Pentax-DA 50mm F1.8 Budget Prime Coming Soon!

To ship in June, following official announcement next week

By PF Staff in Pentax Announcements on May 19, 2012

Pentax announced the SMC Pentax-DA 50mm F1.8 prime lens back in February at the CP+ 2012 trade show in Japan and also showed us a prototype then. We now expect that next week Pentax will finally release the official technical details for this lens and announce that it's hitting the shelves!

We believe that the lens will start shipping in late June, together with the K-30 (source).

Considering that it's a normal lens, and given the precedent set forth by the SMC Pentax-DA 35mm F2.4 lens, we're sure that this 50mm will deliver great image quality while still being very affordable.

We will update the Lens Database with full details as soon as they are released. At this point we know the following specifications for this 50mm:

• Large maximum aperture for shallow depth of field: F1.8
• 6 lens elements in 5 groups
• Diagonal field of view: 32 degrees
• 7 aperture blades, rounded for a smooth bokeh
• SP coated front element repels dirt and grease and is easy to clean
• Image format: APS-C
• Screwdrive autofocus
• Plastic bayonet
• Not a pancake, but still quite compact with a length of 38.5mm/1.5 inches
• 52mm filter diameter
• Light weight: 122g/4.3 oz