stemked

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Ebay

Summary:
This review is for the Takumar version of this lens. It is simply an unbelieveable bargan! I have used this lens with a screw to K adaptor and a 1.4X-L TC and come back with some impressive images using aperture priority on a ZX-7 (using the remote IR so I didn't shake the setup). Ihave to say I'm simply amazed how good this old optic does, I assume the new version has better coatings and if anything is either more impressive.

Strengths:
The least expensive 500mm f4.5 around Great optics Very light for a lens of this focal length

Weaknesses:
Close focusing isn't great. 0.5 meters long! rather awkard

Similar Products Used:
400mm f5.6 Sigma APO

Customer Service:
NA

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Private advertisment

Summary:
I spotted the ad for this lens and at the price, I couldn't resist. I shoot mainly people and mostly musicians. Sometimes I can't get close enough for the desired viewpoint, with the 500 I can set it on a tripod at the back of the hall and get the shots. The results were very good, I was using 1600/3200 ISO film so lens sharpness isn't all that critical but it came out close to my Pentax A* lenses. I also use it for outdoor portraits and it performs very well; the flattening of planes is pronounced and effective.

Strengths:
Seems to go for very little money secondhand (if you wait) even though it's still listed on the Pentax UK site for £2,400!!! I guess it's a specialist lens and most people won't want to heft the thing around Sharp and fast. Can be used wide open. Feels and looks good.

Weaknesses:
Occasionally there is some colour fringing - the lens is not APO. The manual stop-down aperture means it's not suitable for action shots. Big and unwieldy - but it is a 500 so it's to be expected.

Similar Products Used:
Most manual focus Pentax lenses and mostly the excellent, fast A* lenses for the low light work I do.

Customer Service:
Haven't used service for lenses but it was very poor on my LX camera body... very poor. I now use an independent. Pentax UK need to sort this out.

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $875.00 from eBay

Summary:
Bought this lens used and never regretted it. Long and heavy enough to give reasonable stability on moderate tripods. Looks impressive! Sharp and fast for the size.

Strengths:
Unbelievable sharpness at f8 with good color rendition. In bright sunlight will autofocus with the Pentax 1.7X AF converter (the converter does soften the image, but you''ve got 850mm AF at under a grand, used prices). Works with STACKED Pentax 2X-L and 2X-S converters for 2000mm and still maintains high sharpness.

Weaknesses:
A little soft wide open. Some chromatic aberration wide open which disappears by f8. (I noticed it as a magenta fringe around a yellow sign, but was also using a 2x converter.) 33 feet closest focus distance. Adding the Pentax helicoid extension tube brings the closest focus back to about 17 feet.

Similar Products Used:
Pentax 1000mm f8 reflex (real disappointment), Pentax 400-600 reflex zoom (great little lens for the size), Sigma 50-500 zoom on Canon ELAN IIe (impressive lens, but nowhere near as sharp as the 500 f

Customer Service:
Fair. Great on current production bodies. Useless with my 1000mm reflex - I complained of poor sharpness, and after 4 months they sent it back with a few 3x5 prints (really!!!) and told me to get a