I posted this to the group on April 5 (so I thought), it's in my "sent
items" folder and I seem to remember it coming back to me as a PDML
posting. The response totally underwhelmed me, so it came as no surprise to
see that the PDML archive doesn't hold my original post (a search for the
subject line produced nothing). I'll try again.
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Pål Jensen recently wrote:
Olivier wrote:
> Pentax-A 24mm f/2.8 Performances : 3
> Pentax-A 35mm f/2.8 Performances : 3
> Pentax-A* 85mm f/1.4 Performances : 3
> Pentax-A* 135mm f/1.8 Performances : 3
> Pentax-A* 300mm f/2.8 ED-IF Performances : 3
I belive this sort of drivel shouldn't even be posted here. Some may
actually believe in it. Its pure nonsense. Anyone who gives the A* 85, 135,
and 300 above a mediocre score of "3" is positively out of their minds.
Likewise, compare them to a true medoicre lens as the A 35/2.8.
(snip)
Pål,
I agree with your dissapointment on behalf of the A* lenses for their
average ratings on CDI. Apparently WRT lens appraisals the French have no
soul.
But.......
I have an A 35/2.8 and I wouldn't call it mediocre by any standard, although
it depends what "mediocre" means to you, as I realise that English is not
your first language. My Lotus dictionary says mediocre is "moderate to
inferior in quality, ordinary", but to describe this lens that way because
it is not as good as an A* or FA* is like saying a Ferrari F355 is mediocre
because it is not as good as an F50!
My A 35/2.8 performs as well as any other Pentax lens in my bag (5x M, 4x A,
1x F). Regrettably I have no "Star" or Limited lenses to compare it with :(
Look at these statistics that I gleaned from Boz's K-mount pages, using only
Yoshi's results for the sake of consistency. I have had to assume that the
M and A lenses of the same specification that Boz has bracketed together
are optically the same lens. The optical diagrams are shared between these
M and A lenses adding further to my belief that they are the same lenses.
If this is true the A lens should in theory be slightly better because of
progressive upgrades to the SMC.
(I hope that this table makes it un-mutilated into all the different mail
clients that PDML members are using, my apologies if it doesn't.)
LENS CENTRE CORNER BEST APERTURE
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K 28/2.0 83 lpm 65 lpm f/8-11
K 30/2.8 85 lpm 71 lpm f/8
K 35/2.0 79 lpm 59 lpm f/5.6-11
K 35/3.5 88 lpm 72 lpm f/11
K 50/1.4 79 lpm 65 lpm f/8
M 28/2.0 90 lpm 65 lpm f/8-11
M 28/3.5 77 lpm 62 lpm f/8-11
M 35/2.0 75 lpm 53 lpm f/8-11
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M 35/2.8 77 lpm 63 lpm f/8
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M 40/2.8 75 lpm 64 lpm f/11
A 50/1.7 84 lpm 74 lpm f/8 ~ f/11
FA 28/2.8 AL 75 lpm 60 lpm f/8-11
FA 77/1,8 Ltd 70 lpm 62 lpm f/11 ~ f/16
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These particular lenses are included simply because directly comparable
results were available. I started my table at 28mm which is one popular
focal length wider than 35mm, and continued through to 50mm which is one
popular focal length longer. The 77mm Ltd is included as evidence that pure
statistics are not the only measure of a lens's quality.
The A 35/2.8 (if it is at least equal to the M35/2.8) is neither the best
nor the worst lens amongst Pentax lenses. This would make it an AVERAGE
performer. An average Pentax lens is pretty good when measured against any
other brand IMO :)
Notice that the M 35/2.0 has slightly lower resolution on centre and
significantly lower resolution out wide than the M 35/2.8, and yet the f2
lens has been praised on this list as a very fine lens. Considering that
the M and A versions of these lenses are the same (except for their coatings
and outer construction) it is most puzzling that the A 35/2.8 should be
considered as mediocre, and inferior to the A 35/2.0 (and M 35/2.0).
Perhaps Boz or some other authority can verify or deny that, in optical
design terms, M series 35mm lenses = A series 35mm lenses.
And who'd've believed that a 40mm pancake would out-resolve a 77mm Limited!
Regards,
Anthony Farr
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