#7760757 - 07/04/14 02:17 AM
Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
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skierd
Post Master Sr
Registered: 08/21/01
Posts: 9104
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
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Picked up an interesting new-to-me lens this week, a Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 soft. "soft" of course means its a soft focus lens, and the soft focus feature is controlled by the aperture. The aperture range is only f2.2 to f5.6, with four click stops and fully variable between stops. At wide open (2.2) it's at its softest and at f5.6 it's actually fairly sharp.
http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/primes/short-tele/K85f2.2-Soft.html
It's a fully manual lens of course. Manual focus only of course, and no stop down coupler so you get to see the actual depth of field and softness through the viewfinder. Focus peaking seems to work "ok", not great but close enough. Metering via the green button seems accurate so far.
All shots are straight out of the camera jpgs out of a Pentax K30, going from softest (2.2) to sharpest (5.6), shot on the aperture detents at 2.2, 3.3ish, 4.5ish, and 5.6.
Bike rack at Chena Hot Springs Resort outside of Fairbanks, AK
Yellow flower, also at the Hot Springs
It definitely is going to take some getting used to, and it's certainly not an everyday lens.
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#7761039 - 07/04/14 11:06 AM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: Kierf]
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GSParker
GSParker
Unregistered
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i just dont' get the point of these types of lenses...they just give off the appearance that you misfocused.
But then again, most of today's photos with people's phones aren't focused or even exposed well and they love them so maybe this will fit in perfectly. 
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#7761314 - 07/04/14 03:33 PM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: ]
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Nate047
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 03/03/03
Posts: 28558
Loc: La La Land, CA
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Hope you didn't spend too much money on it.
Nate 
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#7761361 - 07/04/14 04:51 PM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: ]
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scootergeek
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 07/24/00
Posts: 46248
Loc: East of St. Louis
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i just dont' get the point of these types of lenses...they just give off the appearance that you misfocused. But then again, most of today's photos with people's phones aren't focused or even exposed well and they love them so maybe this will fit in perfectly.
It was damn near impossible to fix bad skin in portraits in film, soft focus lenses fixed that. Photoshop fixed it better (well, provided the user isn't a dumbass who thinks skin should look like porcelain).
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#7761747 - 07/05/14 09:16 AM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: skierd]
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NOT spotch...
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 07/25/00
Posts: 57155
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One more set, comparing it to my normal 18-135 zoom set at 88mm K85mm @5.6  18-135 @88mm 
Great comparison, thanks. Definitely seems to show it's potential usefulness more here.
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#7761870 - 07/05/14 01:15 PM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: NOT spotch...]
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Huggy
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 11/01/99
Posts: 42726
Loc: Cincinnati, OH
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Ummmmmmmm.... I'm seeing nothing worth anything here... but I'm not an Instagram/Facebooks photoist either...
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#7762191 - 07/05/14 09:15 PM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: NOT spotch...]
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LNXGUY
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 08/06/00
Posts: 106936
Loc: Barrie, Ont,
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Built in hipster.
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#7762563 - 07/06/14 03:39 PM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: NOT spotch...]
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skierd
Post Master Sr
Registered: 08/21/01
Posts: 9104
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
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Seems like the soft focus doesn't just blur stuff ahead and behind the plane of focus, but also shit on the plane but not in the center of the frame (somewhat). Seems like it might be possible to make use of this to isolate the subject a little more in some circumstances? Not a walkaround lens, or even something I would choose over a pricey 85~mm 1.2-1.8 prime if I could only have one, but I bet you could make some cool pics with this.
Its still in focus, but the lens has a built in spherical abberation to cause the softness. Since it was originally intended to be a portrait lens that makes sense. If I could afford a 85mm f1.4 I would get it in a heartbeat of course...
_________________________
Never run out of real estate, traction & ideas at the same time.
2012 Outback - 2008 Yamaha WR250R v2.0
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#7762617 - 07/06/14 05:26 PM
Re: Pentax SMC-K 85mm f2.2 Soft
[Re: skierd]
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NOT spotch...
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 07/25/00
Posts: 57155
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Seems like the soft focus doesn't just blur stuff ahead and behind the plane of focus, but also shit on the plane but not in the center of the frame (somewhat). Seems like it might be possible to make use of this to isolate the subject a little more in some circumstances? Not a walkaround lens, or even something I would choose over a pricey 85~mm 1.2-1.8 prime if I could only have one, but I bet you could make some cool pics with this. Its still in focus, but the lens has a built in spherical abberation to cause the softness. Since it was originally intended to be a portrait lens that makes sense. If I could afford a 85mm f1.4 I would get it in a heartbeat of course...
change that to f1.2 (for Canon) and I'm with you. F'ing $$$ lenses.
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"On the street where there is no lap timer, feel is all that matters" - scootergeek
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