Pentax M 85mm F2

Morning all,

I hve been looking at buying a new lens for a while now (why is it so addictive?!). I mostly have my Tamron 24-70 f2.8 on the front of my camera but fancy purchasing something else.

I have been thinking (and created a topic on the forum) about getting the Pentax 40 f2.8 or the Pentax 35 f2.4 (but that discussion is for another day).

I have seen a Pentax M 85 f2 for sale for £125 and I was wondering what people thought this was like price wise?

The reviews I have read have been very positive for this lens, if anyone has any comments or advice they would be most welcome.

It has been a while since I used an M lens on my GX20 but I seem to recall one just has the camera in M mode and uses the aperture ring on the lens itself to set the aperture?

Thanks,

Ross

I would buy it at that price without hesitation....

You can use stop-down metering in M-mode via the green button. What I'd do with this lens is use it in Av mode and shoot it wide open, for gigs and telephoto portrait.

Where did you say you'd seen it?

I would sell it at that price with little hesitation...

Actually, I do have one and don't use it - mostly because I have the 77mm.
The M85 is a bit of a diva on digital in my experience. It is quite sharp, small and ligtweight and have a nice feel to it. However, shoot branches against the light or light reflecting on snow and you will get more purple fringing than anything else. Metering does not work too well, when stopped down, but it is a lens designed to be shot wide open as Pentaxoplile also hints at.

If you come to Denmark you can pick up my m85 and da 35 for a good price

What they said...

I lent mine to a friend who was driven to get a 77ltd as a result.
....and he still badly wants to buy my 85/2...
Pete

the other topic you mentioned... 40/2.8 or 35/2.4...
Interesting comparison. I presume the 35 is cheaper over there ?
I have the DA40 and wouldn't like to give up the quickshift focus or the stellar IQ. Its only failing in my eyes is the long near focus distance.

FYI - Reviews of the M 85 here in case you're interested :arrow: link

It would have rated well into the 9s if some clot hadn't given it a 5. They should dump the highest and lowest numbers.

The 35 is about £200 cheaper here so quite a big difference! It may be too expensive to get the 40 and the 85...

The M85mm is superb (though I recommend stopping down to f/2.. I paid 125 quid for mine, and have never seen any other going for even close to that price. You should snap it up.

From photos I have seen, M85/2 seems to be very good lens. It suffers from heavy blue fringing in high contrast situations though. I would definitely like to try one. Some accomplished photographers on the other forum swear that it is every bit as good as FA77 limited. For 125£ it's no brainer, buy it, if you don't like it, you can always sell it, probably even with a little profit.

I've got one of these I don't use it much, but it is very
sharp. I'll have to try it out again now that the weather
seems to be getting brighter.

From the shots on the US site the bokeh looks very good
especially on the shot of the tree trunks comparing it
to two other excellent lenses.... it comes off best

Here is Jane with the 85 wide open.

+1, if you haven't already done so.

Although it's the least favoured of the Pentax 85mm lenses, it's still very good. It's prone to fringing in high contrast scenes, but having shot with mine for 18 months or so, I've never found it to be bad enough to require PP.

At that price buy it, try it, and if you don't like it, sell it at a profit. I doubt you'll find any other Pentax 85mm lens for that price.

K.