Pentax M 28mm f/2.8 SMC. If you’re looking to purchase this lens sometimes Adorama will have them and Ebay definitely will. It helps me if you purchase it through one of these links here in this review. When you purchase through these links it financially enables me to devote time to develop this site further. Thanks for the help! -Todd
Barrel
Metal.
Weight
5.5 oz (157g)
Focus Ring
Rubber on Metal.
Close Focus
1 foot (0.3 meters).
Filter Threads
49mm, Metal.
Aperture Ring
Metal.
Diaphragm
5 blades stopping down to f/22.
Mount
Pentax-M K Metal Mount.
Made in
Japan
Corner at f/2.8
Bokeh at f/2.8
Closest Focus at f/4
Sharpness
f/2.8: A little soft with lower contrast and a fair bit of chromatic aberration.
f/3.5: Sharpens up a bit with better contrast and still a little chromatic aberration.
f/4: Pretty sharp with a hint of chromatic aberration but great contrast.
f/8: Very sharp with great contrast and color and no signs of diffusion until f/11.
Vignetting
Quite a bit of vignette but is basically gone by f/7.1.
Bokeh
The bokeh is fairly poor and distracting.
Flare and Ghosting
Very low flare at all stops with really low amount of ghosting which is nicely shaped.
Distortion
Very low amount of Barrel Distortion for a 28mm lens.
Recommendations
On AF Camera
Optics: ★ ★ ★
Mechanics: ★ ★ ★ ★
Ergonomics ★ ★ ★
Usefulness: ★ ★ ★
Availability: ★ ★ ★
Overall: ★ ★ ★
On MF Camera
Ergonomics: ★ ★ ★ ★
Overall: ★ ★ ★
Out of 5
This is a very fun little lens to use and just works well. Stopping down gives really sharp images with very low distortion, almost no flare and very little ghosting. Corner sharpness is pretty good and the lens chromatic aberration is not too bad. The only beef I have with the lens is that the bokeh is pretty poor and distracting but I rarely care because I usually use a lens like this for landscape stopped down to a smaller aperture anyhow.
Overall I really enjoy using this solid little lens and they are a steal of a deal today if you don’t mind manual lenses. If you are shooting it on a digital camera I would check Ebay to see if your camera can take a split focus screen which makes focusing a lot easier.
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My hopes are to take the time to continue developing this website with more test photo based reviews. If you are ever interested in purchasing this lens or other photography equipment please do so through these links here in this review. I always check Adorama and Ebay for good deals. This helps support my family and allows me to take more time for the site. The best part is this site is free for you and I link good deals I find!
Sometimes these links will actually give you better deals then typical retail prices! I personally buy from the links I have listed whether looking for new gear or fun old stuff. I can personally attest to their good & safe service from years of experience. Thanks again to you, our readers, for supporting us! -Todd
