Short Zoom for Pentax MX or Spotmatic

I've never owned a zoom lens that wasn't attached to a p&s, but I need one now for one of the above

cameras. Any recommendations? Relatively small and light are pluses, but not necessary.

 

Thanks.

For the MX: Pentax-F 35-70 3.5-4.5

 

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/medium/F35-70f3.5-4.5.html

 

There aren't very many zooms for the Spotmatic era. You might actually be best off with a Tamron Adaptall. Something like this

 

http://www.adaptall-2.com/lenses/01A.html

 

would be fairly small, and could be mounted on either camera with the correct Adaptall adapter

Viv 28-80 or possibly the Viv 70-150 or both..

Hi Don, I can't say for the Spotmatic(back when I had screw mounts I never considered a zoom), but the Pentax A 35-70 f4 on my MX was and still is terrific( I still use it on my DL)....The f4, being a constant aperture, is much easier to get correct exposure than a varible aperture lens( I traded my Pentax 40-80 f2.8-4 for the 35-70, which is just easier to use).......Jim

Here I sit, looking at my smc Pentax-F Zoom 1:3.5-4.5 35-70. It's attached to

the camera it came with, the old SF1. Great lens.

I suggest you do not get the old Sigma 39-80 which I found to be soft compared to prime lenses.

<P>What's your budget? One-touch or two-touch zoom design? Aversion to primarily plastic autofocus lenses that are probably lighter and may perform better at the cost of tactile manual focus operation?

<P>I like the Pentax A 35-70 f/4 as well. I prefer it to the somewhat smaller and lighter (and more common) F 35-70 f/3.5-4.5. I'm not aware of an adapter that will allow use of K-mount glass on a spotmatic with M42 mount so if you really want a single zoom lens to do both, Tamron adaptall might be the way to go.

<P>Other decent choices at even shorter lengths:

<UL>

<LI>Pentax FA 28-70 f/4

<LI>Pentax A 24-50 f/4

<LI>Pentax FA 20-35 f/4

<LI>...

</UL>

My goto slr is the Spotmatic. I've got Takumar primes for it from 28mm to 105mm, which is my preferred range. Recently got an MX body at a price I could not refuse and decided it would be a good second body. A zoom within the above range would be a good choice for a lens. I wasn't considering a zoom for the SP so much as using an M42 adapter on the MX if there was a candidate there.

 

The A 35-70 f4 is attractive because of the constant aperture and I don't need a fast lens for the daylight photography it will normally be used for.

 

I'm reading up on your suggestions, watching the action on the auction site etc, and really appreciate your advice. Thanks to all.