Pentaxian Registered: May, 2010 Location: now 1 hour north of PDX Posts: 3,897 | | Review Date: April 16, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Decent image quality, internal zoom, retractable shade, great closeups | | Cons: | 925g, some flare and definite vignette on 36x24 | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-s2, a7ii
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My copy looks a lot different, branded as Focal (Kmart brand).. but who else would make an 80-200mm f/3.5, with 1/2.55x macro?? My copy has K mount.
First tests on a7ii shows clear vignetting but minimal color fringing on branches. Veiling glare when shooting at the sun but colors and contrast are nice otherwise. Aps-c crop definitely helps the vignette.
Close-ups are maybe 4 feet away at 200mm; I rarely use 1:1 with a true macro so this is enough versatility for me.
Internal zoom is nice but focus range still makes for a long lens! I found a decent tripod clamp but diameter isn't exact; a rubber band tightens up the connection.
Given the price for modern f/2.8 and even f/4 zooms of this range, it's definitely a keeper!
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Site Supporter Registered: January, 2019 Location: Beautiful British Columbia Posts: 85 | | Review Date: January 7, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Amazing colors and sharpness in marco . | | Cons: | heavy, mediocre for regular use. | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 7
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-S2
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I received this lens in a bulk lot and I had little hope for it. I have the Haminex version of this lens - a quick bit of research unveiled that Makinon made lenses for Hanimex and this lens is physically identical to the lens in the photo. During the initial testing it was obvious that the aperture was stuck wide open so it sat on a shelf for a couple of weeks. I eventually de-clicked the lens and removed the leaver, converting it to a fully manual aperture with the hopes of selling it. Initial testing for day to day use was acceptable but not stellar. For day to day shots I would not use this lens at 80mm if I could help it, nor at any focal lenth wide open. The best image quality came from the f8 - f11 ranges in the 135mm range. Nothing was ever quite sharp. The zoom on this lens in 'reversed' - so you have to pull it towards you for it to zoom towards 200mm.
But in macro - all I can say is wow. This is where this lens shines. Marco test came out very sharp with fine details in all the images I took in the F8 - F16 range. Good color rendering and good contrast.
This is not a lens for day to day use, but if you are into macro photography and you come across this lens, just get it. You would be hard pressed to find something better for the price.
I will not be selling this lens any time soon and it will be my go to lens for any macro photography in the foreseeable future.
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