| Author: | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2009 Location: Champagne Ardennes, France Posts: 20 | | Review Date: October 26, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Fast, Nice Bokeh an color rendering, compact size | | Cons: | difficult to find | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
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It 's a sharp lens that offers good color rendering, bokeh and pleasant handling. Nice for portrait or fine details or to get 3D style picture. It's a 10 (for this price you can't find better).
Test photos :
 | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,092
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 7, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $780.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Speed , quality, soft-focus area. | | Cons: | Not really a telephoto lens. | | Camera Used: K Series film bodies (K1000, KM, KX, K2, K2DMD)
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The K85/1.8 is one of three K series portrait/telephotos released in 1975, the others being the K105/2.8 & K120/2.8. The K85/1.8 actually weighs more than the K105/2.8, which is due to the extra lens element. (6 compared to 5)
The K85/1.8 was designed to produce a soft-focus effect in the areas just beyond the DOF, so it is ideal for portraiture and close-ups of other objects. This soft-focus area is very appealing and is unique. You will have fun playing around with the DOF.
The K85/1.8 is also incredibly fast and I have used it for night city scapes. The K85/1.8 is part of my new “night kit” along with my K28/2 and K50/1.2.
The K85/1.8 is sharp for a lens of this focal length and is decent wide open. Though I have only used it wide open at night. It’s also much sharper than the M85/2 version.
The K85/1.8 shares the same 52mm filter thread lens hood with the K105/2.8 and the K100/4 Macro & Bellows lenses. I highly recommend getting one.
The K85/1.8 is more of a specialty fast portrait lens than a telephoto. But it is brilliant at what it is designed for and is a must have in any collection.
Note my review is based on using the K85/1.8 on a film camera only. Also the price I paid is on the high side, as it was mint- and came with the original lens case and hood.
Sample shots taken with the K85/1.8. Photos are medium resolution scans from original slides or negatives.
Camera: K2 Film: Fuji Velvia 100 ISO: 100
Camera: K2 Film: Ilford HP5 Plus ISO: 400
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 509 | | Review Date: May 25, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | high optical quality, portable, extremely well built, perhaps better than a M | | Cons: | A little bit soft on f/1.8; shortest focus distance a bit long; getting too expensive | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
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Better than my Pentax M 50mm f/1.4 when wide open. Performs well with a doubler or a 1.7x. Extremely well built. Easily one of my best lenses. Reluctant to use due to its rarity and its high market price  Maybe I should buy another one just in case.
In short distance, the resolution and contrast are on par with FA77. FA77 wins on longer distance and CA. FA77 also does better with contrast at the largest apertures. But the dreamy effect at f1.8 is very attractive for portrait. It seems more flavorful that Rokinon/Samyang 85mm f1.4. F1.8 is perhaps better choice than f1.4 in the vast majority of situations because of razor sharp DOF. The color is very attractive and unique. This lens has grown on me.
BTW, Rokinon/Samyang 85mm f1.4 is sharper with higher contrast at the largest apertures. But I still love my K85 
Pentax SMC K 85mm f1.8 Examples | | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2008 Location: France Posts: 128 | | Review Date: August 16, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $240.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, bokeh | | Cons: | Missing "interface" with new Pentax DSLRs ... | |
I bought this lens two years ago. Since then, it has become one of my most used lenses. Quite soft fully open, but still usable. Great bokeh, and really sharp from f/2 on ... 9/10 only because i cannot have the current f/stop value shown in the viewfinder of my K10D, otherwise it would have been a full 10/10 ...
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Michigan/USA Posts: 173 | | Review Date: November 6, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Color, sharpness, oof rendering, size. | | Cons: | K lens have to use in manual mode, prefer PK-A. | |
I have a lot of nice lenses, this one is a favorite. The focusing is so easy and smooth, bright viewfinder, the color and clarity of the photo even at 1.8 is impressive.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2007 Location: Norway Posts: 1 | | Review Date: March 13, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, nice out of focus rendering. Nice handling. | | Cons: | None | |
A bit soft when wide open, but sharpens nicely when stopped down. Very solidly built. Nice OOF rendering.
I have not tested on digital, but I suspect it would compare nicely with the FA77mm.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: Chicago, IL, USA Posts: 147 | | Review Date: January 26, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | small, crisp focusing, superb bokeh, sharp at f2 | | Cons: | not f1.4 but that is rather obvious, non-A | |
The tag line "beat by the speed of the FA* and A*" is sort of silly. As if that sums it up. I'm happy with this lens so far -- I have a sample locally for a relatively low cost compared to eBay. A few photos here:
http://oomz.net/mf/viewtopic.php?id=4572
Update: Here are some more photos (a lot at f1.8 with ND4 filter during day):
(Non working link removed)
At first, I hesitated to use it wide open but I decided to give it a try and I like it. Sure, it is less sharp wide open but the images it produces are very good. Even if you pixel peep! The DOF is razor thin though at close range. This is my favorite lens.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2006 Location: 44266 Posts: 568 | | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Fairly sharp, good bokeh | | Cons: | Heavy? | |
I bought this lens new in the mid to late 80's I think and it has served me well. I have shot a lot of Tri-X with this one. A good 'short' portrait lens as well as good for some woodland pictures where the 1.8 is a help.
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