| Author: | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2018 Location: Quebec City, Quebec Posts: 6,582
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 3, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $327.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent lens for landscapes. VERY SHARP starting @ f/6.3 with an optimum @ f/11 at all focal lengths. Great contrast and colors. | | Cons: | None really. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K1, K3 (lower 4)
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The magnificent performance of this DFA 28-105 mm lens never ceases to amaze me ! For landscapes, you hardly need any other lens.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2017 Posts: 5
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 15, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Image Quality, Sharpness, Price, WR | | Cons: | Value | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 6
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K1
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One of the best low-budget standart zooms I ever used. On my K1 its amazing sharp. Colours look nice and even bokeh is fine. For this price, I cant say anything negative. The only little malus is the build quality - its plastic. But for this price you cant expect more.
If you are looking for a lens to work in a reliable way, this is youre choice. If you want an exciting one, maybe not. 
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs. Posts: 501
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 9, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $496.95
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | WR, compact and sturdy, consistent performance across frame on APS-C, Quick-Shift, coatings, DC motor | | Cons: | plastic build, focal range can be awkward for some users | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K3
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Back in the day when everyone saw only in black&white, the 35-135mm zoom was a great compromise between bulk and focal range. Same with this lens. The 35mm equivalent is 42-157mm but with performance using the latest technologies. This lens is engineered for full frame resolution and that performance works well on the 24 mp APS-C's with "sweet-spot" consistent resolution, aberrations, coma, vignetting, etc across the whole APS-C frame.
Of course, it is not as good as primes. But now with software and optional pixel-shifting, one can use this consistently-above-average-performing lens when doing software enhancements without worrying about over-sharpening one area more than another (with its ugly crystallizing appearance - have you seen old movies redone digitally and oversharpened - yuck!). Simple to automate with scripts and you know what you are going to get as file output.
It is not a perfect lens. But for me, it is a perfect "35-135" equivalent zoom with greater performance than any of those older lenses. The normal - mid telephoto range can be awkward if you are used to Super Zooms that cover 18-200mm but only have average performance. This lens beats all of those within its range. And if I really wanted a zoom with reach, I would use a (heavy, bulky) 70-200mm.
I have also learned that I do not like a nominal wide angle zoom. I find 16mm on APS-C to be too narrow at times. I really want to PLAY in that space much more when I have in mind (perceive) a series of shots made at wide angle. So, paired with this lens and, say, the 12-24mm, I find I have a perfect combo that lets me play in the space I want at the wide end and then switch back to normal-telephoto mode. The 28mm setting on this lens also lets my feet do some of the "zooming" if I have to move back a little.
This is just a handheld unprocessed photo (and only an inferior screenshot!). The software-processed one will look much better.
 | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: December, 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 2,437
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 26, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great IQ for the money, relatively compact, rugged and WR, low CA and low flare, nice colours, useful FF focal range | | Cons: | Fairly slow, distortion, viginetting | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-1
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Price is higher because its from a local NZ supplier and so includes taxes etc.
Love this lens for its its relatively compact size and excellent performance to cost ratio. Its in my bag most of the time - especially when travelling fairly light. Very happy with the images it delivers - in fact in terms of sharpness its pretty close to many of my old FA primes.
Bokeh is respectable too although limited a bit by max aperture.
Even more useful when travelling as its not too big or heavy.
Samples: | | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2013 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 578
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 24, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Lightweight, sharpness, wr | | Cons: | Would have been nicer for it to have been a few mm wider | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-1
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If you own a K-1, you need this lens. I've had not problems trusting it to some critical photo shoots - ones that were possibly once in a lifetime opportunities. It feels like a lens that should cost 2x or 3x as much as it does. For hiking, general nature photography, and other outdoor photography this is a must have.
 | | | | | Loyal Site Supportaxian Registered: September, 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 503
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 6, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $380.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharpness, color rendering, size, handling. | | Cons: | Vignetting | |
This is a home-run of a consumer zoom.
It delivers everything but high speed and bokeh in a moderately priced, moderately sized package. It's the perfect K-1 walk-around lens.
I stopped using my 18-135 on my K-01 and started using this instead. The increase in image quality was well worth the reduction in zoom range.
It absolutely trounces on film-era zooms. I resoundingly recommend it!
| | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2017 Posts: 7
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 6, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Value, sharpness, versatility, handling | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K1
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The foundation of my system, this lens is almost annoyingly good. I have the 77mm and 43mm Limiteds (and love them), but they rarely knock this lens off my mount.
It's wonderfully sharp for a zoom. I can carry it around all day; it's perfect for travel and hiking. I can use it to shoot landscapes or flowers or cats. It may not have the artistically sublime bokeh and color rendition of the Limiteds, but it still performs nicely in those regards while autofocusing and handling flare/aberrations a bit more adeptly. Obviously not as capable in low-light as the f/2.8 zooms.
If you are getting a K1, start with this. It really is the perfect walk-around lens.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2015 Location: USA Posts: 2,874 | | Review Date: May 18, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $330.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Close focus, great colors, good contrast, WR, fast/accurate auto-focus | | Cons: | vignetting at wide apertures, sharpness at extremes of zoom | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: k1
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Light, WR, fast and accurate auto-focusing. Nice contrast and colors. Focuses close too.
Vignettes at widest apertures.
Only average sharpeness at extremes of zoom range. Good sharpness from around 40mm - 80mm!
I find that it's the best overall at f/5.6 and f/8. Big drop off in quality at f/11 and above.
Overall, very good value for the money.
| | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2017 Posts: 6
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 13, 2018 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Centre sharpness, colours, focus speed and accuracy | | Cons: | Sharpness issues outside of central area , cost per performance | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-1
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I tend mainly to use just primes and this is the first zoom lens that i've purchased in years.
I was drawn to it by the many excellent reviews and a desire at times to just carry a one lens combo instead of a bag full of primes.
Unfortunately I think primes have spoilt me over the years. Centre sharpness on this lens is great but at all focal lengths even stopped down the lens shows it's weaknesses outside of the central area. I'd be happy to use it for holiday captures but for anything more serious it wouldn't be my go to lens. Overall a disappointment as I'd heard such goods things about it.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2018 Location: Paris Posts: 8
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 26, 2018 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Such a high grade entry level kit zoom, IQ, colors, size, handling | | Cons: | Not 24 135 F4 ! | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K1 k5
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Similar look and nice handling than 18-135 on my k5 but the comparaison stops here.
Much much better IQ among the whole frame within the whole range.
With the 18\135 always have to shoot at F8 mini To have a nice IQ (although still shitty extreme corners ...). In fact except within the short range of 24 to 50mm (very good across the whole frame here) it was just a good zoom for holidays.
This one at 4,5 on 28 it’s already very good for example. F8 sharp corner to corner
I find no weakness among the whole range ( except less brillant at 105 but already nothing to compare with the 135)
The size and use are great, Wr etc....AC no problem.
In fact I wish it’s not a constant F4 with the same size, such a killer but iam dreaming lol...always want more.....
With 3 or 4 specialised primes more in your bag you can go shooting almost everything with confidence and great results
A very high quality kit zoom
Absolutely no regret of the dfa 24-70 30kg tank small range...
rainy day 
 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2009 Location: Norway Posts: 668
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 30, 2017 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Size, reach, sharpness, weight, price | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K1
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When I purchased the K1, I had to choose between the D-FA 24-70mm and the D-FA 28-105mm standard zoom lenses. I chose the latter. I had three reasons for choosing the D-FA 28-105mm; size, reach and price. I have never regretted my decision. And after reading reviews of both the D-FA 24-70mm and the D-FA 28-105mm I really feel I made the right choice. It is a terrific walkabout and travel lens.
The image was captured with the following settings:
Handheld pointing straight up (which makes it even harder because of an uncomfortable posture)
105mm
ISO800
f5.6
1/13s
Inside the St. Peters Basilica in Rome. The small dome In front of the Michelangelo sculpture.
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: September, 2017 Location: Boulder CO Posts: 133 | | Review Date: November 24, 2017 | Not Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | quick to focus | | Cons: | it broke | | New or Used: New
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I have had this lens and treated it well for 4 months.
The zoom is sticky, sometimes completely hanging up. I think something has come loose inside. a gentle shaking and I can hear a rattle.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: November, 2016 Location: Vungtau Posts: 36
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 23, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, lightweight, price and WR. | | Cons: | Aparture? | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-1
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light weight, sharp all length focal, good for travelling...
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2007 Location: North West UK Posts: 390
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 31, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Stupidly good lens. IQ, CA control, sharpness, size, AF, Sealing | | Cons: | Would have been nice if it was 24mm at the wide end and a constant F4 | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-1 K-3II
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This is a gem of a lens. It replaced my old (and stolen) SMC-F 35-105mm F4-5.6 which in itself was a real beauty on the K-1.
Upsides?
Sharpness
Snappy AF
weather sealing
Colour rendition
silent
Size
I can't believe this is considered the "Kit" lens.
Downsides?
Well, it would have been nice if it was 24mm at the wide end.
Also, A constant F4 would have good too (to match the CaNikons)
There is some vignetting at 28mm and F3.5 but a lot of lenses have vignetting wide open. Use it creatively or get rid in PP. It is not a problem.
It is a real gem, and worth having in the kit bag, especially if you have a K-1.
Edit - I am having much use with it but I am having to drop it a few points. My copy has decentred with its sharpness, and overall the critical sharpness when it matters is not as good as the 24-70 let alone the primes. This was from both out in the field on a tripod and in a studio set up. It is still a fast AF sealed lens, but for certain applications it really does fall short. Shame really.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2015 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 134
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 12, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $490.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Stupidly good optics, surprisingly sturdy, redefines the concept of a 'kit lens' | | Cons: | Vignettes, 28mm* is a little 90's. | | New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-1
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My, how far we have come. This little beauty leaves every consumer lens from the film era for dead. Even the FA* 28-70 is left behind on IQ by this little gem (though obviously that lens is much faster). Hell, that Canon and Nikon can't produce a kit lens this good should leave them hanging their heads in shame.
I'm going to call it - this is the lens every K-1 owner should have. The only travel lens that will beat it is what ever Pentax comes up with to replace it.
Optically it is stunning. Based on size and convinience it is often compared to the DA 18-135, but it is more the peer (better even) of the excellent DA 16-85. It looses a bit at each end of the zoom range, but gains in across the board sharpness. Apart from vignetting, aberrations are non-existent - and in the era of digital developing, that is easy to fix. Distortion is well handled, what presents at the wider focal lengths is taken care of by the lens profiles.
Build and handling is great. The WR means it pumps air, but no worse than any other WR zoom. It is surpringly compact for a full-frame zoom, especially with this level of optical quality - there Pentax engineers here really outdid themselves. It lacks the aesthetics of a * lens, but never feels flimsy. Nothing rattles or wobbles that shouldn't, and it feels smooth and solid in hand. Pinch cap and lens hood are standard Pentax fare, and are perfectly good.
The downsides? Well, there is the vignetting, but that is trivial to correct. With the push for more width in the digital era, and the computer aided design process which allows this, 28mm is a bit disappointing - but I found with distortion correction off it was wider that other 28mm lenses, but not as wide as 24mm. I put the 'real' width at about 26mm, with distortion correction bringing it back closer to 28mm. Still, widening to 24mm would be a clear starting point for any successor lens. Bokeh is decent, but the slow aperture mean you have to work for it. Luckily the optical performance wide open means you can have your cake and it it too - bokeh + sharpness. The variable aperture could be considered a 'meh', but for a compact zoom under $600 you expect it to be the case - that said, it really isn't that much a draw back, we have advanced considerably since the days of ISO 400 film.
To call this a kit lens is to take the concept of a kit lens to a whole new level. Nothing about this screams cheap-consumer-zoom. The build is fantastic, the optical engineering without peer in this lens class, only the slow aperture holds it down - and with the excellent ISO capabilities of the K-1 all you really miss out is on bucket loads easy bokeh. And all at a price which leaves it as an obvious must buy.
To the engineers behind this lens (and the DA 16-85), keep doing what you do - we want more of these amazing zooms! To Ricoh, give them a pay rise, they deserve it. Then get them on that afforadable telezoom, and a set of f4 'prosumer' zooms. While you are at it, you really need to advertise the optics you are putting out under the Pentax brand - your recent inhouse designs have been amazing.
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