flifishun

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Creve Coeur Camera

Summary:
I've shot with this lens on half a dozen trips now. I was looking for a prime wide angle, but opted for this. I have not been disappointed. The short zoom range is perfect and, along with constant aperture, probably contributes to its very sharp image quality. This has quickly become one of the first lenses I reach for.

Strengths:
Very Sharp images. Constant Aperture. Perfect wide angle zoom range for my needs. Low cost-Great images.

Weaknesses:
Plastic construction, a little more metal in the barrel would build confidence, but it is very light.

Similar Products Used:
Focal MC 35-70AF(1st. lens when I was a kid), Pentax 35-105 A and a whole range of Pentax primes.

Customer Service:
Never used.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $499.00 from Adorama Photo (onlin

Summary:
Very versatile lens for the money...tack sharp optics if you can get past the small max aperature. Takes very sharp landscape or people pictures. Highly Recommended!

Strengths:
Optical quality Lightweight 58mm filter dia. sharpness Built in Japan

Weaknesses:
tends to distort at wide end when not at perpendicular plane. Almost fish-eye quality when beyond 10 degrees. Can be used to advantage, though.

Similar Products Used:
Pentax 28-80 3.5-5.6, Tamrom 70-300 mm LD Macro, Sigma 105mm Macro, Asahi-Takumar f1.4 50mm screwmount

Customer Service:
never needed

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $474.00 from Adorama

Summary:
I made this purchase based on many reviews (including those here). I have not been disappointed; as a matter of fact, I was pleasantly surprised at its performance in many situations. It is a well built lens with a clever design in the hood to allow adjustments of filters. Even though it is auto focus, I rarely used this feature. Manual focus was easy. So, I don''t have much to say about focus speed.

Strengths:
Very useful zoom range Extremely extremely sharp Extremely high resolution. I could literally keep on increasing magnification and see more detail that was hidden at lower resolution. Reasonable filter size Well bult and designed Price (given its performance, its price is low)

Weaknesses:
None found yet

Similar Products Used:
Vivitar Series 1 19-35 Takuma 28 f/2.8 Vivitar 28 f/2.8

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $540.00

Summary:
Optically a superb lens, perfect for landscapes. A constant aperture is very welcome, especially an f4. It is very compact and light, excellent for backpacking and travel. I wish that Pentax would introduce an FA*/Limited version with metal contruction with a max aperture of f3.5 to keep it small.

Strengths:
*Excellent Optical Quality: VERY sharp, excellent contrast, with warm colour cast, & no vignetting noticed
*Nice lens hood with polarizer cut-out
*Constant aperture
*Small & light & can use 58 mm filters
*Non-rotating lens barrel
*smooth focusing and zooming

Weaknesses:
Too much plastic! More metal parts please

Similar Products Used:
Sigma 17-28 mm

Customer Service:
Haven't used it.

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
4 votes

Price Paid:  $525.00 from Murphy's Camera Louisville

Summary:
IF you enjoy wide angle landscapes make sure you get this Pentax. Superb optics as usual from Pentax. F4 makes it lighter weight than Canon's L lens or Nikon's. Only drawback is use of cheap plastic in lens barrel.

Strengths:
Great optics, Constant F4 aperature, non rotating front, filter cutout in lens shade to orient polarizers.

Weaknesses:
Should have been a FA* design with metal lens barrel.

Similar Products Used:
none

Customer Service:
Never had to use on this product.