[todd]

I don't get the pricing of the 50/1.4 when it was about $200 when it first came out.

Yeah it was my first prime in 2008 and I got it new at that price (actually $189). The crazy prices these days is why I've bought most of my lenses used. I've been fortunate to get good copies and have no regrets about going used. If I'd purchased the three amigos new, I probably would have spent close to double what I ended up spending... (well maybe not double... I don't really know, but it would have been a lot more)...

[iamwhoiam]

I've never bought a used lens so I'm a little leery about doing that. KEH has a few PENTAX 50MM F/1.4 SMC FA: LN- rated one and EX+ no caps listed for $248 and $228 and EX with caps for 208. Refurbed one $299. There are no photos of the lenses.

I think that knowing the original price of the lens was so much less at one time puts me off a bit from buying it.

---------- Post added 09-18-14 at 08:27 PM ----------

I'd go for the DA* 55mm (I love mine!) or stretch a bit and get the 77mm Limited

The 77 is a stretch for me money wise.

[6BQ5]

Just be sure that whatever used lens you buy has an option to be returned for a refund. Most eBay sellers will offer a 14 return period. I have only had two experiences where a PF member here did not initially offer a return period but it was easily obtained by emailing them (I kept the lenses). A reputable store like KEH will also offer a return period. Sure, there's a risk something could be wrong with the lens but you have a way out, even if you end up having to pay return shipping costs. Try again with another copy/seller. You'll still be ahead price wise compared to buying new. Time will be lost but at least you'll know what a bad lens looks like then. It's an experience.

[todd]

KEH

Haven't used them but wouldn't hesitate to... keh-com-best-best

[zbrueningsen]

Think about it this way - the FA 50 has been around a long time. Some of those lenses are quite old sold on KEH and they are still working just fine. Almost all my lenses I buy are used. I have bought 3 lenses new, but I only have one of them. KEH is a great store and rate their glass very conservatively. You won't be wrong if you buy from them.

[iamwhoiam]

Thanks for the KEH input. I may buy an FA 50/1.4 from them, but I am looking at some of the 50mm A, M and other lettered lenses. What's the difference? What would be the best version to go for? I am going to buy a new 43/1.9 from Adorama. I don't have any limiteds and comparing prices of new and used the new price at Adorama right now is great, at least as far as I can tell. The reviews are very good and I like the photos I have seen. If I don't like it I can always sell it at a good price. I am assuming there's a big difference between the 40 xs and the 43/1.9 not just in build but also in image quality and ability to focus.

I also checked out shopgoodwill. I had no idea that they had online shopping and saw some very cheap lenses and lens sets and am considering giving that a try. The prices seem very low so might be worth doing that. Saw some 50 1.4s and 50 1.7s but would like to know, again, what the difference is as per the lettering.

[zbrueningsen]

F, fa, dfa, and da are all autofocus. The A series are manual focus with controllable aperture on the body. M and K are manual aperture and focus.

As far as buying the FA 43 vs DA*55 I think the $650 New price of the 55 is better than the FA 43's 500 deal. The da* is superior in every way, rendering, microcontrast, colors, skin tones, and much sharper til f/2.8-4. It is weather sealed and a lot more accurate focus (on my k5, k5ii, and k30). I think the FA 43 is lighter, much sleeker, and had a higher resolving power at higher apertures. Wide open, it is soft compared to the da*55. It improves drastically by 2.0 (not much of a change). The da*55 is the best lens I own - but the majority of my shots are portraits and that is the 55's niche. The 43 is more story telling lens. Later today I will post some pics I have done with all of them.

---------- Post added 09-19-14 at 11:15 AM ----------

I just wish the 55 was smaller :-)

[iamwhoiam]

---------- Post added 09-19-14 at 11:15 AM ----------

[/COLOR]I just wish the 55 was smaller :-)

The only portraits I generally take are of non-humans. I need something that will focus fairly fast and accurately and I have read several reviews stating that the 55 has focus problems. What are your opinions regarding the speed and accuracy of the AF? I take a lot of photos of my birds and they don't generally stay still very long. I've missed many shots because I've fiddled too long with MF or the AF was too slow. Sometimes I'm lucky because they like to stare at the camera/lens (have to be quick because some of them try to tap on the lens) and they don't move but that is rarely the case. Also I take photos of birds in the wild but for that I have my 55-300 Pentax and my 100-300 Panasonic for my G3 (have been very happy with this combination). Take lots of flower/plant photos as well as macro. My human photos are generally candid, street photography....like to be fast and discrete with this as much as possible.

[todd]

I can't speak to DA55 but I sure love me some FA43 (and I'm sure you've read plenty of those reviews too from what you've written) and find it to be plenty fast to focus (with K-5) and discreet and great for street stuff (and will only get better for all purposes when our FF arrives)... From the (plenty of) images I've seen made through the DA55, I don't think it's rendering is better than FA43 at all, but it's definitely in the same league, and considering the buzz on the board here of late, it's worth mentioning that it's reported to be FF coverage as well...

[Ben_Edict]

Thanks for the KEH input. I may buy an FA 50/1.4 from them, but I am looking at some of the 50mm A, M and other lettered lenses. What's the difference? What would be the best version to go for? I am going to buy a new 43/1.9 from Adorama. I don't have any limiteds and comparing prices of new and used the new price at Adorama right now is great, at least as far as I can tell. The reviews are very good and I like the photos I have seen. If I don't like it I can always sell it at a good price. I am assuming there's a big difference between the 40 xs and the 43/1.9 not just in build but also in image quality and ability to focus.

I have been using the M 50/1.4, the A 50/1.4 and A 50/1.2 and the FA 50/1.4 and the FA 43/1.9, indeed I have the all sitting in my cupboard and some slower 50s on top. The M50 is the least desirable of the bunch. The FA keeps the lens formula of the A-series with added AF. So whether you buy an A or the FA is more a personal decision, than a question of image quality. I like the FA very much, because it's compact and lightweight. The 1.2 is much heavier and so I leave it behind much more often, than the FA.

And size and weight is a more decisive factor, than I thought in the past. I would never buy the DA 55 for its sheer bulk alone. The FA is somewhat soft wide open, as was any other lens with such a fast max. aperture at that time (with a few noteable and very expensive exceptions). The Nikons did not do better in any respect. And then there is a lot of misconceptcion around about the perceived lack of contrast wide open. Most of the exapmle images I have seen, where people complained about lack of contrast, were simply not in focus or the user did not realize how shallow the DOF is at 1.4. And as you can see with many other fast lenses, contrast will degrade massively, outside the focus plane.

So I would not hesitate to recommend the FA 50/1.4, if you need a fast and still affordable lens. For your birds it is probably more useful than the 43mm, because of the longer focal length and because its nearly an f-stop faster. Your image quality limiting factor will in all probability not be the lack of contrast, buth the shaloow DOF, when used wide open. And you will soon realize, that you need to stop down to f/4 to get good photographs of your bird, in which case the FA performs perfectly.

Ben

[iamwhoiam]

I am able to take good photos with my 35/2.4, although it is very difficult to even get the K-01 to focus in dim light. I took this one very quickly hand held, no flash, with the 35/2.4 but had to manually focus because the AF kept searching. Jaden, my dusky conure, would only stop moving momentarily so this made it even more difficult. Is the FA 50/1.4 truly better for these types of photos? Prefer to take photos with him & other birds out of the cage but dogs are running around now so not a good idea.

I am still probably going to get the 43/1.9 but then order a used 50 from KEH since I feel that the FA 50 has now been overpriced by Ricoh. Since I have never ordered used, would you recommend getting the lens with the caps included or just the lens and then ordering caps elsewhere. The LN one is $248, no caps and there is an EX one $208 with caps. Also are there different versions of these? Can I adapt any of my old Minolta film lenses to my Pentax cameras? Never thought of doing that but it might be interesting.

[todd]

That's one attractive conure! My daughter has a more standard variety conure, shot taken with FA31 here...


I have the 35/f2.4 as well and think it would be fine for these type of captures (it also focuses closer), as well as any of the mentioned lenses, and don't think the FA50 will be necessarily better for AF, depending on how you're shooting, but obviously faster so lower ISO.. Any camera with any lens can struggle with focus when shooting low light at/through cages (etc) when there are a lot of contrast points to decide from. Did you have a specific AF point selected?

[zbrueningsen]

If focus speed matters take the the FA 50. I find the da 55 more accurate, but both the FA 43 and da 55 are slower than the focus speed of the FA 50. It is worth every bit of 250 used.

And sorry, the da 55's rendering is superb. It is supposedly the DA (and aps-c)clone of the FA 85. If you are doing birds the FA 50 is stellar at f/2. If I had the FA 43 and not the da 55 I might think it is better or "on par" with the da 55. I own both, and the FA 43 is excellent, but I am not as enamored with it as much as some.

The DA 55 had focus issues with the earlier Pentax AF systems. I have had excellent results with a k-x, k-5, k-30, and k5iis. Yes it is bigger but it isn't huge like people make it out to be.

For you, I would recommend a used FA 50. It was my first fast AF 50. It never let me down.

[monochrome]

The DA 55 is razor sharp, almost too sharp for female portraits. It's rendering is more modern and clinical than the FA lenses, typical of the DA line.

Think of it this way:

If you want modern rendering (IMHO emphasizes MTF in LWPH) buy the DA50/1.8.

If you want modern rendering (IMHO emphasizes MTF in LWPH) and you ahve more money buy the DA*55.

If you want a more classic rendering from the film era (my personal preference) buy the FA50/1.4.

If you want a more classic rendering from the film era (my personal preference) and you have more money buy the FA43/1.9

[iamwhoiam]

That's one attractive conure! My daughter has a more standard variety conure, shot taken with FA31 here...
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I have the 35/f2.4 as well and think it would be fine for these type of captures (it also focuses closer), as well as any of the mentioned lenses, and don't think the FA50 will be necessarily better for AF, depending on how you're shooting, but obviously faster so lower ISO.. Any camera with any lens can struggle with focus when shooting low light at/through cages (etc) when there are a lot of contrast points to decide from. Did you have a specific AF point selected?

Beautiful daughter and beautiful conure. Is that a painted conure? Duskies are somewhat plain except for their eyes which are blue-grey and surrounded by thick eye rings. Was that a 31 limited you used? That is one very nice lens and the ones I am looking at really can't compare to that for the most part. I didn't select anything for AF...I just grabbed the camera and tried to take a photo quickly. He wouldn't stay still very long and also kept sliding his beak back and forth across the bars. I am on the verge of sending the K-01 in to have it checked.