SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (2025)

Pentax Lens Review Database » Film Era Pentax K-Mount Lenses » A Prime Lenses


Sharpness

9.0

Aberrations

8.7

Bokeh

8.1

Handling

9.5

Value

8.6

Reviews Views Date of last review
14 123,925 Fri November 22, 2024
SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (2)
Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $345.83 9.15
SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (3)


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Description:

This lens is similar to its M version and faster than the other 28mm lens in the A-series.

SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
Yes (A setting)
Diaphragm
Automatic, 6 blades
Optics
8 elements, 7 groups
Mount Variant
KA
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F2
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
Manual
Min. Focus
30 cm
Max. Magnification
0.13x
Filter Size
49 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 55 ° / 46 °
Full frame: 75 ° / 65 °

Hood
PH-S49 (28/35mm)
Case
Hard case HA-90B
Lens Cap
Plastic clip-on
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
63 x 41.5 mm
Weight
215 g
Production Years
1984 to 1988
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-A 1:2 28mm
Product Code
22950
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Lens hood not included with lens
Features:
SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (4)SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (5)SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (6)SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (7)SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (8)
Price History:

Author:

Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 1-14 of 14

Jonathan Mac

Pentaxian


Registered:April,2009

Location:Madrid, Spain

Posts:11,520

Review Date: November 22, 2024 Recommended |Price:$250.00 |Rating:N/A

Pros: Small & light, good build quality, nice colours and contrast
Cons: Dreamy wide open, edges never get sharp
Sharpness: 7 Handling: 9 Camera Used: Lumix S5

This is not a review as such as I haven't used the lens enough but I wanted to add some initial notes from test shots and a little casual use.

1. The lens is dreamy wide open, a world away from the K 28/2. Usable? Not really.
2. The central portion sharpens up enough to be used at f/2.8.
3. It needs to be stopped down to at least f/4 to get reasonable sharpness at the edges on FF.
4. Even at f/8 the edges are never properly sharp - they're quite mushy. This is not a landscape lens for pixel-peepers.
5. Colours and contrast are very nice indeed.

This lens is barely bigger or heavier than the f/2.8 version (which also needs to be stopped down to f/4 for decent sharpness) and build quality and handling are typical of the A series (not counting the cheap and nasty ones like the 50/1.7) - less solid than the M, K or Takumars but still good. Likewise focus: it's smooth but not quite best-of-the-Takumars smooth. All in all it's nice in the hand and in use.

Sharpness is less than I'd hoped for in the top-of-the-line fast wide-angle from the A series, which is a shame as colour and contrast are great. So really you're paying the extra for that extra stop which really isn't usable for images, though those shooting SLRs may find it beneficial for focusing wide open.

richard0170

Site Supporter


Registered:February,2017

Posts:2,292

Review Date: September 15, 2021 Recommended |Rating:9

Pros: IQ, build, versatility, handling
Cons: Rarity and lacks the convenience of AF. Maybe better options
Sharpness: 9 Aberrations: 9 Bokeh: 8 Handling: 10 Value: 8 Camera Used: K3, KP

I will be reviewing this as a standard lens on APSC. 28-30mm is my favourite standard focal length on crop cameras.

Like the the A 28mm f2.8, this is a nice, light and compact design. It is truly astonishing that this is only slightly larger than its f2.8 brother. Like most Pentax lenses the colour rendition is excellent. My copy shows little in the way of CA's and is acceptably sharp at all apertures, improving quickly as you stop down to f5.6. It handles very well on my K3 and KP cameras. When considered as a lens on its own merits it a very good lens indeed. I paid £250 plus £30 for the infinity focus to be re-calibrated and this represents fair value for money to me.
However, there are plenty of alternatives out there which should also be considered. I have numerous K mount 28mm or 30mm lenses. My harem consists of K 28mm f3.5, M 28mm f3.5, A 28mm f2.8, F 28mm f2.8, K 30mm f2.8 and this A f2.0 model. For out and out ultimate image quality at a reasonable price the K f3.5 is the clear winner. The budget option which is still pretty decent is either the A f2.8 or M f3.5. However I struggle to focus both these lenses through the viewfinder (ageing eyes for you). The A f2.8 is capable of really excellent IQ but your technique has to be spot on, so I do not find it that convenient to use. The F (and presumably the FA too) is easily the most convenient to use with its AF which is fast and accurate. It has excellent IQ too, but the price is now starting to rise. The K 30mm is a lovely compact lens with great IQ once stopped down a little, but it is now in the more expensive price bracket and they are not that easy to find unless you source from Japan. This brings us to the A f2.0. IQ wise it is up there with the F and has the benefit of a faster maximum aperture, but loses AF. It is generally much harder to find a copy and the prices are higher than a FA. I find it much easier to focus than the M or A f2.8.
Having considered all this would I recommend the lens? Yes, but there may be better options depending on what you want your 28mm to do. For landscapes I would rather have the K f3.5, for general walk about the F or FA are more convenient and easier to source. I like MF though, so for me this represents a sweet spot in the 28mm range combining both increased convenience and great IQ in a small package. Some pictures:-SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (9) SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (10) SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (11) SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (12)

jslifoaw

Pentaxian


Registered:April,2007

Location:Toronto/Victoria

Posts:460

Review Date: February 4, 2019 Recommended |Price:$300.00 |Rating:9

Pros: Compact, fast, well made, good IQ
Cons: Not perfect on FF
Sharpness: 9 Aberrations: 8 Bokeh: 8 Handling: 10 Value: 9 Camera Used: K100D, K-1

I already had the A28/2.8 as my first wide angle lens from shooting film. It took me a while and some luck to find the F2.0 version. This lens performs similar to the F2.8 version (based on my review). It is very good for APS-C, including wide open sharpness. On my K-1, it's still good, but definitely challenged in the corners. There is field curvature; I had to adjust the focus ring because it couldn't quite focus to infinity, and once the centre was adjusted, the corners were still a bit out of focus so I had to adjust it again to let the focus go past infinity in the centre. There is a fair bit of green/magenta CA in the corners; the sharpness improves stopping down, but the CA is still there. However, the colours/contrast are good wide open, unlike traditional 50mm lenses.

On the other hand, most of this nitpicking is only in the context of viewing at 100%. It's amazing this lens is only a bit bigger/heavier than the F2.8 version, and it also keeps the 49mm filter.

Ace_Heart

New Member


Registered:June,2016

Location:Kyiv

Posts:3

1 user found this helpful

Review Date: October 20, 2016 Recommended |Price:$300.00 |Rating:9

Pros: Sharpness, size, speed
Cons: manual focusing, price
Sharpness: 8 Aberrations: 6 Bokeh: 6 Handling: 8 Value: 7 Camera Used: K-1

Very nice small lens, tightly built, works perfectly fine with the apperture 2.0. You can even get a nice bokeh if the object isn't very far from the lens. Size is quite small so it's very convenient for carrying. And it perfectly works on a full frame! General impression is very good. I only wish it had auto focus SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (13)

Some samples:





elbandito

New Member


Registered:May,2012

Posts:14

Review Date: May 6, 2014 Recommended |Price:$350.00 |Rating:10

Pros: Sharp, excellent color rendition and contrast, 3d effect
Cons: expensive and extremely difficult to find
Sharpness: 10 Aberrations: 10 Bokeh: 7 Handling: 10 Value: 10 Camera Used: K-5, K-30

I got this lens a year ago when searching for a 28mm. I owned a A 28mm 2.8, F28mm 2.8 and FA28mm 2.8. From Sigma the 28mm 2.8 Mini-wide. I need to say that this lens is far better. Not just because is sharper, the Sigma mini wide and the F28mm were also very sharp, but this lens give amazing colors and a 3D effect that none of the other lenses could provide.

Stop this gem a bit and you would get razor sharp images across the frame. Contrast is great when used with a lens hood (mine from the Tak 28mm 3.5)

The way this lens renders the image is very similar to my DA 35mm 2.8 Limited, it has this "something" limited lenses have. It's a great complement to my M 50mm f1.4, and FA 77mm 1.8 when you want to travel light.

If you find this gem, buy it!

Sample images:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cvicente1932/13930277530/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cvicente1932/with/14113630831/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cvicente1932/13018918834/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cvicente1932/12272209874/

Belgarchi

Junior Member


Registered:January,2013

Location:Texas

Posts:32

Review Date: September 9, 2013 Recommended |Price:$455.00 |Rating:10

Pros: Aperture, Weight, smooth focusing
Cons: No shade, no AF
Sharpness: 9 Aberrations: 9 Bokeh: 9 Handling: 9 Value: 8 Camera Used: Pentax K70

Very nice lense, corresponding to 'normal' focal in APS-C format. Amazingly large aperture (f/2.0) for the weight.
Hard to find, and therefore expensive, unfortunately.
Very well built, smooth focusing.
Sharpness and contrast, Center:
- Already very good at full aperture (amazing for a light weight 28/2.0!)
- Excellent from 2.8 and up!
Sharpness and contrast, Edges:
- So-so at full aperture
- Becomes better and better at smaller apertures. Typical behavior.

Marktax

Pentaxian


Registered:June,2013

Location:Washington DC

Posts:610

Review Date: July 15, 2013 Recommended |Price:$465.00 |Rating:8

Pros: Solid, classic A-lens build, good normal FL on APS-C
Cons: price
Sharpness: 8 Aberrations: 8 Bokeh: 8 Handling: 8 Value: 8 Camera Used: K-01, K-30

This review is in part primarily to report my recent pricing of $465 for an Ex+ sample from KEH. Others have done a good job here describing the qualities; my sample follows suit with those comments. I give it straight 8 ratings partly because I must reserve ratings of 9's and 10's for the Limited series lenses, especially the "10+" 70mm, although the 28mm f2.0 SMC-A has better bokeh than the Limited 21mm, which has always seemed ragged to me.

I like the focal length on APS-C -- roughly 42mm -- and that it takes 49mm filters. I think this (and the SMC-M version) is the widest prime lens that Pentax ever made at f2.0 that could still accommodate 49mm filters.

I'm in the process of figuring out whether K-30/K-01 Custom Image setting "reversal film" is better suited to this old lens formulation as opposed to the lenses designed expressly for digital sensors.

kaipa

Senior Member


Registered:September,2010

Location:Zhukovsky,Russia / SF Bay Area

Posts:249

1 user found this helpful

Review Date: June 7, 2013 Recommended |Price:$350.00 |Rating:9

Pros: sharpness, build quality, f2
Cons:
Sharpness: 10 Aberrations: 9 Bokeh: 9 Handling: 10 Value: 10 Camera Used: K5

This is an excellent lens. It is very sharp even wide open and razor sharp starting from f2.8. In fact, it is sharper at f2 than K 30/2.8 at f2.8. Bokeh is very pleasant, though it is usually not a case for wide angle primes. Contrast is somewhat low at f2 but very good at f2.8 and higher. Flare resistance is good, I never need to use a hood. Build quality is excellent, and the lens is pretty small. The lens is very convenient as a walkaround option for APS-C. I also used it in mountains, for landscapes and for video.

However, I must admit that I own both A 28/2 and K 30/2.8, and I use the latter one more frequently when shooting people. Mainly because of colors, that are better at K 30/2.8. The colors at A 28/2 are on the cold side and sometimes look dull. Though, this is probably a matter of personal preference.

Overall, I can definitely recommend this lens if you can find one. One of the best non-star lenses in Pentax A-lineup.

maomao

New Member


Registered:August,2012

Posts:6

Review Date: February 26, 2013 Recommended |Price:$440.00 |Rating:10

Pros: Extremely sharp, great color rendering, very fine making quality.
Cons: Expensive
Sharpness: 10 Aberrations: 10 Bokeh: 9 Handling: 10 Value: 9 Camera Used: K-5, K-01, NEX-5n

This lens is difficult to find, especially in good condition. However, it is very sharp at all aperture settings. Contrast and saturation are also top-notch. The handling feeling is very smooth. Works perfectly with peak focusing. Although expensive (>$400 now), overall a great buy for those who enjoy the fun of manual focusing.

hoanpham

Veteran Member


Registered:November,2009

Location:Strand

Posts:1,366

Review Date: May 8, 2012 Recommended |Price:$290.00 |Rating:9

Pros: Small, light weight, sharp, yes very sharp
Cons: More blades for rounder bokeh. it's a manual focus lens.
Sharpness: 10 Aberrations: 9 Bokeh: 9 Handling: 10 Value: 9 Camera Used: K20d, K5d, LX, ME-s

This is a very good lens. You need a focus screen to use with manual lenses.

Among many lenses I have used from different makers, this lens is tiny, light weight, beautiful rending, lots of contrast, and razor sharp, even wide open - and therefore my to-go lens when size and weight is an issue.

The lens is hard to find and a bit pricy, but it delivers very good photos for the money.

fstdslrkx

Forum Member


Registered:November,2009

Location:Israel

Posts:55

Review Date: February 16, 2012 Recommended |Price:$350.00 |Rating:9

Pros: Good build quality, relatively fast lens
Cons: price
Sharpness: 9 Aberrations: 9 Bokeh: 9 Handling: 10 Value: 8 Camera Used: K-5

Very good walkaround lens, i really like the focal length. Sharpness is very good, even wide open. Pretty easy to focus manually , and it got automatic aperture control. Feels very solid and is not very heavy.
The only negative thing is the price. I am not sure that 28mm f2 is that much better then 28mm f2.8 as the price difference suggests.

Sluggo

Veteran Member


Registered:September,2006

Location:Ames, Iowa

Posts:774

3 users found this helpful

Review Date: May 25, 2011 Recommended |Price:$200.00 |Rating:9

Pros: Versatility, speed, great sharpness
Cons: none
Sharpness: 9 Aberrations: 9 Bokeh: 7 Handling: 10 Value: 9 Camera Used: MX, KM, ZX5n, etc.

As others have noted, 28mm is a nice focal length for APS-C digital, but I generally keep this in its original role for wide-angle shooting on film. The A28/2 with an orange filter and black and white film has been a satisfying combination for everyday outdoor use.

As with almost all the manual focus SMC primes, focus action is positive and confident; at F/2.0 it helps make a 35mm viewfinder extra bright and involving.

Tiniest nitpick: a lens of this caliber should have been given a 7- or 9-blade iris instead of 6. Although most people don't care a lot about this on a short lens, the A28/2's combination of speed and sharpness frees you up for unconventional wide-angle compositions where the bokeh does matter. That said, out of focus rendering is still pretty good, and doesn't deserve to be listed as a "con" for the review.

-----------------------------------

Revised in 2016 to fix broken image links and add some thoughts...

SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (19)

Pentax LX, Acros 100 film

SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (20)

Pentax LX, Fuji 400x slide film

SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (21)

Pentax K100D, F/2.4, 1/180sec with bounce flash

Since writing this review I've acquired a copy of the FA31 Limited, and at a similar focal length, that has taken the throne as "most used lens" in my K mount collection. It beats the A28/2 in almost every category - but given its pedigree and price, of course it should. The A28/2 still compares well. It doesn't have quite the magical 3d rendering of the FA31, but it's nearly as sharp and nearly as fast. And if you're manually focusing, the A28/2 has a definite advantage in handling.

This lens still gets a high recommendation.

Spock

Pentaxian


Registered:August,2009

Location:Perth, Western Australia

Posts:680

1 user found this helpful

Review Date: November 22, 2010 Recommended |Price:$400.00 |Rating:9

Pros: Light, fast, compact, well built, A-setting, great IQ
Cons: manual focus on a DSLR is not always easy to get right

This is a rare, largely overlooked and underrated lens.

On a digital SLR this is the equivalent of 42mm on 35mm film and is an excellent fast prime - perfect for general purpose photography.

It's sharp even when used wide open and razor sharp when stopped down even a little.

Great for low light situations and/or when you want a shallow depth of field.

Taken with an A28/2 on K7 camera at 1/180s F4 and ISO 100

SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (22)

SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (23)

Egl

New Member


Registered:April,2008

Location:Norway

Posts:17

2 users found this helpful

Review Date: September 10, 2009 Recommended |Rating:9

Pros: Very sharp even wide open. Fast,. Small. Well built.
Cons: Fairly much fringing. Costy. Dark at F2.

I like this lens. I have used it some time on the K20D and an MX. Its so small and nice. The build is very good and I like that you can control the aperture from the camera . And that the used aperture gets written in the exif.

I did a little test on a tripod and compared all apertures and also compared it to the DA35 ltd. I have only tested the centre sharpness properly. Its very sharp right from F2. And stopping down doesnt really improve things. The DA35 seemed slightly softer at F2.8 and just as sharp when stopping down. However The A28 has lower contrast at F2. That improves with stopping down. At F5.6 it seems to be at the top.

Vignetting I have not noticed. Not CA either, but I get much blue fringing wide open. Then any overexposed little bit gets a blue halo. It goes away when stopping down.

Strangly the A28 seems to be too dark at F2, as if it wasnt actually letting in as much light as supposed to at this aperture. It seems to be a half stop of light missing.

Anyway this lens is alot of fun. It takes great pictures wide open. The problem with the fringing matters less when used wide open. Thats what this lens is about. Stopped down its great too, but so are other cheaper lenses I believe. So I recommend it only if you want the large aperture.

SMC Pentax-A 28mm F2 Reviews - A Prime Lenses (2025)
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