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Optical
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Updated
Jul 8, 2026
Five Star Five Star 35-70mm f3.5
M42 · 35mm · f/3.5
AI-assisted · from real reviewsUpdated 8 Jul 2026
Overview
The 'Five Star' 35-70mm f/3.5 belongs to a family of inexpensive third-party standard zooms sold in the 1980s under a rotating carousel of off-beat nameplates. The most closely documented sibling reviewed by the Pentax community is the 'Ozunon / Five Star MC Auto Zoom 35-75mm F3.5-4.8,' which was also marketed as 'Katana' and 'Super Foto' — a common practice for budget OEM optics rebadged for various markets. These lenses were built to a price point and typically bundled with camera kits rather than sold as premium glass. The specific 35-70mm f/3.5 M42 variant is poorly documented; most surviving reviews concern the 35-75mm f/3.5-4.8 push/pull KA-mount version. No genuine community nickname exists for this lens beyond the generic multi-nameplate identity. Its modest cult following, such as it is, comes from its rock-bottom price (the 35-75mm sibling averaged around $24 used) and a reputation among budget shooters for being surprisingly sharp for the money once stopped down.
Verdict: The Five Star 35-70mm f/3.5 is a bargain-bin budget zoom whose appeal is almost entirely about value. Based on its closely documented sibling, it rewards patient shooters who stop down to f/5.6, favor close-up and landscape work, and don't mind manual focus. It is not a character lens or a low-light performer — it's a cheap, sharp-when-stopped-down utility optic for those learning the craft or wanting inexpensive vintage glass. Buyers seeking distinctive rendering should look elsewhere.
Optical Character
Bokeh
Pleasing for its price class (rated around 7/10 on the sibling), with no swirl or bubble character.
Color
Very good color rendition for a budget zoom, neutral-to-pleasing.
Sharpness wide open
Soft wide open but notably sharp up close and once stopped down to around f/5.6, sometimes beating a kit lens.
Contrast
Low wide open, improving as the lens is stopped down.
Community Insights
What people love
- Genuinely sharp once stopped down to around f/5.6, sometimes beating the bundled kit lens (per sibling reviews)
- Strong close-up/macro-oriented performance — described as 'sharp up close'
- Very good color rendition for a lens of its cost
- Small, lightweight, and extremely inexpensive to acquire
- Good value as a budget landscape and close-up lens
What people dislike
- Soft wide open, requiring stopping down to get usable sharpness
- Manual focus only, which limits its use as a fast walkaround lens
- The push/pull zoom sibling works counter-intuitively (fully extended is the shortest focal length)
- Considered 'no good as a walk about lens' by at least one reviewer of the sibling
Pro Tips
- Stop down to around f/5.6 for the sharpest results — wide open is soft and low in contrast
- Lean into its close-up strength; it performs notably well at short focusing distances
- Use it as a deliberate, tripod-friendly landscape and close-up lens rather than a fast candid walkaround
- Since it is manual focus, take your time nailing focus — its wide-open softness makes focus confirmation harder, so shooting stopped down helps depth of field forgive small errors
Compatible Adapters
Real adapters from our shop that fit this lens mount.
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿1,250 · In stock
Standard · ฿890 · Out of stock
Standard · ฿890 · Out of stock
Sources (1)
Web-grounded synthesissecondary
The 'Five Star' 35-70mm f/3.5 belongs to a family of inexpensive third-party standard zooms sold in the 1980s under a rotating carousel of off-beat nameplates. The most closely documented sibling reviewed by the Pentax community is the 'Ozunon / Five Star MC Auto Zoom 35-75mm F3.5-4.8,' which was also marketed as 'Katana' and 'Super Foto' — a common practice for budget OEM optics rebadged for various markets. These lenses were built to a price point and typically bundled with camera kits rather than sold as premium glass. The specific 35-70mm f/3.5 M42 variant is poorly documented; most surviving reviews concern the 35-75mm f/3.5-4.8 push/pull KA-mount version. No genuine community nickname exists for this lens beyond the generic multi-nameplate identity. Its modest cult following, such as it is, comes from its rock-bottom price (the 35-75mm sibling averaged around $24 used) and a reputation among budget shooters for being surprisingly sharp for the money once stopped down.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/ozunon-35-75mm-f3-5-4-8-mc-auto-zoom.html