[Marc Sabatella]

Question: givden that the majority of APS-C shooters find 50mm a not very useful focal length (too long for the stuff 50mm was good for on film, too short to be a great portrait lens), do you know for a fact you'd be one of the uncommon exceptions?

[buliwyf]

Question: givden that the majority of APS-C shooters find 50mm a not very useful focal length (too long for the stuff 50mm was good for on film, too short to be a great portrait lens), do you know for a fact you'd be one of the uncommon exceptions?

but I like 50mm (with at least F2.0) on APS-C

On second note, yeah, for anything over $100, isn't 50mm prime on APS-C overrated? With the Canon EF 50 1.8 @ $90 brand new with warranty, there's no excuse not having it. For $400+ won't something like Tamron 17-50 f2.8 be more practical (at least for budget limited options)?

I have a question regarding in-body SR, what will happen if I attach a lens with lens IS/VR? Like those from third party lens companies

[brecklundin]

I see you are looing into the various K-x Kits:

Amazon.com: pentax k-x kit

This one is a pretty nice price:
http://www.amazon.com/Pentax-K-x-2-7-inch-18-55mm-55-300mm/dp/B002OEBTCS/ref...1782616&sr=8-3

Then add some sort of AF prime in the 35-50mm range as the budget permits. That way you will be able to have a nice range covered, get to know the camera and patiently watch for sales or nice deals on something used...if you really wanna switch that is...

[brecklundin]

Looks like some of the direct from Amazon K-x plus 18-55mm lits have an additional $50 Instant cash discount thing going on, so the price would end up about $500ish for something like this:

Amazon.com: Pentax K-x 12.4 MP Digital SLR with 2.7-inch LCD and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Lens (White): Camera & Photo

The red kit also has the same special price...but I am not sure what they are saying...just seems when you buy it, enter the code from the details page and you get an addition $50 off...not a bad deal at all.

LOL

Okay, the Canon 1.8 is sharp, and a very decent lens, but the build quality makes it feel like a toy lens. .

As opposed to the full metal jacket FA50 f1.4 that only cost 3 times more.

[GerryL]

I have a question regarding in-body SR, what will happen if I attach a lens with lens IS/VR? Like those from third party lens companies

I don't think they make something like these with a Pentax mount...at least, I don't think they do.

[TourDeForce]

You will get a lot of fanboys telling you how great the FA 50 and how crappy the canon 50 1.8 is... take it with a grain.

Actually, having extensive experience with both lenses, the Canon on a T1i, the Canon 50mm 1.8 is quite inferior. Hands down. No contest.

The 50 f2 you have is the worst of the bunch though. It is a pretty soft lens. Any of the 50 1.7 or 1.4 mf lenses will spank it.

I have used cheap mf lenses almost exclusively for the last year and a half with my K100d and k20d and I love them. The Helios 44m - Vivitar 28 close focus - Tair 135 2.8 -- SMC Tak 50 1.4... They all blow the glass off of the Pentax FA 50 1.4 or Canon 50 1.8.
And I spent 20 - 60 bucks for them.

If you do end up buying a AF prime lens for Kx... forget the fa 50 at 360 bucks and opt for the DA 40 2.8 ltd. pancake instead.

Unless of course money is no object... In that case go for the the DA 35... it rocks

THOSE are excellent suggestions. The DA 40mm is an outstanding lens at almost any price. DA 35 is even better.

Pentax-f 50mm 1.7

You can usually find this lens used on Ebay for $125-150. VERY, VERY sharp lens (I have owned the cheap Canon 1.8, and I know it is sharp as well) and the build quality is better than the Canon (the Pentax lens is uglier though, imo ) It only has five aperture blades though (if I remember correctly), so the bokeh isn't always the best when stopped down a little (again, like the Canon, if I remember correctly).

Fantastic advice. I've owned the F 50 1.7 and it is a dreamy lens to work with. The center sharpness is good on the Canon, but the edge and corners are typically poor by comparison. The sharpness of the Canon lens peaks at near 5.6 also. Kinda useless to have a fast lens if it will be horribly soft at wide aperture. Just 'cause it has a wide aperture, don't mean it's useful.

As a Canon FD loyalist, I'd actually be pretty shocked if the Canon 1.8 design suddenly became in a *league* with the FA 50, actually. I've used every variant of that lens *till* EOS, and... Well.

They always made a nice 1.4, themselves, though, if that's important.

Pentax is not really in a fancy flash automation sort of place, though, but even a KX can trigger the setup you seem to have, as well as anything else. It's an entry-level camera, though, and AFAIK doesn't have a PC socket like the K10/20/7.

Sadly, these observations I can confirm. Which brings me to the big confusion about the OP's original post... Choosing the K-x based on high ISO performance, yet having an elaborate flash setup. Flash photography I would expect wouldn't require need for high ISO capability.

[ilya80]

(too long for the stuff 50mm was good for on film, too short to be a great portrait lens)

For me the 50mm focal range is almost a total winner for both APS & APS-C

When I put it on a ME Super - here we go i get a normal prime, and I can shoot all the stuff with it. Wide enough indoors, step in a bit and you`re also set for "waist and up" portraits.

Put it on APS-C and here you go you got a nice "head and shoulders" portrait lens. Something that FA77 was supposed to be on film.

I came to that only recently, and now my fast fifties have been rivaling the place on the camera with the FA31

[Peter Zack]

I would agree on the F50mm f1.7. They come up on Ebay almost every day. Here in our marketplace sometimes and on KEH. It might take you a couple of weeks to get it but you'll have an excellent, sharp and fast 50mm for less than $150.00

Some As for the FA50 f1.4, it's new price has jumped and the used price is around $270-300 now but it's an excellent lens even if Gus doesn't like it. Certainly not "razor sharp" wide open but still an excellent performer. Mine gets tones of use and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

But I will agree with him on the older glass. I have more than 10 M42 screw mount lenses and other odd versions. All MF and all cheap. Each ahs different characters but they are super performers. An example is the very underrated Takumar 55mm f1.8 SHarp and renders beautifully. Easly found for less than $50.00 With LV on that KX, MF focussing is not as big an issue through the VF.

[arbib]

I would agree on the F50mm f1.7. They come up on Ebay almost every day. Here in our marketplace sometimes and on KEH. It might take you a couple of weeks to get it but you'll have an excellent, sharp and fast 50mm for less than $150.00

Some As for the FA50 f1.4, it's new price has jumped and the used price is around $270-300 now but it's an excellent lens even if Gus doesn't like it. Certainly not "razor sharp" wide open but still an excellent performer. Mine gets tones of use and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

But I will agree with him on the older glass. I have more than 10 M42 screw mount lenses and other odd versions. All MF and all cheap. Each ahs different characters but they are super performers. An example is the very underrated Takumar 55mm f1.8 SHarp and renders beautifully. Easly found for less than $50.00 With LV on that KX, MF focussing is not as big an issue through the VF.

Have to agree here on the Super Tak 55mm f/1.8...It was made while Pentax used single layer coatings...And it is great lens in color and sharpness, despite its single coating...Mine is sharp from f/1.8 on...peaking at around f/11..And with the Catch-In-Focus on my K20d...it is no biggie for getting MF right.

[Marc Sabatella]

I didn't say *no one* likes 50mm on APS-C or that it is useless. I was simply observing the very well-known fact that it's nowhere near as popular on APS-C as it was on film, and *asking* the OP if he knows he will actually value that focal length enough to spend money on. If he had been simply *assuming* that, because Canon & Nikon offer a cheap 50, it must be a focal length everyone loves, he would have been mistaken. Now we know he really does like this focal length. In which case, I'd recommend getting comfortable with MF - it's really not *that* difficult even on APS-C.

[Myoptimism]

As opposed to the full metal jacket FA50 f1.4 that only cost 3 times more.

I am not claiming the FA50 1.4 sets the standard for build quality, but even die-hard Canon shooters (accurate description of several of my photo friends) openly laugh at the feel of the Canon 1.8. They call it their disposable lens...if it breaks in a few years, they will just buy another one.

Have you ever compared the two, side by side? But hey, I love the Canon lens, I wish Pentax offered an extremely cheap fast fifty, as it is nice to have something for low light, no flash situations (like museums), but it isn't really my favorite focal length.

[buliwyf]

Ok, i've now posted my Canon 400D and Canon Optura60 MiniDV camcorder for sale over the internet (some local forum)

I'm keeping my EF 50 F1.8, EF 28 F2.8 just to be safe.

When the cameras get sold and I get the cash, I go to the mall with it and spend it all to I still don't know what. Which is pretty fun

Anyway it's either 500D or K-x!

Regarding the EF 50 F1.8's build quality, yes it's flimsy. BUT it's also very lightweight!

Just wondering

[justinr]

Interestingly I often hear of Canon people jumping ship or wishing that they could afford to but I seldom hear that about the other big 'un, Nikon. The trouble is that should you decide to broadcast your dissatisfaction about Canon then all hell is let loose and you have half the photographic world down upon you like a tonne of bricks, I have the scars to prove it. I had a 30D and I'm glad its gone but I see that once again the company is claiming to have fixed it's AF problems on the flagship models for the umpteenth time.

I also have one of their high end consumer printers and it's fantastic. It's what they do best, no doubt about it.

Justin.