Part I: smc Pentax D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR User Review

by Jaxon S on March 24, 2010

in Lens, Pentax

This photo of an egret against the surface of a lake and under an overcast sky was taken with the Pentax K-7 and the new Pentax D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR lens. Aperture: f/3.5, exposure: 1/200, ISO: 100.

It has the promise of a nice bokeh. The picture is resized, click on it for the original image.

The lens

The smc Pentax D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR is the third in Pentax’s series of weather resistant lenses. It offers a full 1:1 magnification as well as a full frame design, making it compatible with both Pentax film and digital cameras. On a cropped camera, the 100mm focal length translates into 153mm.

Optically optimised for digital imaging, the lens features rounded aperture blades which Pentax says improves bokeh at wide apertures. It also features Pentax’ super protect coating on the front lens to repel dust, water and grease.

Weather sealed

Although without a focus limiter, which would have been useful as the focus tends to hunt, the lens features Pentax’s quick-shift focus system where one can instantly switch to manual focus by twisting the focus ring. The lens’ maximum aperture is f/2.8 and can go down to a minimum of f/32 while the filter diameter is 49mm.

Bokeh galore

One thing Pentax promised with this lens is beautiful bokeh. I would like to say Pentax has delivered on the promise but I shall let these bokeh shots speak for themselves; all handheld at f/2.8, exposure mode: Aperture Priority AE.

Closer with Raynox DCR-250 super macro conversion lens

When the man at the shop said that the filter diameter of the lens is just 49mm, the possibility of attaching the Raynox DCR-250 super macro conversion lens to smc Pentax D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR immediately came to my mind. I am glad that this has been possible and Raynox DCR-250

The picture on the left is of a mosquito taken with the 100mm lens, the closest I can get.

Below is the picture of the same mosquito with the Raynox DCR-250 attached to the lens, allowing me to get even closer to the mosquito, giving me a greater magnification of the tiny insect.

[Part II of III is here. Part III coming soon...]

  • http://macro-photography-blog.com/ Jaxon S

    Glad the lens works. No, no recommendation at the moment. Enjoy the new gear :D

    [Reply]

  • Quinlan

    Hi,
    yeah I have a 50mm that I tried the filter on and it works like miracle!
    I think extension tube or conversion lens should work fine.
    Btw, any recommendation in terms of extension tube or conversion?

    [Reply]

  • Jaxon S

    Hi Quinlan,

    One day, I hope to be a macro guru ;) need to learn more and acquire more gear. About the fly’s eyes, I took the picture using a compact camera plus the Raynox lens that I have, then I cropped the photo a bit. Still, it is not as sharp as those taken by pros.

    I guess good macro photos is all about techniques as well as gear — a good macro photo requires a dedicated macro lens, a good conversion lens or extension tube, and no less important is the light source (to allow for a high shutter speed to minimise blur, and smaller aperture to beat the shallow depth of field in macro shooting).

    About the Marumi lens, like I said it was suggested by a reader. I haven’t really tried it so I can’t tell how it functions. By the way, apart from your 100mm lens, do you have other lens, ie a zoom lens which extends more than 100mm? Maybe if the thread is of the same size, you can try attaching the Marumi to it.

    [Reply]

  • Quinlan

    Hi,
    it’s me again!
    Finally I bought a Marumi Achromat Macro 200 (+5).
    I’m not sure how it really works, when I’m using my 100mm without it, my limit distance between object would be somewhere around 1m, but with the filter attachment, taking photo from the same spot (without filter), the image bcome slightly smaller, but then I’m able to go nearer to the subject, which is equivalent size to the shot without the filter at the spot further (original spot). So how does the filter really helps in this case (assuming it works the same way as the Raynox)?

    Btw, Marco guru, appreciate if you could share with me how to capture those super closeup thingy such as the fly’s eyes. :)

    Hope to hear from you soon,

    Rs,
    Quinlan

    [Reply]

  • Jaxon S

    I’ve no experience with other extension lenses so I can’t compare. However, a reader recently suggested that I give Marumi Achromat super macro lens a try, saying the lens was better than Raynox. Haven’t done so.

    [Reply]

  • Quinlan

    Hi,
    thanks for the great review.
    Just curious, how well does the Raynox DCR-250 conversion works with the lens? Any other 3rd party extension tube that would do as good job as the Raynox in terms to super closeup focusing?

    Rs,
    Q

    [Reply]

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