50mm - what's the appeal?

[lithos]

Originally Posted by Dangermouse

Well, an impulse buy has seen a Pentax-M 50mm f1.7 join the collection (attached to an ME Super and flash for £36, so something of a bargain if it's as good as the seller claims). Next problem is getting it working with my K-m, as I don't have the same displays/controls as the cameras used in the manual lenses guide.

If I enjoy the experience of using it I'll go after an A version, but I've always wanted an ME Super so this was too good a deal to pass.

My current film outfit is an ME Super, ME Winder II and M 1.7 50mm. The whole setup just...works. For starters, it's looks good; the M 1.7 looks perfectly proportioned on the M series bodies (of course.) The Winder adds better heft and grip (if you can find one, get it) for non-Japanese hands, as well as the normal advantages of a winder (faster frame rate, don't have to take camera away from face.)

The M f1.7 is solidly, superbly built. The focus ring is like the proverbial buttered silk. It's well damped, but still easier to turn as it's not moving a lot of mass. The only downside I've found is that the rubber grip on it can come a bit loose, but it doesn't affect use at all. One of the best-designed (in both function and looks) lenses I've come across.

I should stick a pic up.

[Dangermouse]

I wanted an ME Super when I bought my first SLR (a K1000) back in the 1990s, but at that point they were well out of my teenage budget.

This one is in great shape, and the horrible odour of tobacco smoke from it is slowly fading. I think its last owner must have had a 100 a day habit judging by the smell! The lens is perfect and worked fine on my Km when tested - just need to do some serious photography with it now rather than shooting random household objects to check focus and exposure settings. I'm also waiting for a lens cap as it didn't come with one (using an old UV filter at the moment).

[lithos]

The only major downside to the ME Super is that you're gonna hate your K-m's viewfinder now.

[Dangermouse]

Yeah, the lack of a split focussing screen is a bit of a pain with manual focus lenses but the in focus indicator still works, so I'll just get used to it. I definitely intend to look at other manual lenses now - fancy an A version of the 50mm f1.7 and maybe the old K 55mm which would make a handy fast telephoto on digital.

At last, after three days the ME Super doesn't smell like a smoking lounge! It even has an original Pentax strap (rather than the usual generic one with Pentax printed on, this one has clasps stamped "Pentax"). Just waiting for the lens cap now.

[lithos]

Oh, not just the split screen - although on the K-m, the AF comes in handy for trap focusing, which is a pretty good trade - but the fact that the ME Super's got one of the biggest and brightest viewfinders ever built for a non-pro SLR. It's like looking through a window - and the thing was only ever a consumer-level camera.

I've always said that if Pentax builds a full-frame digital, they don't need to do much research into the viewfinder - just stick the same one they used on the ME series on it.

[Steve Beswick]

For what it's worth, I much prefer a 50mm lens on APSC versus 35mm. Back when I shot 35mm exclusively I would often just go around with a 70-210, because I never seemed to get the shots I wanted with my 50mm. Now that I mostly shoot digital I absolutely love shooting a 50mm lens. I will often go out shooting with nothing more than my K100ds and my F series 50mm f1.7.

Of course I'm an odd duck. I prefer the 50mm f1.7 to the 50mm f1.4.

[Pentaxor]

the 50 on an APS-C camera would make it an ideal 75mm telephoto portrait lens with an opening of f1.4 or better f1.2. that's the appeal !