[Docrwm]

In post 71, I said that it is unclear if they are much more rounded than the FA 50/1.4. There was a big difference in the blades of the D FA 100 and the 100 WR lens regarding rounded blades. Of course the 1.4 also has 8 blades.

As more 50/1.8's get into Pentaxian's hand we'll get more specific information and see its performance across settings, but I think that at this stage my position is - so far, so good.

[top-quark]

'f8 and be there'?

I'm not a big fan of the plan but a lot of people purchasing DSLR's don't know what aperture is.

Whoa! I dare say there are plenty of people who don't really know what anti-lock brakes are. Doesn't mean they don't want them in their cars.

I'm certain that there would have been a time for all of us when we didn't know what aperture was. For me, that wasn't too long ago. The point of a DSLR, a MILC or even a decent compact is that you can learn and grow with it.

Besides this, a fixed aperture lens would be a f*cking terrible idea. Think about what sort of pictures people would be taking:

• In the restaurant with friends. WTF? That looks like crap.
• Their child's birthday party. WTF? That looks like crap.
• Their child's school sports day. WTF? That looks like crap.

How bad do we want Pentax's reputation to be?

Here's a better idea: ship the camera with something slightly less underachieving than your standard F3.5-5.6, to-be-replaced-just-as-soon-as-you've-got-the-money zoom. The 17-70 F4 might do the trick. And then include, in the box, a little glossy book with beautiful photos taken by pros under various conditions together with step-by-step instructions as to how you can get exactly the same results with nothing more than the exact camera and lens you've just forked out for.

[lytrytyr]

Think about what sort of pictures people would be taking:

• In the restaurant with friends. WTF? That looks like crap.
• Their child's birthday party. WTF? That looks like crap.
• Their child's school sports day. WTF? That looks like crap.

Recently, a friend sent me some pictures taken with an entry-level Canon DSLR.
Even though its lens did have a variable aperture,
my reaction to the IQ was pretty much like you describe.

[aurele]

Recently, a friend sent me some pictures taken with an entry-level Canon DSLR.
Even though its lens did have a variable aperture,
my reaction to the IQ was pretty much like you describe.

Canon kit lenses are not exactly known for their optical qualities. In fact, the 17-85 has the reputation of being probably the worst kit lens on the market.