| Author: | | Forum Member Registered: August, 2018 Posts: 72
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 28, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | incredible simplicity | | Cons: | ...very difficult to take a photo quickly with this manuel lense | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 4
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-x
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What a shame ! This lense is incredible, better thant the FA 85mm F/1.4 for me, because it's very short, and F/1.8 is sufficient for the bokeh.
But take a photo with a K lense take a long time, it's all manual for exposition, speed etc.
Impossible for sport action.
Zero chromatic aberation, that why it's better thant the FA 85mm F/1.4 for me.
All metal built.
If Pentax has to make a D-FA 85mm lense, they shoult take the optical formula of this lense.
For me, the new D-FA 50mm F/1.4 is too big, to heavy.
And I'm afraid Pentax is making the same mistake for the conception of the new D-FAZ 85mm.
.. I sold it to pay my new FA 85mm F/1.4...
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2010 Posts: 753 | | Review Date: March 22, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $395.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Bokeh, Colours, Sharpness, Focusing Ring, Build | | Cons: | Marginal Green CA, Expensive | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
Camera Used: k-5
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....it's like FA77 without purple fringing. In fact I prefer this lens to FA77. It's a pretty compact lens, although not a match for FA77 nor DA70. Build-wise it is superb, solid with wide focusing ring which turns approx 270 degrees from closest focus to infinity. Wide open it is bit soft, but sharp stopped down to f2.8. In comparison it outperformed DA70 by a small margin, even in the corners.
K85 show bit of bokeh chromatic aberation, but it is subtle and not a problem stopped down. So far I couldn't make this lens to exhibit any purple fringing. Bokeh is very smooth, to my eyes identical or better than with FA77. On K-5 body the exposure via green button is spot on, lens fits the camera very well ergonomically too. A pity this design didn't evolve into AF lens.
Edit: I did some comparison landscape photos with K85 and FA77 and here are my findings:
1. Aparently K85 is better tuned for infinity photography
2. K85 has overall more neutral colour tone and renders deeper, more saturated blue than FA77, FA77 has more warmer colour tone
3. FA77 is sharper at f1.8, but from f2 there's not really a noticeable difference in sharpness between the two
4. to me K85 has a superior and smoother bokeh
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,202 | | Review Date: August 18, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $560.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small and compact, a great performer | | Cons: | A bit hard to find, not cheap | |
I don't know how come most guys here got the lens ssooo cheap? Whenever I saw it, it's expensive! But comparing w/ A*85/1.4, it's still cheaper. Between these two, actually I like to carry the K85 more 'cause it's a lot smaller and lighter.
| | | | | 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 ...
| | | | | | | 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.
| | | | | 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.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: January, 2008 Location: Sørumsand, Norway Posts: 59 | | Review Date: June 2, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Bokeh, sharp wide open, just beautiful to hold :) | | Cons: | Manual focusing | |
Bought a mint lens a year ago, I think it was hardly used at all. I like the image quality, especially full open with the small dof and the out of focus rendering.
But, it is manual focusing, and full open I find it hard to achieve perfect focus when objects are moving a bit. So I had to buy the 77mm F1.8 to not miss the moments. I still like to use this lens now and then, because it's such a gem.
It is good, but with the lack of autofocus I find it hard to give more than 8.
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| | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: Jakarta Posts: 2 | | Review Date: May 11, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | super sharp, low CA, built quality, 3D rendering | | Cons: | heavy, rare, price | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 7
Camera Used: K5, ME Super, A7, A6000
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fantastic portrait lens! this is my first 85mm lens, really like this lens, has beautiful 3D rendering especially in FF
i'm the lucky one to have this rare lens
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