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Info on Pentax-A 70-210mm zoom please

old timer
Posted 05/03/2008 - 11:29 Link
I have just been given an SMC Pentax-A zoom 1:4 70-210mm macro. It is, I suspect at least 20 years old and despite a search of the internet I cannot find any detailed spec for it. Perhaps someone on the forum can help.

I presume that the aperture at full zoom is 5.6 (that much I gleaned from the web), but am I right?

Also, what is meant by "macro" in this instance? Is it 1:1, or some more dilute interpretation?

I like the one touch sliding/rotating zoom/focus and the inbuilt lens hood, but not the fact that the front of the lens rotates - no screw-on polarisers or grad filters there then.

It also makes up for the fact that I sold off all my old manual lenses a few years back - a decision I have regretted ever since.

Any help much appreciated.

Regards

Graham
Keep up the good work
Graham

I'll think of something someday.
George Lazarette
Posted 05/03/2008 - 11:37 Link
Where did you get the impression that this lens is a macro? I have never seen that suggested before. The max magnification is .25, so a macro it aint.

It has a fixed max aperture - f4 - at all focal lengths.

Many people consider this lens to be as good as, or even better than, the F 70-210, which itself is an excellent lens.

So if it's in good nick, it's a good buy. But it's not a macro.

Boz's site has the specs.

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/long/A70-210f4.html

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Clarky
Posted 05/03/2008 - 11:45 Link
George Lazarette wrote:
Where did you get the impression that this lens is a macro? I have never seen that suggested before. The max magnification is .25, so a macro it aint.

It has a fixed max aperture - f4 - at all focal lengths.

Many people consider this lens to be as good as, or even better than, the F 70-210, which itself is an excellent lens.

So if it's in good nick, it's a good buy. But it's not a macro.

Boz's site has the specs.

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/long/A70-210f4.html

G

You beat me too it George
I was checking out a couple of sites trying to figure out the Macro thing and couldn't find anything :
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
Clarky
Posted 05/03/2008 - 11:49 Link
Quote:
the F 70-210, which itself is an excellent lens.

I have my eye on one these at the moment on E-bay, it has a day to run with no bids and is bundled with a bunch of other junk. Its sitting on 30bucks and would be a bargain if i can grab it.
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
George Lazarette
Posted 05/03/2008 - 11:53 Link
Clarky wrote:
Quote:
the F 70-210, which itself is an excellent lens.

I have my eye on one these at the moment on E-bay, it has a day to run with no bids and is bundled with a bunch of other junk. Its sitting on 30bucks and would be a bargain if i can grab it.

Generally, I only use two zooms, and it's one of them. I bought mine as part of a bundle, too. They quite often come with SFX bodies.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Clarky
Posted 05/03/2008 - 11:56 Link
George Lazarette wrote:
Clarky wrote:
Quote:
the F 70-210, which itself is an excellent lens.

I have my eye on one these at the moment on E-bay, it has a day to run with no bids and is bundled with a bunch of other junk. Its sitting on 30bucks and would be a bargain if i can grab it.

Generally, I only use two zooms, and it's one of them. I bought mine as part of a bundle, too. They quite often come with SFX bodies.

G

This one has a non functioning SFX body and 2 other lenses with it
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
George Lazarette
Posted 05/03/2008 - 11:57 Link
Clarky wrote:

This one has a non functioning SFX body and 2 other lenses with it

Bet one is an F 35-70.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Clarky
Posted 05/03/2008 - 12:00 Link
George Lazarette wrote:
Clarky wrote:

This one has a non functioning SFX body and 2 other lenses with it

Bet one is an F 35-70.

G

Close but no cigar its an F28-70
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
George Lazarette
Posted 05/03/2008 - 12:01 Link
Clarky wrote:
George Lazarette wrote:
Quote:

This one has a non functioning SFX body and 2 other lenses with it

Bet one is an F 35-70.

G

Close but no cigar its an F28-70

Shucks.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
old timer
Posted 05/03/2008 - 12:13 Link
Thanks for the info.

George Lazarette wrote:
Where did you get the impression that this lens is a macro? I have never seen that suggested before. The max magnification is .25, so a macro it aint.

G

On the focusing ring it says "Macro" which I assumed means there is, apparently, a setting for Macro. Problem is that I cannot access it

Regards

graham

Edit
See picture at Item number: 150221217217 on ebay
Keep up the good work
Graham

I'll think of something someday.
iceblinker
Posted 05/03/2008 - 12:25 Link
The smc Pentax-A 70-210mm 1:4 Macro has a macro setting at 70mm. It's not true macro. The max aperture is F4 all the way along the barrel.

It's a beautiful item. I had one. However, by modern standards it is rather long and heavy, and I don't think it's sharper than the much smaller and lighter DA 50-200mm. At least it wasn't when I compared them focused on a suject about three or four yards away.
~Pete
iceblinker
Posted 05/03/2008 - 12:27 Link
old timer wrote:
On the focusing ring it says "Macro" which I assumed means there is, apparently, a setting for Macro. Problem is that I cannot access it

Need to zoom out to 70mm to use the "Macro" focusing.
~Pete
Clarky
Posted 05/03/2008 - 12:31 Link
old timer wrote:
Thanks for the info.

George Lazarette wrote:
Where did you get the impression that this lens is a macro? I have never seen that suggested before. The max magnification is .25, so a macro it aint.

G

On the focusing ring it says "Macro" which I assumed means there is, apparently, a setting for Macro. Problem is that I cannot access it

Regards

graham

Edit
See picture at Item number: 150221217217 on ebay

It does say Macro and from what i can make out it goes down to 1.2
When you zoom it out to its limit (on some lenses i have seen) you twist it and jumps out to its macro position. I could be way off track here :
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
iceblinker
Posted 05/03/2008 - 12:37 Link
To access the macro setting, you simply turn the focusing ring after zooming out to 70mm. Slightly more force than usual is needed to get it on to the green (macro) section, if I remember rightly.
~Pete
old timer
Posted 05/03/2008 - 13:00 Link
iceblinker wrote:
To access the macro setting, you simply turn the focusing ring after zooming out to 70mm. Slightly more force than usual is needed to get it on to the green (macro) section, if I remember rightly.

By gosh I've done it Thanks again for the help.

Cheers
Keep up the good work
Graham

I'll think of something someday.

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