Pentax's specialist soft-focus portrait prime — a manual-focus 85mm f/2.2 with adjustable glow.
The SMC Pentax Soft 85mm f/2.2 is a specialist soft-focus portrait prime for the Pentax K bayonet mount. Rather than aiming for maximum sharpness, it was designed to introduce a controllable soft-focus glow, a look favoured for classic portraiture.
This is a manual-focus lens with an 85mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/2.2, carrying Pentax's Super Multi Coating. Soft-focus lenses typically include a mechanism to adjust the degree of softness; confirm the exact controls and filter thread on the specific sample.
At 85mm the lens gives a flattering portrait perspective, and its deliberate spherical-aberration glow softens skin and highlights for a dreamy, romantic rendering. The effect is strongest wide open and reduces as the lens is stopped down.
As a niche specialist optic this soft-focus lens appeals to a specific set of portrait photographers and appears on the used market only occasionally. Check that the softness control operates correctly, inspect for haze and fungus, and confirm the aperture is dry. It fits Pentax K digital bodies and adapts to mirrorless.