Pentax DA 50mm F1.8 Finally Shipping

lens now available from major US ratailers

By PF Staff in Product Updates on Jul 24, 2012

The new Pentax-DA 50mm F1.8 standard/short tele lens is finally shipping in the US.  You can acquire your copy today from B&H Photo, Amazon, and Adorama.  If you placed a pre-order, it should be shipping soon if it hasn't already!

This 50mm lens was announced back in February during the CP+ trade show in Japan.  It sports a plastic mount and is meant to be affordable without making any compromises when it comes to image quality.  The launch price for this lens is $249, and you can read more about it in our lens database.  Numerous sample photos have already been posted on our forum!

The new 50mm features the same build quality as the DA 35mm F2.4, and considering that the 35mm has gotten very favorable reviews in the past, we have high hopes for the 50mm.  We will shortly be receiving a copy of the lens to test, and will be posting a three-way comparison between all three of Pentax's currently 50mm options (the FA 50mm F1.4, DA 50mm F1.8, and DA* 55mm F1.4) in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!