| Author: | | Site Supporter Registered: June, 2011 Posts: 384 | | Lens Review Date: December 21, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | super sharp, good build quality, versatile | | Cons: | Manual focus ring, not the fastest AF | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
| |
I think lens is a great way into Pentax Macro. I have this and the normal FA 50mm 1.4. They share the same aesthetic, though the macro one is quite a bit larger. Autofocus feels about the same for normal shooting. Just a little bit dated but very usable. Macro images come out looking really spectacular. Very close focusing, great sharpness.
Manual focusing (which is really a must for close-up work) is a little hard because of a tiny little focus ring. You can see it in the pics, it's the little plastic piece at the front. Not specially marked or anything. I always found it kind of strange to use and not my favorite design.
It's affordable, well built, and very sharp. Would recommend!
| | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2007 Location: Prevost, Quebec, Canada Posts: 407
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: April 9, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $250.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, easy manual focus, color and Bokeh areexcellent | | Cons: | My copy has defective auto-focus, Manual focus ring is small | |
The Auto-focus does not work on my copy/lens but for macrophotography where I use Manual Focus only, it works like a charm. With the K1 FF it seems to outperform my previous Vivitar 105mm (Kiron) in sharpness and colour (Maybe that now I tend to use LiveView and focus confirmation...). Stepped down to 5.6 and 8 shows excellent sharpness and butyfull Bokeh at 3.5. I highly recommend this lens for macrophotography.
1: F:8
 Pentax K1 MarkII & FA 50mm Macro by Robert Amiot, sur Flickr
2 : at F:8
 Pentax K1 MarkII & FA 50mm Macro by Robert Amiot, sur Flickr
3: F:3.5
 Pentax K1 MarkII & FA 50mm Macro by Robert Amiot, sur Flickr
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2018 Location: California Posts: 45 | | Lens Review Date: March 4, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $125.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Good Bokeh | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-1
| |
I chose the 50mm version over the 100mm because I wanted a lens that could double as a walk around as well. It's sharp, even focusing all the way down to 1:1 which is very very nice. The bokeh is pleasant as well but doesn't stand out as much like some russian lenses.
Only negative is that focus distance on FF is very very close, I find myself hoping that I don't scratch the front element while focusing a rock or something. So if that's going to be a worry then get the 100mm 1:1 even though it's more expensive.
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2013 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 75 | | Lens Review Date: February 20, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $120.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, small and reasonably well constructed | | Cons: | Focus clamp not really clamping | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K1
| |
I got this for a real bargain, along with the FA 20-35 f4, here in Australia.
It really is very sharp lens indeed, even wide open @ 2.8. For a non Limited FA lens, it is constructed rather well and feels far more robust than the 20-35, which feels very light and plasticky in comparison.
The focus clamp, as mentioned in previous reviews, only moderately tightens the focus ring for manual focusing when utilising the macro feature. I'm not too concerned with this, as it seems more than adequate for macro purposes.
Overall, it's a very good lens, especially given the cost I paid. Along with the 20-35mm, it's a very light and portable duo that covers landscape, street photography, portrait(ish) and macro. Get one for a bargain and get into it!
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2018 Location: Denver CO Posts: 1 | | Lens Review Date: February 15, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $160.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, excellent build quality, great macro capability, affordable | | Cons: | long focus throw, small focus ring, poor AF | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K70
| |
Sharpest 50 I've used, great macro capability, and relatively cheap. Only complaints are the small focus ring and AF tendency to search, but these are minor. Overall an excellent lens generally, and especially given the price I paid! One question for other users, for my copy, the clamp doesn't seem to do all that much fully engaged and does nothing when less than fully engaged, how much of a difference in focus ring resistance. What sort of difference have you noticed with the clamp engaged?
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2012 Posts: 205 | | Lens Review Date: August 11, 2017 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $144.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp from wide open to through f/8 | | Cons: | Plastics feels cheap; the autofocus is noisy and sometimes slow. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 7
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-5
| |
[IMG]https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/photo-sample-pentax-fa-50mm-f-2-8-macro-f-8-55243/[/IMG]This is a sharp lens! It is extremely sharp wide open on an APS-C through f/8. As a macro, it works well with both autofocus and manual focus. It also works well as a shorter portrait lens. Center sharpness is about as sharp wide open as it is stopped down, with almost no difference in the corners on an APS-C. I have had almost no issues with CA or PF and the bokeh is reasonable.The only negatives are the noisy autofocus (mid-2000's screw drive technology), the seemingly cheaper build as compared to the older all-metal lens housings (e.g., the M and A), and the occasional hunting. I rated the lens a "7" for the handling due to the hunting and noisy autofocus, and a "10" for sharpness. Occasionally, good copies can be found for very reasonable prices since this lens is not current and macros are off the radar screen for many. It certainly isn't the fastest of the 50mm lenses Pentax made, but it is as sharp or sharper as any wide open and doubles as a macro.
| | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2017 Posts: 9 | | Lens Review Date: June 9, 2017 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $90.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, bokeh, robustness | | Cons: | big for its focal length, focus a bit noisy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-50
| |
Bought for 90 euros in mint condition (I mean, really mint. Seems to have just been unboxed), a real steal. Enough giggling!
This lens is definitely super-sharp, I struggled to find some softness in the extreme corners at f2.8, I must say I could find a bit but it's really hard to notice; at f4 the lens is PERFECT on APS-C and 16MP.
The bokeh is very good even though not exceptional while the aberrations are essentially negligible.
I found some purple borders where a strong light reflection hits a surface but again, I'm really looking for the smallest flaws.
This glass is awesome!
Autofocus is somewhat noisy and sometimes not so precise.
One reason why I bought this lens is to combine it with a slide duplicator tube... and slides duplication is going very very well! Believe me, it is not an easy thing to accomplish this with any lens, you really need something like this jewel: it can focus so near (and without curvature issues) that I can work with a slide duplicator intended for full frame cameras and fill the APS-C frame with the slide image.
I also changed my mark on autofocus, an 8 is proper, 7 was too punishing in spite of some inconsistencies.
I hope I can find the time to test the lens on my Fuji XT-20, ruling out the anti-aliasing filter and raising the bar to 24MP, stay tuned!
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: October, 2016 Location: New York City Posts: 100
1 user found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: November 15, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $250.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharp, fast, bokeh | | Cons: | not really | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
| |
Very sharp, need +1 to +2 AF adjust on my K5IIs body. Aberrations is very very good, rarely see any.
AF was a little off, but after the AF adjustment, it is perfect.
Only problem I have is focus distance a little too short. hit my aquarium from time to time.
The picture of Yamato Shrimp is before AF adjustment, crystal shrimp after.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2011 Location: Florence Posts: 7 | | Lens Review Date: October 21, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $250.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharp | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-1
| |
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2016 Location: Duluth, MN Posts: 141
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: July 17, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $175.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, fast accurate focus on K1 | | Cons: | Heavy, but feels good on K1. Bokeh busy in some situations. | |
This is my third of three FA lenses for my new K1, and my best yet by far. I love my FA 35 2.0 and FA 50 1.4, but this lens is in another class. It's surprisingly quick to focus and very accurate, even with a single point. It slows down in dim light of course, but it's still decent. I haven't had it rack through the focus range once yet. I suspect I'll be using it the most from here on out because the sharpness and contrast are kind of addictive (at least until I spring for a limited).
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 259
5 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: September 6, 2015 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $135.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, versatile, flare resistant, superb optics | | Cons: | a little big and heavy, hunts at 1:1 | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-5IIs
| |
Prices for this classic Pentax lens have dropped considerably in recent years which amazes me considering the fact that the full frame camera will be out soon. I am convinced that this high resolving lens will be absolutely perfect on FF.
I can't imagine how much it would cost to make this lens today. It would probably cost a fortune, so I feel very lucky to have found one for a mere $135.00. It's a sharp, solid performer that does the job both in the field and in the studio. Nice for portraits at 2.8. ( If it's too sharp for you at 2.8 I would recommend using a Tiffen Soft FX1 filter.) 1:1 and 1:2 macro can be problematic. You need to stop way down because the depth of field is so incredibly thin. Every serious macro photographer knows the drill. Focus stack.
This lens has been called ugly by many people. it is indeed a spare unadorned tube, but it is still beautiful to me. It has very rugged durable metal build quality. An amazing, truly classic lens. Believe me!
PS. Most of the pictures here don't do this lens justice.
6 MONTH UPDATE: Best AF lens I've ever owned.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: India Posts: 384
3 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: June 8, 2015 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $250.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Color, contrast, Sharpness, bokeh | | Cons: | May be, bit heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K20D, K7
| |
First bought a FA 100mm, but due to some problems, returned it. Skeptically bought this lens and have no regrets after buying. Excellent built and optical quality. Amazing sharpness as well as perfect bokeh for macros. I'm Loving it. 
 | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2015 Posts: 1 | | Lens Review Date: May 28, 2015 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: N/A
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, Accurate Focus, Built like a Tank | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-5
| |
Excellent lens from the generations of great Pentax glass. The IQ is wonderful and not only love it for macro but it works well as a portrait lens too.
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2014 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: October 1, 2014 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $330.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Ultra sharp, no CA, build | | Cons: | Heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K10D, K30
| |
Perfect lens for nature photography
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2010 Location: California Posts: 2,223
2 users found this helpful
| | |
