Hin's Photo Corner

I am the idiot who sold the Lady Queen in Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited and replaced the Lady Queen with two lens with very different functionality in Sigma 28mm f/1.8 II and Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro. I bought the Sigma for its fast speed use and the I got my Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited with a good bargain price new with Prodigal2000. Do I miss the Lady Queen. Hell Yes unfortunately. I don't think either of the two replacements can replace the IQ in the 31mm limited. But darn it, I feel much easier in taking out my lens and shoot the lens as a tool as an equal partner and I don't want to give any of my lens any special treatment like others do. I could imagine some of my Pentaxian friends will have a shrink with lock to protect their 31mm limited and they would have a difficult time to take out the lens in traveling. I will always question why one buys a lens that they will worry in scratching and leaving marks rather than enjoy it for what it is good for -- taking pictures. Though I truly miss my Lady Queen for its enormous image quality and superb color, I do find significant comfort and ease of usage with my competent replacements for the 31mm limited

I don't use my Sigma 28mm f/1.8 II quite often as I would love to as I have a tendency to stay with zooms in outings in the weekends and vacation. I busted my prime with 28mm this weekend with Mid-Autumn festival with lanterns and moon cake and a visit to Don Edwards SF Bay Wildlife Refuge for its Shark Day event.











Impressions & Notes

• Though the lens maximum aperture was stated i f/1.8, all shots wide open in my K20D reported as f/1.7
• The lens is not big and has a 58mm filter size. It is not the same as the latest DG or EX Sigma lens, build is all plastic and not of the same quality as in DG and DC Ex lens lineup
• Lens is easy to handle like a 50mm in size. Close up is found decent on flowers but I don't think it has magnification ratio greater than 1:4, likely 1:6.
  
• Flare is noted in extreme lighting when my neighbor lighting shined through the front of my lens. It was possible that I forgot to mount the lens hood.
  
• An overall budget fast prime that do reasonably well at night but nothing in sharpness and color that would stand out like the 31mm limited. Color rendering is better in Pentax 35mm limited and the 31mm limited lenses.
  

Related:

• Sigma 28mm f/1.8 II initial test shots
• Don Edwards SF Bay Wildlife Refuge -- Flickr Set
  
• Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited Purchage
• Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited Test Shots
• Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited
• Sigma 105mm Ex DG 1:1 macro
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 macro
  
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I recently get a copy of Sigma 28mm f/1.8 II as a replacement for the Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited. Mine is the older copy with 58mm filter size and it does not do close up like the latest version. I like this older version for the smaller size, not that much bigger than my Pentax DA 35mm 1:1 limited. My copy is all plastic, which I don't mind for the inexpensive cost to get. AF is pretty fast as the focus throw is small about 1/4 to 1/8 turn. It is quite good in street shooting from day to night.


I only took it for a weekend trip in San Francisco China town in Clement street and later visited the ocean beach on highway 1. The maximum aperture is f/1.7 instead of f/1.8 when used on K20D.

I want to share with you a new year purchase of a used M42 lens. I have not a clue of the manufacturer of this lens. It is very cute looking. It cost much less than a SuperTakumar. It is Super-Lentar 28mm f/2.8 in M42 mount.

I like its look with some silver and black color and I think it may go well with the white camera. It is all metal build around and the lens barrel reminds me of SuperTak but the mix of silver and black color make this a charming lens.

First day with it seems like a good performer. Even wide open shots seems good in sharpness.

I add a +4 for a close up in lunch

and +4 close-up on flower

One noted caveat is on its non-circular blades opening in f/5.6

Impressions & Notes:

• A brand name not well known, which I like the most -- I have something nobody has.
• Inexpensive lens to get category
• Decent sharpness seen in casual test shots
• Lens is well built with metal barrel
• Very cute lens with distinct silver and black, it will go better with white camera
• Wipe open aperture quite sharp but I am NO pixel peeper
• Bokeh is found busy on off focus rendering area.
  
• Blades have sharp spikes at middle apertures as in f/5.6, and shooting into sunlight create oddly shaped shadows
  
• Filter size is 58mm, the right size to share accessories with Cosina 55mm f/1.2
• Close up is not its strength as minimum focusing distance is about 1.5 feet
• A and M auto-aperture toggle is nicely done with a big nob. I found it very convenient to toggle to A for wide open aperture in focusing and then toggle back to M for the actual metering
• Av mode can be used to some degree for indoor. In bright daylight, I happen to need to use M mode and stop-down metering for accurate metering
• Overall a great value lens to have at probably half the cost of a Super Takumar. I like bigger lens barrel for focusing as in this lens as compared to 49mm tiny lens barrel in Super Takumar 35mm f/3.5 or that in Super Takumar 105mm f/2.8
  
• Focusing ring is bit stiff but I think it will smooth out in repeated operation
• A charmer in my book
  
  

Related:

• Pentax White Camera
• Super Takumar 35mm f/3.5
• Super Takumar 105mm f/2.8
• Genuine M42 to K adapter
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

Here is a quick light traveling kit if you ask me. No pancakes, no limited but pure lighter gear from Pentax

1. Pentax M (better with A) 28mm f/2.8: $45 ($60 for A)
2. Pentax M (better with A) 50mm f/1.7: $45 ($65 for A)
   
3. Pentax DA 50-200 f/4.0-5.6 ($110)

And for traveling with 3 lens that either look like a pancake and zoom to 200mm, that is a very smart kit for traveling in my book. And it totals about $200.00, you can save that $200 with 2 weekends staying home for home meals. And of course, one can do away with the M version of pancake with

• Pentax M 40mm f/2.8: $120
  

Initial Impressions:

• The lens is very compact and thin, similar to SuperTakumar 28mm and 35mm
• Focusing is good on this lens but not outstanding. It is smooth and quite good for its size but I prefer bigger focusing ring for better precision on focus.
  
• On Av mode, metering is quite accurate. Unlike M42 lens, this manual lens is spot on in metering making it easier to use
  
• Quite sharp at wide open aperture
• Closest focusing distance is less than 1 feet.
• Night shooting with this lens is found very capable and adequate. I tried few night time shots in ISO 400 ranging from 1/30 to 1/10 of a seconds and all shots come out nicely in f/2.8 aperture.
• Though not a true pancake lens like the M 40mm f/2.8 or Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8, this one is as close as you can get inexpensively for a small size 28mm prime.
  
• It will work like a charm in Pentax film bodies as in Pentax MX, SuperProgram, ME Super.

Related:

• Spiratone 20mm f/2.8
• Vivitar 24mm f/2.8
  
• Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 from Kiron
• Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5
• Pentax Pancake Clones
• Hin's Camera Gear

I bought this Vivitar lens from a good friend of mine and I know that the K mount won't fit into the KAF2 mount in my K100D. The lens is in superb condition and inexpensive price for a dinner lure me to get this lens without a 2nd thought. And it turns out the lens, with the base (baffle) removed, I can use it on my K100D body without any noticeable problems. All that is needed is to remove three tiny screws on the lens base plate and once the baffle is off, I have no problems using the lens as is.

I later used my Christmas toy with Dremel to modify the extra flange that make the lens incompatible with my K100D body. With the Dremel tool, I manage to grind down the obstructing flange area and painted it black with a black marker.




And here are few test shots:





I have not formed conclusive opinions on the lens but so far I like the fast aperture at f/2.5 and the construction of the lens from Kiron is quite solid. The focusing ring is well suited for manual focusing. Sharpness at wide open aperture is reasonable though I am not certain as I do find lack of detail in the test shots that I made with the lens. With more testing, I would need to decide if I should keep this lens or find something better such as the Pentax A 28mm f/2.8 or the Pentax F/FA 28mm f/2.8 with autofocus.

Impressions & Notes:

• Filter size is huge, it is 67mm
  
• Front element is unusually big and it is likely prone to flare and I later added in a matching lens hood.
• The lens is an odd ball in bokeh. Sometime very nice and sometime mediocre and I thought one reason may come from flare seen in the bokeh. When flare does happens in the bokeh, it takes out the fine detail.
  
• This is one of my lens with circular ringed lights in the bokeh. With the addition of lens hood, I am hoping the flare is reduced in the bokeh.
• Manual focusing ring is smooth, precise and large over half of a circle.
• Minimum focusing distance is small as I recall it, roughly 0.3 meter, I need to check to confirm
• Manual focusing is best with this lens
• Lens is well constructed and built with metal in barrel
• I prefer this Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 from Kiron over my Pentax M 28mm f/2.8 though my preference might have changed had my Pentax M 28mm f/2.8 been free of fungus. The pentax has an edge in color when compared to the Kiron Vivitar. In terms of sharpness, build quality and focus ring design and the overall feel, my preference definitely goes to the Kiron.
  

Related:

• Vivitar 70-210 Series 1 f/3.5 from Kiron
• How to convert M42 to K mount lens
• Pentax M 28mm f/2.8
  
• Hin's Camera Gear