| Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-F 35-80mm F4-5.6
I'll just start by saying this review is based on my initial impressions of this lens, garnered through about three hours of shooting time with it mounted on a K-50 body. The reviews posted so far have been a mixed bag, with some users obviously having received a good copy of the lens, while others seemingly discount it without giving photos showing its perceived shortcomings. From the outset I'll make it clear that my copy seems to fall into the former category and that I'm generally pleased with its optical performance.
When I got it, I really didn't know anything about this lens aside from it was an inexpensive mdel from the early 1990s. In fact, I was told by the dealer that it was strictly manual focus and I was really quite surprised to find it has a decent auto-focus (AF) mechanism as part of the package. But I needed a next-to-nothing zoom that would give me a bit of reach with a high-resolution APS-C sensor, and this one did fit the bill, AF or not. It turned out all of my shots were taken using AF, since I wear glasses which makes focusing manually a chore. I found the AF to be accurate and fast in the conditions it was tested (if not a bit noisy).
But my surprise did not end with my discovery that this lens does have AF; after taking a few pictures I was happy with its optical resolution and even more taken by the spectacular colours it produces in my photos (I'd say it looks just like slide film to me, but better).
I consider my lens to be optically sound. Mechani... |
