Forum Member Registered: September, 2009 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 93 | | Review Date: April 20, 2023 | Not Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Light weight, fast | | Cons: | Poor and noisy auto focus. Not better than the SMC 50mm 1.4 | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 3
Handling: 10
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
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This will be an unpopular opinion, but I don't think this lens deserves it's reputation. Before trying it, I was shooting with the SMC FA 50mm 1.4, a lens that I think is actually underrated. I was expecting to be impressed by the 77mm, but I found it to be overall a mediocre lens. It's sharpness and bokeh were about the same as the 50mm, and the auto-focus is terrible, like most of the film era lenses. I think that much of the praise of the older auto focus lenses comes from people who have likely never shot a modern camera with a modern lens. I was doing a demo of the Sony FE 85 mm 1.8 on a Sony A 7 IV at the same time, and the Sony lens outperformed this lens easily. When Pentax updated this lens, it should have gotten a modern auto focus motor. If you are on full frame, the SMC FA 50mm is about as good for 99$ used. The HD 50mm 1.4 totally destroys the 77mm limited. If you are on APS-C you are better off with the DA* 55mm. The only place for this lens is really film, and even then, I prefer the ?SMC FA 50mm.
This is lens just does not deserve it's reputation. It is sold on the nostalgia of older users.
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Pentaxian Registered: May, 2016 Posts: 3,678 | | Review Date: February 28, 2023 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | small size, image quality, build quality, coatings | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K1II
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This is my second FA limited after having the SMC 43 for a number of years. I like the improvements in this iteration, in particular the SP coating on the front element. Otherwise, it's all the same as before and that's a good thing. I even like having screw autofocus because it keeps the lens extremely compact and feeling similar to my 43. Perhaps my favorite aspect in terms of image quality is color rendering; in good light, everything pops without being too high contrast. It's very sharp, but has flaws in fringing, this lens really wants good light and then it is fantastic.
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Pentaxian Registered: October, 2019 Posts: 652
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 28, 2022 | Not Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | construction, very nice focus, size and weight. | | Cons: | purple fringing | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: k1, k70
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I'm a little embarrassed to be the first to review the lens here. I bought used this lens a few months ago to complete my trio with the 31 and 43 that I owned not in HD version. I had never used the FA version so nothing I can say about this comparison. The first thing I noticed is that the wonderful lens retains some defects that were already their own (at least from I read). The appearance of purple fringes in high-contrast situations has been highlighted since the first tests. It made me a little curious because I had not encountered these problems, or very small size for brothers 31 and 43. In real tests, however, the lens turned out to be for what it is. A great portrait lens (less for landscape but I don't practice it). its bokeh is truly breathtaking.
I haven't done the updates yet because I wanted to see if there were actually improvements by trying better on the two bodies.
It has a beautiful focus and I love the softness at the right point of the shots with very open apertures. Just close two to three stops and the lens becomes very sharp. I found a good reactivity of the af, especially on the k70, even on moving subjects like my dog. On k1 it is precise and effective on static subjects, a little less reactive on dynamic ones. It is a pleasure to handle and carry around. I am a lover of the 31 which remains my favorite lens for the greater use of my way of photographing, but I must say that for portraiture the lens has that very special fairy dust for me. I am very happy and satisfied. If someone hates the imperfections that may arise in certain circumstances, look elsewhere or may think they have spent their money badly. For all the others, I see no particular reasons not to swear eternal fidelity. I gave nine overall only because for me 10 only has 31, but I'm a fan.
I recommend the goal only that the option above leaves me alone no, I don't know why.  | |
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