The 85mm prime is a classic portrait lens – so it only feels right to go even more classic with a lens made for a DSLR. The HD Pentax-D FA★85mm F1.4ED SDM AW is a high-end prime made for Pentax’s K-Mount DSLRs – and “classic” is exactly the word that came to mind as I shot portraits with this lens.
The Pentax ★85mm F1.4ED may be a large DSLR lens, but I’m a bit enamoured with the classic images and design. Here’s what I captured with this portrait classic.
Pentax ★ 85mm f/1.4 ED SDM AW review: Specifications
Focal length |
85mm |
Mount |
Pentax K |
Format |
Full-frame |
Minimum focus distance |
2.79' / 85 cm |
Magnification |
1:8 Macro reproduction ratio |
Design |
12 elements in 10 groups, 9 aperture blades |
Stabilization |
No |
Filter size |
82mm |
Dimensions |
3.74 x 4.86" / 95 x 123.5mm |
Weight |
2.76 lb / 1.25 kg |
Pentax ★ 85mm f/1.4 ED SDM AW review: Price & Availability
The star-series Pentax 85mm is a high-end lens for the K-Mount with a price to match. The lens retails for $2,096 / £1,499 / CA$2,499 / AU$3,199.
As a 2020 launch, however, the lens is fairly widely available from multiple retailers, including Amazon and photo specialty shops.
Pentax ★ 85mm f/1.4 ED SDM AW review: Design & Handling
My first thought after picking up the Pentax ★85mm F1.4ED was that more lenses should come in silver (it does also come in black). My second thought was that this lens is a beast.
As a DSLR lens with a longer focal length and a wide aperture, the Pentax ★85mm F1.4ED is no lightweight. The lens weighs 1255g or 44.3 oz without the hood. The portrait prime has a large 82mm filter size and adds another 4.9 inches / 123.5mm to the front of the camera.
The layout of the lens feels like a classic DSLR lens. There’s the focal distance scale window, which adjusts as the focus changes. Near that is a switch to go from auto to manual focus. The focus ring is large and textured.
There’s very little plastic to the front of the lens, with the glass taking up most of the front.
While bulky, that’s par for the course when it comes to 85mm f/1.4 lenses. The weight is also well-balanced when paired with the beefy body and grip of Pentax’s DSLRs.
Pentax ★ 85mm f/1.4 ED SDM AW review: Performance
The Pentax ★85mm F1.4ED is the sort of lens that welcomes looking at images at 100 percent. The photos that I captured are impressively sharp, even with subjects placed more towards the edge. When perfectly focused, the edges are crisp, but without being overly sharpened.
Those sharp subjects melt off into creamy backgrounds when shooting at f/1.4. The mix between sharpness and the bokeh possible from an 85mm f/1.4 is lovely. Points of light in the background render as smooth bokeh balls without onion ringing or a soap bubble texture.
While most edges are crisp, backlit subjects that are a bit out of focus can take on a noticeable purple fringing or chromatic aberration. I didn’t notice aberration in most shots, but it was noticeable around thin objects like tree branches when directing the lens towards the sun.
Turning the lens towards the sun also creates a bit of lovely lens flare.
I was surprised at how little I was tempted to color edit – straight-from-the-camera JPEGs had an excellent balance between being rich and accurate.
The 85mm focused on par with what I would expect from a prime of this caliber. I did miss eye detection AF, but I can’t fault the lens for the few autofocus misses that were from a poorly placed autofocus point. The lens’ 2.79 foot / 85 cm minimum focus distance is also close enough for some close-cropped portraits.
Pentax ★ 85mm f/1.4 ED SDM AW review: Sample Images
Pentax ★ 85mm f/1.4 ED SDM AW review: Verdict
The Pentax ★85mm F1.4ED is a lovely DSLR lens that captures sharp subjects and creamy backgrounds. I also loved the colors coming from this lens – I didn’t itch to really do intense color grading in post.
The lens’s shortcomings really all tie back to the fact that it is a DSLR lens – and you probably didn’t read this far if you don’t already have a Pentax DSLR. The lens is a bit heavy, and while the focusing is good, I missed eye detection AF.
Perhaps the biggest downside is the price. Pro primes still command a high asking price, but the list price still feels a bit steep for a prime, coming in at a price similar to an f/2.8 workhorse zoom.
Still, the images leave little to complain about, and I’m a bit enamoured with the portraits that I shot with this lens.
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