Sears prime 50mm lens

rmendez84 · 03-26-2010, 11:59 AM

Ok so i know very little about cameras but I am about to purchase a pentax K-X and I have a quick question. I am really interested in being able to take portrait shots where i can have a shallow depth of field and blur out everything except the subject. I know the kit lens will probably not let me do that so I saw this sears prime 50mm 1:2 maximum f/2 lens (im not totally sure what all those numbers really mean) and it was going for 12 bucks so I got it assuming that the f/2 aperture would give me the pictures that I want. I dont need these pictures to be flawless but was i correct in assuming this cheap sears lens would allow be to take the kind of photo i described?

Ira · 03-26-2010, 12:17 PM

Be a sport and splurge for $25 to $50 on a Pentax Takumar, which will have a wider maximum aperture and give you more of that blur that you want. But these inexpensive ones require an adapter:

And mods--I suggest a move to the Beginners forum before anyone comments further.

rmendez84 · 03-26-2010, 12:21 PM

ha yeah maybe ill splurge for 25 dollars. the only ones i saw were going for a good bit more expensive than this one so I should probably just be more patient next time.

Ira · 03-26-2010, 12:36 PM

Go to KEH.com

And by the way:

The kit lens sure will let you get the out of focus background. It's a matter of background to subject as well.

RioRico · 03-26-2010, 01:42 PM

That Sears lens was probably made by Ricoh or Mamiya, and it's a solid piece of work (if it's in good shape). I almost never let a US$12 lens get away from me! Read this for help on buying cheap lenses: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-lens-articles/59245-pawnshop-lense...ers-guide.html

deadwolfbones · 03-26-2010, 03:03 PM

Really, just go for the Pentax-M 50/1.7 for $50 or less.

StarDust · 03-26-2010, 04:47 PM

More mm also gives more DOF so if you find a 100 mm it's also good, you will only have to stand further back.

Tom in Delaware · 03-26-2010, 05:52 PM

I have that Sears lens in K-mount and it is EXTREMELY sharp with good color rendition. Build quality is not up to the Pentax-M 50mm f2 or f1.7 but I would say that it is adequate. For $12 I would not hesitate to get it. This would be the equivalent of a short portrait lens on a digital Pentax.

sterretje · 03-26-2010, 06:06 PM

Originally posted by StarDust

More mm also gives more DOF so if you find a 100 mm it's also good, you will only have to stand further back.

Don't you mean less DOF

rmendez84 · 03-26-2010, 06:34 PM

thanks guys, this is really good info. yeah buying the K-X is going to set me back a little so i cant yet buy a really sweet lens but i just wanted to get something extra i could play around with and for 12 bucks plus shipping i think i got a good deal. I will be hitting pawn shops very soon.

StarDust · 03-27-2010, 02:23 AM

Originally posted by sterretje

Don't you mean less DOF

Oops, yes I do. That's what happens when you don't read what you write.

Marc Sabatella · 03-27-2010, 08:54 AM

I went ahead and moved this to the beginner's forum. For future reference, since the question is about lenses and not cameras, it definitely doens't belong in the DSLR forum. Could have belonged in the lens forum, but sometimes we have to make judgement calls on things like this: if it's the sort question that pretty much every newcomer to the SLR world has, then I am inclined to put it in the beginner's forum. Both to keep the lens forum from being dominated by nothing but questions on cheap 50mm primes and telephoto zooms, and to encourage newcomers to the SLR world to visit the beginner's forum and perhaps browse around for existing threads on whatever topic might interested you.

03-26-2010, 11:59 AM	#1
rmendez84 New Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: United States Posts: 6	Sears prime 50mm lens Ok so i know very little about cameras but I am about to purchase a pentax K-X and I have a quick question. I am really interested in being able to take portrait shots where i can have a shallow depth of field and blur out everything except the subject. I know the kit lens will probably not let me do that so I saw this sears prime 50mm 1:2 maximum f/2 lens (im not totally sure what all those numbers really mean) and it was going for 12 bucks so I got it assuming that the f/2 aperture would give me the pictures that I want. I dont need these pictures to be flawless but was i correct in assuming this cheap sears lens would allow be to take the kind of photo i described?

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03-26-2010, 12:17 PM	#2
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Be a sport and splurge for $25 to $50 on a Pentax Takumar, which will have a wider maximum aperture and give you more of that blur that you want. But these inexpensive ones require an adapter: And mods--I suggest a move to the Beginners forum before anyone comments further.

03-26-2010, 12:21 PM	#3
rmendez84 New Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: United States Posts: 6 Original Poster	ha yeah maybe ill splurge for 25 dollars. the only ones i saw were going for a good bit more expensive than this one so I should probably just be more patient next time.

03-26-2010, 12:36 PM	#4
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Go to KEH.com And by the way: The kit lens sure will let you get the out of focus background. It's a matter of background to subject as well.

03-26-2010, 01:42 PM	#5
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	That Sears lens was probably made by Ricoh or Mamiya, and it's a solid piece of work (if it's in good shape). I almost never let a US$12 lens get away from me! Read this for help on buying cheap lenses: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-lens-articles/59245-pawnshop-lense...ers-guide.html

03-26-2010, 03:03 PM	#6
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 7,451	Really, just go for the Pentax-M 50/1.7 for $50 or less.

03-26-2010, 04:47 PM	#7
StarDust Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Posts: 400	More mm also gives more DOF so if you find a 100 mm it's also good, you will only have to stand further back.

03-26-2010, 05:52 PM	#8
Tom in Delaware Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Delaware Posts: 177	I have that Sears lens in K-mount and it is EXTREMELY sharp with good color rendition. Build quality is not up to the Pentax-M 50mm f2 or f1.7 but I would say that it is adequate. For $12 I would not hesitate to get it. This would be the equivalent of a short portrait lens on a digital Pentax.

03-26-2010, 06:06 PM	#9
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	Originally posted by StarDust More mm also gives more DOF so if you find a 100 mm it's also good, you will only have to stand further back. Don't you mean less DOF

03-26-2010, 06:34 PM	#10
rmendez84 New Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: United States Posts: 6 Original Poster	thanks guys, this is really good info. yeah buying the K-X is going to set me back a little so i cant yet buy a really sweet lens but i just wanted to get something extra i could play around with and for 12 bucks plus shipping i think i got a good deal. I will be hitting pawn shops very soon.

03-27-2010, 02:23 AM	#11
StarDust Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Posts: 400	Originally posted by sterretje Don't you mean less DOF Oops, yes I do. That's what happens when you don't read what you write.

03-27-2010, 08:54 AM	#12
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	I went ahead and moved this to the beginner's forum. For future reference, since the question is about lenses and not cameras, it definitely doens't belong in the DSLR forum. Could have belonged in the lens forum, but sometimes we have to make judgement calls on things like this: if it's the sort question that pretty much every newcomer to the SLR world has, then I am inclined to put it in the beginner's forum. Both to keep the lens forum from being dominated by nothing but questions on cheap 50mm primes and telephoto zooms, and to encourage newcomers to the SLR world to visit the beginner's forum and perhaps browse around for existing threads on whatever topic might interested you.