Sharp 100mm portrait lens

Hi, can you recommend any sharp fast and cheap 100mm lens for pentax? Manual.

Thank you

Do you want a portrait lens to be sharp? Just a thought, as your sitters may not be so keen on the sharpness!

However, any of the manual focus Pentax 100mm lenses would fit the bill, especially the macro lenses. The A series is easier to use than previous models as there is an "A" setting on the aperture ring, so auto modes can be used for exposure.

Any other make of 100mm macro is also likely to be good quality.

Got to agree with John I took a photo of my daughter with a 100mm dfa and it was sharp to blinking sharp miss geordie was not impressed.

SMC Pentax-M 100mm f/2.8. I believe the A series version is the same optically, but will have the advantage of the A setting but the disadvantage of slightly poorer build quality.

K.

My 'A' 100mm f2.8 macro was used by a portrait photographer before me and he used it to very good effect indeed. But it isn't cheap.

Potraits - the 'M' or 'A' 100mm f2.8. The 'M' can usually be found for around £80 - £130, the 'A' carries a higher price tag, say £140 - £190 (depending on condition) - but it does have the advantage of the auto aperture setting.

Macro - any of the Pentax AF macro lenses are superb. The 'DFA-WR' used to be around £300 second hand, but I've seen a couple at just over £200 recently

I know these don't really fall into the category of "cheap" - but they are lenses that will probably stay with you a long time, and if you do sell them on you're likely to get most of what you paid back.

Might not be the best advice in the world to suggest a Pentax FA100 while in autofocus (or perhaps needing autofocus). Imagine being a paying portrait subject?

The results with the PFA would be a substantial amount of long duration focus hunting, or having to switch over to manual use.

Although the current Pentax FA100 does have a few added bonuses such as WR, and the overall build quality. It's also incredibly sharp, but.. Not for use on any type of live subject where more photographic opportunites will be missed rather than captured - for most people behind the camera (again, without having the genuine need to switch from autofocus to manual.

Other considerations, if one can do without that exact focal length...

The Pentax FA77 is considerably better at focusing (and even sharper with most subject material) than the Pentax FA100 -especially with live subjects. The Sigma 85mm is one of the sharpest lenses made in PK - outside of the formerly produces Zeiss lenses. Also if one has the manual focusing skills the PK manual focusing 135mm's f2.0 are quite impressive

Do you really want a 100mm lens for portrait work on an APSC camera ?

If not and cost is a strong factor then you can't go far wrong with the Helios 44 58mm f/2, which many people use for portraits ?
It may be M42 so will need an adaptor but a cheap 'flange' type which fits OUTSIDE the K-mount and is therefore very safe to use will overcome that and the disadvantage of losing infinity focus won't matter for portraits.
It is, of course, fully manual but superb quality.
Best of all they can be picked up for less than a tenner !

Just a thought ?
Peter

PS See also the separate thread on this lens posted by Mag07

I got a 2nd hand Tamron 90mm that works well for this. That might be an option for you. (Not my exact one, but having a hunt for that type... :wink

link to review

another vote for the Tamron

I own the 90 version - cracking lens

There aren't really any cheap 100mm lenses. I disagree with anyone who thinks portraits shouldn't be sharp - soft portraits look like they were taken by a bad photographer in the 70s. By all means smooth the skin a little in PP if you must to remove blemishes, but a good portrait needs to be sharp.

I have the M 100/2.8 and the Takumar 105/2.8. The former is pretty good wide open, the latter less so. But they're the cheapest 100mm lenses you'll find for Pentax (or any other mount) and they usually go for 80 quid or more for a good copy.

Agreed
In actual use a Macro lens can be more difficult to use for portraiture as the focus throw is significantly longer which can lead to more/longer "hunting" (very distracting for the subject and frustrating for the photographer) . The maximum aperture is often greater on a "portrait" lens - potentially giving a brighter image (in the viewfinder) and more control over the depth of field. A good portrait does usually need to be sharp, but it can be particularly effective when the sharpness is limited to a small/important area (often the eyes)

I'm very tempted by the 55mm F1.4 star at this price link That seems a good portrait length and very bright. I see a used one just went on here from one of our departing Pentax users.

Superb lens - I've owned one for a few years now and when I get a chance to use it I love the results. If there was ever a "sweet spot" on a lens then it's this one at f2.0 - 2.8

That's a great price, though I don't think I'd risk a grey import & losing the two year guarantee on an SDM lens.