| Author: | | New Member Registered: May, 2021 Posts: 15 | | Review Date: June 26, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Color, build quality, center sharpness | | Cons: | Corner sharpness, bokeh | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
Camera Used: Sony A7III
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I like this lens, but I have some minor complaints. The most disappointing thing is the corner sharpness on a full frame camera. Even at f8 the corners are not really sharp. The bokeh isn't spectacular, but it's ok.
All other things about this lens are great. I love the way it renders color, center sharpness is perfect and overall it's a pleasure to use this lens. I just wish the corners were a little better.
For a small video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDi5ejvKDV4 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2021 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: December 16, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $44.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, contrast, small, smooth ring | | Cons: | non for the cost | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Fujifilm X-T30
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I haven't tried the F/3.5 version yet, but to me this lens is quite sharp with good contrast, i didn't see any critical aberrations except a little bit of CA when shooting direct light but its doesnt matter. Smooth focus ring and aperture ring, luckily i bought this in good condition. It small enough for good handling but the clip on hood is as different as chalk and cheese. For the price - nothing to complain  | | | | | Unoriginal Poster Registered: November, 2016 Location: Espoo Posts: 3,087 | | Review Date: September 1, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
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I prefer this over 28/3.5, because of better starbursts, flare resistance and control over purple and green fringing. All these three features are among the best in series. Starbursts are nicely shaped ten pointers. You really have to push the lens to extremes to get any flare out of it. Same goes to fringing. Stopped down results are clean even in harsh light.
Lens is sharp enough so I don’t need to complain. Short hyperfocal distance make it easy to ger all sharp in landscapes, thought it’s good to stop down to atleast f5.6. If you want any bokeh out of this lens, it’s better to go wide open. Like all M’s the wide open performance is softer, but I find it usable as long the target is in the center.
These are cheap, so very good value.
APSC SIC album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/154414256@N06/albums/72157664219802707
FF SIC album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/154414256@N06/albums/72157715322525801 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: September, 2018 Location: Poland Posts: 1,637
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 22, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | image quality, price | | Cons: | for the price - nothing | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-50
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Surprisingly versatile lens when mounted on APS-C. I've been using it quite a lot on my K-50 with good results. Wide-open it is a bit soft (not a tragedy, though) but gets better stopped down. My copy gives slightly desaturated colors, which sometimes is nice and sometimes disturbing (but of course it is easily corrected in pp).*Very well-built; handling is very pleasant.
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2019 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 27, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent detail | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
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Great detail and color reproduction in closeup shots.
- SMC Pentax-M 28mm F2.8
- Pentax K-50 DSLR (16.3mp)
- mounted on tripod
- aperture priority
- ISO 100
- F5.6
- 1/3 second exposures
- white balance set to AWB
- focus peaking enabled on camera
- using manual focus assist
- 2-second timer
Right-click the following images and click "Open Image in New Tab".
 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2018 Posts: 535
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 3, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | small, build quality | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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 | | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2019 Posts: 8 | | Review Date: August 31, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Pocket Sized. F:2.8 | | Cons: | Not as sharp as the F3:5 variant at F stops lower than 8 | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 10
Camera Used: Nikon Z6
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I picked this lens up when I bought a spare parts Pentax Me Super. I already own the F3:5 variant and find the colour pop and sharpness of the F3:5 is better at all stops below F8. It is smaller by a smidge than the F:3.5 version which I didn't expect as the 3.5 is tiny as it is. If I didn't have the f3.5 I no doubt would be happy with the 2.8, but unless your chasing the lower f stop the 3.5 is better I believe.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 24, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | A near-perfect wide angle lens | | Cons: | Prices pushed up too high | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 6
Camera Used: Film
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I've had three through the years. I still use one on film cameras, so I'm not getting confused between the actual lens performance and a digital processor plus sensor then a heap of on-camera picture quality adjustment software systems, followed by an online editing software suite to get my images.
Why this has such ordinary scoring from so many people was beyond me, until I realised that there are two versions around and one is (the shorter barrel one) not as good as the other. Or maybe a lot of people have internally foggy or dirty versions they bought old and junky? A lot of people assume they can simply "look into" a lens and see haze and dust; you cannot, especially with a wide angle that tends to have small diameter and highly magnifying optics. You need to carefully shine an LED light through it - never looking directly at the light beam - to see the real muck and haze inside. My one was bought knowing it had some fungus and mechanical issues. A day-long opening and cleaning session sorted that out. As with most sub-50mm lenses, it's not the easiest of lenses to clean out. And Pentax seem to have made these with glass that tends to fog and haze with blue colouring and that is insanely difficult to clean up. Get a dirty one and you will have bad images, so seek guarantees from your seller and make sure you can return it if it's full of blue foggy haze or masses of dust. Dust tends to cluster on the lens system around the aperture blades; caused by wear on their movement through the decades. Get a clean one and it will be 9/10 for image quality, but I've never known a clean one until after I've serviced one.
As with all lenses it is sharpest for most of the images across the centre-to-corners at f5.6 to f11/f16. Outside of that range this lens stays sharp with only minor softening; pretty much what any sane mind would find 100% acceptable. Well built and easy to work (yep, you simply turn the rings) this is a superb lens. It's such a pity so many sellers force buyers to fork out a small fortune on auction sites, and it's more of a pity some buyers fork out that much cash. $40-60 is a reasonable price. Over that and you are clearly rolling in cash and may as well save a bit more and buy a Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon.
Pentax made this in at least two versions, a shorter version with the numbers on the front ring (this short version has a narrower aperture turning ring, too) and a very slightly longer and slightly fatter version with the number on the side/rear of the lens barrel. I have found the shorter version slightly less quality than the other, and especially at infinity.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2013 Location: Utrecht Posts: 205
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 23, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Light, compact, sharp and contrasty on APS-C stopped down | | Cons: | Soft borders and corners on Full Frame | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K1ii and K-01
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Years ago bought this little beauty together with a prestine ME, M1.7/50 and M135/3.5 for €40. My sample is like new without dust or whatever. I compared this little lens with my K 28 3.5 and this M-lens has two faces. On APS-C it perfoms very well. At 2.8 a bit soft and some vignetting, from f4 - f11 it is very sharp and contrasty and very usable. On Full Frame this lens really lacks corner and border sharpness. Wide open this is even visable in your finder, but all apertures stay behind the K-version. Also the fringing in the corners does not disapear completely. The miniturization results in inferior border & corner performance, there is too little gl ass in it to deliver sharpness on the whole image circle. Perfectly usable on APS-C, there is no reason to use this on Full Frame except weight reducing. On APS-C this lens scores a 9, on Full Frame a 6. The K3.5 is a much better lens on Full Frame, it nicely covers the whole frame with sharpness and contrast. There is a lot more glass in in it and you can see why…
Fisherman on K-01 at f5.6, wall picture on K1ii wide open.
Original test report 1978:
 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2019 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 31, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $75.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | size and weight, build quality, close focusing | | Cons: | bokeh, lack of 3D pop | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony a6000
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This was my first Pentax lens and first 28mm lens. I bought it from eBay in what was described as 'as new' condition. It has proved to be that way. No marks at all on the lens, it came with front and rear caps and the original leather carry case. It is genuinely pristine.
This lens suits the lightness and size of the Sony body well. Even with an adaptor it is tiny. I use this lens as a walk around lens and particularly like using it for black and white photos. It is plenty sharp enough and at a 35mm equivalent of 42mm, wide enough for street photography. The build quality is fabulous. I love the feel of these m prime lenses.
My happiness with this lens means I now own two other m prime lenses and am currently looking to add a fourth.
 | | | | | | | | Review Date: March 13, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | IQ, Build, Size, Overall usefulness | | Cons: | Not the sharpest | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30, K-01
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A great value.
I use it for general shooting on APS-C as well as for generating panoramics.
Good edge to edge image sharpness and illumination.
I think you would have to spend a lot of money to get a better 28mm.
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2016 Location: Montreal Posts: 56 | | Review Date: March 12, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $14.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Compact, well built, good at f/8, excellent at f/11 | | Cons: | Having to shoot at f/11 for excellent results is limiting | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax Super Program
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I have the first version with the decorative silver ring. I get good results stopped down to f/8 and excellent results stopped down to f/11.
Shooting at f/11 means you need good light to handhold. If you’re shooting at its “full-frame” angle of view, then you can handhold as slow as 1/30 of a second.
On APS-C, though, this is a 42mm equivalent so you’ll have to rely on image stabilization or tripod for slow shutter speeds to get enough light while shooting stopped down to f/11.
Attached a photo shot on Kodak Ultramax 400. Note great colour, contrast, edge-to-edge sharpness ans lack of distortion.
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2015 Location: Golden, Colorado Posts: 189
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 7, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Small and sharp | | Cons: | None | |
I like this lens a lot (early version with the silver band). It's a true 28mm for me, using it on the Sony A7 II with an inexpensive Beschoi adapter.
On the negative side, at wider apertures, as some have said, this lens is soft at the edges.
On the bonus side, it's small and unobtrusive, and when set at f/8, is in focus (by film standards) from about 5 feet to infinity, making a great walk-around street lens. I say "by film standards," because by digital standards, when you blow up your "negative" to about 60 inches wide, there is softness at 5 feet and at infinity. However, at normal screen resolution (say on a 27-inch monitor) you won't notice the not-so-sharp areas.
So... if you set this to f/8 and let your camera adjust speed and/or ISO, you can shoot from the hip all day and get outstanding street photos, without alarming those whom you are photographing. I find street photography much more appealing when the subjects are acting natural and not "acting" for a camera.
Compared to the 28-70mm f3.5 zoom that came with the Sony A7 II, at f/8, the Sony is slightly sharper in the middle. Slightly. However, from edge to edge, the Pentax 28mm is sharper overall, especially at f/8.
The bokeh is too busy for my liking; avoid shooting wide open with a lot of little lights or light areas behind the subject.
For landscape, at tighter apertures, it is decently sharp from edge to edge—wide open, not so much.
If you like your portraits up close and personal (and a little dreamy), this lens will make you happy when using it wide open.
For street photography, it is a top performer for shooting sharp, candid photos.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2018 Location: Athens Posts: 7 | | Review Date: June 14, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | small, light, sharp and contrasty | | Cons: | not for me | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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I have (from 1988) the 1st version and feel very happy with it. It was the standard wideangle on my trusty Mx and Lx bodies. Now, is giving precious services on a Sony α7.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2018 Location: Kent Posts: 4
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 7, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Works well on APSC sensors. Great build quality and small. | | Cons: | Very soft corners on Full Frame even when stopped down. | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: Sony a7, Fuji X-T1
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I picked up a copy of this lens last week and have run it through some torture tests.
Ironically it performs better on an APSC sensor rather than full frame. This might be why some people on here love it or don't rate it highly?
Colour rendition is good and centre sharpness is fine. Transitional areas between in focus areas and bokeh are nice too, little ghosting or fuss.
The softness wide open on full a frame sensor is so apparent that the peaking on my Sony a7 gets very confused as to what's actually in focus, making it tricky to use, on Full Frame. The Fuji X-T1 handled it fine with it's smaller sensor.
A good quality, cheap small lens for the APSC user.
Test Chart on Full Frame - https://flic.kr/p/Jketsi
Test Chart on APSC - https://flic.kr/p/23gR2Xa
Photo in Low Light - https://flic.kr/p/Jkeu98 | | |
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