| Author: | | New Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: Seattle Posts: 21
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 24, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | very good sharpness, bokeh, color, size, price, well built | | Cons: | none (with this price) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5II
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Don't know why this lens has a low score
I also have the A50 F1.4 but personally, I think the M50 f2.0 easier to handle
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2016 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: September 13, 2016 | Not Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Inexpensive, almost to the point of being free | | Cons: | Soft at f2.0 | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30
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I also own the smc pentax 55mm f2.0 so I could make a comparison, and this lens does worse all across the board. It is very soft at f2.0 making it a 50mm/f2.8 in practical use. At the same time it's hard to complain over a lens that costs peanuts. It's well built and handles nice. But just add a $20-30 and there are excellent options on the used market performing way better. Grade is of course in relationship to price, probably the least expensive pentax lens out there.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2013 Posts: 21
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 23, 2016 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3, K7d, K01
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Like most others, I got this cheap, as part of a collection of old lenses and other things.
I really like the Pentax m42 primes and probably wouldn't have bought this lens if it hadn't come along with other things I wanted. And that would have been a huge mistake. This is what I like about it:
The Bokeh really appeals to me. I am very fond of this lens.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 32
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 21, 2016 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Inexpensive, light, well build, Handling, I.Q. | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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I don't understand why this lens gets a lower score here than the 1.7.
I owned the M 1.4, the 1.7 and the 2.0.
In my opinion, the 1.7 and 2.0 are both excellent, the 1.4 inferior (not really usable at 1.4)
Yes, you lose 1/2 aperture compared to the 1.7. But that is known, factored in the price.
Is it important practically? Hardly.
The quality of the photos is stunning, very good already at f2.0 (better than the 50mm 1.7 at full aperture), excellent at f2.0 and above.
Excellent color rendition, light vignetting at full aperture, very sharp and sharp at f2.0 and improving at small apertures...
Built quality is exceptional, not like today's cheap lenses... Superb focusing ring...
My only disappointment is the absence of specific hood (no telescopic hood, no baionet). But flare resistance is pretty good, the SMC coating was one of the best at the time.
| | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: April, 2015 Location: Bay Area California Posts: 798 | | Review Date: December 13, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great value | | Cons: | Can be a bit soft (maybe a pro); slower than others | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
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I'd rate this pretty high considering the cost. I got mine attached to a film camera body. It's sturdy, and the mechanism still worked fine after all these years.
I'd say the images are rather soft, but that's fine since newer lens aren't that way. Reflections can also be an issue, so use a hood.
It seemed to be a bit contrasty, but maybe that just the light I've been using it in. I basically got it as an addition to an old body I built, but it's gonna find some use on my cameras. | | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 16 | | Review Date: September 27, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Cheap, solid build, nice image aesthetics, meters well with my K-3 | | Cons: | Sometimes focusing without a split screen is tricky | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K1000, K-3
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I got this lens with an old K1000 off eBay for about $30. Here's two from my K1000 on film:
 ye old vans by Jordan, on Flickr
Fuji 200
 Train in downtown Kennesaw by Jordan, on Flickr
Fuji 400
And here's two using my K-3
 Jack Daniel's by Jordan, on Flickr
 Peaches! by Jordan, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2015 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: July 29, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Solid build quality, great depth of colour and saturation. | | Cons: | more light in would be nice. | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Canon T3i
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 Great lens by todays standards, solid heavy feel, simple & substantial, crisp. Shot with a Canon T3i, using a Photodiox adaptor @ f 5.6. I've had this lens since buying my K1000 in 1984 - pleased to have it back in use.
| | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: Jakarta Posts: 2 | | Review Date: May 31, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very good sharpness, bokeh, color, size, price | | Cons: | based on the price: none so far! | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5, A7
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this lens is small, has plastic body (except the early version has metal body), overall has excellent price and performance ratio, no one lens has cheap price with excellent capture and color rendering like this lens....i rate this lens has excellent performance
here are the sample pictures image, mainly no post processing:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/roe_groho/sets/72157651472770623 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2015 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 16 | | Review Date: May 13, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | cheap, color saturation, sharp at f8 | | Cons: | soft in corners wide open | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-500
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 | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2014 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: May 12, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $4.29
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Brokeh, Inexpensive Good color, Fairly Sharp, Overall great lens! | | Cons: | None so far :) | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: K10D
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Overall great lens. I've really enjoyed using this lens. Here are a few photos I've taken with it:
Next two taken with a +4 Screw-on Close-up lens:
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2010 Location: San Jose Posts: 25 | | Review Date: December 25, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | compact, economical, it's actually F4 lens | | Cons: | soft at f2 | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K10D
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This little lens is good for outdoor photography, need patience to use it (focusing).
Smooth bokeh but purple fringing at wide open. It is actually F4 lens instead F2.
A good budget lens for 50mm lovers 
F2, ISO-200
F4
F11
F22
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 2,176 | | Review Date: December 13, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Reasonably priced and built well like all the old Pentax lenses | | Cons: | Not as sharp as I would like | |
I personally think this is one of the poorest lenses Pentax ever made. At f2 it is SOFT and doesn't become fair until f5.6. The f1.7 is 10 times the lens and the f2 Ricoh is on a par with the f1.7. Not impressed.
| | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2014 Posts: 8 | | Review Date: December 10, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Cheap,Build quality,surpasses present day plastic primes. | | Cons: | Soft wide open,Contrast,color regeneration. | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax k-500
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Got this lens from an old friend mine,who found this lens in his attic.
Got it, cleaned it,used & loved it.
Dirt cheap.
Primarily used for portraits & as it is my first prime, I'm enjoying it  .
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: November, 2014 Posts: 56 | | Review Date: November 28, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, build quality, image quality, price, size | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: P30, SFXn, K-5 II
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Nice colours and sharpness. I use it mostly for portraits but sometimes also as a walk around lens and I like it. It's a good companion for a low price. Handling is very comfortable, as usual with M lenses - It's joy to focus. Bokeh can be distracting.
Picture made at f4, ISO800. Evening sun.
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 9 | | Review Date: November 3, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | a little gem and under rated | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Kr
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   WOW ! This old timer was sitting / sleeping in my collection when I decided to try it out on my new pentax Kr . Simply beautiful , I must have a pin point example because this lens really hits a sweet spot on this camera . Better than the f1.7 in my view and fast enough wide open to give lovely bokeh portraits with such central clarity and colour rendition, for the money this simply has to be best vintage pentax old glass out there . I have tried it my K5 but for some reason I prefer the results with the pentax Kr . For now , this little Beauty is married to my pentax Kr body .
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