| Author: | | New Member Registered: October, 2017 Posts: 4
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 30, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $69.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp corner-to-corner, excellent color | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-70
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I'm fairly new to digital photography, and this was the second lens I ever got besides the kit lens with my K-70. I've fallen in love with the K and M prime lenses since I started using them.
This is the widest prime I currently own, and I have to say it is SHARP corner to corner when stopped down. Excellent vivd colors like I've come to expect from these old manual lenses.
It's so small and light, I never have a reason to leave it at home when I go out!
 | | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2017 Location: Garden City, NY Posts: 6,349
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 8, 2017 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp and easy to use. | | Cons: | I cannot think of a deal-breaker | | Sharpness: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50; K-1000
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I think I have the 1st version.
On the K-50, this is my favorite lens. Bar none. It is fun to handle, small, sharp... It has got great color. Here are some shots...
I'm an amateur photographer who just loves the art of shooting. I love this lens, not too technical as to why I do, but I do.  | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2017 Location: Norwich Posts: 4 | | Review Date: October 16, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, colour rendition, quality | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Panasonic GX80
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I was lucky enough to find the version 2 of this lens in a high street store, with the same price as the v1 in a pristine condition. I felt like stealing off a church, as the Pentax-A series (identical to this) is my favourite when it comes to IQ.
I use this on my Panasonic GX80 with a pk->m4/3 mount and I have only nice things to say about it. While the bokeh is not the best (especially compared to my Pentax-A 50mm F1.7), it is a very useful wide-angle lens. It offers a nice colour rendition (even a bit more on the muted side) that matches what I expect from a Pentax lens of the era. Videography is a piece of cake as apart from the lens being very light, it offers a very smooth focus ring that enables you to "play" with it while recording, with excellent results, aided by the in-body stabilisation.
Compared to the Panasonic kit lens 12-32mm I would say that this is a great alternative that has made me a better and less lazy photographer. I wouldn't know the qualities of version 1, but if you find a version 2, you should certainly go for it without hesitation.
The reason I'm not giving a 10 in the overall score, is due to not matching other favourite lenses of mine when it comes to connection with my mind. Lacks that special character that I personally like to see in some other Pentax primes.
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: May, 2016 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: April 29, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | sharp @3.5, bokeh, price | | Cons: | soft wide open, colors muted | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K500
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Good cheap wide-angle, quite sharp at 3.5, at 2.8 is very dreamy (good for portraits). The color rendition is a little muted (useful for raw videos). The bokeh is really nice, ergonomics are great (typical of M series lenses of Pentax). If you find it for less than 25 bucks and you want a prime wide-angle buy it.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2016 Posts: 4
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 19, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $35.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | my copy is very sharp, light, color rendition,handling | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3,LX,K2DMD, Stereo Super-A
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I am just surprised about the qualities I read here ...
maybe my two copy´s are more than average of the line,
but as a professional photographer I can say that my 28M 2,8
is as good as the K28 3,5, better than M28 3,5 and even sharper as my K30 2,8 !
So this is a really bargain lens also often used with my Dubble-Super-A for stereo shots with Fuji Velvia ...
And while it is so small and light, you can even put it in your jeans-pocket on trips 
After more than 30 Years I must say that they have not lost any fascination !
There are so much on the market so You have to test and choose a good one with no disappointment .
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: August, 2012 Posts: 118
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 8, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Size and Weight, Build Quality, Even Illumination | | Cons: | Not quite as sharp as a modern optic | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30, K-01
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Nice M lens. Modern lenses have it beat for sharpness and contrast, but this 40 year old design still makes very good images. On a APS-C camera it gives exceptionally even illumination and uniform sharpness across the frame at all apertures. I've used it as an only lens when traveling. Use a longer hood than the standard for maximum flare resistance.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2016 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 5 | | Review Date: August 29, 2016 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
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One of my go-to lenses for street. Very small, very sharp even when wide-open, handles extremely well. Im not sure how well it works with APS-C cameras, since I have only used it for film, mostly B&W. Perhaps some copies are better than others, but I have nothing but praise for this lens.
https://flic.kr/p/fM1RpA
https://flic.kr/p/6QFQga | | | | | Forum Member Registered: September, 2009 Location: Kyoto Posts: 72 | | Review Date: July 18, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Convenient focal length, good handling, reasonable performance | | Cons: | Not the best 28mm out there | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 8
Camera Used: k-3
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1st version, with the silver ring.
It's a lens that does its job more than tolerably well, but the results often feel a bit drab. I don't doubt the other reviews claiming this is one of the weaker K-mount 28mm lenses, but I'd still recommend it.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2016 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: July 3, 2016 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Nice colour, Contrast, Sharp at f2.8, Handling is awesome | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony NEX
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Very good lens, one of my favorite. Sharpeness is very good at f2.8, contrast, bokeh, all is very very good ! On my NEX sistem very good result. Handling is best, size is very small, as i said, i recommend this lens apsolutely.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: December, 2015 Location: Charleroi (Belgium) Posts: 60
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 4, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $28.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | solid feel, sharp enough at 2.8 | | Cons: | little so not easy to use | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-50
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A good 28mm lens, perfect for filming (almost a 50mm on a crop sensor), and the 2.8 lets you a little room in low-light.
Not as good as the 50mm 1.7 I also own, but 28mm is a lot wider, so it has its use too.
In photography, the colors are decent, although not as good as the 50mm 1.7 I mentionned before.
I think it's a little less sharp than the 18-135mm at 28mm, but the colors are better, definitely. Idk what they did back then to their lenses, but it's way more 'truthful' (is that a word?), realistic, color-wise. Don't get me wrong though, it is sharp enough at 2.8 for portraits, and it delivers a bokeh 'not bad, not good', it's what you'd expect.
It's not the best lens I own, but I def don't regret buying one, especially for 25€ (28 USD at the moment).
The only annoying thing is that it's really small. I don't like that, I find it hard to put my hand right to use the focus ring. And that focus ring is, at least on my model, 'hard', not as smooth as I would have hoped. Not annoyingly hard, just harder than my other lenses, making it a little less handy.
My version has the little silver ring, so I'd say it's a 1st version
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2014 Location: London Posts: 21 | | Review Date: March 30, 2016 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 5
Handling: 5
Value: 9
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I don't know why this lens is a bit overrated. I started to use it since a couple of months with my K3 as a street shooter for stills and it works perfectly!#
This pic is from last week. I passed the camera to my GF and she took this portrait.
The colors have good contrast.
If you used with your K3, pressing the green button, the camera will give your the right exposure of the situation.
at 2.8 for portraits is nicely creamy and from 3.5 is very sharp. You just have to know your camera settings to get the real potential of this lens. By the way, use a hood.
https://flic.kr/p/ETM41y | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2012 Location: Berlin Posts: 9 | | Review Date: October 5, 2015 | Not Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Small, tight and well made | | Cons: | optically average | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 7
Camera Used: ME Super 5Dmkiii
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I'm not a fan. Its got okay sharpness, although its soft and dark in the corners on film or FF digital. The pictures just seem flat, the colours a bit drab. Which is unusual for pentax lenses in general.
I've used a bunch of Pentax 28's and this was the weakest.
| | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: Jakarta Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: December, 2013 Posts: 81
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 2, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | small, sharp, good all around lens for an APS-C sensor | | Cons: | none for me | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K5
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This lens is an excellent street photography tool: very short focus movement (but enough for fine tuning).
The sharpness is very good on my copy (first version, it's made in Japan). I rate this considering several trips where i used it almost exclusively, and it delivered me nice shots on all kind of light scenarios (daylight, sunset, night...)
The bokeh is fine for 28mm on APS-C, anyway, not disturbing for the eye...
The build quality is of course excellent, being a M lens.
I will buy it again, that's for sure 
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: February, 2014 Location: France Posts: 29
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 12, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | color rendering | | Cons: | sharpness | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: kx,k01
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This is a solid built lens with fit weight. The focal length is quite versatile in digital camera body. I love its color rendering, though the sharpness is not satisfying.
I really loved it, but I fialed to make a good use of it. So I sold it. I believe it would glow in someone's hand.
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