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02-04-2014, 11:48 AM - 1 Like   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tanzer Quote
I'd have to agree with aurele here. The images I've seen from the DA*55 are so sharp, I can't see how they could be any sharper, or what difference it would make.

Some folks (including some of my family members ) have complained that this lens is perhaps too sharp for a portrait lens.
I can say that my DA*55 is about the same as my Sigma 50 F1.4, and I've had half body portraits at F1.8 and F2 on my Sigma 50 F1.4 where the pores were so clear that I had to spend time smoothing them away. And from what I've seen, the older Sigma 50 F1.4 was on par with or outperformed practically all other 50mms except for the new Zeiss Otus.

DA*55 F1.4 @ F1.4

Full size image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/11429762316_4a7bddaed0_o.jpg

02-04-2014, 12:02 PM - 1 Like   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tanzer Quote
I'd have to agree with aurele here. The images I've seen from the DA*55 are so sharp, I can't see how they could be any sharper, or what difference it would make.

Some folks (including some of my family members ) have complained that this lens is perhaps too sharp for a portrait lens.
and let's be honest, once stop down a bit to F4, or so, every modern lenses are equally sharp to my eyes.

Find a lens with a nice bokeh, nice color rendition too (it will save hours of post processing).

You don't need to have big expensive glass to be a happy shooter.
More than that, when lenses are too cumbersome you shoot less.
When lenses are expensive, you take much more time taking care of it, than using it. You are too afraid of damaging it.
I take my plastic fantastic 35/2.4 in the worst place because it's damn good and only cost 100 bucks to replace. Would i do it with a 1000$ lens, of course not
02-04-2014, 03:23 PM   #18
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I've once tried an older non-Pentax lens that had such a bad color cast, that I decided to give it back, I could just not shoot with it. I know I could fix it in post, but just didn't want to deal with that. That is one reason I stick with Pentax lenses for the most part, their colors in my experience are always consistent (or at least consistently good).

I think my 18-55 WR might be one exception to the f/4 rule. I've found that mine is still getting better at f/5.6 and narrower.
02-04-2014, 03:25 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tanzer Quote
I've once tried an older non-Pentax lens that had such a bad color cast, that I decided to give it back, I could just not shoot with it. I know I could fix it in post, but just didn't want to deal with that. That is one reason I stick with Pentax lenses for the most part, their colors in my experience are always consistent (or at least consistently good).

I think my 18-55 WR might be one exception to the f/4 rule. I've found that mine is still getting better at f/5.6 and narrower.
Well in consideration your 18-55WR only has F4 at 18mm to about 30mm, it's not entirely the best lens for that rule

02-04-2014, 03:54 PM   #20
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Hmm, I guess that could have something to do with it.
02-04-2014, 04:15 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
It would be interesting to see a head-to-head comparison with the Pentax-K 55/1.8 on the A7.


Steve
I don't think there is a FE55 at the store here yet, but I am going to pit my FA35 vs the FE35 there (likely this weekend)

AFAIK from my SMC Tak 55/1.8, its still a 'classic' 50mm in the sense that its sharp enough in the center wide open, but not sharper than the modern optics (based off my experience with those like the m4/3 lenses)

I must add that being sharper does not mean much at all in most real world shots.
Once it gets past the point of being 'not sharp', its just the picts that counts to me.



QuoteOriginally posted by aurele Quote
Honestly, i've made some picture with the DA*55/1.4, wide open, on film (ilford Delta 3200).

The level of details is truly amazing, eyes sharp, all the crisp details of the iris are visible distincly (i did a 30*40 print of it, and the outcome was truely amazing).

I honestly don't imagine how a fast lens can be sharper.

1,000$ for a normal lens, even razor sharp, is too expensive to my eyes. Is it that much better than a 250$ 50/1.8, i guess probably not.
And even so, could you even notice it ? and would your prints really allow you to enjoy this expensive gain ?

The FE55 is sharp even on the edges wide open and that amounts to some of the good scores.
Its resolution/design is also catered for the 36mp sensor and what higher mp camera that comes out as the 'future' of cameras.

But sharp enough to the eye is sharp enough.
There is much more to a lens that sharpness.
A lot of these 'ego apes' who hail the new Otus and FE55 as the 'greatest lenses' don't take the lens out of their house where they do do 'test shots'
Once outside, carried for a day or week on a tour with a bag of similar sized lenses, they start to hail m4/3 or X-series as the 'game changer'
02-04-2014, 07:00 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by aurele Quote
and let's be honest, once stop down a bit to F4, or so, every modern lenses are equally sharp to my eyes.

Find a lens with a nice bokeh, nice color rendition too (it will save hours of post processing).

You don't need to have big expensive glass to be a happy shooter.
More than that, when lenses are too cumbersome you shoot less.
When lenses are expensive, you take much more time taking care of it, than using it. You are too afraid of damaging it.
I take my plastic fantastic 35/2.4 in the worst place because it's damn good and only cost 100 bucks to replace. Would i do it with a 1000$ lens, of course not
the owner of Da560 5.6 will cry :-)

02-04-2014, 11:41 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
I really like the DA *55, but I have no idea how it compares to the Sony FE. Probably a better portrait lens, but I use mine plenty for landscape and stopped down it is quite nice.
Is it just me or do all these new 50~58 lenses seem like the "Gourmet Cheeseburgers" of photography gear.
02-05-2014, 02:59 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by pinholecam Quote
I don't think there is a FE55 at the store here yet, but I am going to pit my FA35 vs the FE35 there (likely this weekend)

AFAIK from my SMC Tak 55/1.8, its still a 'classic' 50mm in the sense that its sharp enough in the center wide open, but not sharper than the modern optics (based off my experience with those like the m4/3 lenses)

I must add that being sharper does not mean much at all in most real world shots.
Once it gets past the point of being 'not sharp', its just the picts that counts to me.






The FE55 is sharp even on the edges wide open and that amounts to some of the good scores.
Its resolution/design is also catered for the 36mp sensor and what higher mp camera that comes out as the 'future' of cameras.

But sharp enough to the eye is sharp enough.
There is much more to a lens that sharpness.
A lot of these 'ego apes' who hail the new Otus and FE55 as the 'greatest lenses' don't take the lens out of their house where they do do 'test shots'
Once outside, carried for a day or week on a tour with a bag of similar sized lenses, they start to hail m4/3 or X-series as the 'game changer'
*applaud* Truly agree!
02-05-2014, 04:06 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by mikemike Quote
Is it just me or do all these new 50~58 lenses seem like the "Gourmet Cheeseburgers" of photography gear.
I am a big fan of the 55mm focal length on APS-C, not so much on full frame.
02-05-2014, 05:00 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by pinholecam Quote
But sharp enough to the eye is sharp enough.
There is much more to a lens that sharpness.
A lot of these 'ego apes' who hail the new Otus and FE55 as the 'greatest lenses' don't take the lens out of their house where they do do 'test shots'
Once outside, carried for a day or week on a tour with a bag of similar sized lenses, they start to hail m4/3 or X-series as the 'game changer'
So photographers that prefer the utmost best optical performance despite the possible added weight and size are "ego apes"? That's a bold statement, as it just about insults almost each and every hobby or pro photographer that visits this forum. Each Pentaxian here decided sharpness is important enough to warrant lugging around a big fat DSLR or any other non-pocketable system camera over a compact or smartphone. Oh wow, what you must think of the ultra ego cavemen that carry tripods everywhere they shoot? Those must be the worst kind then?
02-05-2014, 06:01 AM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
I am a big fan of the 55mm focal length on APS-C, not so much on full frame.
I am just saying that 50 mm is famous for being the sweet spot where you can have a lens that is:
good, fast, and cheap (50 mm 1.8 made of plastic)
better, faster, and not cheap (50 mm 1.4 with some metal)
better, fastest, and expensive (50 mm 1.2)

Now they are trying to offer a best, fast, and super expensive option. I just don't think it is going to succeed well in the market.
02-05-2014, 06:30 AM   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by Clavius Quote
So photographers that prefer the utmost best optical performance despite the possible added weight and size are "ego apes"? That's a bold statement, as it just about insults almost each and every hobby or pro photographer that visits this forum. Each Pentaxian here decided sharpness is important enough to warrant lugging around a big fat DSLR or any other non-pocketable system camera over a compact or smartphone. Oh wow, what you must think of the ultra ego cavemen that carry tripods everywhere they shoot? Those must be the worst kind then?
Haa... ha..
I insulted you perhaps with your always OTT claims, Pentax hate and shix stiring here (and 0 credibility to me that you claim to own this camera and that)

Sharpness what? f1.8 up to the edges (how often is that important) or f5.6, f8, f11 where its pretty irrelevant which lens is which.
02-05-2014, 07:29 AM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by pinholecam Quote
Haa... ha..
I insulted you perhaps with your always OTT claims, Pentax hate and shix stiring here (and 0 credibility to me that you claim to own this camera and that)
Sharpness what? f1.8 up to the edges (how often is that important) or f5.6, f8, f11 where its pretty irrelevant which lens is which.
How often that is important is up to the photographer, his wallet, what he tries to accomplish, his subject and what not. Apparently it's important enough for manufacturers to see it as profitable to market such sharp lenses. I'll leave out a snarky comment about how those same lens manufacturers regard the viability to market K-mount lenses in comparison, for your sake.
02-05-2014, 07:31 AM   #30
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This fixation on sharpness everywhere at every aperture is beginning to piss me off. Most zooms are like that and give sterile returns in my opinion.

For sure the Sony looks great, pricing excepted when being tested on a chart . And I will assume that everybody understands that the camera is performing in body lens corrections to mask any little design flaws such as CAs and accentuate various aspects such as sharpness and contrast?
Forget about the f&*(ing charts and point your lens as a live subject :-), anyone of my current lens set would be demolished by the Sony if I rate them by sharpness across the frame but I don't and that is why I have lenses that work for me and my subjects on an emotional / analog level.

This sharpness fixation is beginning to resemble the developed on the Nurburgring phase that car manufacturers in Europe and Japan went through, to the extent that no car has the ride / comfort level that we enjoyed 20 years ago. In wet conditions without computers, they are probably less capable but the boy racers in the car magazines demanded less understeer in track testing. So now every car it seems is over wheeled and fitted with low profile tires that tell you about every ripple in the road surface.

A bit like how this Sony will capture every single defect and flaw of a face you point it at .

PS, looking at this Sony, too me it looks too expensive, too big, too heavy and too slow if I compare it to my 50s (A50 f/1.2 & DA*55 f/1.4). Still each to his / her own and good luck with your shots if you are considering one.

Last edited by robbiec; 02-05-2014 at 07:38 AM.
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