| Author: | | Senior Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania Posts: 266
9 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 24, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, Bokeh, Colors, Contrast, Pentax magic | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K500
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My preferred lens, my love, my limited, even if I have the real one: Fa 31mm limited! It's got magic, pixie dust, I just love the results! I won't talk about sharpness, contrast, colors, they're great! I think that the most appealing feature it's bokeh: it's smooth but well definied, creamy but noticeable! In my opinion this is the best tool for Flowers and Christmas pictures! I will show you why! I've tried almost all the variants of this lens: M, A, F. All are the same and all are beautiful lenses. Just pick one!
       | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2014 Location: Colorado Posts: 497
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 23, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1
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Center is sharp @ f2. Close down to f5.6 or f8 this lens is sharp from corner to corner. Fast and accurate focus. A Pentax classics.
| | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2016 Posts: 21
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 29, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $104.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great color rendition, sharp when stopped down | | Cons: | Soft wide open, screw drive AF, Plastic design | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
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This has been my go-to lens for quite some time now. I have used it to shoot just about my entire portfolio. It is extremely sharp when it is stopped down and the color rendition is quite amazing. I have been pleasantly surprised because I bought this from KEH on a whim and it has turned out to be one of my favorite lenses.
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2013 Posts: 796
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 14, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp from F2.2 | | Cons: | Not so good focus ring | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 9
Camera Used: KP, K-30
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This lens is very similar to DA50 F1.8, but a little sharper and more flaring. My copy was sharper then my DA50 and produced more lovely images. Finally I sold the DA50.
It's still not in the league of the FA43 or DA*55.
Here are some samples:
 IMG161204_0008 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
 IMG170805_0030 by Benjámin Czétényi, on Flickr
| | | | | | | Custom User Title Registered: January, 2016 Location: Alberta Posts: 6,806 | | Review Date: March 21, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $115.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | fast aperture, great bokeh, recessed front element, compact, fast focus | | Cons: | not WR, no quick shift, loud auto focus, | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-S2
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One of my first lenses!
Super sharp fast 50.
Nice that the front element is recessed as then you don't need a hood as much.
Auto focus on it is pretty loud, but accurate and fast.
Perfect for portraits on apsc!
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2017 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 14, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $90.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | El precio, la nitidez, tamaño y peso muy comedido | | Cons: | Muy plasticoso y el anillo de enfoque es pequeño | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 8
Camera Used: K-5
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Muy buen objetivo, lo compre barato porque estaba estropeado, lo limpié y arregle y la verdad que funciona excelentemente, lastima que a veces el AF, se pierde.
Es extraordinariamente nítido cuando se cierra un par de pasos el diafragma y sobervio en 5,6 8.
Lo recomiendo sin dudar, tengo el 1,4 m y la verdad lo único que me gusta más del manual es el anilo de enfoque, en este debido a su tamaño es muy pequeño y no facilita el agarre.
Dicho esto por el precio creo que no tiene rival alguno.
| | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2017 Location: Kiev Posts: 12
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 11, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $140.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | An interesting picture, similar to the photo from film cameras. A light weight. It looks beautiful on the camera. Good speed and accuracy of auto focus. | | Cons: | Plastic case (not as durable as other 50mm lenses). | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: K-5
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The lens is excellent! I accidentally bought it. I was looking for FA 50 1.7. And I found this one. Cheaper. I tried to take pictures of them. I liked the result. And I bought it.
I liked the lens in the first place with an interesting picture, which he gives out. The photos taken with this lens, in my opinion, are more like photographs from film cameras. If you compare all 50mm autofocus lenses from Pentax. Lenses 50mm DA and FA series, in terms of sharpness, contrast and bokeh, exceed this lens. But despite all this, it's F50 1.7 I most often dress on the camera. It is lighter than all of them, by weight. And it is strong enough, at the same time. Photos with this lens are beautiful, with warm colors, emotional.
Given that the price of this lens is cheap, I advise you to buy it and use it as a regular lens. If you know how to handle photos well and make color correction and adjust the contrast when processing, then for you this lens will be just a godsend! It is cheap and light in weight. It looks beautiful on the camera. And it gives interesting photos.
Sharp already from the diaphragm 2,8. And on diaphragms 4 and 5,6 has the best parameters of sharpness. On a completely open diaphragm, it's interesting to take portraits. With the effect of blurring, both through silk fabric. A similar effect is provided by the application of the photo filter Marumi Silki Soft (A).
Good contrast can be achieved with the use of a lens hood on this lens. I advise you to always use the blend. I have an ordinary rubber hood, made in China. She gets good photos.
I advise this lens to purchase. Because personally I really like him.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2016 Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 20, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Light,Sharp, Bokeh, price | | Cons: | Nothing | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
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Great cheap lens! handles well and produces good quality imagery. I enjoy the Bokeh of this lens, Not the best but is pleasant. Needs a good when outdoors otherwise it flares in overhead front light areas. Overall a great lens at a good price. Would recommend to anyone looking for a 50mm.
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2014 Location: Nagoya Posts: 577
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 13, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great colours, lovely rendering, light | | Cons: | Flimsy filter/hood ring, AF hunts | |
Takes lovely photos. Softish wide open but quickly sharpens up from f2.8 onwards, super crispy at f5.6 or f8. Classic Pentax colours and rendering that just makes you smile.
Some color fringing wide open, bokeh can be a little bit scratchy thanks to the 6 blade aperture (but that's no different to its M or A series predecessors), but in general this is a lens that just produces keeper after keeper.
Cons: the filter/hood ring is notoriously flimsy and the one on mine is broken. This is not a problem for me since I am not a heavy filter user and I find the front element to be well enough recessed to do without a hood. However, if you are a heavy CPL or ND filter user you might want to avoid this one because it will probably break eventually. I have seen them with the standard ring fully removed and an empty filter ring or step-up ring glued on in its place.
Secondly, this lens sometimes hunts like mad while autofocusing - this happens on all the cameras I've tried it on (I also tested it against the DA50/1.8, which doesn't hunt like this one). This is a bit annoying but not enough to stop me from rating it 9 for the lovely images it produces.
Overall highly recommended.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2014 Posts: 13
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 29, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | shaaaarp, fast, value, color and character, DR | | Cons: | AF calibration, color saturation at low light | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 7
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30
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I get to comment on this lens after switching over from my "Sears" fast-50 primes of antiquity.
Pros:
Really beautiful, sharp photos. Manages a lot of "pop" up with the other great 1.7s out there. The tak 55 f/1.8 is the only one I've used that matches it (I haven't used too many). Brings out a lot of dynamic range compared to my zooms that cover its length. My DA16-45 never gets used at 45 because of this lens. I haven't sold that lens because it's the cheapest way to get a sharp 16mm. It can't compete--in colors it can, in DR it just cannot. In the right light, the colors can be uniquely characteristic without seeming eccentric.
Cons:
I'm not sure about the AF. It's hard for me to dial it in to the point where it will be bang-on at both 4 and 14 feet. Tweaking AF micro-adjustments seems like it's something that many people need to do with this lens. I don't have an AF film SLR, so using this on my K-1000 makes the focus ring feel very flimsy.
Good value. But then, are there many other 50 1.7 AF lenses out there? This, the DA, and the FA are kinda your options, unless you go f/1.4.
**I know this is solely dependent on focal length and f-number, but I find this lens to be a great candidate for the "Brenizer" panorama shots at wide apertures. That technique normally looks at fast 85mm and above, and can be pretty overwrought. But I find I can get a great panorama out of 12-15 quick shots at f/1.7 and it's becoming a go-to move. The results are striking but not garish. And the color depth just gets even better as you bring more OOF areas into your shot.**
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2006 Location: North Face of Mount Shasta Posts: 120
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 17, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $205.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp at all apertures, light and small. | | Cons: | I will never get used to that F/FA exterior look. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K20d, K3
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I bought this lens 3.5 years ago from a fellow forum member. It was in very good condition and only needed a hood. Collapsible from Amazon did the trick.
I had a K20d at the time and wanted one of the Pentax legendary 50's ... my budget dictated this lens.
As it turned out, it became a regular on my camera and consistently produced excellent images. My only issue was the occasional hunting in anything but good light (mostly attributed to the K20). I shoot a lot of my son's basketball games for the school and lost a few good shots because of this occasional hunting.
I eventually picked up a Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX DC HSM for his games and my F50 went into the bag ... that is ... until I got my K3. The other day I threw the F50 on the K3 and was blown away by the speed that this lens now focuses because of the stronger motor in the body and new focus algorithms of the K3's programming. I'm actually looking forward to the upcoming basketball season and see how she does.
This lens is now a complete pleasure to use ... sharp, fast and exhibits the beautiful look that only a Pentax prime can produce. It reminds me why I chose Pentax back in the 70's.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2013 Posts: 12
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 2, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, fast, great colors, quick focusing | | Cons: | No quick-shift focusing, no WR, occasional fringing in some situations | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 7
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5
Sample Photos: https://www.flickr.com/search/?tags=smcpentaxf50mmf17&sort=relevance&user_id=25307231%40N00
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Found this one at a Goodwill, with a PZ-10 attached. The filter ring was damaged but it looked clean and straight and mechanically sound, so for $30 I decided to risk it.
Ha, ha! It's awesome! This thing totally surpassed my expectations for a thrift-store find, despite its cosmetic damage.
It's very sharp and quick to focus, and I appreciate the speed when shooting in available light indoors. I rarely open it up more than to f2.0, but even wide open the results are acceptable, especially for portraits. Closed down to f4.0 and beyond and it's sharp sharp sharp.
It seems to have the same optical qualities as my SMC-M 50mm f1.7. Not surprising--it's the same formula/coating, only in an AF mount. Mine played pretty well with the K-5 out of the box--maybe it needed 1 or 2 steps to correct a little front-focusing, but that was it. It's great as a short telephoto/portrait lens on APS-C, and a nice walking-around beater lens, too. Sharpness rivals my 70mm f2.4 Limited, and comes pretty close to my 35mm f2.8 Limited Macro.
The only issues I'm running into is that there's no quick-shift focus option. In addition, there's occasional CR apparent in some conditions (mainly below, say, f4.0 in bright sunlight), but that's about it. Other than that, it's plug-and-play with the K-5, and easily worth 4x what I paid for it.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: July, 2014 Posts: 59
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 19, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $130.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, size, quality | | Cons: | noisy, small manual focus ring | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K20D
Sample Photos: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/t31.0-8/10750338_551936411607774_5550996592273569796_o.jpg
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I really love this lens, is small, sturdy and durable, love the colors and sharpness that it produces, I´m so happy that I found one, always makes me happy when use it on my K20D,  | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2013 Location: Barcelona Posts: 659
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 5, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $160.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, colours, bokeh | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-r
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Some months ago I just bought a copy of that sensational lens, in this same forum to a person from Canada.
I payed for it 180 CAD $, and I can't be more happy with my purchase.
It's been a while that I have been using a 50mm manual lens, since that one got issues with my camera.
Then, I just simply started to check out, and found that the F 50mm looks impressive, after reading everyone's opinion in here, I decided to buy myself a copy and I think I will never regret myself for doing this, I love this lens absolutelly!
It is sharp, quite fast focusing (yes, sometimes not so much), it's bokeh is simply wonderful, the colours it takes I just love them. Of course, it's a 20 - 30 years old lens, but to me is well made, not feeling much plastic on it.
I was looking for a 50mm lens, and I can only recommend it. And hey! I have not yet had a hood, but I guess once I'll have it, pictures would look even better!
It is true some times it does not focuses on the object that you would like to, correctly, but 8/10 of the times it does.
Here some samples:
If you are considering in getting a copy, I can only say : " go ahead, you won't regret and you'll have so much fun with it ".
| | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2014 Posts: 1
2 users found this helpful
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