stemked

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $375.00 from Ebay auction

Summary:
A nice lens (FA version). Said to not be as good as other brands at f2.8 but I rarely use the lens at anything other than f11-f22 where it shines. Very heavy for a Pentax lens and doesn't balance well on many smaller bodies.The wider ring makes this a better manual lens than the very similar F version. I think the Sigma 105 f2.8 and Tamron f2.8 are in many ways nicer manual focus lenses and are cheaper new.

Strengths:
Excellent optic stopped down. Limitor for closeup work Reasonable price used

Weaknesses:
Heavy. Ok, but not great manual focus feel. Very expensive new.

Similar Products Used:
Most K mount macros

Customer Service:
NR

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from KEH

Summary:
I own Pentax 645N, Bronica GS 1, Eos 3 and L lenses. I use also Pentax MZs (as good as anything from Canon) and this 100mm macro. In short, it is a perfect lens. The quality is wonderful. I use it for tight portraits, and nature close-ups. Instead of using heavy MF cameras, I use my Pentax set up for head and shoulders portratits. When used with 100 ASA Reala, I print 11x14 and I see single m hair on ladies' faces. Talk about sharpness. Absolutely no grain in this combination. It looks just like my MF prints. Never tried beyond 11x14, but feel that 16X20 would be excellent as well.

Strengths:
Absulute top quality - everything.

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Too many to mention

Customer Service:
Very good, much better than my Canon (L Lenses and IS are great!)

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Used @ camera swap

Summary:
A nice lens for all around macro work. Used mine for both closeups in nature as well as a portraiture lens. I think the plastic barrel made it a little more bulky than the older 100 Ka mount that I owned. Traded that for this one. New one seemed slightly sharper than older version.

Strengths:
fast 2.8 fstop, very sharp optics, 1 to 1 without any extension tubes, clamp on lens for copy stand work

Weaknesses:
Pentax should have kept exterior construction same as KA macro lens

Similar Products Used:
none

Customer Service:
had to send in once for sticky aperture

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5,
1 votes

Summary:
Still an excellent buy if you use Pentax.

Strengths:
Solid built, nice bokeh, nice optics

Weaknesses:
Aperture ring is a bit difficult to access, focus ring could be made smoother. Not particular sharp at wide open.

Similar Products Used:
SMC PENTAX 100 f4

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Summary:
Very good optics, good colour reproduction and sharpness. Friction control of focusing is useful to ensure accurate focus point. Surface finishing give very good handheld feeling.

Strengths:
Good optics, Very solid structure and metallic handheld feeling. Focusing ring is rotating smoothly.

Weaknesses:
Slow AF speed, but most non-USM marco lens has this problem.

Similar Products Used:
Sigma EX AF105/2.8Marco, Nikon AF200/4Marco. Pentax FA50/2.8Marco.

Customer Service:
No experience