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View Poll Results: What will make you buy the DA*55 if you already have FA50
Better optical performance from aperture f/1.4-2.8 169.47%
55mm vs 50mm focal length preffered for portraits and/or generally preffered 10.59%
SDM 42.37%
Weather Sealing 52.96%
SDM & Weather Sealing 2112.43%
Better Optical Performance at f/1.4-2.8 & SDM 95.33%
Better Optical Performance at f/1.4-2.8 & Weather Sealing 148.28%
Better Optical Performance at f/1.4-2.8, SDM & Weather Sealing 2917.16%
All of the Above 2313.61%
Other - Please Specify in Reply 21.18%
Not Interested in the DA*55 no matter how much better over my FA50 4526.63%
Voters: 169. You may not vote on this poll

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08-07-2007, 11:39 AM   #1
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Poll: DA* 55m f/1.4 SDM

Who is interested in this lens and why? I am curios about it since well the focal lenght is very close to the FA50 f/1.4 - however the lens may turn out to be a whole different beast! At least I hope so.

If you are interested please specify the reason and select which of the following reasons would cause you to upgrade or also buy the DA*55 if you already have the FA50.

Of course price may turn out to be an interesting factor. I hope it will not cost more than $400-500 - I fear it might be as high as $600 though if I were to guess a high maximum.


Last edited by sft; 08-07-2007 at 11:49 AM.
08-07-2007, 12:11 PM   #2
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Not interested, unless its some sort of miracle lens and its also cheap. but I dont think so.

If I didnt have the 50 already and the 55 was not too much more expensive then I would get it.

but focal length difference 55 vs 50?! take one step closer?

now, if they had put out a new DA* 85mm f1.4 SDM then I would be drooling all over it.

at least we have that 85mm zeiss coming....
08-07-2007, 12:11 PM   #3
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It would really have to depend on image quality, and to a much lesser degree weather sealing. Auto focus, whether SDM or in camera is not a big deal for me, as I mostly manual focus anyway. Of course the principle on my decision to buy or not will be $. If it's $500 + it will not happen for me unless I hit the lotto.

NaCl(I've already got the FA 50 1.4 and the K50 1.2)H2O
08-07-2007, 12:17 PM   #4
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Yeah for me too - thats why I created this poll as I want to see what people think of this lens - in all honesty I think Pentax should have stuck with a real 85mm f/1.4 as well (instead of playing the 1.53x crop factor) after all 5mm is virtually no difference over the FA50. I had to put the answer in there though - who knows maybe someone really likes 55mm over 50mm?

The thing really has to be better than my FA50 at f/1.4-2.8 for me to upgrade, the SDM and Weather Sealing will be plusses too and I probably wouldn't get it if it didn't also have these features as-well as being optically better. That said price will be a huge factor, I'll probably have to sell the FA50 to make some cash but only if the DA* doesn't cost at most more than $500 - otherwise if it is more I'll stick with the FA50 in all likelyhood.

I also would have preffered a DA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM too though but if Pentax holds true and makes this lens a killer then I think it could still be worth it if the price isn't too bad. I think Pentax should have just come out with a DA*85mm f/1.4 SDM and maybe give the FA50 a DA upgrade along with it too (kind of like the DA35 SDM is rumored to be an f/2 so - in effect replacing the FA35 f/2) to make it SDM and maybe slightly better optically and up the price from $200 to $300. I don't think anyone would complain then


Last edited by sft; 08-07-2007 at 01:00 PM.
08-07-2007, 01:08 PM   #5
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Primarily interested in SDM, Weathersealing. Holding out hope for better 1.4-2.8 performance or equal to current 50,1.4.

I dont believe too many are interested in the 55mm focal length on its own.

But really more interested in the 77ltd and the Zeiss 85.
08-07-2007, 02:18 PM   #6
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I want for for low-light work; jazz clubs etc. I'll get the 16-50 (and 50-135) this or next week but will eventually want te extra two stops advantage of the 55's f1.4. Since it's a bit long (considering the x1.5 crop factor) I'd also eventually get something around 30mm in f1.4. That means the Sigma but I'll be postponing that purchase to see if Sigma evet gets around to making one where the HSM works with the K10D. But I'd love to see Pentax make their own DA* 30mm or 31mm f1.4 SDM - maybe in 5 years!
08-09-2007, 04:01 AM   #7
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Summary so far...

There are about 30 votes so I will just do a quick summary.

It seems that the number of people who would consider upgrading are pretty close though more say they would upgrade (about 60% say they would upgrade if the DA*55 delivers and I assume priced not too ridicolously). I do not doubt however that if Pentax made this a real 85mm f/1.4 and priced it like the DA*55 would have been, more people would be interested in this lens - but there we also have the FA77 so there would be close competition there too.

I still find it a little odd Pentax is playing crop factor game here since well the FA50 is just so very close to the DA*55. I guess Pentax really feel they can deliver with this lens so maybe it may be worth it afterall. It will be a little like the FA50 being the equivalent of the FA77 was on film and the DA*55 being the equivalent of the FA*85mm on film with the 1.53x crop factor. I think that is what they are going for here.

In fact I think the 55mm FL would be really perfect on APS-C for portraits (as 85mm was on film) but seing as many of the people who are likely to buy this lens will also already have an FA50 I do wonder a little bit. I sure hope Pentax are planning to make this as good as the old FA*85 then with the SDM & Sealing I guess they could count on it selling well.

08-09-2007, 04:45 AM   #8
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Well I do agree that the FA 85 is something else... The beautiful portrait rendering you get from that lens makes it very desireable. So we have to wait and see what the 55 has to offer, of course, if its just a 5mm longer FA 50 with SDM and sealing then I am not impressed... But for people who dont already own a 50 it might be popular.

SDM is nice but I use 98% manual focus, especially since I got my split prism focusing screen. So I am more interested in high quality metal built manual focus lenses, such as the voigtlander 125 and the coming zeiss 85. Its interesting to see that some companies are still making mf lenses. altho I wish they would lower the price on them so that we who dont need af can also get away with paying less since we dont need af and sdm.
08-09-2007, 05:53 AM   #9
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My Fa 85 backfocuses a lot wide open in dark lit situation (Most lenses would as well); It is too prone to flare and over exposing skintone with protrait shots. The results from automatic metering is quite unpredictable. Not an easy lens to use

Da 55 will certainly interest me if SDM is fast and accurate. I never bought Fa 50 f1.4 so I am waiting for Da 55 for sure.

Zeiss 85 is on my hit list as well. However, I doubt I will ever use it much at all. Good to test the lens out anyway and the lens is legendary.

Voigtlander 125 is a fantastic lens, but low contrast wide open (It is hard to increase the image contrast in a natural way in photoshop). But it has different colour rendering ability from pentax lens line up though. Pentax * lenses in general has strong contrast with saturated colour ...

Last edited by roentarre; 08-09-2007 at 06:00 AM.
08-09-2007, 05:56 AM   #10
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I'm not interested at all. I want the DA35 SDM... (not macro)
08-09-2007, 06:01 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by SupremeMoFo Quote
I'm not interested at all. I want the DA35 SDM... (not macro)
I want DA 35 SDM too

I am not sure when this lens will be released though. Macro version might be helpful with copy works
08-09-2007, 06:26 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by roentarre Quote
I want DA 35 SDM too
Petition?
08-09-2007, 06:56 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by SupremeMoFo Quote
Petition?
If petion is going to work, oh yeah!

Da 55 + Da 35 + Da 200 + Da 300

(Plus DA 135/200 macro; Da 400; Da 17; Da 8 hehehe)
08-09-2007, 12:12 PM   #14
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I'm interested in the DA55 because hopefully it will be a little smaller, SDM will be nice for low light, and - here's the best part - Quick Shift. I want all my new lenses to come with Quick Shift. That's why I don't have the FA 50. (Well, and I have an A50 F2 to get me by :-) ).

I think the extra 5mm will be useful, and I really hope it is optically tuned to portrait use. If pentax does that, it will be a very nice lens and will make a killer kit coupled with a DA 21. That's what I'm holding out for.
08-15-2007, 06:27 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by sft Quote
Who is interested in this lens and why?
I know I am. 5mm may not sound much, but it's certainly noticeable. 85mm lenses used to be very popular with 35mm photographers and camera brands sold plenty of then for good reason. A comfortable length for intimate portraits, but useful for all sorts of subjects in general. 75mm would have been just a pinch on the short side, but any longer and you start to need to go outside or a bigger room. Just a very useful length of lens without telephoto compression being too obvious. A very natural look.

If they can make it usable wide open and not too huge this could be a very attractive lens. The quick shift focusing will be a worthwhile advantage over the current 50s as well. The only lens on the current roadmap I'm particularly interested in. I don't imagine it will actually be available any time soon, though.
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