Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
07-12-2017, 05:26 AM   #31
Veteran Member
Na Horuk's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Slovenia, probably
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,186
QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
What do you mean by mushy?
The Industar 50-2 is only sharp in the very centre. Even on APSC the edges are soft, almost like bokeh, kind of like some lomo lenses. At least my copy, there is some variation with old Soviet lenses

07-12-2017, 06:18 AM - 1 Like   #32
Pentaxian




Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: North
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 4,701
QuoteOriginally posted by climit Quote
The FA 50/1.4 is a bad lens at large apertures, very soft between 1.4-2.4
Very Soft??

You might have a bad copy or your expectations are very different.


Its centrally sharp enough at wide open and certainly good at f2.5.


Practically, when I use a lens at the larger apertures, its for that isolation effect via shallow DOF, I am not looking at sharpness through to the edges nor absolute sharpness, though I do need it to be sharp enough, and in that respect, the FA50/1.4 is certainly good.
Mostly, the modern 50mm are the ones with more even sharpness at large apertures, though the trade-off is size, weight and cost.
07-12-2017, 06:59 AM - 1 Like   #33
Pentaxian
Pen-A's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 675
My FA50/1.4 is a bit dreamy at times wide open (you really have to nail focus) but I would not call it soft. Certainly not very soft..
At 1.6 dreaminess is gone and 1.8-2.0 is as good as my wide open sharp A50/1.7 . But there´s more.. FA50/1.4 has 8 blades (although not rounded) so I can stop the lens a bit and still bet great bokeh. This lens needs a hood to shine!
07-12-2017, 07:59 AM - 1 Like   #34
Senior Member




Join Date: Nov 2008
Photos: Albums
Posts: 217
Carl zeiss 50mm Makro-Planar is the best 50mm I have used. Though 43mm ltd is also great

07-12-2017, 08:08 AM   #35
Pentaxian
Fenwoodian's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: USA
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,872
QuoteOriginally posted by Ketsuppi11 Quote
Carl zeiss 50mm Makro-Planar is the best 50mm I have used.
+1 . The Zeiss 50mm Makro-Planar is as sharp as the SMC Pentax-D FA 50mm F2.8 Macro, but with a bit more "character".

Last edited by Fenwoodian; 07-12-2017 at 08:21 AM.
07-12-2017, 02:43 PM   #36
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
gofour3's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 8,076
There are also some nice Pentax 55mm lenses in both M42 and k-mount. The K55/1.8 or SMC Takumar 55/1.8 are a couple to consider.

Phil.
07-12-2017, 03:47 PM   #37
amateur dirt farmer
Loyal Site Supporter
pepperberry farm's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: probably out in a field somewhere...
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 41,131
I have a handful of 50 (ish)mm lenses.. all are good, but all have a different character....

defining 'best' is going to be a basketful of subjective answers and all will be different...

07-12-2017, 04:32 PM   #38
Pentaxian
timw4mail's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Driving a Mirage
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,670
QuoteOriginally posted by pepperberry farm Quote
I have a handful of 50 (ish)mm lenses.. all are good, but all have a different character....

defining 'best' is going to be a basketful of subjective answers and all will be different...
Speaking of which, there's the Your Favorite 50 thread.
07-12-2017, 04:37 PM   #39
amateur dirt farmer
Loyal Site Supporter
pepperberry farm's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: probably out in a field somewhere...
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 41,131
QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
Speaking of which, there's the Your Favorite 50 thread.
exactly...
07-12-2017, 04:50 PM - 1 Like   #40
Pentaxian
35mmfilmfan's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Norfolk, UK
Posts: 4,223
Please will people stop praising the M 50mm f1.7 - I have been outbid on eBay for seven count them seven of these in the past month, and I'm sure it's because they are lauded on here. I only want one - please can you cool it until I have been successful ? Many thanks.
07-12-2017, 04:55 PM - 1 Like   #41
Veteran Member
Na Horuk's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Slovenia, probably
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,186
QuoteOriginally posted by 35mmfilmfan Quote
Please will people stop praising the M 50mm f1.7 - I have been outbid on eBay for seven count them seven of these in the past month, and I'm sure it's because they are lauded on here. I only want one - please can you cool it until I have been successful ? Many thanks.
I would advice to get an A 50mm f1.7. Costs only a little more, but has auto aperture, which is really useful. I would get the A instead of the M that I have. Anyway, they share the same optical design, as do the F and FA 50mm f1.7 and even the DA 50mm f1.8
07-12-2017, 04:58 PM - 1 Like   #42
Moderator
Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Sandy Hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,238
The DA*55 is as good as I'm ever likely to need.
07-12-2017, 06:30 PM   #43
Pentaxian




Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: North
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 4,701
QuoteOriginally posted by Pen-A Quote
My FA50/1.4 is a bit dreamy at times wide open (you really have to nail focus) but I would not call it soft. Certainly not very soft..
At 1.6 dreaminess is gone and 1.8-2.0 is as good as my wide open sharp A50/1.7 . But there´s more.. FA50/1.4 has 8 blades (although not rounded) so I can stop the lens a bit and still bet great bokeh. This lens needs a hood to shine!
Indeed, on that 8 blade aperture and its real world application when one stops down a bit for better bokeh, sharpness, DOF and less/no CA.
I am very happy with the Pentax f2 and f1.7, 50mm (M and A) lenses if not for the hex OOF highlights it produces once stopped down.

Also, on FF, I've tended to stop down a little bit for most of my shots since DOF is often shallow enough stopped down even a stop from f1.4 and I get the other optical benefits from a stopped down lens.
07-12-2017, 06:44 PM   #44
Moderator
Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Sandy Hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,238
The A50/1.2 also has a dreamy glow to its rendering wide open; I don't consider that to be a negative. Stop it down a little and it becomes very sharp. Mine fringes like a demon in harsh light though, even stopped well down.

The main reason I prefer the DA*55 is the lack of chromatic aberration compared to its older cousin. The autofocus, weather sealing and native hood are the icing on the cake.
07-12-2017, 06:45 PM   #45
Pentaxian
ChristianRock's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: People's Republic of America
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 9,892
QuoteOriginally posted by Na Horuk Quote
I would advice to get an A 50mm f1.7. Costs only a little more, but has auto aperture, which is really useful. I would get the A instead of the M that I have. Anyway, they share the same optical design, as do the F and FA 50mm f1.7 and even the DA 50mm f1.8
The A setting is helpful. Though I have to say I have had 2 M 50 1.7 lenses and they were both superb. I also had the A 50 1.7 (sold, I didn't think it was quite as good) and have the F 50 1.7 still - and while it is excellent, it is still a notch below the M versions I have had. I still have my very beat up M 50 1.7 and sold the one that was in better shape. The M is just great and I think it is worth having kne, they're so cheap.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
50mm, answer, aperture, auto, cost, da*55, drive, f1.7, fa, five, focus, gold, k-mount, lens, lenses, lol, macro, mm, pentax, pentax lens, pentax-a, pm, post, purpose, question, screw, slr lens
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Best aerial lense & best zoom? I am skipping K1 & spending all my $ on K3 GLASS~which CeciProAm Pentax DSLR Discussion 56 11-14-2016 08:05 AM
Which Lens Fits Which Mount latnwa7 Welcomes and Introductions 10 11-11-2014 09:06 PM
Other than Pentax, which are the best small digital cameras accepting K mount glass? jpzk Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands 15 10-11-2012 06:49 AM
Which 50mm manual focus is best luma Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 20 03-09-2010 11:58 AM
85mm vs. 50mm which is which (same subject, same aperture, same magnification) stevebrot Photographic Technique 50 07-01-2008 09:49 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:10 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top