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10-30-2019, 11:29 AM   #1
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HD FA 50mm F/1.4 SDM

I am really contemplating pulling the trigger on this lens ! is anyone using it , Love to see some photo's with this lens , pacifically how it reacts in direct sunlight . can anyone point in a direction , greatly appreciate it

Alan

10-30-2019, 11:45 AM - 1 Like   #2
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Pentax M, FA, and D FA* 50mm F1.4 comparison - PentaxForums.com
10-30-2019, 11:50 AM - 1 Like   #3
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I have pictures up on my flickr. Not one shot into direct sunlight (it's not the best with flaring), but it is sharp wide open.

_IMG9105 | Brian Snowden | Flickr

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10-30-2019, 01:13 PM   #4
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Do you have the FA Limited lenses, yet? If not, I would say get those, first.

10-30-2019, 04:12 PM - 1 Like   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Outlander Quote
I am really contemplating pulling the trigger on this lens ! is anyone using it , Love to see some photo's with this lens , pacifically how it reacts in direct sunlight . can anyone point in a direction , greatly appreciate it

Alan
I've seen numerous examples posted of impressive image quality even wide open with this lens. Getting good sharpness wide open at f/1.4 is impressive indeed! Terry's suggestion regarding the FA Limiteds is certainly worth considering, with at least two of them, the 31mm and 77mm capable of very good results wide open, which is f/1.8- but of course all depends on your focal length needs as well.
10-30-2019, 04:45 PM - 1 Like   #6
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I wish I could afford this lens. Its looks amazing
10-30-2019, 04:51 PM - 2 Likes   #7
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If you go looking, you'll find an enormous number of photos taken with this lens.

For what it's worth, HERE are some of mine.

10-31-2019, 04:31 PM - 1 Like   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Outlander Quote
I am really contemplating pulling the trigger on this lens ! is anyone using it , Love to see some photo's with this lens , pacifically how it reacts in direct sunlight . can anyone point in a direction , greatly appreciate it

Alan
Lens club here, Alan … HD Pentax-D FA* 1:1.4 50mm SDM AW - PentaxForums.com
05-01-2020, 10:52 PM   #9
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thanks everyone just, catching up on the comments with my post , haven't purchased this lens as yet , however thank you kindly for directing me towards all your images taken with this lens .
05-02-2020, 12:02 PM - 1 Like   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Outlander Quote
thanks everyone just, catching up on the comments with my post , haven't purchased this lens as yet , however thank you kindly for directing me towards all your images taken with this lens .
Mate, if you want the best 50mm prime produced in decades by Pentax, then get this lens. It is sharp across the frame even wide open. It is heavy but well balanced with the k1.

Images here...........





05-04-2020, 09:50 AM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by TerryL Quote
Do you have the FA Limited lenses, yet? If not, I would say get those, first.
Nope, none of the Limiteds hold a candle to this lens. The closest Limited in focal length is the 43/1.9 and it looks terrible compared to the D FA* 50/1.4
The Limiteds are in a class of their own, but the D FA* 50/1.4 is in a whole nother class, and that is a class with way more class.
05-04-2020, 10:21 PM - 1 Like   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by pschlute Quote
Mate, if you want the best 50mm prime produced in decades by Pentax, then get this lens. It is sharp across the frame even wide open. It is heavy but well balanced with the k1.

Images here...........




thanks for the info , this lens was on sale back in December at B&H wishing had of picked it up then the price is now getting out of reach , kind of have my eye on the Sigma 35mm 1.4 as well , not sure what to get , I do now im in need of FF lens all i have been using mostly on my K1 for landscapes is the Tamron 28 - 75 mm which is junk as for as i'm concerned , its one ugly piece of glass in the sun , I guess you get what you pay for , nice pup , looks like a Cocker Spaniel .

---------- Post added 05-05-20 at 02:25 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
Nope, none of the Limiteds hold a candle to this lens. The closest Limited in focal length is the 43/1.9 and it looks terrible compared to the D FA* 50/1.4
The Limiteds are in a class of their own, but the D FA* 50/1.4 is in a whole nother class, and that is a class with way more class.
thank you for your thoughts Wheatfield , Ive never owned any of the Limiteds , so cant really comment on them , but if i'm spending $ im placing it on new technology . thanks again for the comments
05-05-2020, 11:31 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by TerryL Quote
Do you have the FA Limited lenses, yet? If not, I would say get those, first.
QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
Nope, none of the Limiteds hold a candle to this lens. The closest Limited in focal length is the 43/1.9 and it looks terrible compared to the D FA* 50/1.4
The Limiteds are in a class of their own, but the D FA* 50/1.4 is in a whole nother class, and that is a class with way more class.
IMO the Ltds (43 in particular) and this lens are not really comparable, they are doing different things. Long story short one is 'deliberately' flawed and with that flaw comes wonderfully artistic and textured images (but often at a price), the other is clinical perfection. I had to decide between these two lenses at one time and went with the 43 because size and weight was a major consideration (as well as cost, the 43 about half the price). Both are great lenses but offer very different results and both have pros and cons unique to one another.

DFA 50

Pros

- Sharp wide open
- Edge sharpness
- Silent AF
- Optimised AF
- Weather Sealing
- Manageable CA

Cons

- Size
- Weight
- Cost
- Arguably a clinical look, to some that might be considered 'boring', to others a wonderful rendering. Suits product photography, modern portraits, studio etc.


FA43

Pros

- Size
- Weight
- Character (this would be things like quality and layering of bokeh, natural heavy vignetting etc)
- Price
- Adequateness wide open

Cons

- CA badly
- Soft corners and edges until stopped down adequately (though it is arguable this adds character to the portrait shots)
- Noisey AF
- No weather sealing
05-05-2020, 12:01 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by BruceBanner Quote
IMO the Ltds (43 in particular) and this lens are not really comparable, they are doing different things. Long story short one is 'deliberately' flawed and with that flaw comes wonderfully artistic and textured images (but often at a price), the other is clinical perfection. I had to decide between these two lenses at one time and went with the 43 because size and weight was a major consideration (as well as cost, the 43 about half the price). Both are great lenses but offer very different results and both have pros and cons unique to one another.

DFA 50

Pros

- Sharp wide open
- Edge sharpness
- Silent AF
- Optimised AF
- Weather Sealing
- Manageable CA

Cons

- Size
- Weight
- Cost
- Arguably a clinical look, to some that might be considered 'boring', to others a wonderful rendering. Suits product photography, modern portraits, studio etc.


FA43

Pros

- Size
- Weight
- Character (this would be things like quality and layering of bokeh, natural heavy vignetting etc)
- Price
- Adequateness wide open

Cons

- CA badly
- Soft corners and edges until stopped down adequately (though it is arguable this adds character to the portrait shots)
- Noisey AF
- No weather sealing
They are definitely doing different things. The D FA* 50/1.4 is giving as accurate a representation as is possible of what is in front of the lens. Some people call it clinical, I happen to prefer accuracy.
The Limited lenses are all flawed in their own way, I think the 43 is particularly flawed. Another term for these flaws is "pixie dust", another is, as you have used, "character". I do like the rendering of the 77 in portraits. It's undercorrected spherical aberration gives a very pleasing 3 dimensionality. Unfortunately, it is also something of a fringe monster, so one does need to be careful with it.
I've never come to appreciate the images from the 43, there just isn't anything to really like about it. The best I can say is that it is superior to the FA50/1.4, but frankly, that is damning it with faint praise. The 31mm has been quite good. I bought it originally as a standard lens for the APS-C cameras, now it is a very rarely used wide angle. It isn't a focal length I have much use for on full frame.
I've never had a problem with the noise coming off of screw drive AF lenses. I don't really see what the big deal is. I find the silent AF of the D FA lenses to be a bit eerie.
05-05-2020, 12:25 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
They are definitely doing different things. The D FA* 50/1.4 is giving as accurate a representation as is possible of what is in front of the lens. Some people call it clinical, I happen to prefer accuracy.
The Limited lenses are all flawed in their own way, I think the 43 is particularly flawed. Another term for these flaws is "pixie dust", another is, as you have used, "character". I do like the rendering of the 77 in portraits. It's undercorrected spherical aberration gives a very pleasing 3 dimensionality. Unfortunately, it is also something of a fringe monster, so one does need to be careful with it.
I've never come to appreciate the images from the 43, there just isn't anything to really like about it. The best I can say is that it is superior to the FA50/1.4, but frankly, that is damning it with faint praise. The 31mm has been quite good. I bought it originally as a standard lens for the APS-C cameras, now it is a very rarely used wide angle. It isn't a focal length I have much use for on full frame.
I've never had a problem with the noise coming off of screw drive AF lenses. I don't really see what the big deal is. I find the silent AF of the D FA lenses to be a bit eerie.
All the FA Ltds fringe. I've started to learn that the lenses with a lot of character fringe, it's just part and parcel, seems to be hard to have one without the other (Takumar 50/1.4 8 element also fringes but renders exceptionally well, in fact it can teach the Ltds a thing or two about pixie dust...). The lenses that do not fringe can often have a clinical look to them.

What I have come to learn in this game is it takes time to really learn a lens. A singles in month is a good start, but its not nearly enough time imo, you need months with a lens to really learn to make it shine and compose properly with it. I know my FA43 better than my FA77 because for a long time I was learning outdoor HSS flash (through a DIY modifier/diffuser) and using the FA77 would put me too far back under max power to have a pleasing result, the FA43 (on the K-1) would get me in closer for the desirable results. I know however in non flash work of that nature the FA77 seems to be the better lens, but I really feel right now that I have not mastered the FA77 properly yet.
Right now I am learning the Tak 50, I am shooting a book with it and it's been a really challenging and rewarding experiencing to figuring out how to get a shot of something. It takes time, multiple attempts but often the rewards are there in the end.

Anyway, here's some of my fav FA43 shots during my learning curve;

Behance

The longer I do photography the more I can see myself whittling down my collection to just a handful of lenses. I think if funds allow a FA77 and 31 cover a lot of ground, if funds are tight a FA43 is a good compromise between both. Owning all 3 may be nice but perhaps overkill.
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