| Author: | | New Member Registered: January, 2023 Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 23, 2023 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | great on FF and APSC | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: KP
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 | | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: August, 2019 Posts: 25
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 15, 2021 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | New or Used: New
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K10D
 | | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2014 Posts: 6
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 18, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, saturation of colors, contrast, bokeh, weather resistant | | Cons: | price, purple fringing in high contrast | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 7
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3 II
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I got this lense as a used lens for only 400 dollars, so i cant be too much complaining about high price. But still, even as a used lense it is much more expensive than other used 50 mm glasses (by half). Reason why i got this one? For once in my life i wanted to try a star series lense DA* and for 400 bucks it was a stealler!
I tried many other 50 mm lenses, but they were all manual, which made them really pain in the B to use, and that is the reason why i didnt take them out for shooting, eventhough optically they were brilliant. Out of 20 shots maybe 2 were good to use??
This DA*55mm is so good to use. The AF is fast, and accurate. My lense dosnt have problems with AF as others are complaining. I didnt even had to use fine adjustments of AF in the menu. I am set up at 0. The only thing i notice, is that sometimes i hear squeeking sound. I hope it doesnt mean the motor is dying soon.. Out of 200 pohotos maybe 2 of them were not focused as i wanted.
I am very surprised with overal image quality - the sharpness, the saturation of colors, and the contrast - all are so good, lively, and natural at the same time, that you dont need much post-processing. None at all in fact. You will not be struggling with editing photos and trying to find what the hell you are supposed to do for the picture to look natural.
Purple and green fringing with wide aperture is something i struggle all the time. It takes some time in post processing to get rid of it, and sometimes its even impossible. High contrast situations are not helping in this. This is the only downside of this lense, yet its common problem with any fast prime lenses so you should not be surprised.
This is my third lense in rotation (first is DA 16-85mm, second is sigma 30mm F1,4 Art) and i was thinking i will sell 55mm one day, so that i have only 2 lenses in my bag. It is weird, why i would want to sell my best performing lense? Optically there is no doubt this is the best lense i have. Well, the output focal length 85 mm is quite hard to use, and honestly, when travelling i prefer to have wider field of view. Thats why 55mm is the third in que.
But this lense is so precious to use, you get really special pictures with personality, that i think i will keep it. It trully is a jewell. Does it worth the money? I dont know, hard to answer, everybody needs to judge it for himself. This is just fancy lense. But if you are fan of photography and you have an APS-C camera what else you should get than this?
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2019 Location: Davidson, NC Posts: 48
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 25, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | VERY sharp lens. | | Cons: | There is a very slight lag in autofocus but it nails it. I have noticed a "squeak" sometimes when focusing. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K1 M2
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Bought the lens used (B&H) and am amazed at the performance. It is very sharp. There is a very slight lag in auto focus and I have noticed a "squeak" sometimes when focusing. I have seen this (squeak) referenced in some reviews. The lens performs exceedingly well - worthy of a star lens. Switching between full frame and crop modes gives me a choice between 55 and 84 mm on my K-1 M2. This lens is a keeper!
Picture of cactus | | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: March, 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Posts: 9,284
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 7, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Light, great IQ even on FF, WR | | Cons: | Slowish AF | |
A nice surprise on FF. On APS-C this lens needs no introduction, but on FF it can act as a poor man's DFA*50. It's not quite as good, but not completely outclassed either. Plus it's lighter, smaller and cheaper.
AF is not impressive but, at least on the K-1 II, it's not as bad as the lens' reputation would lead me to believe. It's a decent performer, no less.
Optically this lens is worthy of the STAR status. I wish the body was metal (even though it would make the lens heavier).
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2018 Posts: 131
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 5, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $470.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Takes wonderful portraits | | Cons: | Stroppy autofocus | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 8
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3ii
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Chromatic aberration at f1.4 is improved by f1.6, so I never use this wide open. Autofocus on my used copy must be warmed up and is still a bit slow. But it makes gorgeous images and the bokeh is lovely (but I did dock it one point for the little bit of chromatic aberration in the bokeh balls). If my used copy breaks I'll replace it with a new one in the home the autofocus is a bit better behaved.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2019 Location: Geelong, Australia Posts: 344
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 27, 2019 | Not Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Excellent bokeh | | Cons: | Heavy | |
I rated this lens low because I can not see the point when the 50mm 1.8 is just as sharp, probably a quarter of the weight and much cheaper.
I honestly expected more from a DA* lens.
I used this lens for many months and then sold it when I bought the plastic fantastic.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: Vermont Posts: 941
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 30, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharpness, bokeh, rendering | | Cons: | autofocus, some PF in high contrast situations | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-3, K-1
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This is a lens that is a professional-grade lens that is even better on the K-1 than it is on my K-3. Some purple fringing in high contrast situations, slower autofocus, and the inability to convert to screw drive are the downsides. With that said, I have taken some of my favorite portrait photos with this lens. The sharpness and color saturation is excellent, and very desirable.
 30747700064_fabb2b0696_k by David Carman, on Flickr
| | | | | amateur dirt farmer Registered: December, 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Posts: 39,925
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 5, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $199.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | clarity, bokeh, color rendition, sharpness | | Cons: | MFD is a bit long... | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3
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I bought my DA* 55mm f1.4 SDM used from Adorama a couple of weeks before the SIC started and was a completely unexpected purchase; I had not expected to find a decent copy at such a low price, so here I am...
what an epic lens - great color, bokeh, clarity, sharpness... everything you want in a lens (minus one) is here....
yeah, the hood is a little larger and the autofocus is a bit slower than a screwdrive, but this is the price you pay for an over-engineered lens like this...
I used/abused this lens all month and it never disappointed - it has such a character to its captures, you'd swear there were things that it couldn't do... you'd be wrong...
my only ding against this lens is its minimum focusing distance - it is not a macro, I know, nor even a close-focusing lens, but I had to recompose more often than I'd like....
that's it - the only negative thing I can think of to really hit this lens with... and it's sharp enough, you can crop 'til your heart's content...
some of my favorite shots:
 web in fog by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 chrysanthemums, morning light by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 Valdani thread by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 Domino by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 crossing by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 sunrise by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
and the rest of the album for this lens:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperberryfarm/albums/72157710359674372/page1
just a note about lens-buying: don't settle for a lens that you didn't want vs the one that you do.... it'll be miserable and you'll end up buying two lenses, when you only wanted one of them....
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania Posts: 267
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 20, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, Bokeh, Colors, Contrast, 3d pop | | Cons: | Chromatic aberrations, Slow Af | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K500
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This lens has a very versatile bokeh! If you want to have a vintage bokeh with defined edges you shoot from f1.4 to f1.8.  If you want smooth modern bokeh wich become smoother till f5.6 you shoot from f2! That's a feature that I like it very much!  But this lens it's not all about that, it's got very rich colors and contrast and great sharpness wich creates that 3d pop, sometimes... So, a great lens and a very handsome one!
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: March, 2008 Posts: 341
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 10, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $365.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great image | | Cons: | AF hit and miss affair | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5IIs
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Got this lens on a fire sale. I used it for product shots and somehow the photos are nicer than that from the DFA macro 50mm. I have yet to try it on people.
Image is soft at f/1.4 but if I sharpen it and increase the contrast with software it actually looks as good as at f/2.
AF speed to me is average - about the same as the 60-250 so it is fine with me. But the AF accuracy is a hit and miss business. I have to check after every shot, just in case it is OOF, especially at f/2. Strangely I have less problem at F/1.4.
Handling is fantastic, no doubt helped by the built quality. It just feels so good on the K-5IIs I have. Looks good too with the gold ring and letterings.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: September, 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,442
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 5, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $545.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | F1.4 Size, WP, IQ, pretty to look at | | Cons: | Hood silly big | |
I can't believe I never did a review of this magic lens. It is like a small FA*85 1.4, perfect for crop and very nice on FF. I love to use it on the K-1 as a walk around lens. It does not seem to have the SDM problems of some other DA* lens and just has no negatives for me. It is one of those Pentax lenses which, for me, define how special a system this is.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2013 Posts: 796
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 4, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $570.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Bokeh, sharp, WR | | Cons: | Longitudinal CA | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: KP, K-30
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This is my favorite portrait lens on APS-C. The lens is sharp and has an excelent bokeh. I did not have AF problems with this lens, while it's slow for some sports, I think in general it's fast enough.
I really like the renderation of this lens. Wide open it produces sharp images with excelent bokeh, but very sensitive to the focus. The smallest movent from the focus plain introduces longitudinal CA wich hard to correct and the image will look less sharp. Altough the lens stopped down is incredibly sharp and the bokeh is still nice.
Here are some images:
The F1.4 sample which you are serching for 
 IMG171026_0004 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
And the others:
 IMG180505_0057 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180505_0026 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180505_0002 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180423_0007 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180422_0002 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180415_0056 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180415_0034 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180330_0008 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG180330_0046 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG171029_0026 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG171028_0002 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
And a Brenizer effect:
 IMG180505_0062 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: October, 2016 Location: Lagos Posts: 60
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 26, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $660.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, Bokeh | | Cons: | A bit soft at f1.4 especially if your subject moves (even slightly) | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: k-3
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Before purchasing this lens I looked at DXOMark and was a bit disappointed with the score of the lens. It lowered my expectations a bit but I still decided to get one and damn the consequences/short comings.
Having used it for nearly two months now, I can affirm that it's the best lens I've ever had - in fact it's so good that it almost never left my camera body since I put it on.
I currently own three other lenses: 18-135 (kit lens), Tamron 70-200 f2.8 (which I really love) and the new Pentax 24-70 f2.8 but in all the 55mm f1.4 is my absolute best and the one I mostly enjoy shooting with. The 55mm can be a bit soft at f1.4 but I almost always shoot at f1.6 and the images are really sharp from this aperture upwards.
If you purchase this lens, it's highly important that you properly caliberate it otherwise you might experience severe back/front focusing. At f1.4 your area of focus is really tiny so accuracy is instrumental.
In my case, 9-10 shots were back-focused initially but I was able to easily resolve it in-camera with a setting of +10.
Sample shots:
Shot at f1.6
Shot at f1.8
Shot at f1.8
Shot at f1.6
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2015 Location: Boston,MA Posts: 258
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 10, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $425.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | IQ, WR, bokeh | | Cons: | size,SDM,price | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K1
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Even though I really like my FA43, but I still feel like I need something at 50mm plus WR. So I purchased a DA*55 .
Surprisingly this lens performed pretty good on the K1, for some reason the autofocus is MUCH BETTER on the K1，still not as fast as screw drive but very accurate. Edge looks ok on full frame, step down a bit if you want really good.
IQ is stunning, especially the color and bokeh. I did test DA*55 against my ZK 50mm 1.4, this lens is actually sharper below f2, from f2.8 they're about equal. CA under f2 is the only negative I have, build quality is pretty good, not a big fan of the hood though.
Overall, I really like this lens!
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