Pentax Q 8.5mm f/1.9 Lens Review

John Riley reviews the compact prime lens for Pentax Q cameras, the 8.5mm f/1.9 AF lens.

Posted: 05/04/2017 - 08:27

Handling and Features
Performance
Verdict
Specification

The diminutive Pentax Q system gives us the possibility of carrying a whole camera kit weighing no more than 1kg, including all the lenses we could wish to use. Can it possibly offer serious quality for those times we want or need to travel light? Let's have a look at the Q 01 Standard Prime lens and see what this mini wonder can really do.

Pentax Q 01 Prime 8.5mm f/1.9 Handling and Features

This is tiny! This fast standard prime weighs in at a miniscule 36g, managing to enclose an 8 element in 5 group construction that includes aspheric elements, SMC coating and the SP (Super Protect) grease resistant coating on the front element. Focusing is down to 0.2m, which is not macro but nonetheless usefully close.

The 40.5mm filter thread can be used with the oddly designed reverse-shaped lens hood, which has a small screw in lens cap in its centre. This makes the lens in use very compact and is an efficient design.

For this mini-review the lens was coupled with the Pentax Q-S1 body, which uses the back illuminated 1/1.7” CMOS sensor, similar if not identical to that found in the Pentax MX-1 and some other compact cameras.

Handling is very much like any mirrorless camera, but smaller. Some users may find this too fiddly to use, but where it really scores is for those situations where it would be nice to have a versatile kit but where it is inappropriate or difficult to carry full sized cameras and lenses. The obvious example may be concert photography where DSLRs are frowned upon but compact cameras and smartphones are tolerated.

Pentax Q 01 Prime 8.5mm f/1.9 Performance

So is the lens any good? Coupled with the 12MP Q system bodies performance will be slightly better with the larger sensors of the Q7 and Q-S1 bodies and in fact sharpness is impressive.

At the centre, sharpness is excellent from f/1.9 to f/4 and very good from f/5.6 to f/8. The peak is f/2.8 and there is a massive amount of depth of field even at this wide aperture.

The edges are very good from f/1.9 to f/5.6 and still good at f/5.6 and f/8.  

Pentax 01 Standard Prime 8.5mm f/1.9 AL (IF) MTF Charts

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very low at the centre and still well controlled at most apertures at the edges. Some fringing can be seen at the edges, but it can be tackled in software.

Pentax 01 Standard Prime 8.5mm f/1.9 AL (IF) Chromatic Aberration Charts

The drawing of the lens is very good, showing just +0.18% of pincushion distortion with correction turned on, but with definite barrel distortion when turned off. Flare is also well controlled, with no problems shooting against the light in terms of artefacts, but a slight loss of contrast in the worst cases.

The sample images were shot with the Pentax Q and Pentax Q-S1 bodies.

Pentax 01 Standard Prime 8.5mm f/1.9 AL (IF) Other Sample Images

Value For Money

Prices for the 01 lens on its own can be surprisingly high and also surprisingly variable. It is excellent VFM at £85, but not very good at £181. That is the sort of variation found. When included with a Q series body the value is fine and if possible that would be the way to buy the lens.

Pentax Q 01 Prime 8.5mm f/1.9 Verdict

The Q system is a lovely bit of kit, absolutely ideal for travelling very light. The 01 Standard Prime lens is actually quite excellent, and definitely worth having alongside the usual zoom lenses.

nocturnal nocturnal

122 posts
12 years
Belfast

Posted 05/04/2017 - 16:49 Link

Great review John, thanks.

"In a photographic context I don't like the use of the word 'shot' as where I live this word refers to an extreme act of violence and not the beautiful craft of photography"

Plus Member ronniemac ronniemac

719 posts
13 years
Oxford

Posted 05/04/2017 - 19:05 Link

An exquisite lens which makes the most of the Q7 and Q-S1. Being relatively compact is pairs up well with the Q cameras when size (tiny) matters.

Sold as an alternative standard lens with the original Q and ever since not always easy to get hold of, now it is stocked by very few Pentax retailers. If you use any of the Q cameras, it's worth trying to get one of these, especially if you have a Q7 or Q-S1 on which it is approx 40mm FF equivalent (and approx 50mm when attached to Q or Q10).

I really like the Q system, wouldn't it be nice if Pentax/Ricoh brought out a new version with EVF! That would really set it apart from phone cameras.

Thanks for the review John, good to see this lens given the positive review it deserves.

Edited by ronniemac: 05/04/2017 - 19:09

davem davem

1366 posts
18 years
yorkshire

Posted 07/04/2017 - 15:00 Link

Nice to see a review of something from the q systems.Is it still in prodction and if so are any further developments expected?

michaelblue michaelblue

1293 posts
15 years
Shropshire

Posted 08/04/2017 - 08:11 Link

According to a Pentax rep I spoke to at the Photography Show there will be no more additions to the Q system as they feel they've done all that was needed.

Regards,
Michael

gartmore gartmore

6724 posts
19 years
Glasgow,
Scotland

Posted 07/07/2017 - 10:16 Link

and don't forget the smile factor of using it!

Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

Add Comment

To leave a comment - Log in to Pentax User or create a new account.