Originally posted by Just1MoreDave This is where I get the flatter field bit:
this from the Auto Extension Tube K manual:
"Lenses not included in the close-up tables are not appropriate for close-up work with extension rings. The 50mm f/1.2 and 50mm f/1.4 lenses are not suitable for close-ups of flat subjects such as documents, but can be used for regular close-ups in which the area of the subject does not reach out to the edges of the picture format."
From this it appears that Pentax is warning you that the 50mm 1.2 and 1.4 lenses don't have as flat a field as the f1.7 lenses (f2 lens not mentioned).
The rest I can see with my own lenses, though it gets to the splitting hairs level for me. Bump the focus ring a bit and there goes all that resolution superiority!
I probably get unnecessarily bothered when US prices are in a thread started by someone who can't get US prices. I figure that would just irritate me, not help.
Why are you still beating this dead horse?
Furthermore, I don't recall debating the use of any of these lenses for close-up work with an extension tube. If I were to use a 50mm for macro, it would by my macro-tak or one of my 2 Canon 50mm macros.
As far as the U.S. pricing goes, as already mentioned, I stated that in a previous post that that changed things (post 26). As far as you getting bothered . . .
Lets try to get back to the OP and help him out rather than debating which vintage lens is the best because that stuff isn't helping any more than the U.S. pricing.