[hjoseph7]

Why is there such a huge gap between 50mm and 85mm primes ? I mean there is nothing in between unless you get a zoom. Of course there is the 70mm and 77mm but that is still a wide gap. On the lower side you have 20mm, 24mm, 31mm, 35mm, 40mm then 50mm. But on the mid-Tele side you have 50mm then 70mm, 77mm and 85mm. Why doesn't Pentax (or any other manufacturer) build something I between ?

[Na Horuk]

I think its because there is a smaller difference between telephoto lenses than with wide angle. I mean, there is a noticeable FoV difference between 14mm and 16mm. But 55mm and 58mm? Really difficult to notice, have to look for it!
The other reason is convention. It turns out that many lenses labelled 50mm are not exactly 50mm. Some are 49, others 52.. but they get labelled as 50 because that is the convention for normal lenses. 20, 24, 28, 35, 50, 55, 85, 135, 200, 300.. this is the most common lineup, developed over decades of tradition, trends, R&D, marketing. Over time, photographers accepted these numbers. There are stories why these developed. Photographers wanted a certain working distance, a certain subject separation. Some were developed because some optical designs were easy to manufacture in some focal lengths, but couldnt be used for others..

This is why the FA limiteds, 31mm, 43mm, 77mm, are considered so eccentric. They stand out!

Anyway, Between 50mm and 85mm you have the following:
DA* 55mm
FA 77mm
DA 70mm
Sigma 70mm macro,
Venus Laowa 60mm macro/enlarger
Voigtlander 58mm, Helios 44 series (44-2 and many other variants, some even in K-mount), Zeiss Biotar, Takumar 55mm and probably many other legacy lenses.

So if you want exactly 60mm, the Venus Laowa is your best bet. It has the bonus of allowing crazy magnification of 2:1! But it has manual focus and its aperture is only f2.8 (good for a macro enlarger lens! But not amazing for a classical portrait lens)

Edit: I think Fuji makes a pretty nice 60mm macro lens, if you want to switch systems

Edit 2: OOOoh, there is also a Holga 60mm in Kmount! Super cheap, too! https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/holga-hl-p-60mm-f8.html
But its a "toy lens", fixed aperture, lomo. Ive seen some good photos taken with this lens, but its... well, very special

[HarisF1]

Probably because 60mm is rather close to the 50mm and 70mm (85mm) lengths in terms of field of view. It's also the same reason that after we see the 100mm and 135mm FL, we then see 200mm with nothing in between. There simply isn't much of a difference in FoV to warrant a whole new lens with all of its R&D costs.

And besides, these FL are covered extremely well by the workhorse f/2.8 zooms from each major company.

[gabriel_bc]

Why doesn't Pentax (or any other manufacturer) build something I between ?

I assume you mean current lenses (but even there Pentax makes the DA* 55/1.4) - in the past, it was common for some "normal" 35mm primes to be 57mm (e.g. Konica) or 58mm (Minolta, if memory serves).

[UncleVanya]

35mm to 50mm is a similar percentage difference in focal length. Ignoring the da70 (apsc) and including the 85 (full frame) is a strange omission. The larger gap is from the 100mm prime to the 200mm prime.

[G.E.Zekai]

Probably because 60mm is rather close to the 50mm and 70mm (85mm) lengths in terms of field of view. It's also the same reason that after we see the 100mm and 135mm FL, we then see 200mm with nothing in between. There simply isn't much of a difference in FoV to warrant a whole new lens with all of its R&D costs.

And besides, these FL are covered extremely well by the workhorse f/2.8 zooms from each major company.

There are some 105mm and 150mm lenses as well. But very rare.


And There should be plenty of 58mm + 55mm lenses for K-Mount, which offers very similar FoV to 60mm.

[hcc]

The closest lens to 60 mm is possibly the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f1.4. While it is a FF lens, I love the lens on my K-3 and K-7.

Is there a lot of difference between 50mm, 58mm, 70mm, 77 mm and 85 mm? Not really as others have pointed. But.... I feel that each lens is unique by its colours and rendering. Albeit I have lenses between 50mm, 58mm, 77mm and 85mm, there are (almost) all special.The Voigtlander Nokton 58mm is my favourite. Very close, the FA77mm Limited. And not far the Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4. Each has its own character and strength. I use all three and would not part away. Great IQ in all cases. That leaves me with my two 50mm: A50mm f1.2 for very low light, and FA50mm f1.5 (that I do not use much).

I hope that he comment may help.

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Last edited by hcc; 04-21-2017 at 11:40 PM.

[Digitalis]

Was the original post made in jest?

Possibly, though there are plenty of people out there who are more than a little bit obsessive and want all the focal lengths. These people would be better served getting as zoom lens.

[NZ_Ross]

Edit: I think Fuji makes a pretty nice 60mm macro lens, if you want to switch systems

Edit 2: OOOoh, there is also a Holga 60mm in Kmount! Super cheap, too! Holga HL-P 60mm f/8 Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
But its a "toy lens", fixed aperture, lomo. Ive seen some good photos taken with this lens, but its... well, very special

The Leica R 60mm Macro is a well regarded lens and can be adapted with a Leitax adaptor for use on K-mount cameras

[Sandy Hancock]

I can only think the original post was made in jest....

Why is there such a huge gap between 50mm and 85mm primes?

There isn't.

there is nothing in between unless you get a zoom.

There is.

Why doesn't Pentax (or any other manufacturer) build something I between?

They do.

[ChristianRock]

55 and 70 not close enough?

This reminds me of that time someone was asking when Pentax was finally going to fill that gap between 40 and 43mm...

[jpzk]

Possibly, though there are plenty of people out there who are more than a little bit obsessive and want all the focal lengths. These people would be better served getting as zoom lens.

Or use the fail safe method: use a 50mm lens and adjust with your feet!

[stevebrot]

I can only think the original post was made in jest...

...nah, just someone who has never shot at or near 60mm with a prime. I have a couple of 58mm and the FOV is noticeably narrower than 50mm, but not so much when compared to any of my 55s. Having said all that, it may be good to remember that the Pentax K-series included 100mm, 105mm, and 120mm. Given that fact, interest in a 60mm is not too strange. FWIW, I don't believe I have ever seen a 60mm prime in any mount for 24x36mm or APS-C. The 60mm Leica-R macro mentioned above is news to me


Steve

[stevebrot]

Some are 49, others 52..

Yep...Actual focal length used to be part of the standard battery of tests with many lens reviews.


Steve

[NZ_Ross]

The 60mm Leica-R macro mentioned above is news to me

Both Nikon and Leica produced 60mm macro prime lenses for 24x36mm. Both are readily available on eBay, and the Nikon is still available new