I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $375.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Build quality, a real pleasure to use.
Cons:
Max. magnification 1:2
This macro lens is small and compact and a pleasure to use with its smooth focusing and all-metal lens barrel construction. It focuses down to 24 cm and provides 0.5 magnification on a film camera. It must be used with an extension tube to get to life size (1:1) magnification. It is very easy to fine tune focus. The lens can also be used as a normal lens, but focusing is a bit more difficult on faraway objects than on a standard 50mm lens, which has a one or one and a half stop advantage over the macro.
Optically and mechanically I can't find any flaws at all. This lens is SHARP:
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 10
Pros:
small, sharp
Cons:
only 1:2
the only lens I regret selling. It only goes to 1:2 and I wanted 1:1 but simply its small and sharp and I look back at the images I took with it, and they have a nice look (if the person who bought sees this, I want it back! .
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Construction, sharp images
Cons:
not 1:1
Bought it new over 25 years ago and never regretted the purchase. Use it exclusively for macro work. Extremely sharp. Great construction and a joy to focus. Some times would have liked a 100mm macro but the majority of the time, this lens did it all for me. Some of my best shots were taken with this lens. Highly recommended.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $135.00
| Rating: 10
Pros:
Optical and mechanical qualities, both macro & standard abilities, look when mounted on K100D
Cons:
no
I found this lens on Ebay after missing a M50/f4 macro. It was more expensive but I never regretted to buy it..
The lens is very well built (metal) and seems made to be used for a lifetime.
Quality of pictures in standard use is close to other pentax A or M 50, and macro use is a pleasure (smooth and fine focus ring), with a nice bokeh.
Ideal for insects, flowers etc..as well for lanscape or children pictures..
I think it could be very hard to find an other lens doing this job for this price.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $200.00
| Rating: 10
Pros:
Sharp, compact, excellent boked and well built
Cons:
None that I can think of
I got this lens off Ebay few months ago but only took it out for a "spin" few weeks ago. Looking at the pictures taken with this lens I regret for not using it earlier. This lens performs so well under any given condition. The IQ and sharpness are simply fabulous. The boked at f2.8 is also very smooth.
The macro mode while only at 1:2, it still gives a decent close up.
It worth every penny! The fact it's a A series, it performs very well on Pentax DSLR. I use it on my K10D under AV mode and images come out perfect 99% of the time.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $100.00
| Rating: 10
Pros:
Build, Colours, Feel, Bokeh
Cons:
None
This beauty renders colours in a way I haven't seen from my other manuals except maybe the 55mm/1.8: it's warm, but also very intense.
As sharp as the 55mm/1.8 K I have, maybe even sharper.
And there is something else about this lens: it is quite big, compared to the other lenses I often use (40mm DA, 50mm/1.4, 28mm/3.5), and the build is extremely well.
This gives it a very "oldschool" feeling, add the manual focusing and you will understand what I mean: you have a real machine hanging round your neck.......
And the Bokeh is so great, one can hardly think that there could be a better lens available in this aspect...............
I paid 72 euros, incl. shipping, and consider myself a lucky bastard indeed
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $135.00
| Rating: 10
Pros:
Extremely sharp, fantastic bokeh, excellent construction
Cons:
None
It took one set of shots for me to know just how good this lens is. The sharpness is unbelievable. As a macro its detail capabilities makes the most out of the sensor and edges are as crisp as photonically possible. I'll even make up a new word to get the point across.
The bokeh is AAA+++
The build quality is M class, in that its focus is smooth and the whole unit is an engineered piece piece of optical equipment. The recessed front element is nicely protected, so I don't use a filter.
As a 50mm macro it excels,and as a general 50 with f/2.8 it is fast enough for 99% of prime lens shooting situations. It is a versatile, outstanding prime lens (and the real predecessor of the DA 35 Macro).
If you can acquire one, do so. If you are hunting one down, never stop until success.
Others have done close-ups, here's a snapshot portrait:
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2.8 Macro: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 9
Pros:
sharp, bokeh, cheap macro alternatif
Cons:
not real life size 1:1
i was very lucky to get this wonderful lens with cost under US$10 in my local second hand market (garage sale).
actually, i don't expect to much with this lens, but after cleaning some fungus, the results was very surprising me.
a view sample :
a little energy to focusing at 2.8, then the result is miss focus
a bee in my back yard combining with DIY macro flash
.
