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Pentax Lens Review Database » Film Era Pentax K-Mount Lenses » M Zoom Lenses
SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4 Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4

Sharpness 
 8.1
Aberrations 
 7.8
Bokeh 
 7.7
Handling 
 7.8
Value 
 8.6
Reviews Views Date of last review
22 141,293 Sat June 10, 2023
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
82% of reviewers $43.88 7.36
SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4

SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4
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SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4
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SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4
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SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4
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Description:

The M-series 40-80mm has a unique focal length range among all Pentax zooms.  It offers a macro mode at 80mm.

User dkpentax has discovered that there are two variants of this lens. The older variant has felt liner at the rear, see the image above. Also, a dedicated metal lens hood was available.


SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
Yes (no A setting)
Diaphragm
Automatic, 7 blades
Optics
7 elements, 7 groups
Mount Variant
K
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F2.8-4
Min. Aperture
F22-32
Focusing
Manual
Min. Focus
120 cm
Max. Magnification
Filter Size
49 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 40-20 ° / 33-17 °
Full frame: 57-30 ° / 48-25 °
Hood
Dedicated metal hood or RH-R49
Case
Dedicated hard case
Lens Cap
Plastic clip-on
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
66 x 76 mm
Weight
395 g
Production Years
1980 to 1984
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-M ZOOM 1:2.8-4 40-80mm
Product Code
27867
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Macro setting at the long end
Variants

Two variants. The older variant has felt lining at the lens mount

Features:
Manual FocusAperture RingFull-Frame SupportDiscontinued
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4
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Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 16-22 of 22
Pentaxian

Registered: October, 2010
Posts: 6,241
Review Date: December 20, 2010 Recommended | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: cheap, nice bokeh.
Cons: image quality average. bulky.
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 7    Handling: 8    Value: 9   

Review smc 1:2.8-4 M 40-80 mm/macro.


Good oldie zoom lens. Can deliver very nice pictures. This was my first lens wich came with ME-Super. With film you could really use this lens on it's own potential. Now with 1.6 X crop it looses some versality at wide end and it is also restricting that closest focus point is 0.8 meters(as it was with film). But macro feature gives relief to this need. With macro you can get as close as 32 cm from your subject. It gives quite good effect on pictures. But you can't really call it as a true macro, IMO. But it increases versality of this lens.

Colour is quite neutral with this lens, and some how bokeh is soft and nice too. But, when it is used at 80 mm/f 4 as wide open it is not bokeh monster, but with macro feat it serves you nicelly when there in enough light. Sharpness and rendering is average as one can hope to be as consumer grade lens from -70's especially, when compared to smc M 50 1 :1.4. Wich is by the way, very nice lens.

Handling is easy and especially if you like this range it can give some suprises, image wise. It is well build no flopping or anything like that. , aperture ring snaps exactly on it's place. Easy to focus and zoom. All seems to be on it's place. But nothing really shines on exellense.

All that said, this lens still finds it self on my camera every now and then, even there is nice automatical zooms available. This is individual thing, but I just like way manual lenses feels when using them. Maybe I should use automatics more and so, to get used to it more, maybe. What would make this lens more attractive would be auto aperture, better rendering and ability to focus closer. When there is good light, you can achieve nice results. But up to it's limitations. (Non working link removed)

Edit: had to rice my rating...for it's price it is quite good...
   
Forum Member

Registered: April, 2008
Location: Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, UK.
Posts: 62

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: October 9, 2010 Recommended | Price: $10.00 | Rating: 6 

 
Pros: Chunky well-built lens. Nice bokeh. Cheap.
Cons: Macro focusing iffy. Purple fringing when wide open.

These are very cheap on e-bay. They are quirky and work best from f4 to f16. Not the best Pentax lens. As others have said recognise its limits.
   
Site Supporter

Registered: February, 2010
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,902
Review Date: August 16, 2010 Recommended | Price: $20.00 | Rating: 5 

 
Pros: Cheap, solid build, macro focusing, a cheap way to try out 2.8 glass
Cons: purple fringing on everything

I really expected this lens to perform better wide open than it did. If you use it in moderate light conditions, it works out ok, but keep it away from bright light sources or you'll need to stop down substantially.

The focus on this lens is nicely dampened, the macro focusing by pulling the lens out is budget, but functional.

The color rendition wasn't what I've come to expect from Pentax gear.

Overall this lens is ok. I got it as part of a deal with a bunch of other lenses. If you're looking for inexpensive gear, it's not a bad option, but you'll have to play with it to learn its limitations.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: June, 2007
Location: Singapore
Posts: 348

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: December 19, 2009 Recommended | Price: $30.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: rendering, sharpness, unique character
Cons: purple fringing wide open

This is not a very common, non very well loved lens. I had the chance to pick one up at a good price, and took it for a test run today.

It has its own piccadilos, and handles very differently from modern zoom lenses or other M series primes - the focusing ring is the typical well built M series type, but the zoom ring is plasticky in comparison. The 'macro' ability is a nice touch, though the push pull design is no longer common in modern lenses.

The lens does suffer from purple fringing wide open for white surfaces. I tested this against a F 35 - 70 / 3.5 - 4.5, and my sense is that M 40 - 80 is sharper wide open.

All in, its a lens with its own personality - I like it.

Lastly, a picture from it - straight from the camera:

(Non working link removed)
   
Veteran Member

Registered: November, 2008
Location: The Untied States
Posts: 1,881

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: December 9, 2009 Not Recommended | Price: $40.00 | Rating: 3 

 
Pros: Appealing aperture range; classic M build
Cons: Awful IQ wide open or close to; poor zoom range; bulky; useless macro feature

This lens has really poor image quality, and nothing else can save it from that. It has a decent build even though two large rings is kludgy and not classically M-styled. But it is soft wide open, and at f/4, and at f/5.6. It really only gets good at f/8 and above, and why on earth would you buy an f/2.8-4 lens to use at f/8? Tons of coma and CA, poor colour reproduction, you name it. The "macro" range is just more of the same, and you can't get much closer with it.

Being just a 2x zoom starting at 40mm is a strange focal range as well. When I had it, I couldn't find any times where I would theoretically want to use it over, say, a 28-80 or a 50-135. The "small" size did not sway me in any situation. And that is not even taking into account the awful image quality.

Save yourself the "experience" and try out a different M lens, and not this one. This lens is one of the few "junkers" Pentax ever produced.
   
New Member

Registered: May, 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 4
Review Date: July 1, 2009 Not Recommended | Price: $82.00 | Rating: 6 

 
Pros: Macro, relatively sharp when stop down.
Cons: Useless when wide open.

After owning a few M series and takumar prime lenses, I thought it's time to invest some manual zoom lens. However, this lens is extremely soft with severe CA when wide open. I rather stick to my DA kit lens. Will take it back to the shop and swap for a K24 f2.8 today.
   
Senior Member

Registered: March, 2009
Location: Gouda, Netherlands
Posts: 165
Review Date: March 12, 2009 Recommended | Price: $20.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Cheap, heavy, macro
Cons: zoom is a little bit tough

This lens is a very good lens for the money. OK, it's MF and everything is manual. First I used it a lot because I didn't have more tele. The bokeh is realy great! Look at this: (Non working link removed) and this: (Non working link removed)

Also a little bit more light than other lenses.

The macro is only on 80mm and 1:3. So it's close-up. You have to slide the lens down to get the macro.
Add Review of SMC Pentax-M 40-80mm F2.8-4



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