[jeffdrew]

I am joining this quite late, but was interested in the above opinions as I just purchased a K3II and now seriously starting to invest in the digital Pentax universe. I have the 58mm Nokton SLII and love it! Frankly, the weather sealing argument is nice, but I am old & curmudgeonly. Bad weather & lousy crap environments no longer appeal to me! I will Take my film bodies out in those as they are proven . . . IF I can drag my carcass out of the warmth! :-) The Nokton offers full manual control & excellent quality imagery and is a keeper. I will skip the Pentax 55mm . . .I have a few 50mm FA copies I can add to the argument too. I do like the fact that I can take a quality lens and multiple Pentax bodies and get all sorts of results. Add a P67 lens w/adapter & the choices really open up. Based on your input above, I will look for a fancy walk-about zoom rig maybe! Thanks! ;-)

[aleonx3]

There is a thread back in 2008 about Nokton 58/f1.4 and Re-Topcor 58/f1.4 (made by Cosina) comparison. Although I don't have the DA* 55/f1.4, but I have the Topcor 58/f1.4 lens (converted to screw mount) and use mainly for low light candid shots. It stays on my k-5IIs and has been a real performer IMHO. The 'catch-in-focus' plus the great sensor DR and focus mechanism on the lens make it a joy to use on the camera. I know it does not give the answer you are looking for which is comparison between the 2 lenses, but I can honestly say that the Nokton (if it is similar to Topcor) MF lens can be a great joy to use and you will be pleased with the result.

[debakarma]

Both are excellent lenses. The Nokton is discontinued and hard to find now - usually sold within the hour when it appears on the Marketplace - the price has gone up considerably. The DA*55 has come down in price.

I never had an issue with the Nokton in bad weather although its not WR - it can easily tolerate drizzles no problem. The 55 is a Digital era lens - the images show it (esp. on a K3/K5iis/K5). The Nokton gives more classical - film era rendering (though not always). Difficult to really compare them - use personal taste and judgement - its a close call.

Personally I use the Nokton more often - its a leisurely pursuit, but when hard-pressed for time and efficiency the 55 goes with me. From usage perspective I have tended to use the 55 more often inside in low light auditoriums alongside my FA*85/FA77). Hope this helps.

[jeffdrew]

@debakarma, thanks for your input! Many of the lens & body comparison sites are subjective and the Pentaxforum is proving to be very helpful. I am trying to decide whether or not to divest my large Pentax collection or continue with it plus a few upgrades. Despite the fact I am a computer geek, learning the dslr & lens relationships is proving to be more challenging than how I remember film, chemistry etc . . . but that was many moons ago. So it boils down to "practice" again, and learning via practical application! The Nokton 58mm IS a joy to use on film bodies and I am going to keep it as my preferred normal for digital I think! Many of the older takumars are also proving to be very good stand-ins on these tricked out bodies.
Thanks again for your thoughts, and I'll continue lurking about this site as it has really good stuff and smart users! :-)