[wadge22]

I must say I'm a more than a little shocked that the Zeiss lens dissapoints. Then again, I've never seen one, let alone your individual copy. How do your lenses look if you shine a light thru them and check for haze/fungus?
DFA* 50 1.4 is better than decent. It is in the top of its class, which is a very competetive and refined class indeed. I don't think it's your location that makes it hard to find a better 50mm for Pentax than that lens. There is no better 50mm for Pentax.

Can I ask what specifically was dissapointing about the results with your current lenses? Did you try your tests with DFA 24-70 zoomed to 50, and how did it compare to the legacy primes?

I won't belabor it and I'm not doubting you in any way. But are you doing everything to be sure you've eliminated shake, exposed properly, and focused properly? And did you review all the settings on your camera?
Sometimes when I get surprisingly bad results (with anything, not just photography), I benefit from starting at the beginning and going over all the basics. I've been known to make a rookie mistake on the fundamentals, even on tasks that should be automatic for me. And I've seen the same thing in others who should know better still than me.

Alternatively, if you are just looking for help convincing yourself to buy something new, I say this:
Go for it! DFA* 50 1.4 is a terrific lens for your terrific camera. You are clearly a discerning individual who expects impressive results, and I think a good copy of that lens will be right up your alley.
I love mine, despite it being far wider than any of my other favorite lenses.

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Last edited by wadge22; 08-14-2021 at 12:40 PM.

[pschlute]

After some testing the results are rather disappointing

Can you elaborate ? Correctly focussed these lenses will produce excellent results.

[artrasa]

Planar T* 50mm f/1,4 is one of my dream lenses. I wish to own an M42-mount version that I could use with my Spotmatic and K10D. I'm also interested in knowing why the thread starter found it to be "disappointing". Lack of auto-focusing, perhaps?

[Argos]

Hello,

I still own some 50 and 55 mm lenses. The 50 1.4 is a Carl Zeiss Planar T* and the 55 1:2 is an old SMC Pentax (Asahi). Both were in use with my old Pentax SLR. Nowadays I use a K1 MKII and I was wondering whether it would be wise to use these lenses on this camera since I need an 50 mm lens for a job. I'd rather do this with a fast prime lens instead of using my 24-70 mm DFA lens of Pentax.
Can these 50, 55 mm do a decent job.

Thx,

André,
Belgium

Keep safe

I have tried an even much older lens, an Asahi Kogaku Takumar 1:3.5/50 [Model III] from an Asahflex of 1955. Sharpness is great, contrast a bit weak, but acceptable.

[Monobod]

Hello,

I still own some 50 and 55 mm lenses. The 50 1.4 is a Carl Zeiss Planar T* and the 55 1:2 is an old SMC Pentax (Asahi). Both were in use with my old Pentax SLR. Nowadays I use a K1 MKII and I was wondering whether it would be wise to use these lenses on this camera since I need an 50 mm lens for a job. I'd rather do this with a fast prime lens instead of using my 24-70 mm DFA lens of Pentax.
Can these 50, 55 mm do a decent job.

Thx,

André,
Belgium

Keep safe

Yes indeed they can. I have the SMC Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.7 and it performs well on my Pentax K-3 and the K-1. You may get a small amount of vignetting in the corners on full aperture, but easily corrected in software. My 50mm is autofocus of course and that makes a difference to the speed of use. You should, as others have said, run some tests before using them for a job.

[Val.Ou]

Hello Nepal,
You can read this at the following adress : Objectif standard manuel Zeiss Planar ZK 50mm/1,4

[Postumus]

If you have them sitting around just shoot and check the results.
I know my SMC-M 50mm F1.4 has a tilt to the image even though my SMC-A 50mm F1.4 doesn't show the same
Most of the time the dumbed down image formats used on the web mean all your good work is lost anyway.
I have 6 lenses in the 50-55mm focal length, they all differ a little.

[42degreesS]

Andre, you would lose nothing by trying and see if they meet your needs or expectations. For anyone thinking about using a legacy lens, seek out reviews on this website as others have suggested which guided me before buying some of my manual lenses. There is also a wealth of information and reviews on every Pentax lens out there. Finally, I should confess I am an interloper here, a Sony user with a real love of legacy lenses including owning several great Pentax SMC lenses and I would encourage others to give them a go.

[Sandy Hancock]

I should confess I am an interloper here, a Sony user with a real love of legacy lenses including owning several great Pentax SMC lenses

There is absolutely no shame in that admission. Before the K-1's release, a Sony mirrorless body was pretty much the only digital option for legacy lens enthusiasts to enjoy their lenses in their native format.