| Author: | | New Member Registered: January, 2015 Location: Alliance, Ohio Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 15, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, nice build quality, inexpensive | | Cons: | Doesn't make me coffee | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
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 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Posts: 12
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 27, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
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Does it need an adapter to fit on K30? Which one?
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2012 Location: Houston Posts: 129
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 7, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | small, very sharp, cheap, solid metal construction | | Cons: | no auto-focus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: k5
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The first manual lens I acquired for my new Pentax K5 at the time for a very cheap price. I was impressed with how sharp the images were and the pleasing background it creates. The lack of auto focus did not bother me that much as I don't mind finding the sweet spot myself. The fact that this lens is old yet maintains its awesome qualities should give it bonus points.
 White Hibiscus in Spring by michaelkchenry, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2014 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 10
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 7, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, Value, Overall IQ | | Cons: | Some CA at 1.7 | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5
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My first and favorite Pentax lens. I bought this lens at a pawnshop for a steal because they didn't know what gem they were selling. This lens has amazing IQ and I use this lens whenever I can. I would definitely recommend this lens to anyone, particularly people who have a small budget but want good IQ. I have found that the sweet spot my lens to be at 5.6, but it is also very sharp at other apertures. Some pics take with this lens, post-processing was used.
   | | | | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2014 Location: Grenoble Posts: 22
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 4, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $55.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp and nice | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Camera Used: K500
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Bought this after studying the lens reviews. Must say I am pleased with my purchase.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2012 Posts: 14
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 3, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | ShaaaarrrrrP! | | Cons: | No Auto Focus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30
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I recently decided that I was using my 'couple years old' SMC Pentax-DA 1:4-5.8 55-300mm ED a little too much. Searched Ebay over and over and the very BEST "old glass" I could find was something I already had tucked away in a box of old camera stuff ... THIS SMC Pentax-M 1:1.7 50mm .. (ASAHI Opt. Co. Japan) ..... is a the real deal .. while I have a lot of faith in Pentax gear and I'm sure that their more 'recent' lighter brighter digital lenses are at least as good .. this little truely pocket sized lens is fantastic .. with the manual focus assist features of the K-30 this lens is easy enough to use and really hot in LOW light .. I've got nothing to equal it .. and wanted to jump in here and say so ... these are still fairly common on E-bay and (if you are careful) you can get a superb copy fairly easily. Well worth having in your kit if you don't mind manual focus.
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 30, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very sharp at f 5,6,very nice bokeh, excellent colors | | Cons: | some few CA's wider open | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: k-x,k200
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 this 6/5 lens construction is very similar to the old 1,8/55 Takumar.
an excellent lens, fitted for 1,7 AF-converter, too
opitimal lens for portraits, close-ups etc.
Compared with the actual lenses of other brands at this low price a very fine lens: its value is very high.
use it for astro-shootings, too. f4-5,6 without optical defaults.
very much joy with this lens
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2014 Location: Near Berlin Posts: 1
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 11, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | center sharpness/contrast, colors, built quality, compactness, (solid) weight, price | | Cons: | only 6 aperture blades, spherical and chromatic aberration (particularly for larger openings) | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: ME Super, LX, various adapted APS-C cameras
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Own definition of points - using the above scaling: 5 = still good, 7-8 = good to very good, 9-10 = excellent
(10 = "100%" for technical aspects: such a immaculate thing does not exist)
I like to photograph with aperture openings, that are not too large, in order to get a certain
depth of field and sharpness of the optics.
Under these circumstances and to give a rough assessment:
How will the M 1.7/50mm behave, compare to the more expensive and faster M 1.4/50mm?
For this a few test shots at f/2.8 - I think the pictures speak for themselves ...
Out of center overview / f/2.8 / APS-C / Standart-OOC JPEG file, scaled down on 19% of 5184 x 3456 image size:
Out of center / 100% crop / M 1.7/50mm / f/2.8:
Out of center / 100% crop / M 1.4/50mm / f/2.8:
Corner overview / f/2.8 / APS-C / Standart-OOC JPEG file, scaled down on 19% of 5184 x 3456 image size:
Corner / 100% crop / M 1.7/50mm / f/2.8:
Corner / 100% crop / M 1.4/50mm / f/2.8:
(the enlargements shows, that the M 1.7 has a slightly longer focal length) | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2014 Location: Plaisir Posts: 2
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 3, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, bokeh | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3, K10D, K1000
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Amazing lense !
I don't have others words than PERFECT
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2012 Posts: 205
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 3, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $42.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp with little distortion | | Cons: | None (for a manual) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5
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This lens is an amazing value. It is cheap (many were made), fast and very sharp above f/2. As others mentioned, this is a "10" for sharpness above f/4. For those looking for a cheap portrait lens (roughly a 75mm equivalent), this is a great way to go. Distortion is almost non-existent. I also played around with it for macro work, using a reversing ring once and extension rings another time. Both weren't as good as a dedicated macro, but still produced more than acceptable results with this lens. In fact, this can be a substitute for a macro lens depending upon your needs. Just buy some cheap extension tubes, use live focus on a tripod, and you are good to go provided you stop down a bit. It is really that sharp. I keep this in the bag for whenever I need a really fast lens. It is a keeper, which is more than I can say for some glass costing 10x-20x the price.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: November, 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 126
8 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 21, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $55.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Killer IQ, Handling, Ridiculously Affordable | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K30
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Durning a conversation about Leica's 50mm 0.95, and its $10,000 price tag, I instantly went to the other end of the cost spectrum and compared my photographs made with my $55, 50mm 1.7 to the sample images from the Leica. There were subtle differences, the Leica signature, if you will. Especially when shot wide open. Wide open is kind of my thing, so that's important to me. But, were those differences worth $9,945? Nope.
At some point we have to finally start calling this little piece of legacy Pentax glass, amazing.
Now, I'm not crazy... Leica glass is to die for, and I totally drool over the thought of shooting at f/0.95. But I own 4 50s: Porst 55mm f/1.2, Pentax FA 50 f/1.4, Pentax A 50 f/1.4, and the f/1.7... which simply lives on my camera.
The Porst f/1.2, my next favorite 50, is a full on artist's brush. Monet in your lens... dreamscape. Its occasionally over the top and unpredictable, as well. Shooting the 1.7 @ 1.7 gives me just enough detail in the foreground and then takes its time getting to the Monet part of things. Slightly less dramatic/saturated than the Porst.
Sharpness? Stop this lens down and you'll cut your fingers @f/5.6. By f/8, its lethal and still somehow, smooth. Not that jagged, pixelated sharpness, but a natural edge clarity. Never overdone.
I can't say enough adout this lens, except that I can't believe its still so affordable. I guess f/1.7 just doesn't sound sexy... The librarian vs the supermodels. I've always dated the librarian.
Finally, please, please, please stop listing the fact that its a manual lens or that it is a bit soft wide open as a con. Aside from low light functionality, many of us shoot wide open for the softness, the shallow DOF and abundance of painted Bokeh. And regarding the manual thing... how should I say this? YOU BOUGHT A MANUAL LENS.
Peace!
 | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2014 Posts: 23
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | all | | Cons: | none with this price! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5
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I bought this len from a local store in Japan after read almost reviews from google.I totally satisfy with this len.Amazing sharpness and color.Though dont use any manual focus accessory,it still not too hard to get that lovely sharpness.This len isnt rare or expensive like K 28mm,K 30mm so i think if you can find one,just buy it.Im sure you will happy!
High performance at low cost!
Pros:
-Image quality
-Fast enough
-Build
Cons:
-MF(but... without MF,it will not be Asahi anymore)
-Unreadable aperture.Aperture value will not exist in Exif and "F - - " will show endlessly on both screens!(I think because of there is no any electric feature so the camera cant read the aperture value and leave it for user to decide)
Here are some of my first shoots:
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: August, 2014 Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 22, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | very sharp, sharper than M 50/f1.4 | | Cons: | no | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5
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Very sharp, just see the photos...
 | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2012 Location: Medina, OH Posts: 7,224
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 17, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $35.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Image sharpness | | Cons: | Rattling front rim | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5II, K-7, K-20
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This is a really great lens #2737694. It is light and produces superb images, quite sharp. My two sharpest 50s are the Pentax D FA 50 mm f 2.8 macro, which may be a little too sharp for some applications and my converted Canon FL 55 mm f 1.2 which is much heavier. I have about a dozen 50 mm lenses, and the M-50 1.7 is one of the best.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2013 Posts: 6
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 7, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharpness, price, contrast, size, handling | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5
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This is one of the first "fast" 50's I had procured. It was amazing to see the subjects just pop into focus. Sharpness is top notch, for the price I couldn't imagine a sharper lens. The only reason I don't give it a 10 for sharpness is that wide open it could be better. It's such a small design that always will have a place in my bag. At 75mm and wide open it makes for a great portrait lens, stop it down a bit and it works well for children. It's a very useful focal length even on a cropped sensor. Why are you still reading? Go out and get one.
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