[Digitalis]

Do focals 40, 45, 55, 58 count in as 50mm 'normal' too?

No they don't, because if I did I would have even more lenses than I already do.The lenses I collect are specifically 50mm, though there are special exceptions for high performance lenses like the Noct Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 ASPH, the Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 and the Carl Zeiss 45mm f/2.8 Tessar - all the 50mm lenses I collect are specifically for 35mm cameras.

[zapp]

I am not impressed at all by the "announcement" of a 50mm lens that may fit a Pentax APS camera. This is becoming a low level discussion on lenses with similar numbers, but completely different designs. The lens will probably be crap wide open like most 1.2 lenses. The time for super wide open lenses with crappy performance is over. Nikon still makes the AiS 1.2/50 and Canon reduced the 1,0 to a 1,2 lens because they need to show off with their bigger mount. The only improvement in 50 mm lenses was shown by Leica in recent years and great results cost great amount of money.

[Na Horuk]

I am not impressed at all by the "announcement" of a 50mm lens that may fit a Pentax APS camera. This is becoming a low level discussion on lenses with similar numbers, but completely different designs. The lens will probably be crap wide open like most 1.2 lenses. The time for super wide open lenses with crappy performance is over

Samyang lenses so far are known to be surprisingly good even wide open. And most lenses have peak performance stopped down a little, so even if you stop down to f1.4 or f1.8, its still brighter than f1.4 lenses, which need to be stopped down to f2.0. But you are right, super fast lenses are a bit of a fetish

[Louicio]

I can vouch for Samyang, I have the 35mm f1.4, its amazing sharp wide open. So much so, I'm attached to it and won't sell it even though I have the 31mm ltd. It's only real weaknesses are manual focus and size/weight.

[Smeggypants]

I am not impressed at all by the "announcement" of a 50mm lens that may fit a Pentax APS camera. This is becoming a low level discussion on lenses with similar numbers, but completely different designs. The lens will probably be crap wide open like most 1.2 lenses. The time for super wide open lenses with crappy performance is over. Nikon still makes the AiS 1.2/50 and Canon reduced the 1,0 to a 1,2 lens because they need to show off with their bigger mount. The only improvement in 50 mm lenses was shown by Leica in recent years and great results cost great amount of money.

What's your definition of 'crap' ? Are the boundaries of your photographic universe defined by sharpness?

[axl]

They do but it really isn't any better than the pentax 50mm f/1.2, in some cases the 50mm f/1.2L is actually worse than the pentax 50mm f/1.2. The canon 50L has a really big problem with purple fringing. Canon originally had a 50mm f/1.0 - but at the time so few of their cameras had AF that was accurate enough to use it.

Could this be copy or sensor dependant?
I use 50/1.2 L on 1D3 and it actually has less PF or chromatic aberations than my K50/1.2 used to exhibit on K10D. The AF is bit iffy but hit rate is good enough for me to keep it...especially now that my eyesight is getting worse (rather rapidly )

[Digitalis]

I use 50/1.2 L on 1D3 and it actually has less PF or chromatic aberations than my K50/1.2 used to exhibit on K10D

Not exactly a fair comparison, the Canon 1DMKII uses a CMOS sensor,the K10D uses a CCD. Those differences in sensor architecture are the sort that make statements like that treacherous ground since no-one actually knows exactly what it is that causes PF. In all probability the presence of PF is sensitive to variations in sensor architecture and lens design. In my experience the K 50mm f/1.2 has considerably lower PF than the FA77mm f/1.8 (one of pentax's worst PF offenders). The funny thing is the Canon 50L is slightly worse at PF than the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 - apples/apples - oranges/oranges


FA77 f/1.8 Vs 50mm f/1.2 at their widest apertures - these image were taken on the Pentax K7 mind you.

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Last edited by Digitalis; 02-15-2013 at 02:27 AM.

[sam-joseph]

Hey Digitalis, if you've got that many 50's in your collection, could you spare a struggling Pentaxian an f1.4 at a bargain-basement price? Then again, Louicio reckons his Samyang compares favourably with his 31 LTD, so maybe I'm better off waiting for the Samyang.

Regards

[axl]

Not exactly a fair comparison, the Canon 1DMKII uses a CMOS sensor,the K10D uses a CCD. Those differences in sensor architecture are the sort that make statements like that treacherous ground since no-one actually knows exactly what it is that causes PF. In all probability the presence of PF is sensitive to variations in sensor architecture and lens design. In my experience the K 50mm f/1.2 has considerably lower PF than the FA77mm f/1.8 (one of pentax's worst PF offenders). The funny thing is the Canon 50L is slightly worse at PF than the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 - apples/apples - oranges/oranges


FA77 f/1.8 Vs 50mm f/1.2 at their widest apertures - these image were taken on the Pentax K7 mind you.

That's why I asked if it's possible the PF depends on sensor. My old K50/1.2 was less PF prone on K-7 than on K10D. So was 77ltd. Between the 2 I do do agree that K50/1.2 was better performer (when it came to PF and OOF) than 77ltd, but 77 was better in controlling chromatic aberations.
Eith Canon, their EF50/1.4 was superPF on 7D but bit less on 1D3 although I still could push it there (just not as often). But it suffered (on both of my cameras) from halos wide open. I'd say these were chromatic aberations as they appeared as light red/pink coloured outlining around in focus areas in most circumstances. The 50L is much better in controlling this and I have only noticed slight red outline around in focus highlights/whites. But I have yet to spot PF. Having said that I haven't shot it on other than 1D3.

[Asahiflex]

The lens will probably be crap wide open like most 1.2 lenses.

Nevertheless I like how crappy the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2 is when shot wide open. It may be crappy, but it's definitely very sharp at the plane of focus. At f/1.4 it's so sharp that it makes my eyes bleed. :P

[Smeggypants]

Nevertheless I like how crappy the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2 is when shot wide open. It may be crappy, but it's definitely very sharp at the plane of focus. At f/1.4 it's so sharp that it makes my eyes bleed. :P

Great pics Asahiflex The A50/1.2 wide open renders the most beautiful pics. If I was forced to keep only one lens and forced to shoot at only one aperture setting for the rest of my life the choice would be simple. Pentax A50/1.2 @ F/1.2 welded wide open.

[lytrytyr]

It has only been confirmed voor Nikon, Canon and Sony.

It's not up on the Samyang official Europe page yet, so hard to say.

Here is one comment from the Sony rumor thread:

"Nobody from Samyang said there could be a 50/1.2 in 2014.
The comment comes from someone from http://www.fotogears.com in Malaysia which is just a local distributor.
This headline is a joke, seriously."

[Raffwal]

But that's a different lens!

[lytrytyr]

But that's a different lens!

Thanks for the correction, was cross-threaded!

[RichA]

They could be a real threat at 1/4 the price of those maker's lenses.