| Author: | | New Member Registered: November, 2014 Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 3, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $28.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | light weight and fast accurate focus on k-50 | | Cons: | none to date - except for very light fringing at long end | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 5
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K-50
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This is a light weight standard zoom at least for my walk around lens. It surpasses the 18-55 WR kit lens for handling, color, bokeh, focus speed. I will retire my kit except for inclement conditions, or the need to shoot at 28-40 mm which will happen very seldom. In fairness my kit lens is very sharp and quick to focus but out of the box this is the hands down winner (best in class). This is superior to my 28mm prime (Vivatar) which I like compared to 28mm on the kit.
I am trying to find a 70-210 in good condition to try to retire my 55-200 WR kit lens.
| | | | | | | Forum Member Registered: November, 2011 Posts: 52
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 27, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $58.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Rugged, Sharp Focus, Strong Construction, Fast AF | | Cons: | Slight Purple fringe at long end @ f 5.6, Plastic K-mount | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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This one surprised me, It is Quite fast on AF with Tack Sharp Image Quality. Lightweight and well constructed. As a walk around general purpose lens it is quite versatile. The 90mm is a plus over the 28-70mm Sigma version. The Multi Coating appears to be very good.
Cons: Plastic K-Mount, Slight Purple fringing at 90mm @ f 5.6
Can not find very much information about the Specification's for this lens
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 726
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 22, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Fast AF, nice feel, sharp | | Cons: | Flimsy plasticky mount | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
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Well, just got this lens a few days ago. I wasn't expecting much from it being $50 but so far I am very surprised by it.
First off, never have I seen my K5 acquire focus so fast, even in pretty low light. However, this turns out as a negative for manual focussing, since the focus ring barely moves 90 degrees.
Sharpness is hit or miss with the lens but overall it is just as sharp as the kit 18-55 and on a good shot, it's as sharp as the much more expensive Sigma 17-70. For $50 no one can complain.
IQ is decent, on par with glasses four times the price, Colors to me seemed a bit dull but it's easy to fix in post.
Aberrations are nothing to worry about at most focal lengths. except 28 & 90 where it is noticeable.
At both ends, there is some pretty severe distortion (even for a zoom lens), barrel at wide angle and pincushion at zoom but between 35 and 70 pictures are fairly distortion free.
Bokeh is very nice, especially for a cheap slow zoom lens, another good surprise from this lens.
My copy didn't came with a hood and shooting without one in daylight (or bright light) washes out the colours and pretty much kill the sharpness. This is probably due to the front glass being very convex and almost sticking out... Put a $5 rubber hood and the problem is fixed.
The lens is made of very cheap plastic but the rubber zoom grip is nice. Aside from the plasticky-ness the lens feels sturdy and the zoom action is smooth with just enough resistance. The focus ring, not so much, leave it in AF mode. Aperture ring is kind of hard to manipulate, use your camera aperture control instead.
For $50 go for it, it's a decent lens with few flaws and impressive IQ, you can't go wrong for a walk around lens with a bit more reach than the kit 18-55.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: March, 2018 Location: North Carolina Posts: 531
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 28, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Useful range of focal lengths, close-focus capability, inexpensive | | Cons: | Contrasty in bright sun | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 7
Value: 9
Camera Used: Fujifilm X-T20
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So far, the best feature of this lens for me is the close-focusing capability, not because I would use it for planned macro work, but just because it is nice to have available for a walking around lens like this one. Once I got used to the arrangement of the controls, the lens handled fine, though the aperture ring is a little cramped behind the zoom. It's not too heavy and the fat diameter makes it easy to hold.
A few shots taken in bright sun proved harsh and contrasty. The lens did better in softer light. It pays to stop down, although that kills the bokeh.
The build quality is decent, especially for the time frame. The lens is in a Pentax K mount, and it came to me with two other lenses, a Pentax DA 18-55 and a Pentax F 80-200, and the Quantaray was every bit as well-built as the others. Personally, none of them hold a candle to my old Takumars as far as build is concerned.
All-in-all, a good solid 7. I gave it a 9 for value because a friend picked it up for me at a yard sale for the princely sum of $15, along with the Pentaxes, also at $15 each.
Here is a shot taken on my crop-sensor Fuji in late afternoon fading light. In macro mode, stopped down 1 stop, 1/125 sec, ISO 800.
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