| Author: | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 1, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very sharp lens | | Cons: | some few CAs wide open | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: pentax k-5 k200 k-x k-s1 Fuji x-t100 x-e1
| |
(changed review)
Best results between f 2.8 and f 11 
Predestinated for tele converter using and astro or macro shootings
++ great sharpness
++ nice colors 
++ excellent bokeh 
+ good contrast (some flare wide open )
O/+ some visible CAs wide open in the edges
*********************************************************************************************************
IMPORTANT TIP FOR OWNERS OF 1.7 x AF CONVERTER:
+++ excellent sharpness between f 2.8 and f 5.6 with APS-C sensor and no more remarquable CAs - with 85 LP/mm = 170 black and white lines/mm an excellent and professional value !
(magnifications up to 80 x 120 cm possible)
**********************************************************************************************************
totally 9.5 points
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2017 Location: Ronneburg Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 10, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $96.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | A-setting, speed, smc-colours | | Cons: | none to me | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Z-1
| |
Pentax A SMC 50 f1.4 is a great value for the money. It is small, light, and there are lot of them around making the price reasonable. Slightly softer at f1.4 it reaches very good figures from 2.8
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2020 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 3 | | Review Date: October 16, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $125.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build quality, electronic contacts, handling, optical quality | | Cons: | Sometimes overpriced by the market | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: KX , MZ5n
| |
Having used both the Zuiko and Nikkor 50mm 1.4's I think that this is my favourite of any brand I have ever had (the Zuiko silver nose I had was sharp but suffered from severe internal reflections in bright light at wide apertures).
I actually think it is better than the Nikkor at wide apertures below 2.8, and the 8 bladed aperture means that the bokeh is not as nervous looking as the Nikkor either. However BOTH are useable in order to make great pictures at wider apertures. And yes - make sure it has a hood which I find helps to make pictures taken wide open or slightly stopped down look much better.
As for build quality, I'd agree that the K series Pentax's certainly rivalled their Nikkor counter parts - but make no mistake, this fast A series 50mm is a wonderful, wonderful piece of glass and an extremely handsome looking lens. The design also includes a really useful focusing scale and you can use to set trap focus at f4 whereas the Nikkor's scale starts at f5.6.
Focussing is lovely on my version, as is the aperture selection which is notchy without being a hinderance.
I also like the low distortion which in my opinion is lower than the Nikkor's barrel distortion.
My 50mm A 1.4 lives on my KX because it is so easy to focus on its viewfinder. Even focussing off the centre prism on the grey matt area on this camera is easy with the 1.4 A. It replaced the 50mm M 1.7 that came with the KX which I could just not deal with. The M lenses are too small for me, and look silly on the KX. The bulk and handsome design of the 50mm A 1.4 means that it looks and feels at home on the KX.
I've had three 50mm A 1.4s. I should never have let any of them go.
They are consistent, well made, sharp and great to handle. They also attract some ridiculous prices on the internet - but that's the market's fault - not the lens.
A fantastic, fast, nifty fifty and a truly under-appreciated lens.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: July, 2017 Posts: 42
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 14, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Inexpensive, fast, sharp, low CA | | Cons: | None | | Camera Used: Pentax K-3II
| |
I have been using this lens strictly for astrophotography. For that purpose it is one of the best lenses I have. From f/2.5 onwards, star quality in the corners on APS-C is very good and improves modestly at smaller apertures, CA is fairly low (when focused correctly) and vignetting is minimal. Here are a several astrophotos taken with it (tracking by Astrotracer), the first at f/2.8, the second mostly at f/2.8 and the third (of Comet NEOWISE) at f/2.5.
 | | | | | | | Banned Registered: November, 2018 Posts: 75
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 9, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp as a diamond; A-Series A+ on modern Pentax DSLR’s | | Cons: | Not actually a Leica Summilux 1.4 M 75mm... | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-5, Pentax Super-A (European Camera of the Year Edition)
| |
If you shoot street photography on a Pentax DSLR and you don’t own his lens, you are missing out—the electronic functionality minced with the vintage optics is VERY understated on these forums. Quite possibly one of the best prime lenses manufactured.
Altogether I have 4 other Pentax 50mm prime lenses:
Asahi-Pentax SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8
Pentax-M 50mm f1.7
Pentax-M 50mm f4 (Macro)
Pentax-A 50mm f1.7
Additionally, I use the Pentax 18-55 WR (v.ii) in iffy Canadian weather.
For work, if I had my druthers, I would never take it off the camera... Fastest run and gun option for manual focus professional still photography on the ENTIRE PENTAX SYSTEM—I cannot recommend the m42 stuff as readily, as it exposes the electronics and tends to be a bit too artsy-fartsy for assignments. As for the Pentax-M series they are no joke—the internals are a facsimile of the “A” generation that followed... Yet time and time again the “A” series is much more expedient to use, with it’s utilization of the modern control dials and live metering.
Frankly, with the exception of my preconceived notions about the elusive Pentax-A 35mm f2 (a true 50mm on the crop), there is no better option in the Pentax APS-C ecosystem.
On the critical side, every time I make the mistake of trying to take it off of the camera, I cut myself on it...
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2016 Location: Shelton, CT Posts: 708 | | Review Date: February 24, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $92.50
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp as a tack. Aperture range | | Cons: | | |
I just started shooting with a DSLR about a month ago. I soon realized that the lenses I owned were a little slow for low light photography and I also wanted something that would let me explore very shallow DOF. I thought about purchasing the DA* 55 1.4 but I could not justify the cost of $500 for a used lens without being certain that it was what I wanted plus possible SDM issues. Reading posts through the forums I kept seeing posts about people using vintage lenses with amazing results and amazing prices and I started researching in the lens reviews. I decided that I wanted a Pentax-A series or later as I could control the aperture via the camera and did not have to play around with exposure. I was a little worried about manual focus as I am no longer a twenty year old and am probably over due for an eye appointment and a new pair of glasses. But I figured if I could get a lens for the right price it was worth it to find out if it would work for me. I can now say that manual focus was not an issue without my glasses. So if manual focus and your eyesight is a concern to you, take a chance on this lens. I believe you will be more than happy with your decision as was I.
I am not a lens expert and I am also just a beginner with DSLR's. But, I do have eyes and I can tell you that this is the sharpest lens that I own. When I use my auto-focus lenses I find that the focus seems just a little soft 30 to 40% of the time. With this lens it is amazingly sharp every time even focusing with my eyes. It is about 3/4 of a turn from minimum focus distance to infinity. So it is very easy to get the focus spot on even with less than perfect eyesight. The only blur that I get from this lens is when I want a shallow depth of field and the bokeh with this lens is great. As to handling the lens is small and light and I had no issues or complaints. As to CA I only new about this from reading lens reviews. I did have one shot where it was extreme because of how and what I was shooting.
I have attached 3 shots including the CA shot which I happen to like the effect. Let your eyes be the judge.
   | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,437 | | Review Date: July 14, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $41.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Fast, communicates with DSLRs, sharp, color transmission, IQ in general | | Cons: | None | |
I have the Takumar SMC 50mm 1.4, SMC-M 50mm f/1.4, and now the A 50mm 1.4. All are spectacular lenses. Right now, I'd give a slight sharpness edge to my SMC-M, but it's also an amazing copy of that lens. The SMC-A is the best readily affordable 50mm 1.4 option for most DSLR users. Because it talks directly with the DSLR, the aperture can be controlled by the camera. This is a huge advantage for most people. It's still manual focus, but if you're okay with manual focus, you'll be in good shape with this lens.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: August, 2014 Posts: 191
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 27, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very sharp, compact, sturdy design | | Cons: | I am still trying to find one | |
I am making this post as an advice for the future and current owners of this gem lens. I purchased this lens recently as a part of a fun project of portrait photography using manual lens. The initial test of the lens on my K3 was somehow disappointing in terms of wide open shots and following in camera focus conformation. However friend of mine (hardcore pentaxian) suggested "in camera correction" for the focus and even did a small demo with my lens. I did the calibration at my place later the same day and here are the results:
Before:
 IMGP1287 by Pavel Zhelev, on Flickr
After:
 IMGP1291 by Pavel Zhelev, on Flickr
The lens needed -6 correction since it was front focusing, now the catch is that you can’t do the correction for the "single lens" since there is no chip on the lens and in order for camera to get it you have to do "all lenses" and turn it off when you are not using it. I understand that this still leaves the inconvenience of remembering the value in case of another old lens calibration need; however I think we all can agree that it is small compromise.
I am attaching some portrait shots done with the lens all are @ 1.4 and use of “in catch focus” function except the last one which is done before calibration but disregarding in camera guidance for focus (you need to have really sharp eye to do so and even in this case I would end up with a lots of missed shot wide open).
 IMGP1303 by Pavel Zhelev, on Flickr
 IMGP1316 by Pavel Zhelev, on Flickr
 IMGP1319 by Pavel Zhelev, on Flickr
 IMGP1301 by Pavel Zhelev, on Flickr
 IMGP1297 by Pavel Zhelev, on Flickr
Having said all above, I need to clarify that I am using the "catch in focus" option on my K3, this makes the lens very usable in shots demanding faster manual focusing. I highly recommend that option to all the owners of Pentax that supports it.
Stopping down the lens with or without correction does not make a huge difference after f 2.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2015 Posts: 71
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 3, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpest 50mm I have used | | Cons: | Build quality compared to M and K counterparts | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
| |
This is the sharpest 50mm lens I have ever used, and the list of vintage normal lenses in my collection is pretty extensive. Here are just the 1st party models I own or have owned and tried on my K-50.
SMC-A 50mm f/1.7
SMC-A 50mm f/2
SMC-M 50mm f/1.4
SMC-M 50mm f/1.7
SMC-M 50mm f/2
SMC-K 50mm f/1.4
SMC-K 55mm f/1.8
SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4
Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (newer version)
Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (older 8 element version)
SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8
There have been perhaps a dozen other 3rd party lenses (Chinon, Rikenon, Sears, Fujinon etc.) in addition to the list above. The SMC-A 50mm f/1.4 is simply the sharpest, and is in the lead pack (but behind the 8 element Super Takumar) in color rendering. Images are very useable at f/1.4 if you nail the focus, but it lacks contrast and the colors lose their punch. The center is decent to good and the edges are soft. The contrast and colors can be fixed in post to a degree depending on the shot. From f/1.6 and up my copy is wonderful. The center is sharp at f/1.6 with much improved colors and contrast and a little softness in the edges and corners. At f/2 the center is tack and the edges start to look pretty good, and the colors and contrast improve further. At f/2.8 the center improves even more and it is sharp all the way to the corners. At f/4 and f/4.5 it is perfectly tack from edge to edge and corner to corner. Diffraction is already the limiting factor by f/5.6 so I don't recommend stopping down past f/4.5 if you don't have to. If you stop down past f/8 it's also possible to get sensor reflections, though they are usually not a practical concern. When I really need the extra DOF I reach for my SMC-M 50mm f/4 Macro instead, which is probably just as sharp but is considerably slower and does not belong in this comparison.
The "A" setting is a nice bonus, considering I went deep into the M42 well in my search for the best 50.
There is nothing wrong with the build quality, but earlier Pentax lenses are better in this regard. The SMC-K series for sure, and probably the M's and Takumars as well.
If you can find a good copy of this lens pick it up, you won't be disappointed.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: November, 2014 Posts: 44 | | Review Date: December 31, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, Compact, good color | | Cons: | Loose focus ring | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3
| |
1.4 ISO 100
Great lens for the price. I paid $50 for mine with an attached film camera. Can be difficult to get sharp image wide open but it is possible especially in live view. Focus ring is nice and smooth just a bit loose for my taste(this could just be my copy of the lens).
If you can get this lens GET IT. I would have easily paid double what I paid for mine.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78994628@N02/15965607067/ | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: June, 2013 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 573
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 15, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | So sharp f/2 and above | | Cons: | none | |
It's the last lens I originally bought with my K-1000 30 years ago that I still own. Loved it with my K-1000 love it even more with my K-30. Before I got my DA* 50-135 I used it for portraits, sports! (my son's basketball shooting directly from the side line) and astronomy. Corners are not so sharp at f/1.4 but when closed at f/2 the magic operates.
The picture below was shot at f/2. Stars are unforgiving when it comes to coma, CA and vignetting. On this one, even when pixel peeping on the original image, virtually no aberration can be seen. This is a 90s exposure of the Milky Way in Cygnus constellation. The lens is so fast numerous nebulas and star clusters can be seen even though the exposure time was short.
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: June, 2013 Location: Torino Posts: 75 | | Review Date: May 15, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $164.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Contrast,Ink Blacks,Sharp at wide Aperture,build,fast AF | | Cons: | purple fringing at wide aperture | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K30
| |
I love the bokeh of this amazing glass ,outstanding blacks and manual Focus,I got also the f 1.7 but this one is a step forward ,to be honest at wide open has some purple fringing but I could fix it closing a little bit and maybe(have to check better) use uv filters..these lenses have change my way to take photos!
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7370/14200769003_6977dd98cb_k.jpg | | | | | 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.
| | | | | 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.
| | | | | 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"
| | |
;)
;)
;)
