| Author: | | New Member Registered: April, 2022 Posts: 7 | | Review Date: May 5, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Focal length fits nicely with 90 mm standard prime | | Cons: | Sharpness not quite at the level of standard primes | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 7
Camera Used: Pentax 67
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The lens has received many good reviews on this forum so I did not hesitate to buy it to expand the range of focal lengths to the wide angle range. The one I got arrived in good condition. It has nice build quality overall, especially if you appreciate the SMC-Pentax-67 style of the lens. The shape and diameter of the lens and the styling actually resembles the 200/4 (which I own too). Even though it is 55 mm, the lens is one of the bigger lenses, the weight, diameter and length are bigger than the 105. The next that is large is the front lens, it is visible without too much pronounced colour of the coating. At the rear we see a rather small lens. Inside is a diafragm with 8 aperture blades.
I have shot 6 films now with it but can't confirm the excellent sharpness it is known for. At least, with the Pentax 67. It (at least my sample) is just not at the same level the 90, 105 or 200 mm offer, although surely not too bad. At a digital camera my impression is different and confirms the good reputation, I cannot explain why the film images were a bit disappointing. With the Pentax 67 I consider the full aperture at center already quite good and usable. The extreme corners are quiet soft, edges are better and usable. A slight purple cast is visible at hard edges. The bokeh is nice at f/4. With closing down the aperture, the center sharpness does not improve too much, the corners do sharpen up and the purple edges become less pronounced. At f/16 and f/22 the image softens noticeably.
With the digital camera, the story is different. Recently I bought the Fuji GFX 100s and the Kipon adapter. The adapter is huge and hefty. The 55 mm focal length is similar to a 40 mm at Full frame, a bit wider than the standard lens. The lens is suprisingly sharp and even at f/4 very usuable. Striking at the digital images is that the full aperture is darker than the other aperture settings. Perhaps the lens is more like f/4.5.At f/8 Iwith some sharpening, the lens can compete with the native 63/2.8 lens of Fujifilm. I have no explanation why it does not perform that well on the Pentax 67 with film.
Overall the lens is a pleasure to use although i had wished the sharpness was a bit better. If you own the 90 mm, the 55 mm is a good step towards the wide end and its field of view makes it easier to use than the 45/4 I believe.
The first test shot was taken at f/4 setting
The second test shot was at f/8 and is almost similar except the brightness and background blur.
A real shot with the Pentax 67 with the 55 mm at f/4.5.
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2020 Location: China Posts: 22
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 19, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | good image quality | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 6*7
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I brought this one for $200. My copy is clearly bumped against something and the back lens group have a small waggling. However, I did not notice any serious image quality degradation.
Every reviewer says it is good. I didn't not notice any cons.
Here is one star trail photo taken at F4.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 10
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 29, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Contrast, clarity, sharpness, color rendition. Perfection | | Cons: | May not satisfy photographers that prefer 'character' in their lenses | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony a7Rii
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I use this lens with a Fotodiox Tilt/Shift ROKR adapter on a Sony a7Rii body, and I must say the results are phenomenal. Obviously I am getting the sweet spot of its image circle on a 24x36 mm sensor when centered. But even at full shift, its just as good. I have had Zeiss lenses on a Contax645 and Hasselblad, especially the 80mm, 100mm and the 180mm.........and this lens stands at equal footing with all of them. AT A FRACTION OF THE COST! The high praise for this lens is not without merit. I have even thought of buying a Pentax 67 camera just for this lens, but I am apprehensive of the bulk that I will have to carry around. So, this configuration with a mirrorless body works best in keeping it light for frequent use. I use it in center config for most of the time and then tilt or shift as needed occasionally.
Sharpness aside, its micro contrast and resolving of fine details is amazing. The bokeh is like poetry and not crazy like that Helios thingy that some people like. Out of focus areas fall off smoothly into creamy, dreamy stuff. Focus throw is long enough for it to help you nail focus very precisely. It is also well constructed in the tradition of the Pentax Takumar family of lenses that has been thriving on for decades to date. It does have teeny weeny purple fringing in very bright, contrasty areas, but CaptureOne or LR can effortlessly banish them with a mouse click or two. It is free of distortions, as you would expect from a high end lens. However, it is so perfect and precise that it may not satisfy photographers that prefer character in their lenses. The designers were geniuses in making a near perfect lens, and I am proud to own it. This is how it looks with the adapter:
 | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2018 Location: Quebec City, Quebec Posts: 6,575
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 15, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpest lens ever made for the 67 format. | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: 67, 67 II, 645Z
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Sorry for the poor quality of the scans of these 67 negatives, they don't render justice to the sharpness of this awesome lens.
I finally found this most beloved lens and tested it on the 645Z. It can be easily used in auto-exposure Av mode with the '67 to 645' Pentax adapter. It's a big, stout, rather heavy lens but, just as with 67 film cameras, the digital results are spectacular. Sharpness and contrast are unmatched by any other lenses, short of the 75 mm f/2.8 AL and 105 mm f/2.4. Focusing is easy in the 645Z viewfinder and the angle of view permits secure handholding operation. Performance is very uniform throughout the aperture range, it is even usable wide-open at f/4. AWESOME LENS !
Sequence from f/22 to f/4 of the same sunset scene with the 645Z. .
 f/22  f/16  f/5.6
The imaging performance remains constant at any aperture. On the Pentax 67 II, I closed the aperture to f/16 to get adequate depth-of-field in 'near-far' compositions with a foreground anchor element . | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2017 Location: Medellín Posts: 1,322 | | Review Date: December 31, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp. | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: 6x7 MLU
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This is an awesome piece of glass. It's bigger than the 45 mm but it uses smaller filters. It's also sharper. Mine came with a stuck 645/67 adapter. Once I managed to separate them and repair the adapter, it meant I'd gotten them both for a silly good price from Japan.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2012 Location: Medina, OH Posts: 7,224
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 17, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $169.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp image, close focus distance, color rendering | | Cons: | Heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1 with adapter
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This is a fantastic lens for my flower photography on the K-1. It is super sharp, rivalling my Pentax-D FA 50mm f 2.8 macro and Pentax-A 645 120mm f 4.0 macro in that department. It is a pleasure to focus manually with its large, well-damped focus ring. I have used normal view finder focussing, watching for the green dot, well as live view. Both work quite well for me with no major focussing problems.
This lens can be used on the K-1 or crop sensor K-mount cameras such as the K-3 in manual or aperture priority (Av) modes. I generally select Av, and then adjust exposure up or down using the convenient round wheel on the top right side of the K-1. I have only used the K-1 with this lens in a hand-held context. Taking a tripod throughout the garden in order to set up each shot is not to my liking, but the built-in SR of the K-1 body combined with the k-1's high ISO capability makes hand-held photography a realistic approach. I might just add that using the P67 lens on the full-frame K-1 offers lots of advantages over the native Pentax 67 film camera because of all the advanced features and capabilities of the K-1 as a more modern camera than the Pentax 67 medium-format film camera.
The lens seems to be quite flare resistant. Some of the 645 lenses seem flare prone, and careful attention to hooding is necessary. Not so with this lens. I have not yet scouted out a hood to fit it, but it has no flare problems either. .
The 55mm 67 lens is a great bargain at less than $200. I recommend it highly for any photography environment in which its focal length is appropriate, and its weight, lack of AF, and limited automatic mode operation are not knock-out factors.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,090
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 14, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $370.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Superb optics, one of the best Pentax 6x7 system lenses. | | Cons: | None | | Camera Used: 6x7, 67 and 67II
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The 67 55/4 is the fourth and last lens in this focal length that was made for the Pentax 6x7 system, it was introduced in 1986. It has improved optics over its predecessor the 6x7 55/4 (1979) and is also 110grams heavier.
Usage:
For me the 35mm format wide angle focal length of 28mm has been my favorite and most used since I got into photography in the mid 70’s. The 67 55/4 does not disappoint and is one of the best Pentax 6x7 system lenses optically. I find the 67 55/4 is sharper than my 67 45/4 and the 55mm FL more useful than the wider 45mm.
The minimum focusing distance of 0.35meters is also the best of any Pentax 6x7 lens.
FILTER: The 67 55/4 uses 77mm screw in filters. You can’t use Pentax 6x7 77mm bayonet filters on this lens. Pentax warns that using a polorizer may cause vignetting.
CASE: The 67 55/4 comes with the S90-140 soft case.
HOOD: The 67 55/4 uses a plastic clip-on PH-SA77 hood.
Summary:
If you are looking for a 55mm lens then skip the older versions and go for the 67 55/4. The 67 55/4 is an absolute must have lens considering the relatively low cost, outstanding optics and ease of use. A true Pentax classic!
Price: I found my 67 55/4 at a camera store in Toronto and it cost $369.99CDN. It was NOS condition and came with the original box, case, manual and all the paper work. I purchased the hood separately on eBay.
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Sample shots taken with the 67 55/4. Photos are medium resolution Lab scans from original negatives & slides.
Camera: 67 Film: Kodak T-Max 400 ISO: 400
Camera: 67 Film: Fuji Provia 400X ISO: 400
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Posts: 1,151
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 6, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $540.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Common 77mm filter size, sharpness and fidelity. | | Cons: | Weight! But nothing Pentax SMC is "lightweight"... | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 67
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What? The sharpness scale only goes up to 10? Add one more tick. 
Bought mint with 67 body, this was the first of the big and chunky lens I had to come to grips with, literally, as a person with smallish hands. The focus barrel is big and rather slow to use compared to other Pentax SMC lenses I have, but where this lens excels is in the imaging department: corner to corner sharpness, especially from f5.6 onward (I can say confidently that it will deliver at f4, too!), is superb. There is no significant abberation or distortion that I can see. It is very exciting to view the sharp resolution in trannies on the lightbox, but the optical performance is most impressive with finer-grained films like T-Max 100/ACROS 100 where the effect is quite surreal. As with all my work, a tripod is used to maximise the benefits of this (and 165LS and 45mm) lens, and it is my kit's "standard" go-to lens.
An overall snappy piece of engineering and very highly recommended as an acknowledged stand out performer.
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• This lens was sold off in March 2014 in preference for the 45mm f4. | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2010 Posts: 20 | | Review Date: March 18, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp optics. | | Cons: | | |
I have all the Pentax WA focal lengths 35, 45, 55, 75 shift, and 90mm. The performance of this lens is excellent.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2008 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 4,180 | | Review Date: May 1, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $210.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Has got the whole package! | | Cons: | Heavier on a crop sensor than wanted, but worth it.. You will get ca, especially wide open, in high contrast situations--DA! | |
This review is for the 67 SMC 55 F4 on Pentax CROP SENSOR I shoot this lens for landscape on my K20d & it is splendid! No PPing whatsoever is needed and the shots are very sharp, all the way to the most remote corners. Beautiful focus mechanism & excellent close focus capabilities. There isn't much I need to say about the lens which a picture can't say, so I'll post one here:
@ f11 with a linear polarizer:
(Non working link removed)
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,272
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 14, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, small size | | Cons: | Needs f/32 stop | |
I have used this lens only a few times as I borrow it from my brother. The results I have seen from it are in the same league as the 75mm f/4.5; sharp, contrasty, good saturated colors and sharp in the corners wide open. The cross section shows that this design is very diffferent from the earlier 55mm lenses. This design has gotten away from the thick element style seen earlier. It is obviously a Distagon (Zeiss) variant and one can see that heritage when compared with Distagon cross sections seen on Hasselblad and Contax wide lenses. My estimate for its maximum lp/mm is 100-105. I feel the 55 needs an f/32 stop like the 55-100 zoom has. The added DOF is really important for landscape work. The 55 is slightly sharper than the 55-100 zoom but they are close. Other than this, the lens is pretty much perfect.
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1/640 sec @ f/8
f/11
f/8
f/4
