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SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM

Sharpness 
 9.8
Aberrations 
 8.8
Bokeh 
 9.6
Autofocus 
 7.9
Handling 
 9.4
Value 
 8.8
Reviews Views Date of last review
72 350,749 Mon January 23, 2023
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
97% of reviewers $595.31 9.19
SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM

SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM
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SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM
supersize
SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM
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Description:
The DA* 55mm lens features weather-sealing and SDM auto-focus. This lens does not provide 'screw drive' autofocus. The lens will thus be manual-focus only on older DSLR bodies (*istD series, K100D, K110D).

SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
APS-C
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
No
Diaphragm
Automatic, 9 blades (rounded)
Optics
9 elements, 8 groups
Mount Variant
KAF3
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F1.4
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
AF (in-lens motor)
SDM
Quick-shift
Yes
Min. Focus
45 cm
Max. Magnification
0.17x
Filter Size
58 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 29 ° / 25 °
Hood
PH-RBH 58 mm
Case
S90-100
Lens Cap
O-LC58
Coating
SMC,SP
Weather Sealing
Yes (AW)
Other Features
AF/MF Switch
Diam x Length
70.5 x 66 mm (2.8 x 2.6 in.)
Weight
375 g (13.2 oz.)
Production Years
2008 to present (in production)
Pricing
$496 USD current price
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-DA* 1:1.4 55mm SDM
Product Code
21790
Reviews
User reviews
In-depth review
Unofficial Full-Frame Compatibility Tests by Pentax Forums
★★☆ Full coverage at some F-stop and focal length combinations
Show details
Notes
One ED glass element.
No autofocus on older bodies (*istD series, K100D, K110D, and film).

Features:
Supersonic AutofocusQuick ShiftWeather SealedInternal FocusingAutomatic ApertureAPS-C Digital Only
Purchase: Buy the SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM
In-Depth Review: Read our SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM in-depth review!
Sample Photos: View Sample Photos
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM Buy the SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM
Author:
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Veteran Member

Registered: November, 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 3,561

19 users found this helpful
Review Date: October 17, 2011 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharp, Bokeh, Accurate AF, Silent
Cons:
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 10    Value: 9    New or Used: New   

Ive had this lens for a few months now, and straight out the box and onto the camera I could tell that I was going to like this lens alot.

This lens is so accurate, it gets focus lock first time, everytime, and doesnt even hunt, even in almost darkness! Silent focusing is a nice welcome too.
It may not be the fastest focus speed but its no slouch ethier.

Very sharp from wide open and just keeps on getting shrper as you stop down, also has excellent contrast with very smooth OOF.
It is excellent for subject isolation. Subjects are rendered with a strong 3D effect.

f/1.4


f/1.8


Slow AF? Had no problem locking on this at f/2-



f/1.4-


f/1.6-


f/1.4-


f/1.4-


f/1.8-


f/1.4-


and heres a crop from the same shot for the peepers, watch out you dont cut yourself!

f/1.4

f/2.5


f/1.4


f/2


f/2


f/3.5


f/1.4


and a crop of above shot to keep the peepers happy (f/1.4)


f/1.4


Handles water no problems!-
   
New Member

Registered: August, 2013
Posts: 7

9 users found this helpful
Review Date: September 26, 2013 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharpness, bokeh, make and feel
Cons: slow AF
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 8    Handling: 10    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: pentax k30   

Dear Friends,,,Yesterday I bought this lens and today I am writing a review just because of few pics I took of my children in a very casual way. The pic I am showing below was taken hand held in a very casual way. I was amazed by the sharpness and clarity this lens produced which I was not expecting. Although this pic is taken at f/3.2 but the sharpness/clarity this lens produced is amazing. This pic is direct from the camera and no sharpness/clarity enhancement software is used. The sharpness can be checked in the croped portion.

Taken at f/3.2




Cropped portion of the Image

   
Pentaxian

Registered: January, 2011
Location: Skåne, Sweden
Posts: 482

8 users found this helpful
Review Date: May 31, 2015 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Image quality, build quality, WR, bokeh
Cons: AF speed, AF accuracy
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 6    Handling: 8    Value: 8    New or Used: Used    Camera Used: K-3   

This review is for a mint condition DA*55 bought second-hand in Sweden, serial nr in the 9124XXX-range.

PROS
  • Sharpness
  • Bokeh - very smooth at all apertures
  • WR
  • Build quality

CONS
  • AF speed
  • AF accuracy

I USE IT FOR
  • Portraits (full body, half-body, headshots)
  • General short telephoto

Pentax K-3, SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM. 1/125 sec at f/1.8, ISO 100.


I have been shooting with Pentax for 5 years now, staring with the K-x, advancing to the K-5 and now K-3. I have used all the Limiteds, and my most used lenses are the FA43 and FA77, so I am used to small high quality primes. Being very satisfied with those two, I wasn't really in huge need for a DA*55. But the WR and more modern construction interested me, as well as trying out a new focal length. When a nice second hand copy appeared, I decided to go for it. I have now been shooting with it for around three months. I mostly do portraits so that is the area of use this review will be based around.

To start of with the positive, this lens delivers great image quality. It is sharp enough wide open, but benefits from stopping down as always. At around f/2 it starts to get very sharp. The real strong point for me on this lens is bokeh and rendering. It delivers very smooth backgrounds, at all apertures. The nine rounded blades definitely helps here. As a comparison, I used to shoot with a F50/1.7 that needed to be stopped down to f/2 or so for sharpness and contrast, but the six non-rounded blades on that one wasn't very good looking during some conditions. Anyway, the DA*55 really performs when it comes to image quality, just don't expect maximum sharpness at f/1.4. Bokeh is very smooth and technically / objectively almost perfect, but it also lack a bit of character. This might be a good or bad thing, depending on your taste. The only concern I have encountered with regards to image quality is flare resistance. During some back-lit scenes it seems to be more prone to flare than say my FA43, FA77 or DA70. It has a larger front element than those, so I guess it is to be expected.

Build quality is good, but I prefer the metal build and more compact size of the Limiteds, but of course they are not WR. The hood is also high quality, with the Pentax-opening for adjusting a polarize filter. The size of the DA*55 is about the same as the FA31, but when you add the hood it gets much larger. It does balance nicely on the K-3 body though, both with and without the grip attached.

The bad has mostly to do with autofocus, which is both on the slow side, but more importantly not so accurate. I have been shooting with the Limiteds for several years and are very used to them and the AF-system of the K-3. The DA*55 is slower than the Limiteds and hunts more and the keeper rate is worse, say 60-70 percent where I would get upwards to 80-90 percent during similar conditions with the FA77. This is based on use with the K-3. I have not really tried manual focus, but is has a reasonably long throw for an AF lens, but without aid of say a split-screen or peaking it might be hard on a standard APS-C optical viewfinder (not a fault of the lens).

I think that this is an overall solid performer, but the AF problems simply can't be ignored and it is the only major drawback of this lens. There is no shortage of good performers around this focal length, so you have others to choose from if you wish, but this has to be a contender for any portrait shooter using Pentax.

Pentax K-3, SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM. 1/100 sec at f/1.6, ISO 400.


Pentax K-3, SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM. 1/640 sec at f/2.0, ISO 100.


My pictures on flickr with this lens
   
amateur dirt farmer

Registered: December, 2014
Location: probably out in a field somewhere...
Posts: 41,256

7 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   

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....
   
Pentaxian

Registered: January, 2009
Location: East Bay Area, CA
Posts: 6,611

7 users found this helpful
Review Date: May 26, 2013 Recommended | Price: $550.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: sharp and good wide open bokeh
Cons: it flares. slow SDM. Poorly damped focus ring.
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 7    Handling: 8    Value: 8    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K5   

Good performer all around. nice wide open bokeh, great sharpness, contrast, colors. I also like using quick shift and the confident locking of the hood.

A couple of negatives: this lens will definitely flare if bright lights are in the frame. I shoot plenty of sunrise images using the DA15 and DA21 with no flaring...i have to remember that this lens cannot do what those two do when the sun is bright.

Also, if you shoot smallish close-focused objects, note that the minimum focusing distance is 45cm. This is typical for 50mm-ish lenses, but makes it impossible to shoot something like watches/jewelry, figurines, small toys, camera lenses, etc. without having to add an extension tube...or gasp, cropping.

Next, the AF (by SDM) is slow when it has to unfocus and refocus ("run the bases" before locking on subject). If i switch to MF, i find the focus ring has a little bit of dead space before movement is registered, creating a challenge for very fine focusing by hand. And a third con is that I do wish the minimum focus distance were a little shorter, as I have had to change to a different lens for a few close-focus situations where I felt this lens should've been able to handle it.

otherwise, i am pleased to have it in my bag and recommend it as a capable FAST FIFTY.

I cant find a single frame image to post, but here is a processed pano (4 frames)


I had to stop shooting once the sun rose because of all the flaring:
   
Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: September, 2009
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 7,584

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.
   
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   

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   

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!


   
Veteran Member

Registered: September, 2006
Location: EU/Slovenia
Posts: 774

6 users found this helpful
Review Date: April 16, 2009 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: sharpness, bookeh, SDM, hood, manual focus, build quality
Cons: price, bulky compared to FA 50/1.4
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 8   

Like all DA* primes this lens is very well made. Optics as well as mechanic of this lens perform very well. Manual focus is easy enough, thou I wouldn't mind more ring travel. While autofocusing the focusing ring doesn't move, only the distance scale does.
I tested it against FA 50/1.4 and I must concour that wide open it's sharper towards corners. I also liked pictures with it more than those with FA but I can't point my finger why. Some day I'll have it. I know it

I took some pictures for comparison. They're all scaled down to 50%

f1.4
DA55 FA50

f2
DA55 FA50

f2.8
DA55 FA50

f4
DA55 FA50

f5.6
DA55 FA50

f1.4
DA55 FA50

f2
DA55 FA50

f2.8
DA55 FA50

f4
DA55 FA50

f5.6
DA55 FA50
   
Pentaxian

Registered: October, 2010
Posts: 6,241

5 users found this helpful
Review Date: September 1, 2012 Recommended | Price: $550.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: good size, good quality, and stellar images!
Cons: Little purple firing
New or Used: New   

Well lot have been said about this lens, I dont have many things to add for those.

SOmething about focus speed, it is not blazing fast, but it is still fast enough. Great quality overal and details in shots are just couple levels above from for example SMC M 50/1.4 or my beloved Helios 44 M. SO easy to shoot, great results even not professional like me. For me this is luxury item, which I will use a lot. I used it also with my *ist DS and it works only in MF. It was easy to do, quite fast also. No problem at all.Well I have good eyes, but still.

Sometimes I did fail in metering light. After PP I was amazed that how much details and colours did survive. Must be because of this lens, if it was my other lenses, like M 50, it would have been ruined. So all in all this is great lens, well worth the prize IMO. Only negative could be that purple firing,but it is so little and extremes only, with fast lens this is normal and it is less that many other lenses. It is also easy to fix in PP.

I say, if you have been thinking of having this, and you have money, go for it!
There have been superb examples from this lens before me, but I still put some, that I did on my Single in August 2012 with this lens.

Day 31, by repaap, on Flickr

Day 31 extra. by repaap, on Flickr

Day 29 by repaap, on Flickr

Day 19, terrible woman workshop... by repaap, on Flickr

Day 2, portraits by repaap, on Flickr
   
Veteran Member

Registered: March, 2011
Location: Virginia
Posts: 2,846

5 users found this helpful
Review Date: April 22, 2012 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Extremely sharp, great bokeh, accurate focus, weather resistant
Cons: Chromatic abberations at largest apertures, cost, weight
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 9    New or Used: New    Camera Used: Pentax K-r   

I've had this lens for a couple months now. It was purchased used and I got a very nice deal on it. Initially, I was concerned about SDM problems as well as previously mentioned back/front-focus issues. However, so far, this lens has been the most accurate focusing lens I own and (knock wood!) the SDM is working fine!

Before I get to image quality, I want to mention the feel of the lens in actual use. I am not normally a fan of heavy, large lenses. This one is pretty heavy and large, at least compared to most Pentax primes. I definitely feel it around my neck, but it is not so heavy to be a burden. However, with the included hood it is a pretty long lens.

The build quality is very nice. It's plastic, but does not feel at all cheap. The quick shift focus works great and the feel of the manual focus ring is very nice and smooth. The SDM is not silent but still very quiet. At first, I thought it wasn't working it was so quiet! As I mentioned, I find this lens to be remarkably accurate when using auto focus. Considering I have been shooting quite a bit at large apertures, I'm often surprised and pleased by how many keepers I get with this lens compared to some of my others.

As for image quality, I find it nearly impeccable! It has a very special rendering that I liken a lot to my FA 77 Limited. It's the sharpest non-macro lens I own. The contrast is superb, although it is not crazy about shooting into the light in certain situations. Color is warm and well saturated.

I find the bokeh to be very pleasing in almost all occasions. At f/1.4-1.8, it can be a little nervous, depending on the background. However, once you hit f/2 and above, it is almost always nice and creamy.

On the downside, the lens produces a fair bit of chromatic aberration wide open and up to about f/2.2. It can be corrected in post, but it's something you'll have to deal with.

All in all, I have found that the DA*55 has become my "go to" lens. I reach for it more often than any other lens because I just love the results! I heartily recommend it, but would suggest you get it from a trusted source since there have been issues with focusing on some of these units.

I'm attaching a few sample images. Thanks for reading.

f/1.8

periwinkle bokeh - Explored by loco's photos, on Flickr

f/2

daffodil light by loco's photos, on Flickr

f/2

pink dogwood bokeh by loco's photos, on Flickr

f/2.5

Kings and their horses by loco's photos, on Flickr

f/4.5

"What's that up there?" by loco's photos, on Flickr

f/7.1

onion on chair by loco's photos, on Flickr
   
Inactive Account

Registered: October, 2008
Location: Torun, POLAND
Posts: 119

5 users found this helpful
Review Date: April 27, 2009 Recommended | Price: $550.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharp, bokeh, SDM
Cons: bit slow (but it's not prime for me)

I love this lens - much better then my Pentax-M 1.7
DA* 55 is more sharp than M 1.7
I love bokeh and colours.
In my opinion - it's excellent lens




Update (30-Aug-2009):
it's still my favourite lens. Few samples :

1. My friends doughter :
Link to photo : http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-c-r/3590199238/sizes/o/

2. My wife in colza :
Link to photo : http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/3553782926_e31ca9a9bc_b.jpg

3. My friend with doughter:

Link to photo : http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3607/3533659105_4dc2482744_b.jpg
   
Veteran Member

Registered: January, 2019
Location: Geelong, Australia
Posts: 341

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

4 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   

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
   
New Member

Registered: March, 2015
Posts: 2

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: March 24, 2015 Recommended | Price: $720.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharpness, artistic drawing, bokeh, not afraid of the sun on the forehead, working 1.4, easy focusing ring
Cons: poor autofocus (long focus)
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 6    Handling: 10    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K-5   

A great lens for artistic photography, this receiver is 85 mm 1.4. The only thing I do not like is the autofocus, it is much worse than my other lenses. Figure pleasant, sharp and expressive as crystal. My favorite lens Pentax









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