| Author: | | Inactive Account Registered: May, 2014 Posts: 45
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 20, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, compact, sturdy | | Cons: | a little sotf @1.7 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K20D
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What can I say... I have this lens for about 3 years and used it quite often. It's not a workhorse for i.e. wedding photographer, but for studio work it's great!! Closed to about f/4 it's VERY sharp, and going to f/11 you retain sharpnes adding DOF in mean time. But for me it has another very big advantage. As one of the cheapest primes, and manual, it is great lens for those, who wants to LEARN what photography is all about. This lens is not for people who don't want to think before they take a picture, this one is THE one you will buy, learn what it means to control your photography outcomes, and leave in your bag until you will change the whole system to other brand... and even then I'm pretty certain you will look for proper adapter  .
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2014 Location: FRANCE - Country : Roanne 42300 Posts: 5
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 18, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharp from F4 to F16, compact, solid construction, FF + digital, cheap | | Cons: | No P-TTL flash, no autofocus, need to purchase hood separately | |
Can compete with modern lenses at an affordable price.
 Quote: A focal identique il est bien meilleur en piqué que mon DA 17-70. Les + :
Bon piqué de f4 à f16
Compacte
Construction solide
Convient aussi bien à un plein format qu'à un numérique.
Petit prix Les -
Pas de flash en TTL, il faut travailler entièrement en flash manuel
Pas d'autofocus
Si vous n'avez pas le soleil de face un parsoleil s'impose.
En bref c'est super objectif qui peut rivaliser sans complexe avec les objectifs moderne et ceci à tout petit prix.
J'utilise cet objectif avec mon K5 ii s, c'est vrais plaisir  | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: Jakarta Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 11, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | super sharp, color saturation, small, cheap, easy to find | | Cons: | not found | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5, ME Super
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amazing lens for sharpness, this lens is also cheap, i didn't find any bad things about this lens, i have been own three times, two lens have been sold, i keep one
this lens also amazing when used as macro lens within extentional tubes, here are the samples:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/roe_groho/sets/72157639683882573/ | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2013 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 968
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 17, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Super sharp, great bokeh, lots of fun, has an aperture ring! ;) | | Cons: | nothing yet | |
 This is an awesome lens.
The sharpness is amazing, the bokeh is really great.
I tried one with fungus and it still retained its amazingness pretty much.
I was very lucky to get the lens so cheap - it's worth a lot more than that - super lens.
BUY ONE if you don't have one - you won't regret it | | | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2013 Posts: 12
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 15, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, great colors, great contrast | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K1000, ME, K-5
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I have this and an early K-mount 50mm f1.4. I think this lens is better wide open--at least on my K-5--with less PF and other aberrations. Of course, it's smaller and lighter than the f1.4, too.
Makes a great portrait lens on APS digital, and a great fast prime in other applications.
Stopped down it's sharp sharp sharp sharp sharp.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2014 Posts: 7
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 22, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $66.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Image quality, build, handling / "feel", coating, availability / low price | | Cons: | None considering the price and what it is. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: ME
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Get one.
Really love to use this lens, this may well be my favourite manual 50mm on an analog SLR ever.
I could stare at the coating of the front element for hours.
You can get this for 30 bucks in near mint condition which is fantastic value for money.
Basically everyone is capable of making a cheap and sharp 50mm,
I shot the cheaper Canon FD series or Nikon E as well, and it's all good.. they're sharp, and get the job done.
But this is a league above in terms of image quaity (at the same price point, mind).
And, more importantly, it's several leagues above in terms of it being a joy to use, really.
I guess you'd have to try this and see.
Just get any 35mm body with a bright finder that takes this lens and go out shooting.
There is one thing I don't like about it - not a real complaint, but may be relevant to a few of you -
the way it renders out-of-focus areas is not "calm".
Especially if it's detailled, patterned thingies in the background.Like a lot of blades of grass.
..it's just the character of the lens: it has got quite a punch - which is superb, like with the sharpness even wide open, the contrast, the popping colors and all - but it does not suddenly calm down in the unsharp areas and give you a relaxed, melted bokeh.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Florida Posts: 426
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 23, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Solid build and awesome pics | | Cons: | No A setting | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: LX, K-01
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It's all the 50mm you will ever need. Slightly fidgety to use on digital because of the lack of the A setting but honestly its not really a bother.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2014 Posts: 4
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 21, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $48.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Stunning colours, very sharp images, excellent focus ring | | Cons: | manual focus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-r
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After years of using cheap zooms this is the first prime lens I got. The results were fabulous to say the least. The lack of auto focus was a problem however I eventually got used to shooting more than one shot in quick succession once good focus was obtained. The shots with correct focus yielded stunning colours and image sharpness. Some of my best images in flickr are from this lens;
  
I made a flickr set containing all my shots with this lens;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kosalabandara/sets/72157639941003964/ | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: July, 2010 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 2,091
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 9, 2013 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | build quality, color, sharp, boken, size, etc. | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: KX film, PZ-1P, K30
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This is a remarkable piece of optics for what was a low cost kit lens. To begin with, the build quality is exceptional. It's still as smooth today, as the day I got it decades ago. It's output is also exceptional -- sharp, great color, 3D like images, and very nice boken. It's a great walk around lens used with either film or digital. For the going price, it's a no brainer.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2013 Location: Avignon, FRANCE Posts: 28
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 4, 2013 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | bokeh, sharpness | | Cons: | None I have found | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-r
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This lens is simply excellent on the condition of liked any manual mode. It is my favorite lens to this day. A must-have.
Angus Englishbulldog's photosets on Flickr
 | | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2013 Location: Naples Posts: 10
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 1, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | SHARP! Contrasted! Cheap! But 1.7 good for potraits. Tank built. Iconic! | | Cons: | It's better than most of the lens you will buy! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
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The pentax "pop" icon.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2013 Location: Ferrara, Italy Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 19, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $32.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Compact, sturdy and well made | | Cons: | Unacceptable flare in some occasion | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 8
Value: 7
Camera Used: Pentax K-m dslr and film slr
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I bought my copy of this lens (used) in 1994 for use with manual-focus film cameras Pentax and Ricoh, at a price of 50,000 Lit (today about 32 US$). Now used mainly with a Pentax K-m dslr (10 Mp).
I don't agree with the great majority of the reviewers: this lens (at least my copy) is not a shining gem, but only a fair glass, neither the worst nor the best of my 20 prime lenses (for reflex or rangefinder cameras) in the range 50-58 mm.
Not very sharp at f/1.7, fair at the click-stop between f/1.7 and f/2.8 (f/2,4?), very good but not exceptional from f/5.6 to f/8. Unacceptable flare in some occasion.
Eventually not a masterpiece, but a fair and in any case recommended lens, overall superior to "body cap with glass" like Pentax SMC DAL 18-55 mm. f/3.5-5.6 AL...
Excuse my very bad english!
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: August, 2011 Location: Leeds Posts: 49
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 2, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp image, nice bokeh | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K30
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Got this recently based on the reviews on here and with chip in with my own endorsement.
A super lens and for £20 was a steal. Lovely solid all metal construction. Compared to modern lenses they feel like cheap toys once I've handled this. Considering the age I am amazed that everything is still smooth and snappy and rock solid. It's low light performance on modern DSLR is superb handling everything I've thrown at it so far. For a walk around on static shots it's fun. What I don't do is street walk trying to capture people because I haven't got the knack yet of focusing quickly on this lens. Maybe that will come with time seeing as this is my first purely manual lens.
The good part is that it's forced me to learn more about my camera and how it works which is good.
Can't be beat for the price, something everyone should have in their bag.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: November, 2012 Posts: 151
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 13, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid, Fast | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: k30
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I bought this lens just to test the peaking feature of my new K30. I didnt like that feature but, definitely i fell in love with this small wonder. It has become my walk around lens.. focusing is easy and overall sharpness is good. I find 1.7 usable and going up it is tad sharp. I am looking forward to collect more SMC lenses now.  | | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2012 Location: Mission, B.C. Posts: 166
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 30, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Size, price, focusing, good sharpness from f/2 | | Cons: | For the price, basically none | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-r / z1p
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My M50mm f/1.4 is away at Pentax (sorry, I mean Ricoh), and I stumbled across this guy for $15, along with a dusty old MX in a thrift store so I decided I'd give it a try.
Like the f/1.4, this lens benefits greatly from a proper hood.
My copy at least of the f/1.7 isn't any sharper at f/2 than my f/1.4, and is significantly softer wide open than the f/1.4 is. Also, without a hood the f/1.7 seems to lose a lot more contrast than the f/1.4 does. However, it's a lot cheaper than the f/1.4 is.
For anyone just getting into the wonderful world of legacy primes, you can't go wrong with this lens in terms of bang for your buck.
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