[stevebrot]

- Exif info

?????

I may be mistaken, but I don't believe that any "A" series lens provides EXIF data to the camera. The standard set of contacts for the "A" series are passive and don't pass data...at least they don't on my camera (K10D). What you do get is aperture when on the "A" setting since it is the body that does provides that function in that mode.


Steve

[abacus07]

Get the A50/1.7 until you can upgrade to the FA50/1.4 (relatively cheap at $350 new).

At a certain point aperture is more important for depth of field than light. ISO is important for low light. I would rather bump my iso higher than shoot at f1.4 if low light was my only consideration. If you've maxed out your ISO and are shooting wide open then either your shutter speed is probably too fast or you're shooting in the dark.

[Asahiflex]

FWIW Pentax's f/1.4 lenses (any of them) are better at f/1.7 than the native f/1.7 lenses

Much in the same regard my A50/1.2 outperforms the A50/1.4 at f/1.4. So always grab the fastest lens you can get (of course the "A" setting is very handy in today's digital age so I would not disregard that).

[epqwerty]

I personally own a M50 1.4 and I love the thing but this really comes down to how comfortable you are with running your camera completely manual. The A series will meter and allow more functions and automation.

As for low light shooting, 1/2 a stop can be worked around with some simple post processing and/or bumping the ISO. So that should not be the main reason for the 1.4 over 1.7. As for depth I believe the difference between the two is noticeable and should be a factor to look at. However at 1.4 your dof is fairly thin and may not suit your needs depending on what they are. I know most times I'm never wide open for the M50 1.4. Usually at the F2 aperture.

[creampuff]

?????

I may be mistaken, but I don't believe that any "A" series lens provides EXIF data to the camera. The standard set of contacts for the "A" series are passive and don't pass data...at least they don't on my camera (K10D). What you do get is aperture when on the "A" setting since it is the body that does provides that function in that mode.


Steve

You're wrong. I can definitely get focal length, aperture, shutter speed and ISO info when using PKA mount lenses (Pentax, Sigma, Voigtlander, etc.) when set to the A setting.

[baro-nite]

You're wrong. I can definitely get focal length, aperture, shutter speed and ISO info when using PKA mount lenses (Pentax, Sigma, Voigtlander, etc.) when set to the A setting.

None of which is provided by the lens. With a K or M lens you get all of the above except aperture.

[userage]

Sorry for re-bumping, do you think getting the 35mm f2.4 would be a better option?

I would love to get the FA 50mm 1.4 but I can't currently afford it, I really should just save up a month or two for it shouldn't I?

[baro-nite]

The 35/2.4 should make an excellent general-purpose lens. The focal length is close to "normal", i.e. the field of view is a good all-around not-too-wide, not-too-close perspective. Autofocus, excellent optics, reasonably fast, great value.

So it's rather an apples-to-oranges comparison with a 50mm. What subjects?

[userage]

Just general pictures really, portraits and group shots, close ups, street photos? I just want an all purpose lens I can take everywhere. I just think the 35mm might be too slow, I would like some great bokeh.

[baro-nite]

Check out the DA 35/2.4 sample thread. Some nice shots in there showing that 35mm at 2.4 is fast enough for shallow DOF, when you're close to your subject.

Which is a better FL for the subjects you list? Hard to say. 35mm better for group shots and general street shooting. 50mm better for close-ups, general portraiture, and stealth street shots.

[rbefly]

Hello Userage,
I'll throw out another viewpoint, bearing in mind some well-experienced Pentaxians have voted for the A f1.7.
I'm firmly in the M f1.4 camp.
Why?
Let's start with lens speed. There is NO substitute for lens speed, whether it's 1/2 stop or 3 stops, without reducing image quality. You've already heard that an f1.4, set at f1.7 is sharper than a native f1.7. So, you can have either 1/2 stop of speed OR a sharper photo.
Bokeh. These lenses are not the same, not even close. The A has a construction (disregarding the plastic components) of 6 elements in 5 groups, with 6 blades.
The M f1.4 has a construction of 7 elements in 6 groups with 8 blades. Much better bokeh, no question.
The brighter (i.e. faster) the lens, the easier it is to focus. They're both manual focus, so you figure it out.
Numbers. Go to the lens review section and check out the reviews. Here's the stats, both lenses have multiple reviews;
Sharpness; A f17= 9.2; M f1.4= 9.5
Aberrations; A f1.7= 8.5; M f1.4= 9.2
Bokeh; A f1.7= 8.7; M f1.4= 9.5
Handling; A f1.7= 8.8; M f1.4= 9.7
Value; A f1.7= 9.3; M f1.4= 10.0
Calc. Avg.; A f1.7= 8.90; M f1.4= 9.58
User Avg.; A f1.7= 8.89; M f1.4= 9.18
So, you give up a couple of auto functions, but still have manual and aperture priority (by using the green button, join the club!), a solid metal lens, better bokeh, brighter view and the numbers don't lie.
JMO,
Ron

[RioRico]

A biased overview:

* Generally, f/1.4 lenses are better than slower lenses from f/2 onwards.
* F/1.4 lenses give better DOF control and can grab otherwise-impossible shots.
* Generally, M-series lenses are built more sturdily than A-series lenses.
* But remember that when dropped, metal dents while plastic bounces.
* A-series lenses are easier to use, with auto-aperture and pTTL flash support.
* On APS-C, 50mm is a portrait tele, 35mm is a short tele, 28mm is 'normal'.

Of your stated options, the A50/1.7 will be easier to use but can do less than the M50/1.4, so you get to choose between convenience and performance. That's not my decision. The DA35/2.4 is an entirely different kettle of fish. And while I have a pile of 35s, I use 28s more.

My recommendations:

* For a convenient people lens, get the A50/1.7 -- but an A- or F- or FA-50/1.4 would be best.
* If you want performance and don't mind the extra bit of work, get the M50/1.4.
* For a budget manual general-purpose 'normal' lens, get an M28/2.8.
* For a convenient crop-while-shooting lens, get the FA35/2.4.
* And if you can't decide on focal lengths, shoot the DA18-55 and see what FLs feel right to you.

It ain't easy. Good luck!

[aleonx3]

I agree that A lens is better since you can use more features on the camera when using the A lens (especially flash). However, aside from a tad faster, I do like the bokeh from the M50/1.4 since it has 8 blades. As others have mentioned, the built quality of M lens is better.

[sterretje]

Go for the DA-L35/2.4. More universal and with K-x low ISO performance it will be good enough. 35mm is good for most stuff although I personally like it a tad wider. Only thing is that it is less suited for is close-ups of faces that fully occupy an image; but you can take some more distance so those don't fill the frame and crop afterwards. 50mm will require more space to move around but is better suited for close ups of faces.

---
Merry Christmas

[stevebrot]

I can definitely get focal length, aperture, shutter speed and ISO info when using PKA mount lenses (Pentax, Sigma, Voigtlander, etc.) when set to the A setting.

No question about everything you said except for focal length. Everything else is set by the body and available for exif. Focal length is only available if the lens has a data contact. That feature is absent in the standard PKA mount, but was added in the AF versions. It may be possible that Voigtlander and Zeiss provide the data pin on their MF lenses, but Pentax never did AFAIK.

You can manually enter the focal length, but the camera will still not know what lens model is mounted (another feature supported by the data pin).


Steve