| Author: | | Site Supporter Registered: June, 2015 Location: Ellicott City, MD Posts: 76 | | Review Date: March 13, 2019 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tack sharp, Awesome bokeh | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: KS-2
New Or Used: Used
Autofocus: 9
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I bought it here on this forum and it's a really great lens. The only cons I can think of may be the weight and the screw on metal hood. Most people won't consider them cons either and therefore I haven't listed them as such. It is great for macro photography and portraits.
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2016 Posts: 127
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 31, 2016 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp images | | Cons: | focus hunting at times | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-3
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I purchased this lens from a forum member because I wanted a decent macro lens. I was also hoping that it would double as a portrait lens, given its wide aperture and focal length. I cannot be more pleased! My initial practice shoot was spent primarily taking photos of the various flowers in bloom around my yard just to see how the lens handled. I did have some focus hunting issues, and although the lens has a focus limiter, it didn't help much. I prefer using the lens on manual for macro anyway. There was no hunting with subjects far afield. There is a learning curve on many lenses, but with patience, by the end of the weekend I was making excellent shots. The DOF on a lens like this, wide open at close distance, is microscopic--practice is needed.
Honestly, this is my favorite lens now! The image quality is spectacular, even wide open, which I cannot say about all of my faster lenses. I took some portraits and actions shots that were equal in quality and clarity, and I will admit, I was doing some serious pixel peeping, which I normally avoid but couldn't resist because the results were so amazing with this lens!
No adjustments were made to these pics except cropping:
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 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2015 Posts: 71
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 29, 2015 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Could be the sharpest lens available for Pentax | | Cons: | Short for insects when used on its own, but pairs well with TC's to address this. Really nothing else. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
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The optical quality of this lens puts it in the league of Zeiss and Voigtlander macros that go for many times more money. Tack sharp across the whole frame from f/2.8 to f/11 with a slight drop off (but still great) at f/16. Lab tests that one can find online suggest that this holds for full frame as well, though I have only used it on APS-C.
I do not notice a difference in sharpness between f/5.6 - f/10 with/without the Sigma APO 2x EX or Tamron-F 1.4X Pz-AF MC4 attached, both of which I have used to get closer than 1:1 macro. Aberrations and softness get amplified by even the best TC, but the baseline is so good here that there are no practical consequences at optimal aperture settings. As such, I almost always use this with the Sigma 2x for bugs due to the reach advantage of the 140mm effective focal length.
70mm is nice for portraits on APS-C, but there is a certain clinical sharpness that doesn't look quite right, even at f/2.8. Resolution can always be reduced in post (but never added) so this is hardly a negative.
Sigma 70mm EX DG Macro + Sigma APO 2x EX Teleconverter + Sunpak Auto DX 8R Ring Light at 1/8 power
f/10, 1/160, ISO 100, handheld
The original image is sharper than it appears here, the upload to Pentax Forums seems to compress all my images and make them look worse, even when I stay within the file size and resolution restrictions.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2014 Location: Galway - Ireland Posts: 213
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 10, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | amazing sharpness, micro contrast rendering, build quality | | Cons: | None ? | |
WHO IS IT FOR ?
The 70mm is a great multipurpose focal length if you are on the close up side. Portraits, street photography, gastronomy and macro... It is just perfect for all.
I also use a lot this lens for video because of it is so sharp and so cinematic.
HANDLING
This lens has almost the same size and weight than the 105mm macro from sigma, which is well sized on an Pentax camera.
It extends a lot in macro 1:1 position (almost double) but I don't think it is a real issue.
The focus ring is very smooth and it is nice to use it manually (for video for instance it is a reaaaaal pleasure).
AUTOFOCUS
The autofocus is very precise. Even if it is not the fastest AF I have experienced, it is great for most purpose and specialy great for macro !
IMAGE QUALITY
>SHARPNESS
This lens is VERY sharp from wide open. Honnestly it is the sharpest lens I have in my bag and the sharpest I have tested so far (cf. comparison below). This lens delivers amazing micro-contrast and this look great even in low scale. The overall image rendering is on a top level.
>MACRO
Top sharp, with 1:1 ratio. Well, it is not possible to have a better combo for macro purpose. This lens is a must !
With enough light the result is crispy like hell...
>BOKEH
Bokehs are really great and reasonably soft, in macro pictures the result is pleasing.
>CHROMA ABERRATIONS
Not flawless but not a real issue ! There can be little fringing (purple) but it is not problematic in field conditions.
>FLARE
I did not notice any flare issue for this lens.
>COLOR RENDITION
Neutral ! It is not warm in the asahi style, but not blue. Perfect for me at least.
>DISTORSION
There is no distorsion (maybe 0,01%, who cares ?  )
>VIGNETING
Not an issue as the largest aperture is f/2.8. Nothing to care about !
COMPARING TO SIMILAR LENSES
>105mm macro Sigma f/2.8 EX
This lens is in the same family than the 105mm macro EX f/2.8 from Sigma. It is clear that these two lenses delivers similar kind of results. But I believe the 70mm is realy a better lens : it is sharper (I sometimes discover contrast through this lens that I didn't see with my eyes  ) and the 70mm focal length is better if you want to use it handhold (you can have top sharp results from 1/100 instead of 1/160).
I have both lenses, but if I was to choose only one of them I would definitly take my 70mm macro.
>70mm Pentax f/2.4 limited
The 70mm lens from Pentax is very sharp too ! Honnestly for portraits, you can use the Pentax lens (more discret and the AF is slightly faster on K3). But for macro you can't. The Pentax lens is really interesting, and if you don't really need macro it can be a great buy !
CONCLUSION
If you can afford this lens and if you love Macro, buy it right now because it is a gem. I guess it is the sharpest lens you can buy for less than 1000-1500$ and you will never regret it.
I am not sure that this lens is still produced for K mount, but there are still some of them available and my advice is that you should not wait much longer 
SAMPLE PICTURES
The pictures inserted here comes from my 500px gallery and have been processed to taste from RAW files through DxO OP. However there is no local sharpening through JPEG edition.
A few more on Flickr (not processed)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124013107@N08/16141832236/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124013107@N08/15981972317/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124013107@N08/16272612491/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124013107@N08/17053598361/ (this one was shot during a movie scene)
Even if it is hard to believe, there is not micro contrast added numerically in these pictures...
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2009 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 10
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 3, 2015 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
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Sharpest lens I've ever used in 45 years ' work with Nikon, Pentax, Rollei and 4x5 gear. Autofocus is slow, but more than half the shots I take with this are and always would be manually focused anyway.
As for the widely-ridiculed screw-in hood, it's a perfect handle for the polarizer I keep on this lens at all times. A bayonet-mount hood would just be in the way, even with the removable (and easily lost) sliding insert that Pentax thoughtfully provides on some of its hoods.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2012 Posts: 205 | | Review Date: November 9, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $348.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp! | | Cons: | Auto Focus searches a lot | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-3
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This is a sharp lens wide open and then gets better (not that it matters since it is sharp wide open). I never used this over f/10, and it is certainly sharp there. The lens seems sharp corner to corner. It is much heavier than the Pentax 70mm and 77mm lenses, but it does double as a portrait lens and as a macro. Bokeh is fine...no complaints. Auto focusing is a pain unless you use the limiter on the lens. The focus is slow but accurate once it stops hunting. The few times I used this outside for portraits/headshots, I took a few photos of tree branches against the bright sky to see if there is noticeable CA or PF. I saw nothing to be concerned with. I don't bother with correcting for distortion with this lens in Light Room any more because there is usually nothing to correct. Therefore, I assume there is no distortion.
This is a full frame lens, and that is all I am trying to collect now (except for the D* 60-250) in the hopes Pentax will come out with a full frame some time this decade. Next year would be nice. I was lucky with this used copy. It functions as new and needs no front or back focusing adjustment.
Update June 2016: I use this lens a lot for headshots/portraits and for shooting theatrical productions (one son is an actor) with the K-3 and K-5. Lighting is usually terrible and/or inconsistent in theaters. There is an advantage of being able to shoot at f/2.8 all night long without sacrificing much sharpness. It is so sharp there is little noticeable gain by stopping down.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/photo-imgp8067-jpg-50237/ | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: March, 2014 Location: Bolivia, NC Posts: 59 | | Review Date: May 22, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $320.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Image quality, Sharpness | | Cons: | None | |
I purchased this lens from another member on this forum. The overall quality of the lens blew me away.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: March, 2011 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 34
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 2, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $390.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | IQ, Sharpness across the board | | Cons: | Hood, but not important | |
I had researched enough that the bizarre hood was no surprise and the autofocus - well, it is a macro lens after all and I knew that manual focusing when doing macro was critical anyway. I was down to this, the older Sigma 105mm macro and the Pentax DA 100 WR, but leaned towards this because the 70mm length has more flexibility for me as a general lens. So I bought this used from another forum member about 3 weeks ago and have been very happy!
From the first shots I knew that I was going to have plenty to learn to maximize DOF, focus and lighting. Lighting, in particular, is critical if you are going to use a smaller aperture for better DOF. Still working on the lighting, but I built a crude bounce card that helps my Metz flash do the job pretty well by bouncing the light down right near the extended length of the lens. I still have a ton to learn and may buy an inexpensive ring light, but I have to say that I have never had as much fun playing with a lens and at the same time, it helping me learn more about controlling my camera manually.
While these are not the best, they are a bit representative of some early shots.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9647691248/ < This was shot through a (dirty!) dual pane window, manual focus.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9583835605/ < Not quite 1:1, but close
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9549411669/ < The very first shot I took with the lens! Flower is about 1/4"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9596086078/in/photostream/ < Same flowers but using my crude bounce card. More light, better DOF, but not necessarily better - just different. This is what the lens allows you to experiment with.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9585051904/in/photostream/ < Not a macro shot, but just to show this is capable 70mm lens in its own right!
I cannot say this is better than other good macro lenses like the Siggy 105 or Pentax FA or DA WR 100mm since I have not used them, but I can say this is a wonderful lens and a great addition to the kit!
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2011 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 8 | | Review Date: May 8, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $550.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Super sharp | | Cons: | size, lens hood | |
This lens definitely has a learning curve, but the images are truly amazing when one learns the proper way to utilize it.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2011 Location: Providence, RI Posts: 368
1 user found this helpful
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2012 Location: Sydney Posts: 42 | | Review Date: April 21, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness & overall image quality | | Cons: | Silly screw on hood | |
This was my first macro lens (for a K200D 3 years ago) and now I use it on my K-5. It's still one of the best lenses I own. Never regretted buying it - excellent value. Apart from being a top-quality macro lens, it's also a good focal length for portraits, especially for children (although the extreme sharpness can be a bit cruel for us oldies :-(
It's solid as a rock (& nearly as heavy :-) and autofocus could be better, but since I mostly use it for macro flower photos, it doesn't detract from the over-all excellence of the lens. My other main macro lens is the Pentax 100mm WR which is also excellent - but I can't tell the difference in terms of image quality between the two.
The only one negative down side (for me) is that stupid screw-on hood - I don't know what Sigma was thinking...
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2011 Location: near Berlin Posts: 9 | | Review Date: January 24, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | IQ, handling, limiter, build, reliable AF, AF/MF-switch, no CAs | | Cons: | a bit heavy, hood | |
The best Macro I ever had. Compared to my former Tamron 90/2.8, Sigma 105/2.8, Sigma 50/2.8 and Pentax 100/4 this is my favourite closeup-lens. CAs or vignetting are no issues. IQ is perfect. The AF is also fast enough for a macro using the switch. Manual focussing is very easy. The build is solid! The only conzern is the hood, which you need to screw in... this is a bit annoing.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Detroit Posts: 3,491 | | Review Date: February 13, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | SHARP, great contrast | | Cons: | A bit bulky | |
This was the first true macro I bought for my K200.
It's followed me to my K7. So I've had it for over 2yrs. It has done it's job flawlessly.
The flocked finish had dulled a bit over time, but not the performance.
I was gonna pick on the screw on lens hood, but I feel it does great job of protecting the glass, as it's metal.
I've even used it in light rain with no problems. Just wipe it dry from time to time.
When out shooting macros, I also use my D FA 100. I have to check the EXIF to tell which lens I shot with.
Last summer I loaned it to the friend that bought my K200.
Needless to say he didn't want to give back.
The only negative I can think of, is that it's a bit hard to clean, as the glass is well inset on both ends.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 29, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Incredible IQ | | Cons: | screw on hood | |
I love doing macros and many macro lenses are very sharp so how to choose? I also love doing portraits so I was looking for a lens that has a double talent as a macro and portrait lens. I find that for portraits 55mm are the minimum and 90mm are already a bit too long (on APS-C). So the 70mm of the Sigma fell right into the usable range for me. For very nervous critters having a higher focal length to get more stand-off distance can be beneficial but I find the 70mm to be still very usable.
The lens is already mighty sharp starting from f/2.8 (wide open) and I don't think any faster makes sense for the vast majority of portraits where you want to keep both eyes in focus.
The lens is so good that Imaging-Resource use it as their cross-brand reference lens to compare cameras with each other. The photozone test rates it sharper than the Tamron 90mm and says it's bokeh is "very smooth and buttery". PopPhoto calls it "faultless".
It is really good for doing product shots. How about some nice leaf shots? You may also want to check out this Sigma 70 vs Tamron 90 comparison.
Optically, I think it is very hard to fault this lens, but there are a few small downsides. There is no manual aperture ring so you cannot put it on extension rings and shoot it at any other f-ratio than f/22. If one really wants to go beyond 1:1 while using a lower f-ratio, close up filters or (potentially gutted) teleconverters are alternatives. However, the immensely shallow DOF at close distances will probably require the use of an f-ratio near f/22 anyhow.
As other posters I wish the hood weren't of the screw on type so that it could be reverse-mounted.
Because of the long focus throw, focusing the lens can take longer than usual. However, I reckon on a K-7 or K-5 with a fast screw drive the AF times will be more than acceptable in particular in combination with the focus limiter switch. The long focus throw is really nice for macro work and I find manual focusing easy and to be a good experience with this lens.
Love the fact that it is a full-frame lens so when that Pentax FF body eventually arrives...
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 6,513
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 29, 2009 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | ultra-sharp at wide open, bokeh , colours, very high contrast | | Cons: | quite slow AF, especially during close focus. hood is not snap on. | |
one of the best non-Pentax lens acquisition that I had ever bought for Pentax. I bought this lenses after getting some great comments coming from respectable owners of the lens and they are right. reasons for getting this lens is I needed a much shorter telephoto than my 85mm , and with a decent constant aperture speed. 2.8 is fine with me. also the fact that I needed something AF and close-focusing capability for candid portraiture shots with very nice color rendition and bokeh. I hate to say this but this lens shames the DA70 in terms of sharpness, colours and OOF rendering. no matter how sharp the DA70 is, it is not that as crispier or sharp as that of the Sigma 70. the only obvious advantage of the DA70 is it's compact size and fast AF. downside of the Sigma is the sluggish AF due to maybe long focus throw caused by it's macro feature. the focus-limiter seems to help a bit for both macro and telephoto use. however, as I seem to use this lens more often, I find it seem much faster to focus now. for me, the macro feature is just another added bonus since my main concern for this lens is only for telephoto use. but don't think that it's macro is no good. it's macro is excellent, probably at par with the FA50/2.8's sharpness. since owning this lens, it made me wonder of abandoning the extensive use my FA100/2.8 macro which is also a great lens for portraiture but not as sharp and contrasty as that of the Sigma 70.
another con of this lens is the lens hood is a screw on type which is annoying. I hope to find a better alternative snap-on lens for it.
*forgot to mention that this lens is designed for FF camera which makes it an ideal and flexible lens for both systems. 105mm equiv. on APS-C camera and a 70mm on FF.
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