Please post comparisons images between the 18-55mm kit lens, SMC A 1.7 and 2.0 50mm.

Mikhail · 02-07-2008, 07:02 PM

Originally posted by shaolin95

Very interesting comparison....at 5.6 I see the M looks sharper than the Kit but what surprised me is that at 1.7 the M looks soft and not only on the left but also the right side...maybe its just me though.
Thanks a lot for this btw. :-)

No it is very soft wide open. But it peaks only 2-3 stops down so its not too bad. I always try and shoot at 2.8-5.6 when possible and only use F1.7 when in low light.

Thanks

tux08902 · 02-07-2008, 07:05 PM

In those pictures, the M 50/1.7 is definitely much sharper at equivalent apertures than the DA 18-55/3.5-5.6. Wide open, the M 50/1.7 is soft, quite soft, but it sharpens up nicely as you stop down.

creampuff · 02-07-2008, 07:16 PM

My conclusion from the test shots:

The M 50 f/1.7 may be a tad sharper but this is to be expected as at f/5.6 the prime lens is well stopped down compared to the slower kit lens. At f/22, I prefer the image from the DA better. Overall the colour rendition is better on the DA kit, the prime seems to have more CA than the DA kit lens and has a cooler tone, a characteristic I find in all M lenses used on digital.

shaolin95 · 02-07-2008, 07:32 PM

I cant really tell the CA from the small pics and I am not home to donwload and zoom...what I can tell is the M looks sharper most of the time but the softness at 1.7 makes me wonder if I should just get the the 2.0 which is cheaper and should still beat, I supposed, the kit lens at similar stops....does that sound logical? Is the 2.0 as soft as the 1.7 when wide open?

creampuff · 02-07-2008, 07:41 PM

I had both versions of the A 50mm. The differences aren't too significant so I wouldn't worry too much on the difference between f/1.7 and f/2. As a prime lens, it will give sharper images and better contrast than most zooms. Just get the A version as it is more convenient to use.

Mikhail · 02-08-2008, 05:41 PM

Well here are the rest of the F-stops available on my Pentax-M F1.7 between F1.7-5.6

F1.7

F2.5

F2.8

F3.4

F4

F4.7

F5.6

And I added the F1.7 and F5.6 from an earlier post for comparison.

Thanks

*100% crops, standard LR sharpening from RAW, exported as jpegs, 100% compression, ie. max quality.*

maxwell1295 · 02-10-2008, 07:39 PM

I don't think the DA catches up until they hit f22. Before that, the A50/1.7 was clearly sharper. It's a little soft wide open, but the shallow DOF has a lot to do with that too.

I have a A50mm/1.7 and a A35-70mm/3.5-4.5 that have pretty much relegated the kit lens to shelf duty. It's a great lens for landscapes when you can step it down, but outside of that I don't have much use for it. It's not a bad lens, but the A35-70 is a great lens that has a lot more usable range for me.

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02-07-2008, 07:02 PM	#16
Mikhail Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: York Region, ON Posts: 277	Originally posted by shaolin95 Very interesting comparison....at 5.6 I see the M looks sharper than the Kit but what surprised me is that at 1.7 the M looks soft and not only on the left but also the right side...maybe its just me though. Thanks a lot for this btw. :-) No it is very soft wide open. But it peaks only 2-3 stops down so its not too bad. I always try and shoot at 2.8-5.6 when possible and only use F1.7 when in low light. Thanks

02-07-2008, 07:05 PM	#17
tux08902 Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Brunswick, NJ Posts: 473	In those pictures, the M 50/1.7 is definitely much sharper at equivalent apertures than the DA 18-55/3.5-5.6. Wide open, the M 50/1.7 is soft, quite soft, but it sharpens up nicely as you stop down.

02-07-2008, 07:16 PM	#18
creampuff Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,953	My conclusion from the test shots: The M 50 f/1.7 may be a tad sharper but this is to be expected as at f/5.6 the prime lens is well stopped down compared to the slower kit lens. At f/22, I prefer the image from the DA better. Overall the colour rendition is better on the DA kit, the prime seems to have more CA than the DA kit lens and has a cooler tone, a characteristic I find in all M lenses used on digital.

02-07-2008, 07:32 PM	#19
shaolin95 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 201 Original Poster	I cant really tell the CA from the small pics and I am not home to donwload and zoom...what I can tell is the M looks sharper most of the time but the softness at 1.7 makes me wonder if I should just get the the 2.0 which is cheaper and should still beat, I supposed, the kit lens at similar stops....does that sound logical? Is the 2.0 as soft as the 1.7 when wide open?

02-07-2008, 07:41 PM	#20
creampuff Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,953	I had both versions of the A 50mm. The differences aren't too significant so I wouldn't worry too much on the difference between f/1.7 and f/2. As a prime lens, it will give sharper images and better contrast than most zooms. Just get the A version as it is more convenient to use.

02-08-2008, 05:41 PM	#21
Mikhail Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: York Region, ON Posts: 277	Well here are the rest of the F-stops available on my Pentax-M F1.7 between F1.7-5.6 F1.7 F2.5 F2.8 F3.4 F4 F4.7 F5.6 And I added the F1.7 and F5.6 from an earlier post for comparison. Thanks 100% crops, standard LR sharpening from RAW, exported as jpegs, 100% compression, ie. max quality.

02-10-2008, 07:39 PM	#22
maxwell1295 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Long Island, New York Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,703	I don't think the DA catches up until they hit f22. Before that, the A50/1.7 was clearly sharper. It's a little soft wide open, but the shallow DOF has a lot to do with that too. I have a A50mm/1.7 and a A35-70mm/3.5-4.5 that have pretty much relegated the kit lens to shelf duty. It's a great lens for landscapes when you can step it down, but outside of that I don't have much use for it. It's not a bad lens, but the A35-70 is a great lens that has a lot more usable range for me.