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02-18-2009, 11:14 PM   #91
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QuoteOriginally posted by TKH Quote
I know that ist not correct to make a comparison test with two lenses that have not the same length, but I received my DA*55 today and outside its only raining so I did a little shooting on the table.


IQ of the DA*55 is great, but I think the (for me new) SDM Drive is very slow. How could it be that a stone old lense like the FA135 2.8 is mutch quicker in focus and also the old Fa43 is better?

Best,
Rainer
Interesting that no one commented on your SDM remark but the FA 135f2.8 is probably one of the fastest AF lens from Pentax. I was surprised at how much faster it was compared to the DA* 50-135 but I was told back then that the DA* was "fast enough" so... be prepared to be told the same, even though the 55 is a relatively small prime that should be at least as fast as the 135 was...

SDM is not a stellar performer in AF speed. Screwdrive is generally faster.

I am also not that impressed by bokeh and LOCA at f1.4 on the 55 (bokeh looks better on the 43) but sharpness look excellent. It's strange that bokeh looks "busy" at f1.4 but improves when stopped down as it's usually the opposite...

Now it all depends of the price the lens is effectively sold: at 699€, not that many weaknesses can be tolerated but for 499€ it would be OK in my book.

Thanks for taking the time of showing us these results.

02-18-2009, 11:24 PM   #92
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QuoteOriginally posted by TKH Quote
The Canon guy again and annother one

Thanks again for more images!

I notice the river banks are swirly smooth and that is another great news there.

The difficulty against clattering background like branches is evident but not too bad at all.

The blue hue is more to do with WB than PF.


QuoteOriginally posted by TKH Quote



Rainer
Mmmmm, this one is a little concerning... Nissen bokeh is rather apparent around the metal ear in the background bokeh. Maybe just bad luck as I am sure most other lenses would not have rendered well in similar situation.

Thanks heaps!
02-18-2009, 11:32 PM   #93
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The macro lenses are generally speaking very sharp but possibly their peak sharpness is not quite what some other excellent lenses might offer--but they usually have a very flat focus plane and are quite sharp across the whole image, including the corners as well.

I think we've seen enough data points now that we can generalize that SDM alone does not make for an AF speed-demon. That being said, the DA 17-70/4 seems pretty fast. I imagine that SDM would provide a bigger boost when used on a AA-powered body like K100D Super or K2000 where the in-body motor may not quite have the same giddy-up as the K10D/K20D.
02-19-2009, 12:53 AM   #94
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
But they didn't test neither the 50/2.8 macro nor the A 85/1.4.


Wide open both A50/1.7 and A*135/1.8 is sharper than the A*85/1.4.

02-19-2009, 12:55 AM   #95
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QuoteOriginally posted by TKH Quote
The Canon guy again and annother one, both in 1.4.
The third in 1.8.







Rainer
Is this mister Nikon or mister Sony then?
02-19-2009, 01:53 AM   #96
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QuoteOriginally posted by lol101 Quote
Now it all depends of the price the lens is effectively sold: at 699€, not that many weaknesses can be tolerated but for 499€ it would be OK in my book.
How good is it for 435€?

pareto
02-19-2009, 03:21 AM   #97
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QuoteOriginally posted by Miserere Quote
Now we need TKH to borrow an FA 50mm f/1.4 and take some more comparison shots.
That would be super-good. Because that is the real point of comparison.

QuoteOriginally posted by ll_coffee_lP Quote
Meh...the 43 doesn't do much for me either.
It's good we're all different!

QuoteOriginally posted by David Whiteley Quote
I CAN HAS ALL THE LENSES?
[where's the cat smilie?]

02-19-2009, 05:01 AM   #98
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As for me - DA*55 is in LIMITED LEAGUE than in STAR.
I see pictures... FA50 is not even close.
DA*55 has very high contrast at 1.4 and great sharpness and color. IMO.
Bokeh is not 50 mm lenses's bokeh and not FA*85.
DA*55 has own face, if I can say so...
02-19-2009, 05:17 AM   #99
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As this is a new 50mm, I am tempted to compare it vs. newer designs in its class, e.g., the Sigma 50/1.4.

According to photozone and test shots I have seen, the Sigma 50/1.4 outperforms a reference design like the Zeiss 50/1.4 in three points:
  1. Same (better than excellent) center resolution, almost best at f/2.8 already.
  2. Same (very good) center resolution fully open.
  3. Better (very good) border resolution fully open.
  4. Same nice (disk-like rather than circular-like) bokeh.
  5. Better CA wide open.
  6. Better contrast around light sources (less glare).
The FA43 isn't on par, esp. in points (2.), (3.). And from the images, the DA*55 doesn't seem to be on par in points (2.), (3.) and (4.).

It would be interesting to compare the DA*55 vs. the Sigma 50/1.4 in the other 3 points as well. The DA*55 may still be a very strong contender.

To verify that point (1.) is met: two 100% crops, one at f/2.8, another at f/4, of a high contrast subject (like a magazine page pinned to a wall 3m away) would do the job: Good if no difference is visible, bad otherwise.

To evaluate point (6.), it would be great to see an outdoor night shot fully open (with street lamps, bright distant windows etc.).

EDIT:
It would be great too, to know if any of those lenses have significant spherical abberation. As it is awkward to properly focus a lens which has.

EDIT2:
To set things into perspective...
Pentax FA50/1.4: 196g
Zeiss 50/1.4: 330g
Pentax DA*55/1.4: 375g
Sigma 50/1.4: 505g

Last edited by falconeye; 02-19-2009 at 05:38 AM.
02-19-2009, 06:08 AM   #100
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QuoteOriginally posted by pareto Quote
How good is it for 435€?

pareto
Well it's even better of course!

It's more in line with this type of lens than the MSRP price (which they are apparently willing to charge in all the large brick and mortar stores I have seen here in France).
02-19-2009, 06:10 AM   #101
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I found a pic I did last summer from the "Canon Guy" with the Nokton!!

First the DA*


Nokton


Please ignore the colours. There are totally different light situations, one pic on a hot summer day, one pic on a cold, but sunny winter morning and different distances to the guy. But both pics are f1.4 so the bokehs are interesent I think.


Rainer

Last edited by TKH; 02-19-2009 at 06:19 AM.
02-19-2009, 06:54 AM   #102
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I am hoping that it was the relative distance that you were from the subject but the DA* is showing so much more detail all accross the frame that is it like night and day. But as far as the bokeh, I think I like the Noktons better. You get more of that 3D affect that I am looking for.
02-19-2009, 08:00 AM   #103
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QuoteOriginally posted by Douglas_of_Sweden Quote



Is this mister Nikon or mister Sony then?

That's obviously Mr Leica. Disfigured by a decade of metaphysical and existential doubt.



.
02-19-2009, 08:04 AM   #104
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You wanted flowers, you get flowers:

1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.8:









Please note how perfect round it renders at 2.8, something thats design-caused unimpossible for the FA43!


FA43 at 2,8 (pic friendly stolen from User Schnüffelstück DFN-Forum Germany)

Rainer

Last edited by TKH; 02-19-2009 at 08:14 AM.
02-19-2009, 08:38 AM   #105
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QuoteOriginally posted by TKH Quote
You wanted flowers, you get flowers:

1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.8:

Those are some nice flowers.

With bokeh we need to remember that the background itself is clearly, and rather obviously, the main factor determining its quality. The best lens in the world cannot make a busy background generate beautiful bokeh - although some maybe slightly better than others. One needs to work to produce beautiful bokeh, lenses help but placement and composition are what separtes good bokeh from great bokeh.

I think these flowers look really nice bokeh wise, but then bokeh more than any other lens characteristic is a matter of personal taste (the two OOF tulips in the foreground excluded - kind of proving my point above)
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