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Pentax Lens Review Database » Film Era Pentax K-Mount Lenses » A Prime Lenses
SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4 Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4

Sharpness 
 9.2
Aberrations 
 8.2
Bokeh 
 9.3
Handling 
 9.1
Value 
 9.2
Reviews Views Date of last review
58 296,362 Sun October 29, 2023
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
98% of reviewers $103.27 9.19
SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4

SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4
supersize
SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4
supersize
SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4
supersize

Description:
Like all A-series lenses this very fast standard lens supports P and Tv exposure modes in addition to Av and M. The lens is shown above with a filter and a metal screw-in lens hood. A rectangular clip-on plastic hood was also available as well as a folding rubber hood.



SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
Yes (A setting)
Diaphragm
Automatic, 8 blades
Optics
7 elements, 6 groups
Mount Variant
KA
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F1.4
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
Manual
Min. Focus
45 cm
Max. Magnification
0.15x
Filter Size
49 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 32 ° / 27 °
Full frame: 47 ° / 40 °
Hood
Various types
Case
Hard case HA-90B
Lens Cap
Plastic clip-on
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
63 x 37 mm
Weight
235 g
Production Years
1984 to 1989
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-A 1:1.4 50mm
Product Code
20887
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Lens was sold without hood. Several hoods will fit like PH-S49 (50mm) and screw-in type metal and folding rubber hoods
Features:
Manual FocusAperture RingAutomatic ApertureFull-Frame SupportDiscontinued
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4
Author:
Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 31-45 of 58
New Member

Registered: July, 2012
Posts: 4
Review Date: May 17, 2013 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: unique rendition, very sharp above 2.0
Cons: wobble feel when focusing too fast
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 7    Value: 9    Camera Used: olympus e-p1   

I've had this lens for a couple of years now and know exactly when and how I like to use it. It has a softish feel at 1.4 and 2.0 making for great portrait effects. Colors are amazing and very distinct from smc 50mm tak 1.4 ( my copy of the smc tak has darker colors). Definitely needs a hood for good saturated colors during the day.
   
Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: December, 2009
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Posts: 2,437

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: January 7, 2013 Recommended | Price: $150.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Lovely bokeh, very sharp (stopped down a bit), fast, easy to use
Cons: Does not have the build quality of the M50 f1.4
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 8    Value: 10    Camera Used: K-5   

First up this is a good lens and for the last month has been attached to my camera most of the time.

Optically it is excellent. Its optical qualities compare well to my wonderful FA100 f2.8 macro. Yes its manual focus, however for shallow depth of field and low light work, manual focus is often used anyway, and the feel of the focus ring is very good.

Mechanically it could be a lot better and I'm afraid my M50 f1.4 has spoilt me! My A50, while optically mint, has a significant amount of barrel slop which can be annoying. That said I prefer my A50 to the M50 (until it falls apart anyway LOL) because:
1. It is more convenient to use (love the K-5 P mode with it hyper Av / Tv ability).
2. From side by side scene comparisons my A50 is a little better optically (center sharpness is much the same but corner to corner sharpness is better from f1.4 to f4 - which is where this lens is used most)

If only the A50 had the mechanicals of the M50, I would rate it a 10. As it is I can only go to a 9.

Some samples:
At f2 (I tend to use more than f1.4):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwi_jono/8352134816/in/photostream
At f2.8 (very challenging light and no tripod with me):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwi_jono/8340222074/in/photostream
At f5.6:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwi_jono/8352134050/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwi_jono/8351068087/in/photostream
   
Inactive Account

Registered: April, 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 20
Review Date: June 17, 2012 Recommended | Price: $170.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Bokeh, Sharpness,DOF control
Cons: Wide-open contrast
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 9    Camera Used: K-5   

This lens is fantastic! Purchased it back in February and it's been stuck to my cameras since. I use it so much, my eyes envision a photograph pretty close to the angle of viewing that the lens gives me.

I read about the low contrast at f:1.4 and how it seems to "glow". And yeah, it does, but it appeals to me because of it.

I am quite fond of the bokeh this lens produces and the color rendition. As far as sharpness, f:4 seems to be the place to be and much sharper than both my kit lenses. A crop from this at f:4 seems actually sharper than a full image from my 50-200mm at f:8. Love it!

I also find myself using it occasionally for macro. When my friends pull out their macro lenses, I hand-hold this lens for reverse macro (note to self: buy a reverse adapter).

I haven't completely seen the benefits from a hood on it. Purchased a B+W "Telephoto hood" from B&H, but it could probably be still too short. Oh well, love the lens!
   
Veteran Member

Registered: February, 2009
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 3,757

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 18, 2011 Recommended | Price: $150.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharp corner to corner from f3.5, superb bokeh, auto-aperture
Cons: could be a bit sharper wide open
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 9    Value: 10   

I had the FA 50/1.4, which I sold to get the DA 40/2.8. The latter has faster AF and is lighter--attributes that make it a better street/events lens. FA 50mm's AF is painfully slow, especially in low light, where one would like to use it for the f1.4 advantage. Moreover, the sound of the FA's AF would make everybody look at me...

Now I got this beauty of the Pentax-A 50mm 1.4, in better than excellent condition. What a wonderful lens for portraits! The bokeh is exactly as I remember it from the FA 50mm: simply wonderful. I took it for a test walk, and wide open it seemed significantly sharper than the FA 50 I had (and sold). Perhaps this copy of the A 50/1.4 is better than that FA 50/1.4 copy. But another reason is more plausible: at f1.4 the DOF is so thin, that the AF must be spot on. It's really easy for the AF to focus behind or in front of the subject. (I have a K-x, which does not allow in-camera corrections of AF.) Given that I have a lens with excellent AF (the DA 40mm) and given my discontent with the AF of "FA" version, I consider the "A" version of Pentax's famed 50/1.4 to be a better deal, especially considering that it comes at 1/2 of the FA's cost. No imprecise and loud AF, but with the useful auto-aperture... The catch-in-focus makes focusing a breeze. Really, this nice feature of your camera, called "catch-in-focus," spares you the painstaking effort of relying exclusively on your eyes.

Another thing I wholeheartedly recommend: a hood. The famous "glow" that this lens produces wide open is gone, and pictures come out much sharper below f2.8, if you use a cheap rubber hood. The difference is night and day. Also, using the hood, I haven't noticed any CA yet. I suppose some CA will show up in the future, though.

Build is excellent; the lens feels sturdy enough. All in all, a superb value.
   
New Member

Registered: April, 2011
Location: Dorset , UK
Posts: 6

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: April 16, 2011 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: my best 50mm !
Cons: no AF

My best 50mm lens and better than 50mm f1.7 "A" and "M",not by a huge amount but still,its better.Like most lenses it needs stopping down.I found f2 ok,f2.8 very good but its much better from f4 to f11,don`t use f16/f22 as they are soft (agin like most lenses).
optically (once stopped down to f4) = 10
build = 8
overall (no AF) = 8
   
Junior Member

Registered: May, 2010
Location: Gold Coast, QLD
Posts: 32
Review Date: March 20, 2011 Recommended | Price: $10.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: very fast, great for low-light and portrait photos
Cons: not as wide as the 28mm SMC Pentax-M

The SMC Pentax A 50mm f1.4 lens is one very fast lens . With a f1.4 max aperture , it's a real handy lens for all -purpose photos, portraits and even low-light too.

It's very easy to focus with a nice, smooth moving focus ring and being a f1.4 max aperture lens, lets in a lot of light-brilliant for shooting in dim or very low light and supports aperture priority and auto exposure on KA mount Pentax cameras like my Super A.

Image quality and sharpness is slightly better than the 28mm f2.8 SMC Pentax-M but probably not as close as say, a newer DA's quality would be.

Build quality is top notch-metal construction, with 7 elements, 6 groups and 8 aperture blades
.

A lovely prime lens with a quality construction, very fast aperture and a must have for low-light shooting.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: April, 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,901
Review Date: December 5, 2010 Recommended | Price: $150.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, lightweight, color rendition inexpensive
Cons: low contrast @ 1.4

I bought this lens because I was going over to visit my grandkids in Wyoming and wanted something to play around with. I don't do portrait very often which this lens is primarily suited and I believe it does a fantastic job at that.

First off, I believe this lens is VERY usable at 1.4. and stopped down to just 1.6 it increases in contrast suprisingly. No formal test ( wouldn't know where to start )
but judging from some of the photos I have taken I am pleased.
I have owned the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm 1.4 before as a comparison and I would say the Nokton beats it in contrast , sharpness and build but will cost a couple hundred dollars more. ( Speaking of the Nokton, I need to do a review on that lens also ).

Anyway, as I said the Pentax SMC A 50mm f1.4 is VERY usable @ 1.4.


and @ f2 it is much improved. Of course some of it is because of DOF.


Of course this is all dependent on your manual focusing skills in which my aging eyes struggle but I still enjoy. And while the lens does lack a little in contrast wide open that can be easily dealt with when processing and I think this is quite typical of other lenses also. As for build, I have no complaints. Small and lightweight it is easy to take along so NO reason to leave it behind.

The large aperture is great for isolating your subject and the one other thing this lens does well is the background blur ( Bokeh ). It's this combination that makes it perfect for portraiture added to the fact on D-SLR cropped 1.5X sensor puts it in the range as short telephoto lens. I believe there has been a number of comparions with various fast fifties and its hard to fault this one at all. The only thing most folks would complain about is the lack of auto-focus. But then again one has to consider the cost. A person can be very creative with a lens like this and combined with my contacted extension tubes I also have a bright 100mm macro lens. Should I go on...

Everyone needs a fast fifty and I have no problem recommending this one.
   
New Member

Registered: April, 2010
Posts: 3
Review Date: December 3, 2010 Recommended | Price: $80.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Build quality, very fast, pretty sharp when you manage to focus!
Cons: None that jump out at me

I got my 50 1:1.4 from ebay, and what a beauty it is!
I consider it a huge bargain. The build quality and general feel of the lens gets me every-time I handle it. When using the lens, I inevitably want to open it up to get the narrow DOF that produces beautiful bokeh. It's a lens in my kit that usually comes out when I don't have anything else in mind and need some inspiration. It works very well in auto aperture mode on my K7. I use live view almost exclusively with this lens, because I seem to be having more trouble achieving crisp focus these days, and with the zoom-in function I have much better results. This would probably apply to almost any manual focus lens for me. The optics are very nice and it makes a great indoor no flash lens, if you can master the focus unlike myself. Ignoring my particular focus related problems, the lens is really nice to use and seems to bring out my best creative photography. The aperture action is precise and easy to use, even for it's age my copy is remarkably smooth and tight. It makes an impressive sight mounted on my K7, the old with the new, the glass looks great and is so very fast.

The bokeh effect with this lens is also impressive and quiet beautiful. I don't have a huge lens kit, but it is by far the best bokeh lens that I have. I will Never sell this lens, it's just too good to loose.

So to wrap up my somewhat unorganized comments, It's beautifully made with no real design flaws, heavy and solid, smooth and precise aperture and focus control. Very sharp images are possible providing that you get the focus right (my only real issue with the lens, and thats more about my limited skills than any fault of the lens). .The Bokeh is fantastic, and DOF can really bring photos to life. This lens like all my Pentax gear including my K7 is of excellent quality and construction. I am limited in my photography not by my Pentax equipment, but by my limited understanding and artistic talent. I have used the 1:1.7 Pentax A lens and also found that it was very similar to this one in every way. I cannot recommend this lens enough. I love this lens and cannot understand when I read some reviews with negatives. Maybe we are just spoiled for choice these days....

Thanks, great forum!!
   
Inactive Account

Registered: June, 2009
Location: Berlin
Posts: 103
Review Date: November 8, 2010 Recommended | Price: $100.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Has a very nice character, great build
Cons: -
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10   

This is my favourite manual prime lens.
I especially love the very faint glow that objects seem to get when they are just out of focus at f1,4.
The "look-feel" is more spiritual than the A 50mm f1,2 which could be called "neutral"
   
Veteran Member

Registered: March, 2009
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 509
Review Date: September 16, 2010 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: light, color, well built, MF
Cons: not better than either f1.7 or f1.2

Got a copy lately. MF is a treat. I have the K and M version of the lens. "A" version certainly is certainly more convenient. Build quality is very good. Focusing ring is very smooth. Image quality is however a big concern at f1.4. The contrast is relatively low and resolution is not much better. It is not better than my f1.7 or my f1.2. However, it is significantly lighter and cheaper than my f1.2.
   
New Member

Registered: June, 2010
Posts: 4
Review Date: August 21, 2010 Recommended | Price: $130.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: focus ring, aperture
Cons: softness wide open

I recently bought one of these and I found the focus ring to beautifully smooth. The construction is better than other have made it out to be, possibly because of its compact size.
I made a little dof preview here This was literally my first minute with it.

For me this lens rocks!
   
New Member

Registered: February, 2010
Posts: 3
Review Date: June 21, 2010 Recommended | Price: $140.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Fast, Sharp, A Setting
Cons: More plastic than my M 50

I've had a hard time taking this lens off since buying it. Fast, sharp, and beautiful bokeh. Build quality, while not quite as good as an M, is still great. You really can't go wrong with this lens.
   
Inactive Account

Registered: April, 2010
Location: Not where I want to be
Posts: 7
Review Date: April 19, 2010 Recommended | Price: $75.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: sharp, small, fast, (mostly) solid, A-setting
Cons: construction not as good a "M" or "K" series

I picked this lens up at a local camera shop for less than half of what some sellers on eBay were asking for. As my first prime, I was concerned with the fixed focal length and relatively small FoV since 50mm acts like a 75mm on my K200. However, upon taking the lens out for a spin in nighttime and available light light photography, I soon knew why f1.4 is such a sought-after attribute. It takes great portraits and closes right on the important features of a person's face. With the aperture around 2 or so, you can get beautiful blurred backgrounds and use ambient light as well.
One thing that I was not the most impressed with is a slight wobble in the lens where the focus mechanism is. It's only noticeable by touch and hearing it when you shake the barrel, but it detracts from a good solid feeling. The wobble doesn't affect the performance in hand-held shots, or still ones for that matter. I'm very keen on workmanship, and Pentax has always proven itself in workmanship (although I hear the F-series lenses are pretty plasticky, and I find them a bit unattractive ) The aperture ring is also plastic and loose on my copy, but the lens is still more solid feeling than modern zooms.
If you can find this lens for under $100, grab it. If a 50mm prime is what you are looking for, you won't be disappointed by this old standby. I wouldn't pay the $180 some people are asking for on eBay unless it's a pristine copy.
   
New Member

Registered: April, 2010
Location: Gulf Coast
Posts: 22
Review Date: April 16, 2010 Recommended | Price: $90.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros:
Cons:

Excellent Glass! Probably my favorite portrait lens. Yes the build quality may not be that of the M series....but it is still quite good. Plus having the "A" setting is worth the build qaulity sacrifice in my opinion.
   
New Member

Registered: December, 2007
Location: Ariel - Israel
Posts: 22
Review Date: March 26, 2010 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Superbly quality construction..."Made in Japan"!
Cons: Manual focus...sometimes makes me angry...!

Really love it...as got it 100% brand new ...100% fungus free in his originally box...the focus ring moves "Silky" + extremely surely on my K-10

Of course AF one it's easy & faster + 100%positively in focus...but trough my lovely K-10 - 1.5X factor makes an a extremely good "Medium portrait lens".

Have a 75mm Pentax lens hood...which together works amazing!

Can recommended it extremely heart fully!

Alex!
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