| Showing all 3 reviews by Dan | |
| Review of: SMC Pentax-M 100mm F2.8 by Dan on Sat March 25, 2023 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 273339
Reviews: 58
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I have tried a few of the short M-series teles, including this lens, the M120/2.8 and the M135/3.5. In my experience this one is easily the best, particularly on full frame. It is surprisingly sharp across the frame when wide open, and becomes extremely sharp stopped down. It is very resistant to flare, which is a real advantage of Pentax lenses from this era. So many older lenses from other manufacturers flare like crazy if you dare to put the sun or a bright light in the frame. This lens also has VERY nice bokeh, except for just a bit of longitudinal chromatic aberration ("bokeh fringing") when shot wide open, although even in this regard it compares well to other similar lenses. It is also TINY and lightweight. The size and weight, combined with it's silky-smooth focus ring, make it a joy to use. It's one of my favorite lenses of all time. It's also one of the least expensive lenses I've ever purchased. It's a real hidden gem and a stunningly good value!!
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| Review of: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE by Dan on Tue November 22, 2022 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 169473
Reviews: 46
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This is a sharp lens with superb bokeh, especially when shooting in nature with difficult, busy backgrounds (such as thin branches or grasses). That combination of sharp in-focus areas with lovely background blur provides superb overall rendering. It also has excellent flare resistance.
The autofocus is accurate, fast, and silent (thanks to the PLM motor). The lens is exceptionally compact when stored. It is also very light and well balanced. The handling is superb.
Overall, the rendering and handling characteristics make for a very special package, far better than most similar zooms from other manufacturers.
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| Review of: HD Pentax-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 Limited DC WR by Dan on Sun May 3, 2020 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 282581
Reviews: 65
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This is a great little lens. When it first came out I wasn't interested, because most of the reviews from the major review sites were underwhelming. But as reviews from actual users started to accumulate I noticed that they were almost universally positive. Could all of these users be wrong? I decided to take a chance, and grabbed one when it went on sale. I am glad that I did. The lens is very sharp, it is a joy to handle, and it has great build quality. It also has excellent flare resistance--not just for a zoom, but for any lens.
The lens does suffer from a small amount of field curvature, so very careful focusing is required to get optimal results across the frame. Once you learn the optimal focus points it is extremely sharp across the frame (when stopped down). This, combined its small size and great flare resistance, makes it ideal for travel photography.
While the range of focal lengths seems a bit narrow, I find it to be a very useful range. I have a wide range of lenses, from 8mm to 400mm. But I noticed that about 90% of my photos are taken with lenses in the 20mm to 40mm range, so the range of this lens suits me just fine.
The lens is a real gem!
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