[devouges]

Hi Everyone,

In 1970 when I got my first camera, 50mm was the walk-around lens I had.

I eventually got a 35mm lens but hardly ever used it.

Zoom lenses were very expensive and not for the hobbyist,

I came back into photography about 15 years ago but about 95% of my picture-taking is birds and wildlife.

300mm with K3-ii works great !

Last year, I got the K1-ii with the intent of getting back into landscaping and nature photo.

Then came Covid-19 and everything we know.

I got into lung problems and have difficulty moving around so nearly 0 picture-taking in the past year. But I am getting better.

I have this magnificent K1-ii but hardly use it.

Getting better also means taking pictures. I would like to get back into the 1970 photo mode when 50mm was the only lens I had.

My problem is that I have the little devil on my shoulder saying "get the 50mm 1.4 DFA" ! ! ! !

In order to help me tell the devil to shut up or go buy the lens, I would like to know how many pentaxians here use the 50mm as a walk-around lens on the K1-ii.

The reviews are just great and I am very tempted.

It seems a bit heavy. Your opinions are most welcome !

Thanks for listening !

Gary

[noelpolar]

I use my SMC K 50/1.2 a lot as a walk around on my K1.... not quite what you were asking I know.

[Kwong]

Hi Everyone,

In 1970 when I got my first camera, 50mm was the walk-around lens I had.

I eventually got a 35mm lens but hardly ever used it.

Zoom lenses were very expensive and not for the hobbyist,

I came back into photography about 15 years ago but about 95% of my picture-taking is birds and wildlife.

300mm with K3-ii works great !

Last year, I got the K1-ii with the intent of getting back into landscaping and nature photo.

Then came Covid-19 and everything we know.

I got into lung problems and have difficulty moving around so nearly 0 picture-taking in the past year. But I am getting better.

I have this magnificent K1-ii but hardly use it.

Getting better also means taking pictures. I would like to get back into the 1970 photo mode when 50mm was the only lens I had.

My problem is that I have the little devil on my shoulder saying "get the 50mm 1.4 DFA" ! ! ! !

In order to help me tell the devil to shut up or go buy the lens, I would like to know how many pentaxians here use the 50mm as a walk-around lens on the K1-ii.

The reviews are just great and I am very tempted.

It seems a bit heavy. Your opinions are most welcome !

Thanks for listening !

Gary

i have the K1 II and DFA 24-70 great combo but heavy. I bought a used Sigma 50 1.4 for the purpose you mention but never got comfortable with it. The DFA 50 sounds great but again it is big. So my preference is the FA43. Light and slots well between 35 and 50mm for me.

[Viking42]

Hi Gary,

Great to hear that you're on the mend now and getting out with the camera! That's gotta feel so good

As for a 50mm as a walk-around lens, I will just comment on the focal length, rather than the 50/1.4 you mention. I have never felt that 50mm was a "natural" and intuitive focal length for walk-around use. For years I used it on my MX for travel in Europe and elsewhere, and while it was OK, I didn't realize how much better a slightly shorter focal length was until I bought a Rollei 35SE with a 40mm lens. Suddenly everything I looked at through the viewfinder appeared as I visualized it before raising camera to eye. Later I learned that Leica (I think) had done a study back in the '40s or so, and found that 43mm was equivalent to the field of vision of the human eye, and therefore was the best natural focal length for a standard or normal lens.

So, respectfully, I suggest you consider the FA 43mm Limited (SMC Pentax-FA 43mm F1.9 Limited Reviews - FA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database ) as your walk-around lens. It has the added advantage of being smaller than the 50mm, while still being fast and optically top notch. Try it....you may just join the many here who find this the ideal focal length for a normal lens. You'll find a few threads here on that topic if you do a search.

Best,
Svend

PS -- the 43mm (and 40-ish lenses in general) are just that much longer than 35mm that they don't feel or shoot like a wide angle, in case you're thinking that it's too close to a 35.

PPS -- I see Kwong has just suggested the 43 Ltd. as well...faster keyboard than me :-)

[aslyfox]

if you are considering the FA 43 Limited

an excellent lens by the way

but budget is a problem

think about the little DA 40mm XS F2.8 - without a doubt the best lens in its class ( of one )

Description:
The SMC Pentax DA 40mm XS is based on the optical design of the SMC Pentax DA 40mm Limited, but its exterior is designed by Marc Newson so as to match the design of the K-01 mirrorless camera. The lens will work with Pentax DSLRs as well as with the K-01.

It is smaller being only 9.2 mm thick. The aperture blades are rounded which produces a smooth bokeh. The front element has SP coating which repels dust, water and grease and which makes it easier to wipe the front element clean.

Diam x Length 62.9 x 9.2 mm (2.5 x 0.36 in.) Weight 52 g (1.8 oz.)

Read more at: SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 XS Reviews - DA XS Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Read more at: SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 XS Reviews - DA XS Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Pentax DA 35mm F2.4 vs 40mm XS vs 40mm Limited
Introduction

Read more at: Pentax DA 35mm F2.4 vs 40mm XS vs 40mm Limited Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

you can find photos from it, the 40mm Limited and the 43 Limited in this thread:

the Pentax 40mm and 43mm Lens Club

the Pentax 40mm and 43mm Lens Club - Page 18 - PentaxForums.com

[garywakeling]

Hi Gary

from the moment I picked up the K1 and 50mm 1.4 I was won over. Amazing quality, solid feel in the hand, not too big when actually in hand and use. Recently it topped the lens comparison challenge set here on PF. Buy it, you will not regret it. ( It does remind me of the feel of the A 50mm 1:1.2 on the LX, )

Good luck with your choice
Gary

[UncleVanya]

A compromise would be to try using the DFA 50 f2.8 on your k-1. It’s going to give the same angle of view, but it is lighter. It is still razor sharp. If shallow focus or more light is needed you can always try the dfa 50 f1.4 later.

[ChristianRock]

I know this might sound crazy but if you buy the D FA* 50mm f/1.4, you could also buy a cheap, light 50mm lens such as the FA 50mm f/1.4 or the F 50mm f/1.7 (or even the M 50mm f/1.7 for what, 40 bucks). When you don't feel like carrying the big heavy lens, you can always go out with the lighter lens and still bring home some great pictures.

A smaller, good quality equivalent to having a 50mm lens on a full frame camera would be to carry something like a KP with the DA 35mm f/2.8 Limited... or in my case the K-S1, even lighter... the 35 Limited is not that fast, but the KP high ISO performance makes it more than useable enough. Before I had the 35 Limited I had the 35mm f/2.4 and was very happy with that - in fact despite having the Limited, I still use the plastic fantastic, since the combination of K-S1 and DA 35 2.4 is very, very light, very similar to carrying a small film camera with 50mm lens. I can't remember how many times we were out as a family and I was carrying one of my 3 sons in one arm, while taking pictures with the other, using the small K-S1 for that purpose...

Since I'm sticking to APS-C, the ultimate 'normal' lens for me would actually be the FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited on an APS-C body - on the K-3 III it would be my perfect camera, I think.

[Wheatfield]

My problem is that I have the little devil on my shoulder saying "get the 50mm 1.4 DFA" ! ! ! !

In order to help me tell the devil to shut up or go buy the lens, I would like to know how many pentaxians here use the 50mm as a walk-around lens on the K1-ii.



Gary

The only 50mm lens I use out of the dozen or so that I own is the D FA* 50/1.4. It's a great lens, and well worth the extra weight.

[pschlute]

In order to help me tell the devil to shut up or go buy the lens, I would like to know how many pentaxians here use the 50mm as a walk-around lens on the K1-ii

I use the K1 and the DFA* 50mm 1.4.......... but not if I am going to be carrying the kit all day as a walkaround. I guess it depends on age and muscle strength, but it is too much for me. I certainly take it if I want that FL on a shoot, but if I am wandering around all day with camera on my shoulder it will be the FA 50mm 1.4 or the FA 43mm 1.9

Some images below by the two fifties......

[nosillec]

I second the suggestion of the fa43. Wonderful little thing!

[BarryE]

Has nobody mentioned the D-FA 50 f2.8 macro? It's excellent edge to edge, small and light and where it loses in being slower, it does have the macro facility. Its quite a bit cheaper too. I do wonder how far off the new DFA* 1.4 this lens is for sharpness, if that's your thing?

[UncleVanya]

Has nobody mentioned the D-FA 50 f2.8 macro? It's excellent edge to edge, small and light and where it loses in being slower, it does have the macro facility. Its quite a bit cheaper too. I do wonder how far off the new DFA* 1.4 this lens is for sharpness, if that's your thing?

Post number 7... I agree. Data suggests it is very similar in sharpness. However there are many who want the shallower f1.4 aperture and want it to be very sharp at that aperture and want the speedy focus. The reality of that only the dfa 50 f1.4 can do all of these in one lens but many of us would be willing to compromise to get similar sharpness but give up some of the other factors.

[ronniemac]

There are so many Pentax lenses to choose from in that range. Like you, I have the K-1, and I also have the D-FA* 50/1.4. For sure it can take the very best quality photographs, a pixel peeper's delight, but now that I am in retirement age and less fit than I ought to be, I find lugging the D-FA* 50/1.4 around for more than a couple of hours a bit of a chore - unless it is in a back pack with a couple of other lenses. My walk about lens is the D-FA 28-105, but if you are looking for a standard prime consider the following:
The FA 50/1.7 is, in many respects, better than the FA 50/1.4 which is probably more of a portrait lens, (it also takes me back to my first Pentax MX with M50/1.7!)

The DA 40/2.8 Limited is so miniscule you might not think it's there, reminds me of the 1.7's sibling the M 40/2.8.

I do agree with comments about the FA 43/1.9 Limited, it's a little cracker!

Macro's tend to focus hunt when I don't want them to so I keep them for their intended purpose,

But the unsung beauty is the DA* 55/1.4 It's a softly spoken SDM rather than a whiney screw focus lens, and it does take sublime photos. On full frame you will only notice the slight vignetting when it's wide open, and can easily remove it in post processing.

There are some lovely photos taken with it on the K-1 here and some test photos here.

There are others, but maybe we already have too much choice with the above.

[Sidney Porter]

I hear 3 concerns
- will you be satisfied with just a 50mm as a walk around
- cost of the dfa* 50
- weight of the dfa* 50

I would pickup a used fa 50 1.4. in the US they are available in the $150-200 range. If you don't like it you can sell it.

This will allow you to see for yourself with concern #1. If you like it you can then read reviews and posts comparing the lenses. Based upon that you can decide if you want to upgrade. That addresses #2. For #3 look up the weight of the dfa and see how that compares to your 300 or another lens and decide if you want to carry that vs the fa 50

You can also go with the fa1.7. KEH has an excellent at $170 and a bargain at $140

Edit: it doesn't seem like cost was the concern in the op. So this might not add much value although it does allow you to decide if just a 50 is enough and avoid the weight issue