| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: India Posts: 384
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 8, 2015 | Recommended | 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
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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: 2 | | Review Date: May 28, 2015 | Recommended
| 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
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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
| | Review Date: October 1, 2014 | Recommended | 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
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Perfect lens for nature photography
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2010 Location: California Posts: 2,223
2 users found this helpful
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: Svealand Posts: 172 | | Review Date: December 17, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $296.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, solid, bokeh, great alround lens | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-5
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A great lens and if I'd had to keep only one lens it would be this one. It's FF, macro, great bokeh. It's good in every way and I'm happy I did find this one for sale.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2013 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: October 10, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $230.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Metal build, sharpness and bokeh | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5
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Great lens, well built and heavy as I love them.
For the macro is more, it provides stability.
Perfect for portrait and macro is it an ideal lens for nature walk.
Photos with this lens here.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: September, 2013 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,074 | | Review Date: September 27, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $360.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Solidly built, excellent image quality | | Cons: | Autofocus seeks at times, focus ring is a bit small | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-30
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Excellent lens. Solid metal construction — possibly even a bit too solid, it can get a bit heavy after extended use — very nice IQ.
Autofocus sometimes seeks, and the focus ring is a tad small, but those are minor issues compared to the rest.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,448
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 7, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Great IQ, Macro | | Cons: | AF little jittery at times | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5iis
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This lens has introduced me to a whole new world of macro shooting.
I call it my "flower power" lens, because that's what I basically purchased it for, to expand my landscape photography into floral images as well. I have an F50 1.7 and to be honest, the IQ isn't much different, but the ability to fill the screen with a 1:1 image is rather cool.
So cool in fact, had to purchase a 2nd one for the GF who WAS using the F50 but was jealous she couldn't get the same close ups.
Now, after a trip to the local Botanical Garden and a butterfly exhibit, realized I need the 100 macro as well.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2012 Location: Mission, B.C. Posts: 166 | | Review Date: May 6, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness!!! Colour rendition, manual focus (throw distance and feel) | | Cons: | Manual focus (tiny focus ring), AF | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-r
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I gave this lens a 10 overall because, while the AF is pretty unimpressive, it's a macro lens, so AF is pretty much useless anyway. The 8 score for the handling is due to the tiny focus ring, which is a bit of a pain. The ability to adjust the resistance when focusing is amazing though, you can fine tune it to just the right sensitivity. Also, the focus throw is great once you get down into the higher magnification range.
Optically, this lens is sharp sharp sharp. If you were to use it for a portrait, you could pretty much count the pores in your model's nose. It's also very good for aberrations, so much so that it's actually useable with a good 2x teleconverter. (helpful for Macro, since the focusing distance at 1:1 is pretty close, and 1:1 just doesn't cut it for a macro junkie like me).
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2012 Location: Medina, OH Posts: 7,224
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 3, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Extremely sharp, captures amazing detail. | | Cons: | Captures too much detail, wife will not allow me to use it to photograph her! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-20 & K-7
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An outstandingly sharp lens, captures details that my other good lens do not. For weddings, you need to put a softener filter on the lens or you may capture details of the bride that are not desired. If there is a little pimple that did not get enough makeup, this lens will show it in great detail! This is the best 50 mm I have experienced in film or digital photography. It is a little harder to get good bokeh than with a longer focus lens, but bokeh is good on macro setting. I like the focus lock on macro that lets you manually approach of back off the subject to get the desired focus. It is not as good macro as longer focus macro lens, but excellent in its focal length. I love this lens for low-light, non-flash interior shots of people as well as home interiors. You can keep this lens on your camera all the time unless you need to change for focal length. I find it actually more versatile than my expensive 77mm limited except for portraiture photography, where the 77mm limited is really difficult to surpass. For most photographers, if you have the 50 mm 2.8 macro and the 77 limited, plus a wide angle and a telephoto you are pretty well set for most occasions.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: July, 2012 Location: Nevada Posts: 59
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 26, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Everything...sharp, sharp, sharp! | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
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This is the sharpest lens I've ever owned! 1:1 magnification, superb color, contrast and this lens is built like a tank. It's a metal lens casing and is solid. The lens is no longer made is rare. It is extremely sharp corner to corner, at 1:1 or at infinity. Wide open it is better than many lenses at their optimal apertures, and when stopped down to f5.6 or f8.0 it matches the best lenses in the world. Bogdan Dimitrov wrote about this lens that "optically...this lens is virtually perfect."
The colors are suburb, contrast is excellent, and there is no noticeable distortion. Bokeh is smooth and the lens is very resistant to flare.
This is my favorite lens and is close to perfect! If you see one and it's in good shape...buy it! You won't be disappointed! | | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2011 Posts: 118
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 16, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, color rendition, bokeh, handling | | Cons: | none at all | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
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Very well-regarded lens.
I own both FA and F50/2.8 Macro.
Looking at 100% crops, honestly I can't tell the difference between the two.
At F2.8 they are already sharper than some primes stopped down.
I mainly use it for the same way I use my DA 35/2.8 macro, product shots, food shots, and occasional people shots, but I like the 50/2.8 so much instead of keeping one 50/2.8 macro and one DA 35/2.8 macro, I sold my DA 35/2.8 to keep both 50/2.8s and by that I'm not saying DA35 isn't a good lens.
Highly recommended.
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1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 12, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, macro, rare | | Cons: | scratch only | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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It's rare lens. and also in pentax macro lens, only this lens show highest sharpness. It not heavy also. You can not buy this lens because it's rare lens. More better than DFA 50 2.8 macro. I use only this lens for bugs or flowers^^ I like it because of sharpness^^
If you can buy this, buy it. but It's hard to find it. | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,016
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 8, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Optically stunning, many many others... | | Cons: | Fugly, focus clamp flimsy, looooooooooooong focus travel, and did I mention it's fugly? | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 8
Value: 10
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It's like an ugly relative that is so cool you can't help but love:
Cheers,
Cameron
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 11,590 | | Review Date: March 25, 2011 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Seriously Sharp. Accurate AF, Great IQ, Solid build | | Cons: | Bulky for a 50mm, Ugly | |
This is a great lens--terrific results. Too short for close-ups of rattlesnakes but I like the perspective of a 50mm when I can get away with it.
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