Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 on NEX 5N

2011-11-29
Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 on Sony NEX 5N
Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8


The Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 is the 2nd smallest Pentax Auto 110
lenses and it is just as tiny as the 24mm. Its filter size is 30.5mm while the 24mm is smallest with filter size in 25.5mm.

Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 on Sony NEX 5N
Pentax 110 24mm f/2.8 and Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8

The pan focus likely shares similar optic design to the regular Pentax 110 18mm f/2.8. However, there is one major difference in the Pan Focus lens not having any focus ring. It has subject in focus from about 1.75m or 6 feet to infinity. I see it as a great street shooting which allows one to focus in framing and snap scenes into focus from 6 feet to far away. One can use this rare lens as a quick shooter with Sony NEX 5N.

I used it for night scenes testing. It is not a fair test as I don't have a lens hood mounted and I shoot all photos in Jpg and high ISO in 3200, and without a tripod. I tried to run the lens through the toughest scenes. I have a Rolleiflex/Yashica 30.5mm snap on plastic hood but it won't fit the screw mount on the Pan Focus lens. I will report next how I go about getting good lens hood to for the Pan focus and the 24mm.

All the following test shots are done with 5N:
  • Hand-held without tripod
  • ISO 3200
  • Default JPG in B&W with +1 on Contrast and +1 on Sharpness
  • Default Matrix metering -- a lot of highlights are blown out and I need to have negative Ev compensation for next trial
  • No cropping of any kind are performed in the test shots


Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 on Sony NEX 5N
1/15 sec, f/2.8, 18mm, iso 3200, 0 Ev

Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 on Sony NEX 5N
1/13 sec, f/2.8, 18mm, iso 3200, 0 Ev


Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 on Sony NEX 5N
1/40 sec, f/2.8, 18mm, iso 3200, 0 Ev


Pentax Auto 110 Pan Focus 18mm f/2.8 on Sony NEX 5N
1/15 sec, f/2.8, 18mm, iso 3200, 0 Ev


Impressions & Notes
  • Very easy to use as there is no focusing involved.

  • Anything that is 6 feet to far away can snap into focus

  • I don't notice severe vignette as the shooting happens in the dark and the black & white settings are especially suiting for the Pentax Auto 110 lens

  • I have Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO) set to ON but I hardly notice any functionality as I do get many overblown shots in the highlights. I need to re-shoot similar scenes with a tripod and stay in Raw and have DRO set to OFF and perhaps try Jpg with Handheld Twilight (HHT) and see if the new feature in HHT helps in high ISO shooting as in ISO 3200

  • The lens is small and it is next in size to the Pentax Auto 110 24mm f/2.8 and if this lens is not pocketable, I don't know what other lens is. It is working well with the Sony NEX 5N and I am sure it will be more excellent if there is an added mechanics to stop down the lens from wide open aperture in f/2.8

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2 comments:

Arthur said...

Did you find a sollution for the lenshood? Thanks! Great posts!

Hin Man said...

I did get a video camcorder filter that is 30.5mm in size but it looks ridiculously huge on the 18mm wide lens. I will look for a better one. I have better luck with the 50mm f/2.8 which takes a 37.5mm and I manage to find a collapsible rubber lens hood. Look in both ebay and BHPhoto

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