[pakinjapan]

I am asking this because I am about to get a 50 lens this weekend (my first 50). I already have my choice but I want to know what another people take is.

I will get the (perhaps) sharpest 50 Pentax ever made, FA50 macro f2.8.

I has been thinking about get a K50 1.2 or A50 f1.4 before but the K50 price is almost 3 times higher than the FA50/2.8 and I don’t really want to pay that much. as for A50, well, I don’t know. It looks nice, and I am sure it is a very nice lens. But the price is the same as FA50 macro and I just want the sharpest lens possible.
Surprisingly, I can see more of K and A 50 f1.2 show up in Japan second hand market than FA50 macro, so it is no hurry here. I might get one in future.

So what is your 50mm when go for city-scapes / landscapes type of shooting & why?

I still have a day to change my mind.

---

Last edited by pakinjapan; 09-01-2016 at 08:25 PM.

[jatrax]

Debating the benefits of Pentax 50mm lenses is just splitting hairs. There is no bad choice.

I like Pentax A 50mm f/1.4 for portraits. Pentax A 50mm f/1.7 for flat work. Pentax A 50mm f/2.8 macro for fine work. Pentax F 50mm f/2.8 macro for best sharpness.

[disasterfilm]

An A or K 50 f/1.2 is way, way overkill for landscapes/cityscapes. The facets of that lens that make it crazy expensive aren't the things that you need for that type of photography.

if you want autofocus, the FA50 macro is hard to beat. For $175-200, the FA 50 f/1.7 is a charmer (and my personal choice). For $125-150, the F 50 f/1.7 is very solid. Below $100, look for the DA50 f/1.8. If you're shooting the DA on a K-1, the extreme corners will be blacked out even when stopped down (this also prohibits extensive use of the composition-adjust shift, which I use a bunch in cityscapes). Below $100 needing full frame coverage, the A 50 f/1.4... but you knew that already. It's extremely solid, just without AF.

[stevebrot]

I don't generally use a 50mm for cityscapes on APS-C...too long. On 35mm FF, it is an acceptable focal length though 35mm focal length works better. I own a ton of fast 50s and when shooting film on a K-mount SLR, the M 50/1.7 and K 55/1.8 are my go-to walk-around lenses. Likewise 50mm works OK for many landscapes on 35mm FF, though it is good to also have a 28mm in the bag.


Steve

[Kerrowdown]

Most 50s when stopped down to F8 ish plus for landscapes work pretty well, but you may wish to consider something a tad wider for this genre of photography.

[civiletti]

I don't generally use a 50mm for cityscapes on APS-C...too long. On 35mm FF, it is an acceptable focal length though 35mm focal length works better. I own a ton of fast 50s and when shooting film on a K-mount SLR, the M 50/1.7 and K 55/1.8 are my go-to walk-around lenses. Likewise 50mm works OK for many landscapes on 35mm FF, though it is good to also have a 28mm in the bag.


Steve

50mm would no be my choice for landscape on APS-C if I carried only one lens, but ~10-20% of my exposures will be at 50mm. It is not unusual for me to use the DA70 on landscapes. Longer lenses get less use.

---------- Post added 09-02-16 at 12:35 AM ----------

I am asking this because I am about to get a 50 lens this weekend (my first 50). I already have my choice but I want to know what another people take is.

I will get the (perhaps) sharpest 50 Pentax ever made, FA50 macro f2.8.

I has been thinking about get a K50 1.2 or A50 f1.4 before but the K50 price is almost 3 times higher than the FA50/2.8 and I don’t really want to pay that much. as for A50, well, I don’t know. It looks nice, and I am sure it is a very nice lens. But the price is the same as FA50 macro and I just want the sharpest lens possible.
Surprisingly, I can see more of K and A 50 f1.2 show up in Japan second hand market than FA50 macro, so it is no hurry here. I might get one in future.

So what is your 50mm when go for city-scapes / landscapes type of shooting & why?

I still have a day to change my mind.

Do you shoot landscapes wide open? If not, f1.2 is probably not worthwhile.

Do you autofocus landscapes? If not, the A50/2.8 has extremely high resolution, is built well, and costs less than the FA version.

[pepperberry farm]

when I think of 50mm lenses, I always think of the K55/2 that I own and how nicely it renders...everything...

[CreationBear]

I always think of the K55/2 that I own and how nicely it renders...everything...

+1 on the K55's being great values (I have the optically identical K55/1.8.) Sharp everywhere, with really unique rendering up close...as a "flower lens" I like it as much as my A50/2.8 macro.

[northcoastgreg]

While I certainly wouldn't recommend purchasing a K or A 50 f1.2 lens primarily for landscape use, that doesn't mean it can't do well in that type of photography. On (admittedly rare) occasions, I have made use of my K 50 1.2 for landscapes:





However, nowadays, if I decided I wanted to try my hand at 50mm landscapes (it's a challenging focal length for 'scapes on an APS-C cameras) I'd more likely reach for my A 50 f2.8:



One reason why the slower aperture 50mm lenses tend to be better suited for landscapes than the f1.2 50s is that the former lenses tend to have a bit more contrast.

[lsimpkins]

I am asking this because I am about to get a 50 lens this weekend (my first 50). I already have my choice but I want to know what another people take is.

I will get the (perhaps) sharpest 50 Pentax ever made, FA50 macro f2.8.

I has been thinking about get a K50 1.2 or A50 f1.4 before but the K50 price is almost 3 times higher than the FA50/2.8 and I don’t really want to pay that much. as for A50, well, I don’t know. It looks nice, and I am sure it is a very nice lens. But the price is the same as FA50 macro and I just want the sharpest lens possible.
Surprisingly, I can see more of K and A 50 f1.2 show up in Japan second hand market than FA50 macro, so it is no hurry here. I might get one in future.

So what is your 50mm when go for city-scapes / landscapes type of shooting & why?

I still have a day to change my mind.

When I think of landscape photography, or pictures in tight quarters such as city streets, I think more in the range of 24mm-35mm on full frame, or their crop sensor equivalents (16-24). About the only time I used my 55mm 1.8 or later K50 1.4 for a landscape was when that was all I had.

[Dlanor Sekao]

Ricoh Rikenon XR 50mm 1.7 , Ricoh Rikenon 50mm 2.0 , SMCK Pentax 55mm 1.8................Those are my top 3.

[lytrytyr]

My favorite Pentax 50mm for landscapes is the M50/1.4.

Compared to other 50mm/1.4 designs,
the flatter cemented join optimizes it for sharpness at infinity.

Macro lenses tend to be optimized for shorter distances.
As one esteemed reviewer wrote here about the FA 50/2.8:
"Lastly, the IQ of the FA50 is very good at Macro and close distance and 'good' at portraits/walkarounds/street/landscapes."

SMC Pentax-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro Reviews - FA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

[GateCityRadio]

DA50 on a K200D, I believe at F11

[pakinjapan]

Thank you all for the ideas and recommendation. many interesting lenses suggested up there.

I went to the store yesterday, and they only have A50/1.2, K50/1.2, A50/1.4, FA50/1.4 and FA50/2.8 macro in store. I finally get the f2.5 macro. I am impressed what DFA100wr did for my landscape shooting, and that is one of the main reason I get the 2.8 macro. I went for a few test shot around Shinjuku with the new lens. I feel like, it is...sharper than dfa 100 wr in a similar shooting environment?!!! that's crazy.
and it is very cheap too. below is one of the first shot I took after I got the lens.



thank you all again for the ideas and comments.

[stevebrot]

I went to the store yesterday, and they only have A50/1.2, K50/1.2, A50/1.4, FA50/1.4 and FA50/2.8 macro in store.

Dang! I want your store!!!


Steve