Size, optical quality, and price. No vignetting at 28mm with ZX-5n flash. Fine macro performance at 70mm.

Short zoom range limits (about 28-65mm). Typical light weight construction.

A fine compact general purpose short zoom at a great price ($130 street). Buy it!

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Various Sigma, Tamron, and Pentax zooms.

Small and light. Very easy to handle. This is a good lens for general all around use.

Questionable construction. It seems a little rough on the inner workings.

The results with this lens have always been very good. The photos are sharp with good color saturation. It is a good basic short zoom for the money.

Customer Service

Very good on all contacts for information etc. I have not had experience with repair or warranty work.

Similar Products Used:

Tamron and Pentax short zooms.

light and compact, good quality slides, good value for money

None

Slides taken under optimum conditions (tripod, sunshine, f8, at 28, 50 and 70 mm) yield readable text down to 0.5 mm letter width projected to 1.7x1.2 m size. That is better than readable from slide viewing distance 3.5 m. Lens performance wide open is visibly less perfect, i.e. letter width of 1 mm are readable.
This performance of the Sigma EX 2.8/105 mm macro (rated excellent in various foto journals) is almost identical under the conditions applied above.

Customer Service

not yet used

Similar Products Used:

Tokina 3.5-4.5/20-35 mm;
Sigma 2.8/105 Macro EX;
sigma 4-5.6/70-210

Very good optical quality. small size. Very sharp at all range....

rotating front element.

Very good lens. I took very good photos with this lens

Similar Products Used:

Pentax F 35-80
Sigma 28-105

FA28-70 f4AL good quality by made in JAPAN befor 1998.Up to now from 1999, made in VIETNAM,quality = ???

1.Bad dustproof .
2.Bad firm.
3.front loose & rotating front element .
4.about at 40mm MTF low.

FA 28-70 f4AL is a good ZOOM,but........
Today, PENTAX 35mm ZOOM ?! Bad!
We hope f4 (dislike f3.5-4.5) high quality PENTAX min ZOOM(20-35,28-70,100-300,f4)! And Z1P to outdoor,to great mauntain and river.PENTAX 20-35 f4 is high quality ZOOM, but high excessive price and bad dustproof and bad firm . SIGMA EX-DF 28-70 f2.8 if have a good jumble light quality and high 70mm MTF,so I will shopping that.SIGMA EX 28-70 f2.8 only sales about 270USD,but jumble light and 70mm MTF is low quality. now, EX-DF 28-70 f2.8 sales about 370USD.
Today, PENTAX not have 100-300mm or 70-200mm high quality min ZOOM,CANON have 100-300mm f5.6L ZOOM.

Customer Service

PENTAX not have sales and service company in
CHINA.CANON,NIKON,MINOLTA have company in CHINA.
PENTAX sales and service
by other HK company ,
only have a bad sales and service in CHINA.

Similar Products Used:

1.PENTAX FA 28-70 F2.8
2.SIGMA EX 28-70 F2.8
3.CANON 28-70 F2.8 L
For Z1P & EOS1N

Compact size
Light
Good handling
Smooth zoom
Great sharpness! (when stopped down)

Vignetting at 28mm end with standard sized polarizers (use extra thin wide-angle polarizers)
Front lens element rotate

A compact sized standard zoom with a nice feel and good optical quality for the price.
Now replaced by the FA24-90 f/3,5-4,5 AL (IF).

Customer Service

Pentax Scandinavia has an excellent customer service. Nice, friendly, always with a helping hand. Fast response to e-mails.

Similar Products Used:

Tokina AF28-105 f/3,5-4,5
Takumar A28-80 f/3,5-4,5

Very good optical quality
Constant F4 aperture
Smooth zoom action

Typical light weight construction
Front mounted filter rotates when focusing

The regular kit lens (28-80) for the MZ-7 was way too soft for my taste. After reserch I give a try to the 28-70 F4. The results is very good. The picture are sharp with good contrast. I am used to mid-range fixed lens, the lost of aperture to F4.0 was the maximun I can handle. I managed to get the lens, with the MZ-7, at the kit price. I don't think I will used my fixed lens a lot anymore. I is a pratical 'all days uses' lens. Very happy.

Customer Service

I called Pentax Canada to get advise. They first proposed the 28-70 F2.8 ( about $1000 ). After clarification of my need they tell me that I will better suit with this lens insteed of the 28-80. They did not push their hi-price too much.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax 28-80 F3.5-5.6

- Aspherical Lens
- Made In Japan
- Good built

None

Great performance at a reasonable price. If you need a zoom lens for your ZX's, buy it. Smart choice.

Customer Service

Good

Similar Products Used:

None

Light weight, Constant f4 at all focal lengths, price

Build quality, Poor optical quality

Based on the reviews here I bought this lens. It is certainly inexpensive but I would have to pass on this lens. I was really dissapointed with it. I shot 5 rolls through it and it is not sharp at all. I could really see the difference at the edges where it reall became soft. I don't think that its any sharper than the cheapo 28-80 that came with my ZX-5N. I would have to say pass and get the 28-105 or the 24-90.

Customer Service

Excellent when I called them in Co.

Similar Products Used:

SMC - FA 100-300
SMC - FA 50 1.4
SMC - FA 70-200 power zoom