Author: | |
Veteran Member Registered: November, 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 593 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Excellent image quality once stopped down past f2 | Cons: | A little soft wide open | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
| | Once stopped down, the FA50mm f1.4 has excellent sharpness. Bokeh is also excellent as is colour rendition.
Wide open it is a little soft and lacks a little contrast, but sharpens up nicley at about f2 or more.
| |
|
| |
Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,308 | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Sharp a stop down, small, quick AF, low price | Cons: | bit prone to PF/CA when near wide open | | A stop down it is very sharp.. The lens is small and handy, good for portraits with its 75mm equiv FOV..
Only problem I have with this lens is it has pretty bad PF when wide open or near enough... Though I tend to only use it less than f2.8 in dark environments so it doesn't often exhibit this flaw..
The manual focus feel of this lens isn't so nice after having owned an A series version, though if you mostly use AF its not an issue ;-)
| |
| |
Senior Member Registered: December, 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 165 | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Tack sharp lens. | Cons: | None that I can think of. | | As others have stated, this lens is best when it's stopped down a little (like most lenses). Considering it's average price, it's a fantastic bargain. Even at a higher price, this would be a winner.
My favorite lens.
| |
| |
Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: North Idaho Posts: 696 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $210.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | The best 50mm every produced by Pentax | Cons: | none | | As other reviewers have stated, "Soft wide open"? I guess. But if you don't want to use a flash in interior low-light situations, there is not much choice, and I do shoot wide open often with this lens. Images are quite acceptable to me, but maybe my standards are a little lower.
I won't add anything to the other reviews, as they've covered it pretty well, but will say...
If you can find a new copy of this lens . . . purchase it immediately! They are becoming more and more difficult to purchase new. You will not be disappointed!
| |
|
| |
Veteran Member Registered: January, 2007 Location: Warsaw Posts: 338 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: February 1, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | price | Cons: | plastic, soft wide open | | I will say more or less the same. Soft wide open. Quite sharp from 2.8.
Overall must to have for all pentax users.
| |
| |
Veteran Member Registered: November, 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 419 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: February 8, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Edge-to-edge sharpness, bright | Cons: | None | | I've used many 50mm lenses for 35mm and digital SLRs and I can honestly say this is the best 50mm f/1.4 lens I've used for any camera.
There is no better 50mm f/1.4 lens.
'Nuff said.
| |
| |
New Member Registered: March, 2007 Location: Norway Posts: 1 | Review Date: March 13, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Excellent sharpness and OOF rendering | Cons: | Build could be more solid? | | This is an excellent lens usable wide open, razor sharp stopped down. Creamy bokeh. Good focal length for portraits.
Build doesn't feel to solid, but it is not a problem (I am comparing to SMC Pentax K and the Limiteds here | |
| |
Veteran Member Registered: March, 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: April 17, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $220.00
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | Natural rendering, bokeh, fast, sharp | Cons: | AF problems, cyan fringing, warm cast | | From f/2.8 this lens is very sharp with very high contrast and smooth bokeh. Results can be spectacular.
Dreadful contrast and soft below f2.8 but real achilles heel is cyan and magenta fringing which is particularly evident in OOF areas. AF under incandescant light is infuriating.
Since acquiring the 77/1.8 I find the 50mm focal length a little too short for individual portraits and too long for two person portraits so I have replaced it with the FA35.
| |
| |
Veteran Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 614 | Review Date: April 17, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $220.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Size, weight, feel, price, tight finish, bokeh, colour rendering. | Cons: | Difficult to obtain for a lot of folk. | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
| | There really isn't much more to say.
A real contender for best 50mm ever.
| |
| |
Inactive Account Registered: February, 2007 Location: Atlanta, GA USA Posts: 4 | Review Date: April 20, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $220.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Very sharp | Cons: | Softens wide open (but still sharp) | | Great for low light on digital and wonderful bokeh.
Sharpness 9
Bokeh 9
Color 8
Handling 9
Build 9
Distortion 10
Aberations 7 (a little CA opened upand flare (rarely) due to lack of digital coatings)
Value 10
Still an incredible value.
| |
| |
| Review Date: May 10, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $230.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | it opens to f/1.4!, it's very sharp (especially after f/2.8), and nice and small | Cons: | | | A lot of people say it's a little soft wide open, but compared to what? The same lens stopped down? Well, of course it would be a little soft, then. It's about as sharp as I could imagine any f/1.4 being.
All-around, this is my favorite lens.
| |
| |
Loyal Site Supporter Registered: March, 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Posts: 23,920 | Review Date: May 17, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $210.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Great bokeh, shallow DOF possible, performs great in low light | Cons: | nil | | Every Pentaxian should have one.
Used all the time.
Creates fantasic shots.
| |
| |
Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: West Chester, PA Posts: 1,420 | Review Date: May 20, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Fast aperture, sharp enough, size, focal length | Cons: | Some CA, slight bright-ring bokeh | | This is a nice lens, I think it is underpriced compared to the competition. (I bought mine used and locally.)
It isn't a perfect lens, but does pretty good at nearly everything.
I have a gallery with FA50/1.4 images here. | |
| |
Senior Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 173 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: June 19, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $230.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | sharpness, bokeh, size, contrast, size/feel | Cons: | not its fault but like all FA's it doesnt have QS focusing like the DA's, slight CA | | This is a gem of a 50mm lens. Quite possibly the best fast 50mm lens out there for price/performance ratio and even without considering the price its still an amazing lens. Perfectly usable wide-open but really shines when stopped down by 1 stop to f/2 which is still very very fast of course. Good contrast. Lovely bokeh, slight PF wide-open but when compared to all other f/1.4 lenses from other manufacturers it easily deserved an excellent (10) rating as it doesn't dissapoint at all. Very curios about the upcoming DA*55 f/1.4 SDM too - may still keep this even If I buy that one eventually!
| |
| |
Forum Member Registered: June, 2007 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 93 | Review Date: August 18, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Nice fov for portraits | Cons: | The fov on film | | If your comfortable with the FL there is no reason not to get this lens.
| |