| Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-FA 28-105mm F3.2-4.5 AL [IF]
I picked up my copy (in black) as part of a very inexpensive job lot from a local seller, and it came with the original hood.
It's compact, light and reasonably solid, although it doesn't feel as robust as the FA primes.
Optically, it's decent on APS-C. Colours and contrast are nice, and there's plenty of detail in the centre when stopped down just a little. Rendering is unusually decent given the class of lens. Out of focus highlights have a slight ring around them, which can often suggest bokeh will be rather "busy", but that's not the case here. At maximum aperture, out of focus highlights are circular, but become progressively more hexagonal as the diaphragm is closed down - yet they're never harsh or angular, suggesting that the blades are at least partially rounded.
Wide open, it's a little soft and displays "blooming" around bright edges. There's also some blue fringing in slightly out of focus bright edges, due to longitudinal chromatic aberration, and it's especially noticeable at longer focal lengths. Stopping down quickly reduces the extent of both effects, as you'd expect.
From 28 to approximately 70mm, the lens is actually usable in the centre wide open, but benefits significantly from being closed down one or two thirds of a stop to increase detail and reduce the effects of CA. Above 70mm, it really needs to be closed down by a minimum of one third of a stop for acceptable results, and two thirds of a stop for good results. Casual... |
