[Pentax1000]

Hi.

I will be travelling soon and I will get two cameras, a DLSR and a film one (Pentax SFX).

For the SFX I will carry two lenses, one of them will be a prime 50mm, the other will be a zoom or a prime wide angle.

But I have two 50mm and I'm unsure which one to use. Since I don't have any Pentax K DSLR body, I cannot test them, without using film. So I need your opinions about them.

The lenses are Zenit Zenitar 50mm f/2 and SMC Pentax 50mm f/2.

On one hand, the Zenitar is in perfect condition both the body and the crystal elements, but the focusing ring is worst than the SMC. It is a bit stiff and the travelling distance is much shorter than the SMC, so focusing sometimes is not as precise as I would like. Also, the DOF scale is not as precise as with the SMC.
On the other hand, the SMC has some quite noticeable dust specks in the inner elements and the front element has some thin fungus hairs (very thin and hard to spot at first sight). Through the viewfinder, the IQ seems as good as with the Zenit, but I don't know how the real image will look like. The focusing ring is great, very smooth, with a long travelling distance and great DOF scale.


So, which one will you use, and why? And, if they were brand new, which one is supposed to deliver better IQ/bokeh/sharpness/...?


Thanks for your opinions. Have a nice week.

[marcusBMG]

Move fast and get a SMC-A 50mm 1.7. Typically 20-30 quid on ebay. Better IQ and faster than both of those and convenience of automatic aperture priority Av edit ok your dslr isn't pentax so -A is not important.
here's one: 151615514186

[Dlanor Sekao]

Move fast and get a SMC-A 50mm 1.7. Typically 20-30 quid on ebay. Better IQ and faster than both of those and convenience of automatic aperture priority Av edit ok your dslr isn't pentax so -A is not important.
here's one: 151615514186

I agree completely. Just DO IT !

[redcat]

oh dear, why not get a good 50mm, it's not that expensive (30$ on ebay) for a decent 50mm ^^

---------- Post added 03-16-15 at 04:07 PM ----------

Move fast and get a SMC-A 50mm 1.7. Typically 20-30 quid on ebay. Better IQ and faster than both of those and convenience of automatic aperture priority Av edit ok your dslr isn't pentax so -A is not important.
here's one: 151615514186

agree 100% !

[MPrince]

The dust specks should have no impact on IQ. You can kill the fungus by exposing it to UV light for a few hours. But I agree with the other posters, you can easily pick up a fast fifty in excellent condition at an attractive price.