[sebberry]

Considering a good quality 50mm prime and it's a toss-up between the DFA*50 1.4 and the DA*55. Body is the K3-3. I'm thinking the newer design of the 50 will be preferable, both optically and with the focus mechanism but I'm torn. Anyone used both of these and have any comments?

[pepperberry farm]

Considering a good quality 50mm prime and it's a toss-up between the DFA*50 1.4 and the DA*55. Body is the K3-3. I'm thinking the newer design of the 50 will be preferable, both optically and with the focus mechanism but I'm torn. Anyone used both of these and have any comments?

kinda depends upon what you want out of the lens....

the DA*55/1.4 is a spectacular lens, sharp and colorful, with a ton of character..... (and pixie dust)


I cannot, however, comment on the D FA* 50/1.4 (not had one here yet)...

[UncleVanya]

Everyone I’ve seen who owned both said it was the DFA50 that was clearly better. Most were FF users however. I own the DA* 55 and I have even shot it on a Sony A7RIII (42mp FF) and found it good enough to satisfy me but I haven’t directly compared it with the DFA.

[LennyBloke]

The DA*55/1.4 is an excellent lens - far better than the previous 50 and 55 lenses (as you might expect) - but the AF is a little slow.
The DFA* 50mm f1.4 is even better - probably the best lens I've ever used.

You will not be disappointed by the results from either lens, so if cost is a significant factor then the 55mm is probably the right choice, if it is not then the 50mm is the pinnacle (IMO).

And Yes I've owned both and now only have the DFA*50mm

[Rondec]

On APS-C, DA *55 is pretty similar to the DFA *50 in terms of optical performance. The DFA 50 is a little better from f1.4 to 2. On full frame, the DFA *50 pulls away considerably below f2, as the DA *55 has not so great borders at f1.4.

The auto focus is lots, lots better with the DFA *50. The DA *55 is adequate for landscape and portraiture, where the subject is fairly stationary, but it has a hard time keeping up with any movement.

I like the bokeh a little better with the DFA *50, but it is really close. If you are planning to stay with APS-C and don't need really fast auto focus, I the the DA *55 is more than adequate.

[JensE]

In addition to the above, the DA*55 is a lot more compact and lightweight. For an APS-C only setup, I would likely have stayed with it, even though the DFA*50 is clearly optically superior, still combined with a beautiful rendering.

[garywakeling]

Hmmm hard to pick from a usability choice, similar focal lengths , both have quality rendering and both usable on APSC and full frame. There is the question of bulk, the DFA is such a solid and large lens, you attach the camera to the lens rather than the 55 where you attach the lens to the camera
Having said that, the DFA is the most amazingly sharp and high quality lens I own, right from the first shot it just took photos with that something special. The DA 55 is also great as a portrait lens where it aims for more of a specialised usage rendering people well and having nice isolation of the subject consider myself lucky to own both, good luck with your decision, either way you will have a great lens to use.
Single in Jan 2020 DFA*50mm 1.4 | Flickr
Single Mar 19 DA* 55mm 1.4 | Flickr

[c.a.m]

Considering a good quality 50mm prime and it's a toss-up between the DFA*50 1.4 and the DA*55.

I don't own either lens. However, I've been interested in the DA* 55/1.4, but have resisted a purchase mainly because of the SDM. If the SDM fails on a DA* 55, there is no recourse to converting it to screwdrive.

While the DA* 55 SDM seems less prone to failure than in the DA* 50-135, for example, there have been user reports of failures or having to 'wake up' the lens AF. On the other hand, there seems to be plenty of satisfied users. Take your chance?

- Craig

[StigVidar]

I have the D FA*50/1,4 and have recently sold my DA*55/1,4. The older one is good at f/2, but at f/1,4 it has lower contrast and sharpness. The new one is better. The older one has a lot of green and red chromatic aberration at f/1,4 and finally the AF is a LOT more accurate and faster on the new one.

[Papa_Joe]

The conclusion of the in depth review on the D FA 50 supports all the recommendations above (D FA 50 over DA 55 in terms of IQ) and there is an additional shoot-out you might like to read.

HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW Review - Conclusion | PentaxForums.com Reviews
Modern 50mm Shootout: Pentax D FA* 50mm, Samyang 50mm, Pentax DA* 55mm F1.4 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

[jslifoaw]

I have the D FA*50/1,4 and have recently sold my DA*55/1,4. The older one is good at f/2, but at f/1,4 it has lower contrast and sharpness. The new one is better. The older one has a lot of green and red chromatic aberration at f/1,4 and finally the AF is a LOT more accurate and faster on the new one.

This. The SDM on my 55 is also very dicey and usually needs a routine to be woken up. The DFA50 is better, but bigger and more expensive and excellent wide open which the 55 is not.

[zapp]

DFA*50 performs very well on my K3iii. The combo is well balanced and 50mm resemble the 77 field of view of a fullframe setup. The combo fights against K1 with 77 here.
DA*55 is a decent lens for portraiture. AF often failed on K5 for me - blame the camera. AF is also slow.
*50 is much sharper and shows less aberrations, AF is quick, it covers full frame. Size and weight work on APSC (unlike *85 which is quite heavy). *55 costs less and is smaller. Checkout the pixydust performance yourself to compare to the *50. *50 works also very well on K1.
Honestly, my *55 left the house with arrival of K1 and the *50 is a great portrait lens on K3iii.

[Wingincamera]

There is a DA *55 for sale in the Marketplace, which might be of interest. The price has been dropped to $325 dollars. I know nothing of the lens or seller.
I do have the DA *55 that I use with my KP. I don't use it a lot, but it does take wonderful pictures. As others said, the focus is slow but good enough for me.

[PocketPixels]

The autofocus is so slow on my DA★55mm that I can only recommend it for studio work or still life. It is completely unsuitable for portraits of children, pets, or anyone/anything that might squirm around. My copy is post-2012, so it's not a case of SDM death; this particluar lens just has very slow AF.
That said, it has a beautiful colors and character. The bokeh is astonishing if you're into that kind of thing.

[Paul the Sunman]

The IQ of the DFA* 50 is jaw-dropping, even for someone used to good Pentax glass. But it is very heavy, which may make you think twice about taking it out.