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04-08-2012, 12:12 PM   #1
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F1.2 50mm...worth it or not?

The 50mm f1.2 seems to be priced as a collectors item. Is it worth the high price for functional use or is it pumped up for collector value mostly?

Thanks

04-08-2012, 12:21 PM   #2
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It's one of the best SLR lenses Pentax or anyone else lenses ever made. I suspect it's primarily bought for functional use.
04-08-2012, 12:24 PM - 1 Like   #3
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Easy... It's only half a stop. Can you see the difference between ƒ1.4 and ƒ1.7?

Personally? I've visited the following thread to convince me: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/lens-clubs/74819-post-your-1-2-photos-1-2-only.html
And the pictures in that thread convinced me that such thin DOF sucks. Pictures where the nose and ears are out of focus, but the eyes are in focus, really don't appeal to me. (I'm probably cursing in a Church right now.)
04-08-2012, 12:40 PM   #4
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I ran numbers at DofMaster and found that a 55/1.4 lens has slightly thinner DOF than a 50/1.2. This won't induce me to sell my US$250 K50/1.2 and stick with my US$2.25 Tomioka 55/1.4. (On my current journey I bought the former not the latter.) Although both are great, the K50/1.2 is greater.

Hmmm, has anyone done a side-by-side test of any Pentax 50/1.2 and the DA*55/1.4?

BTW, I see noticeably differences between images from my K50/1.2, SuperTak and FA 50/1.4s, M50/1.7, and SuperTak 55/1.8. Yes, 1/2-stop DOES matter.

04-08-2012, 12:52 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Clavius Quote
Pictures where the nose and ears are out of focus, but the eyes are in focus, really don't appeal to me. (I'm probably cursing in a Church right now.)
BLASPHEMER!!


Actually, I think f/1.4 is a little too shallow to shoot at for portraits, but I do love my A 50/1.7 so it must be a "thin line" of preference as well. I've thought about the 1.2, since it is sharper at 1.4 than any native 1.4... but why not stick with my 1.7?
04-08-2012, 12:59 PM   #6
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I love my 55/1.2 Cosina/Revuenon. It's not something I use all the time, but it's a tool worth having. It goes for cheaper than the Pentax lenses too. You could pick up the Samyang 85/1.4 for thin DOF.
04-08-2012, 12:59 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by panoguy Quote
... but why not stick with my 1.7?
[ad-hominems deleted]

Mostly because f/1.2s and f/1.4s can just do stuff that f/1.7s and f/1.8s can't, and not just with hyper-thin DOF. Also because f/1.2s are kewl...

04-08-2012, 01:03 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote
I ran numbers at DofMaster and found that a 55/1.4 lens has slightly thinner DOF than a 50/1.2.
Not if you want the same framing, so if you stand with the 50mm 10 meters away, you need to stand 11 meters with the 55mm then the DOF is 1.91 m vs 2.28 m
04-08-2012, 01:09 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote
[ad-hominems deleted]

Mostly because f/1.2s and f/1.4s can just do stuff that f/1.7s and f/1.8s can't, and not just with hyper-thin DOF. Also because f/1.2s are kewl...
[ad hominem deletions retained]

So then f/0.95s are then kewl-er?

Besides, my Sigma 150-500mm can just do stuff that any 50mm can't, but I was responding to Clavius and his "portrait" situation. It's a choice if you want to "do" those things (like keep a camera at ISO 400 in a dark bar and "bokeh" any features to a soft blur, etc.).
04-08-2012, 01:17 PM   #10
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I think Calvius's suggestion to visit https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/lens-clubs/74819-post-your-1-2-photos-1-2-only.html is excellent. I did and had a different reaction. A Cosina 55/1.2 had arrived by the time I was a few pages in, the K50/1.2 took longer to find. I bought it to use and would only consider selling it for an insanely large sum of money.

QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote
Hmmm, has anyone done a side-by-side test of any Pentax 50/1.2 and the DA*55/1.4?
That would be interesting indeed! The ST 55/1.8 is the sweet steal of lenses, so much for so little.
04-08-2012, 01:28 PM   #11
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04-08-2012, 02:15 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Anvh Quote
Not if you want the same framing, so if you stand with the 50mm 10 meters away, you need to stand 11 meters with the 55mm then the DOF is 1.91 m vs 2.28 m
For the same framing with different focal lengths, yes of course we must change lens-subject distance -- and greater distance alone thickens DOF. So distance is an extra variable here. If we manipulate enough variables, we can get whatever results we want. If we want the same perspective, we don't move, and DOFs are as I stated.
04-08-2012, 02:18 PM   #13
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For me, am not thinking portraits, I will use for available light. With the 1.2 v 1.4 v 1.7 the prices vary greatly bewteen them.

If I can't get the shot wide open with 1.4 or 1.7 will 1.2 do it? (I don't think so?) But I never shot with a 1.2, so don't know.

Asking prices on ebay near $500 for a 1.2. For me it has to be beyond cool and must be very functional for that kind of $$.
04-08-2012, 03:28 PM   #14
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I don't have the 50 f1.2, but I have heard (often) that the f1.2 is actually superb when closed down a lot (f/8-/11) and is rather poor wide open (i.e., compared to f/1.4 and f/1.7 50's--of course ignoring the range where they can go!).

Since no one in this thread mentioned the stopped down performance I thought I would.
04-08-2012, 03:37 PM   #15
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Sorry, I meant where they "cannot" go--namely < f/1.4 or <f/1.7 respectively.
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