| Author: | | New Member Registered: December, 2014 Posts: 18
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 10, 2014 | Not Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Cheap, auto aperture, smooth focusing ring, lightweight | | Cons: | Very soft, (not sharp) only decent size aperture (f2) | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 7
Camera Used: K-3
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Okay, this lens is not sharp at all. I also own the 18-135 WR, which actually has a lower sharpness rating, but the 18-135 is FAR sharper. This lens' bikes is alright, but seriously, just get a 50mm a 1.7 if you want a cheap, fast, sharp lens.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2010 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 2,653
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 20, 2011 | Not Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Cheap, compact, auto | | Cons: | Soft wide open, nasty plastic stop ring | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 6
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Cheapest of the auto 50mms. Soft wide open, gets better at f5.6+. Built spoiled by the nasty plastic stop ring with its ball bearing guided detents. Easy to focus even with the standard Pentax DSLR focus screen. With a bit of care it is a reasonable performer, but for just a little more you can get the f1.7 which is much better optically.
  
  
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2008 Location: Forestville, NY Posts: 1,801 | | Review Date: November 9, 2009 | Not Recommended
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | Small, convenient | | Cons: | cheap build, poor IQ wide open | |
It sounds from the reviews like there must be a fair bit of sample variation with this lens. Unfortunately, most of this variation seems to lean towards negative aspects, judging by the ratio of good to bad reviews this lens has been getting.
I owned both an SMC-M 50mm f2 and SMC-A 50mm f2 at the same time. The basic purpose for either one was simply to be the smallest lens I could stick on my K20D. The A version was slightly bigger, but it was far more convenient (I hate green-button metering). Despite the convenience factor, I felt myself hesitant to use it because I like to shoot at wider apertures, and my copy of the A 50 was pretty awful at wider apertures. Very soft, low contrast, and high levels of blue/red CA.
The SMC-M, on the other hand, was consistently sharp, contrasty and clean at all apertures. The two lenses are supposed to be optically identical, so I'm inclined to believe that my copy of the SMC-M 50mm f2 is as good as the A 50 could be, and my own copy of the A 50 is representative of how mediocre it often can be.
So... the SMC-A 50mm f2 can be an excellent little lens, but you're almost more likely to get a bad copy than a good one. I'm glad I didn't pay for mine.
Due to the sample variation, this isn't a lens I can recommend. I have to give the nod to the SMC-A 50mm f1.7 instead, which I haven't heard much negative about. I just picked one up for $35 on ebay, so it's not that hard to come by.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Phoenix Posts: 1,056 | | Review Date: March 14, 2007 | Not Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | compact, lightweight, | | Cons: | build quality | |
I bought this lens as a stand-in for my Super-Takumar 50/1.4 when I don't feel like dealing with the M42 adapter, manual stopped-down metering, and several-stop EV adjustment the Takumar requires for use. Unfortunately, the A 50/2 is a vastly inferior lens in both build quality and wide aperture optical quality, and I find myself missing the Takumar whenever I use it.
That said, this is a very lightweight (i.e. plastic-bodied) lens that protrudes only a little from the front cowling of my K100D. The ability to adjust the aperture with the dial on the back of the camera body makes this a much more convenient lens to use than older manual lenses, though this convenience comes at the cost of quality.
All in all, I wish I'd saved my money for a better automatic aperture 50.
| | | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: December, 2006 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 27 | | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Not Recommended | Price: $29.00
| Rating: 3 |
| Pros: | It's cheap and lightweight. | | Cons: | Poor performance wide open and doesn't pick up until stopped down to at least f/5.6. Double ugly bokeh. | |
If at all possible save your money for something better such as a 50 f/1.4 or f/1.7. If you're absolutely bucks down then buy it but keep it stopped down in the f/5.6 to f/11 range if possible i.e., buy faster speed film or crank up the DSLR ISO setting.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: North Idaho Posts: 696 | | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Not Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 4 |
| Pros: | inexpensive | | Cons: | slow for a 50mm | |
I had two of these lenses, sold one with a K1000 and will sell the other with a MX, (if I ever decide to get rid of the MX). This lens was the standard, default lens sold in the late '70s and early '80s with the K1000 and M series bodies.
The lens is very well constructed but has only average to above average optical qualities. There is not much to recommend this lens, nor much to disparage it either. Doesn't really excite, while neither is it a huge disappointment. Just sort of 'blah'.
If you have great need of a 50mm lens, and you can obtain one for an extremely low price, then it is a worthwhile purchase. However, you would probably be much more happy with one of the various f/1:1.4 or f/1:1.7 50mm lenses that Pentax has produced. Current market prices are an accurate measure of the esteem with which this lens is held.
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2020 Posts: 5 | | Review Date: December 18, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Cheap | | Cons: | Clunky and feels cheap | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 4
Value: 6
Camera Used: Pentax K1000 SE
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The lens itself is decent, but just decent. It seems to have pretty good coatings on it.
The body feels really cheap and plasticy and does not inspire the same confidence as something like a metal constructed lens. The aperture ring is clunky and sometimes fails to hold the aperture at f/2.
It's great for everyday shooting and someone who's learning photography, but I wouldn't go out and buy one just to have it. The one I have came with the camera I purchased.
The lens itself is a PITA to service and is unnecessarily complicated. There's a gazillion small parts that could potentially get lost in the process of servicing it, so you must be very careful.
| | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2020 Posts: 24 | | Review Date: November 29, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | small, fast enough for most of photos, affordable, light, sharp | | Cons: | aperture ring feels stiff | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K110D
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Excellent handling and performance. This lightweight little prime highly enjoyable to use and results are great for it's price.
My unit had a stiff aperture ring but because of "A" mode using in camera controls is possible, it doesn't affect my usage.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2016 Posts: 5
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 13, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Covers medium format digital sensor without any vignetting | | Cons: | Less sharpness bit made up with excellent colors and bokeh | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Fuji GFX 50R MF
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Lens covers medium format sensor when adapter. No vignetting whatsoever.
Beautiful colors relatively fine sharpness as compared to mf pentax equivalent lenses and dirt cheap in price but not in value.
I couldn't upload the photos because this website is still stuck in 1997.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2017 Location: Medellín Posts: 1,322 | | Review Date: January 10, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Small, pankace like, light. | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Film bodies, K-5
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It won't win any awards, but it's discrete and a good all-rounder. Small, plastic, cheap, light.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15 | | Review Date: January 6, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | As good as the f1.7 version for 90% of photos | | Cons: | Plastic feel and behaviour | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 6
Value: 8
Camera Used: Film
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A nice little lightweight lens. Many people think an f2 50mm is completely worse than a f1.7 version, but it's almost exactly the same except it struggles in low light as the glass is smaller. It cost less, too. As with all A series SMC lenses it's mainly plastic and through the years it breaks and degrades and malfunctions. And they are really horrible to take apart and service if you buy a dirty one. Because A series lenses are plastic, they are variable in quality for ease of function; some work well, some grind, some have dead focus spots, etc. Buy the M series if you want comparable optics but with finer build quality.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: March, 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 89 | | Review Date: December 1, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $4.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small, effective and a huge bargain. | | Cons: | For the price, there is no much I can add here | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Super A, K3ii, PZ20
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I picked up mine at the local Sally-Ann for about $4US. For that price this is the best value out there. Do I have a better 50mm lens? Yeah for sure. I own: A50/1.7, FA50/1.4, K50/1.4, M50/4 macro, FA50/2,8 macro, Super-Tak 50/1.4 and a SMC Tak 55/1.8. They all have better image quality, but they are also all bigger (except the A50/1.7 - its exactly the same size), heavier and cost me a lot more. Even the cheapest one, the A50/1.7 was more than 15 times the price but it's not 15 times the lens.
Once stopped down to 2.8 or more it's as sharp as you could need for 90% of applications. Color rendition is Pentax great and contrast is excellent. You could use this for 11x14 or even 16x20 enlargements without a concern. It has the coveted 'A' setting, focus is smooth and the aperture setting is positive and precise even if the ring is plastic - which does not bother me one bit. The aperture setting is not quite as smooth as M and K series lenses, but is better in that respect than the F or FA series. But on today's cameras how often do you take it off 'A'.
This lens has an overall rating of over 8, and it deserves that on it's merits alone, not taking the value into account. Taking the value into account it's a solid 10. If you can pick up one of these for under $30, go for it. At that price is a heck of a bargain. At $4 it's like winning a lottery!
Mine has a permanent home on my PZ20 and is a backup for the A50/1.7 on my Super A.
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2016 Posts: 7 | | Review Date: August 10, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $35.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Small, good image quality, A-setting | | Cons: | Uses lot of plastic | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: Pentax K-30
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I keep this lens on my camera because its lightweight, very small, and has good image quality. It does use a lot of plastic, which is good and bad. Plastic is lightweight, but plastic is not as tough as metal and may brittle with age. Image quality is very good, but unfortunately not as good as the Ricoh XR Rikenon 50mm F2 lens. However, for the price of $35 US, I can't complain.
| | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2019 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: June 19, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Very small and light weight. Cheap | | Cons: | Aperture ring feels very stiff | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 7
Value: 8
Camera Used: Sony A6000
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This lens is great for when I wanna use a lightweight set up. The aperture ring is very stiff so usually I tend to not change it much.
It may not be the sharpest but the colors and contrast make up for it.  | | | | | Forum Member Registered: September, 2012 Location: Tokyo Posts: 72
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 10, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tiny, Light, Smooth Focusing, Auto Aperture | | Cons: | None for the price | |
A lens that were it made today would have to be premium priced for its combination of compact size, excellent handling and performance. Capable of very good results. Automatic aperture makes it easy to use on any Pentax DSLR, and full-frame means you can re-use it on a mirrorless or Pentax full size sensor camera too should you end up there one day.
Aperture ring is a little crunchy but leave it on A and use the camera controls. Focusing is just as smooth and tactile as any Takumar, Leica or Nikon manual lens I own.
I use it on my 2005 Pentax istDS, which makes for a very small and light package. Example in first picture, followed by photos taken with this camera/lens combination.
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