| Author: | | Pentaxian Registered: December, 2007 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 325 | | Review Date: March 25, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $79.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, lighweight, compact lens with excellent flare control | | Cons: | A bit of longitudinal CA, but not bad given that it is not an APO lens. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: S5 (full frame) and K-70 (APS-C)
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I have tried a few of the short M-series teles, including this lens, the M120/2.8 and the M135/3.5. In my experience this one is easily the best, particularly on full frame. It is surprisingly sharp across the frame when wide open, and becomes extremely sharp stopped down. It is very resistant to flare, which is a real advantage of Pentax lenses from this era. So many older lenses from other manufacturers flare like crazy if you dare to put the sun or a bright light in the frame. This lens also has VERY nice bokeh, except for just a bit of longitudinal chromatic aberration ("bokeh fringing") when shot wide open, although even in this regard it compares well to other similar lenses. It is also TINY and lightweight. The size and weight, combined with it's silky-smooth focus ring, make it a joy to use. It's one of my favorite lenses of all time. It's also one of the least expensive lenses I've ever purchased. It's a real hidden gem and a stunningly good value!!
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2014 Location: Ogre Posts: 9 | | Review Date: May 23, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, bright, value, compact | | Cons: | no | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: PENTAX K3
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Very very sharp and compact lens. Easy to put in your pocket. Feels very good buit. Important to use lens hood on a sunny day. Bought it a few years ago on Ebay for 90 euros. This lens is a much more valuable.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2022 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 24, 2022 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Supersharp, a dream to handle | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Fujifilm GFX50R
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I've had this lens since new in the 70s but I don't remember what it costed then. I've taken up photography again after many years of low interest and WOW, what a lens this is!
Recently I bought a used GFX50R and tried the old Pentax and to my surprise it worked super fine. No vignetting that I have seen and really sharp when I have used it for landscape pictures. It's not easy to distinguish which images are from the GF100-200 @ 100mm and which are from the Pentax-M 100mm f2.8.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: June, 2013 Location: Utrecht Posts: 255
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 9, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Light, compact, sharp and contrasty, super sharp stopped down | | Cons: | Some purple fringing, easy removable | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K1ii, K-01 and film
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I bought this long time ago for fl 100,- ( no euro's that time) and it was my most used short tele / portrait on film. This lens also shines on digital. Always use a hood to avoid flaire. This lens is well build, light weight, decent sharp already wide open (though little contrast), has superb color reproduction and at from F4 - F8 nice contrast. I compared this with the DFA 100 macro 2.8, you can find it here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/392245-my-...dern-dfas.html
The DFA is sharper wide open, frings less and produces more contrast. But the difference is minor.
If you can grab it for little, you won't be disappointed. It's not a macro b.t.w.. If you own it for portraits, you can save the money buying a DFA for that purpose.
Digital on K-01:
Scanned older color negative:
 | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2013 Location: Yukon Posts: 516
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 23, 2018 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | IQ in general, Sharpness, colors, small and light | | Cons: | Can cause LBA? | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: MX, K10D, K20D, K-5II, K-1
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Ok, so this lens kind of changed everything for me. Found at a garage sale, and not putting in my price here because it was unrealistically low. I knew nothing about this lens, but for less than the price of a pint, hard to resist.
I have used this lens mainly with digital, though excellent with film too. On digital it seemed a world above my M50/1.7 and M28/2.8. Not sure what the magic of this lens might be - great combo of sharpness and color? Compact easy handling? Someone had mentioned using all auto-focus lenses other than this - because somehow this particular lens seems to focus automatically anyway?!? Ok, not quite, but....
Ok, who knows what it is, but if I'm unhappy with photos I'm taking, I put on the M100/2.8 and my day gets better. Not sure why.
Yes there's some PF, and sometimes colors seem too bright and too strong? But...
And then I think this caused a bit of LBA... Could other lenses change my day the way this one can?
Yikes, hadn't meant to write a new-agey review! Will add more sometime...
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2016 Posts: 3
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 30, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Quality through and through | | Cons: | Can't think of any | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30
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Metering and auto white balance is spot on with my K-30, which isn't to take for granted with legacy lenses. No need to dial in any + or - EV.
So much fun to shoot with this lens, so small for this focal length, yet so well constructed. Focuses like a dream and focus throw is not too long which makes for fast shooting even though it is a manual lens. Focuses close enough that it's even usable indoors in spite of the long focal length.
Still sharp enough wide open but with some very slight PF in harshly lit areas. Immaculate image quality stopped down from F4 onwards. Great contrast and rendering. Very nice out of focus areas. Faultless prime. Price I paid for an excellent copy is laughable. Some lenses you know you will never get rid of, and this is one of those for sure.
Downscaled original sample + 100% crop, shot at F5.6 if I remember correctly. Impressed with the sharpness which can be seen in the rendering of the window frame, where the finely corrugated stone border is resolved without any issues.
  | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2013 Posts: 18
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 6, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great image quality in small package | | Cons: | I wish it has more aperture blades. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony a7
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This is my main portrait lens on my a7. My copy is in great condition, like new, the glass was incredibly clean and cosmetically in perfect condition. The focus grease was a bit dry, so I relubed it and now it really is a joy to use. The lens is very small, with is a big plus.
I was astonished when I saw the first portraits. I didn't expect such a great image quality. At f2.8 is very sharp, but not excessively sharp, and contrast was a bit flat. But microcontrast is at a very good level at this point. It vignettes a bit. Very good for portraits. At f2.8 it has a bit of purple fringing, but not so much! When stopped down it becomes great. At f5.6 sharpness in incredibly high, and focusing at infinity gives excellent sharpness across the frame on a FF camera. Very impressive. Bokeh is very beautiful and smooth at all apertures and seems to resist flare very well.
The six aperture blades make a smi-circular shape until f5.6, but I really wish it had more of them. 8 blades would be perfect.
I recommend this lens!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2014 Location: Nagoya Posts: 577
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 31, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness/clarity, size, build, handling | | Cons: | None worth mentioning | |
Sharp and contrasty pictures from f2.8, compact, classic M series quality, ideal for portraits, flowers and longer street shooting (I use it for street with black and white film a lot, and it really shines).
Even for Ł100 in Exc+ condition I think it's a bargain. Definitely recommended. Get a cheap 49mm tele hood for best results.
K1000, Fomapan 100, f4:
 | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2015 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 5, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Value, Sharpness, IQ | | Cons: | Contrast | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: NEX-5R
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Outstanding lens for the value. If you can snag this for under $100, you'd be hard pressed to find a better option at a similar price (but that's true for most of the M-series'). Around $175-ish the max for what I would pay for this lens.
Build quality is excellent, as is form factor.
Bokeh is quite good, and the 100mm is not too large on a APS-C that still makes for a very affordable portrait lens. Sharpness can actually be a bit too much for a portrait lens stopped down, but is wonderful wide open.
The only down side is I almost always have to PP the color and contrast (but that's true for most legacy lenses).
Bottom line is this is one of the best values out there.   | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2014 Posts: 13
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 24, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, fast, beautiful image color | | Cons: | nothing I can think of | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K2000
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I bought this lens used with my K2000 back in 2009 and it's been my favorite since then. I've used it on many occasions, but mainly for portraits. The color and sharpness I manage to get out of it nearly every time I use it blow me away. Without a doubt it produces the finest images I've made with my limited experience. I just barely upgraded to the K3 and can't wait to try it out on that.
Here's a portrait I took last December. f2.8. That bokeh!
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 195
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 19, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness every aperture, bokeh, size, color and contrast | | Cons: | nothing of note | |
I didn't go looking for this lens. I just came across one somewhere years ago at a very minimal price and in mint condition. I took a few sample shots and thought they looked very good but didn't understand just how fine the lens was. Now, I often find myself thinking this is my best lens. It covers for an 85 and 135. It's easily in league with the best of those focal lengths. Superbly sharp at 2.8 and already producing perfect color and nice bokeh. Takinami is right-@ f16, this lenses sharpness is in the top tier of the best of the best. What a combination. It's a great portrait lens and a great landscape lens in a small package. I don't mind that it's only 2.8 because of the total dependability at all apertures. It's just about a perfect lens for what it is. How many lenses are this good?
I give a 10 in review to lenses that are most nearly the best so that they won't become underrated in comparison to other lenses, even very good ones. So, this one has to receive a 10. I only review lenses I've used extensively and that stick out from the rest of the pack.
| | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2012 Posts: 7
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 10, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $120.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Light, Easy to Handle, Wonderful colors | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Olympus OM-D E-M5
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I just picked up a mint copy of this lens on fleabay and it is a marvel. So light and and so sharp at all apertures. I have the Pentax-M 100mm f4 Macro and two copies of the Pentax-A 50mm f1.7 and can offer some comparative analysis. All three are very sharp, light, and easy to use manual lenses on the Olympus OM-D E-M5. The camera does not have peak focusing in the version 1.5 firmware but it is still very easy to get accurate focus on that camera with any of these lenses. In terms of sharpness I would rank them this way:
1. 50mm f1.7
2. 100mm f.28
3. 100mm f4
I use the 50mm with extension tubes and it is sharper at 1:2 than the 100mm f4. Its not as convenient to use and the focus distance is fine for flowers and other things that don't move, but the detail and contrast (with a hood) are better. For portraits all three are extremely sharp. Photograph someone over the age of 50 and they will not be pleased with the level of detail. But beyond portraits and street photography, at longer distances, the differences in the lenses become clear. The f1.7 and the f2.8 can do both short range and long distance. I find the f4 macro not well suited for landscapes on my camera. Near or at infinity and the photos show low resolution in trees and distant objects. The 100 f2.8 does not share this limitation. It is an all around useful lens.
When I travel, I will take the 100mm f2.8 in my bag. It is so short and light it will be perfect for candid street portraits as subjects will never suspect they are being photographed with such a diminutive lens on a little camera far across the street. It will get use indoors at concerts and events. And I will use it for focused landscapes. It is a wonderful little lens that continues my love affair with legacy Pentax glass.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: May, 2009 Location: North Carolina Posts: 836
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 1, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $120.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Inexpensive, Lightweight, Sharp, Smooth focus ring | | Cons: | Long MFD | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: LX
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I love this lens! When I switched to an LX over the K-5, I needed a long lens for portraits. On the K-5 I had the 100mm WR Macro, but it doesn't have an aperture ring (and it was a bit long on APS-C anyway). I got this lens instead, since I wanted something a little shorter for full-frame. I also looked at the 135, but I felt since 150 (effective) on APS-C was a little long, maybe 135 on full-frame would be too. I am so happy I decided to get this lens. Not only is it cheaper than a comparable 135mm, it's just as sharp as the 100 Macro.
The focus and aperture rings are smooth, very easy to operate, and the lens is also very lightweight. Without having scales, I'd say it weighs about as much as the SMC-M 50mm f/1.7. This lens is sharper than the 50mm, and makes a fantastic portrait lens.
I use this lens with my LX and Portra 160 for studio and scenery portraits, it works beautifully. The only gripe I have with it is a long Minimum Focus distance of about 3.3 feet. This lens won't replace the 100mm WR Macro for close-ups, but I may end up getting some extension tubes instead of buying a dedicated Macro. I need a good portrait lens much more frequently than I need a good macro lens.
In short, this lens is all I hoped it would be. Sharp, light, fast, and a luxury to use on the LX. I highly recommend it!
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2011 Location: LODINGEN, Northern Norway Posts: 275 | | Review Date: June 20, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $42.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Shrap, nice bokéh, cheap | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5 and K20D
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 This is my only 100mm. It has served me well for many years. I just love the chrisp and sharp pictures it deliveres.
Norwegian Crow, no cropping
Green Finch
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2012 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: June 10, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $85.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, contrast, focus accuracy, ruggedness and compactness | | Cons: | Nothing to report | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K20D
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Purchased with its original hood in a package with other Pentax lenses, mounted on my K20D has shown a very strong purpose and opposed, not wide open, but still very evident. For the best sleep (5.6 or 8.0) is clearer than his brother M 100 f4.0 and the image it produces is also suitable for cropping.
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