danag42's reviews

  • Pentax 77mm f/1.8 Limited SMC P-FA

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    solid construction, metal barrel, very sharp lens
    hard to find the black version, it comes in silver or black.

    This is a superb portrait lens, or a very sharp moderate telephoto. On a film camera, it is great for head and shoulders portraits, but you'll have to apply a bit of blur. For product shots, it's clear and crisp. The multicoating is the best you can get.

    On a digital SLR, it is a slightly longer telephoto, perfect for head shots (you'll still need to add some blur) or product details. The lens feels like the lenses did in the old days, when they were built to last. It's expensive, but you get what you pay for!

    reviewed August 6th, 2006 (purchased for $699)
  • Pentax 31mm f/1.8 AL Limited SMC P-FA

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    solid construction, metal barrel, very sharp lens
    None, except the cost. You get what you pay for!

    I'm really impressed by the construction and quality of this lens. It is all metal construction, very solid, and is sharp and has an excellent "feel" to it.

    This serves as an excellent normal lens for the digital sensors.

    The multicoating is incredable. It was expensive, but I got my money's worth!!

    reviewed August 6th, 2006 (purchased for $880)
  • Pentax 16-45mm f/4 ED AL SMC P-DA

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Excellent sharpness, very little distortion
    Front element rotates when focusing, so you need to watch it with a Polarizer.

    This is a much better choice for the Pentax pro digitals than the kit lens that is usually bundled. It's a constant apeture zoom, and stays sharp even when opened wide.

    The front element seems to revolve as the lens focuses, so you'll need to double check when using a polarizer.

    reviewed August 6th, 2006 (purchased for $410)
  • Pentax 135mm f/2.8 IF SMC P-FA

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    very fast focus, sharp lens
    modern lenses have too much plastic in their construction

    For a modern lens, which supposedly is better for the use of polycarbonate material in the barrel, this is pretty sturdy. I prefer the old metal barrels, but this lens focuses quickly and accruately and produces very sharp images. Pentax's multicoating is as good as it gets, and the lens is light enough to be easy to use (another benefit of polycarbonate?).

    reviewed August 6th, 2006 (purchased for $270)