Originally posted by The View But still: which lens should I get? Maybe you tell me your favorite lens/lenses, and why you like it?
Ahhh...now that's an excellent question.
My favorite 50-ish lens is my A50/1.2. Its overall rendering characteristics are incredible and I've been pretty lucky with the focus as the DSLR focus screens aren't built for f/1.2 lenses. I actually
use it at f/1.2 sometimes.
If I were more budget-minded I would absolutely get a new FA50/1.4. Overall it is a really good lens and worth $200.
If I were even more budget minded I would get a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50/1.4 - but that's because I already have and use M42 lenses.
And my best bang-for-the-buck was a Sears 55/1.4 (which I'm told is the exact same as the Ricoh 55/1.4) which came with a 135/2.8 (since sold) and a Sears TLS camera for $16. The Sears has the coolest temperature cast of all my lenses.
Next best cheap-o lens is a Fuji Fujinon 55/1.8 that is really quite nice. It is well controlled for chromatic aberrations.
I don't particularly care for the Pentax 50/1.7 lenses (I have or sold two - the F50/1.7 and A50/1.7) nor the Pentax 50/2 lenses (I have or sold two - M50/2 and A50/2). But those are all better than the Yashica Yashinon 50/2.8 (M42 version) and the Helios 44M-4 58/2. All of those can be sharp at some apertures, but it is really the bokeh that I like in descending order from what I've listed them.
The SMC Takumar 55/2 and Super-Takumar 55/1.8 that I own are OK but not spectacular and the two Super-Takumar 50/1.4s that I own are good but flawed compared to later (with SMC coatings) 50/1.4 models. My Super-Taks are a bit yellowed from the decaying radioactive element in the coatings.
I also converted a Nikon Nikkor-S 50/1.4 to Pentax mount and it is also good but flawed. Nikon's bokeh always looks like it is wrapped in cellophane to me - but it is sharper at f/1.4 than any of the Pentax lenses and pretty decent at f/4.
So, to sum up - I like my 50-ish lenses in the following order:
(Best)
A50/1.2
FA50/1.4
SMC Takumar 50/1.4
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50/1.4
Sears Auto 55/1.4
Fuji Fujinon 55/1.8
SMC Takumar 55/2
F50/1.7 and A50/1.7 (not owned at the same time, so it is a tie)
Nikon Nikkor-S 50/1.4
Super-Takumar 50/1.4
Super-Takumar 55/1.8
M50/2
A50/2 (my copy is not the best)
Yashica Yashinon 50/2.8
Helios 44M-4 58/2
(Worst)
Probably.
Hope this helps,
Sean
Edit to add: You can check out my
galleries by lens at pbase.
Last edited by carpents; 05-31-2007 at 09:37 PM.
Reason: Added link.