 Soft. Photos are medium resolution Lab scans from original slides or negatives.

Camera: MZ-S Film: Fuji Velvia 100 ISO: 100
Shot at F/11 with no soft-focus effect



Camera: MZ-S Film: Fuji Velvia 100 ISO: 100
Shot at F/4 using the A1.4x Rear Converter



Camera:K2DMD Film: Ilford Ortho Plus 80 ISO: 80
Shot at F/4 using the A1.4x Rear Converter



Camera:K2DMD Film: Ilford Ortho Plus 80 ISO: 80
Shot at F/4



These next three shots are the same, but at different soft-focus apertures.
Camera: MZ-S Film: Kodak Ektachrome 100 ISO: 100
Shot at F/2.8


Shot at F/4


Shot at F/5.6
   
Veteran Member

Registered: September, 2009
Location: Southern California
Posts: 3,236

5 users found this helpful
Review Date: February 17, 2012 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Unique abilities
Cons: Aperture setting only shows up in EXIF data at certain openings
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Autofocus: 8    Handling: 8    Value: 9    New or Used: Used    Camera Used: K-5   

Since there are no reviews for this lens, and it's somewhat uncommon, I thought I'd post a brief one. Although I've had it for almost a year, I haven't used the lens enough yet to give more detail. However, on World Pentax Day this year I did get a shot that convinced me the lens has real value.

Here's that shot:


https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/photo-theater-courtyard-32697/

And here are similar shots from the FA31/1.8 and K50/1.2 which demonstrate that a standard lens, even a fast one, can't achieve the same effect. I also doubt a soft filter would have the same effect either, although I can't say for sure, since I didn't try.


https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/photo-theater-courtyard-fa31-32699/


https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/photo-theater-courtyard-k50-1-2-32700/

If you click on the links below each photo, you can view them at a larger size - plus see additional comments that help in comparing the shots.

I rated the sharpness a 9, because when stopped down to f/8 or smaller it is sharp, demonstrating that it really is a sharp lens, just with a soft effect designed into it at wider apertures.
Add Review of SMC Pentax-FA 28mm F2.8 Soft



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