| Author: | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2018 Location: Tokyo Posts: 44
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 4, 2024 | Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Amazing cost/quality for the peanuts | | Cons: | Not a modern lens | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K1 Mark II
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When talking or thinking about Pentax 50mm lenses, for some reason the f2 hardly shows up on the radar; and when it does, it is generally tagged straightforwardly as a ‘kit lens’ or ‘starter tool’... a lens with a simple, when not even ’primitive’, optical design. In reality the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f2 lens is a rather peculiar and unique horse in the Pentax 50mm stud farm. The simplest of them all, perhaps, yet capable of delivering very good sharpness and strong detail, while in situations where depth of field is shallow, it renders a beautiful separation with a smooth and creative foreground blur and intriguing background effects.
Two versions of it existed, as noted above, the M and the A version. The A series was released in March 1983 with the ‘PENTAX super A’ film camera, but it was not present in the Asahi Opt. Co. lenses list of that year, because the camera was commercialized in silver with the model name ‘Pentax Super Program’ mostly only overseas and the only two standard lenses of the A series listed were the f1.4 and the f1.7. It seems it showed up steadily on the catalogs only from the release of the "Pentax P30 Date”, around 1985.
While the M model is made all of metal with the solid feel of that series, the exterior and the components of the A model were indeed mostly of plastic, and it truly might feel cheap. Rumors have it that in order to cut costs, ita manufacture was moved to Taiwan, and it was so cheaply made that Pentax hid the ‘Made in Taiwan’ mark on the retractable rim of the lens barrel in shame, making it invisible during normal use. It seems instead - believe it or not - that there were two types on the market, one all made in Taiwan and another in Japan and that both were distinguishable by a sticker put on the lens barrel carrying the provenance clearly.
Be that as it may, the optical system, remained the same: an original symbiosis of a Biometar with a Xenotar design of 5 elements in 5 groups. Some reviews describe it as an expanded Ernostar, but if you split it in half you can see that the front optical group is the classic 3 elements Ultron type, while the rear group has the same 2 lenses configuration of the Zeiss MC Biometar 80mm f2.8, with one very thin and curvilinear lens; an ingenious attempt to improve color shift and resolution without the use of a more expensive doublet, as often happened back then.
In general the lens offers an extremely good compromise of quality and performance at a price that truly leaves no reason not to get one and make good practice with it. I personally like it lot; its size is surprisingly small. Ignore the comments of people that thrash-talk its sharpness wide open: it simply is a different thing than the f1.7 or the f1.4. It delivers a very fine contrast and a good color punch. It has also a quite good flare resistance compared to all the other 50s, probably in reason of its simpler lens scheme. Helicoid movement is smooth and focusing on your subjects is very easy. Aperture has a modest 6 blades that leave a visible mark on the boke balls, but you have to live with it.
It is suggested - and I tend to agree from my experience - that it is particularly good for B&W photography, thanks to its ability to record a wide dynamic range particularly in the shadows. The transitions in that realm result very creamy. CA is contained, but not absent (it wasn't an issue when it was made). Barrel distortion too is controlled, but I wouldn't call it ideal for architectural shots. A red-magenta cast might flatten and dull a bit blue/green tones sometimes. A 50mm is not an ideal portrait lens, but I wouldn't hesitate using it for that, in reason of the beautiful blur effects it delivers in foreground and background with a subject placed at the right distance.
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2015 Posts: 5
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 21, 2022 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
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What is the difference between A and M versions?
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2021 Location: Visby, Gotland Posts: 18
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 6, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Cheap and nice build | | Cons: | All manual | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 7
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-x
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Nicely built and great value.
The only real downside is it’s manual only, which limits the photo opportunities in my opinion. Still I do recommend this lense, specially for taken photos on non-moving objects. In the end I prefer lenses with an A setting, but this lense is great value and well worth testing.   | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2020 Posts: 122
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 12, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $12.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Insanely cheap. Nicely built. Beautiful IQ | | Cons: | need to use stop down metering | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax Kr
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Things look just great with this lens.
My 50mm A 1.7 is sharper but somehow I prefer the rendering of this one.
Mechanics ( I have the earlier metal version) are also superior to the A , focussing in particular seems much smoother and my perception is that I am therefore more accurate with this on the camera. Despite the lack of electronic contacts this lens somehow handles better (at least when I remember to use the green button)
Coatings are pretty good but I see veiling flare more often than if I use a modern lens.
This is really lovely as a portrait lens on my Kr, I commonly use it at 2.8. For the cost I don't think it can be beaten.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2017 Location: Medellín Posts: 1,322 | | Review Date: December 23, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Small, compact, light, pancake-like, 49mm filter ring. | | Cons: | | |
For the price and size, you can't go wrong. Should make part of your M (miniature) lens set. It's all you need as a photography/art student.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2019 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 4, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent low light results | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
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Another great lens with good sharpness, provided you are adept at dialing in focus manually.
- Pentax-M 50mm F2
- Pentax K-50 DSLR (16.3mp)
- mounted on tripod
- aperture priority
- ISO 100
- white balance set to AWB
- focus peaking enabled on camera
- using manual focus assist
- 2-second timer
Right-click the following image and click "Open Image in New Tab", then zoom in.
All jpegs right from the my Pentax K-50.
F4.5, 2 second exposure:
Here are 3 shots from my send copy of this lens:
F5.6, 2-3 second exposure:
 | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2016 Posts: 7 | | Review Date: October 24, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | very affordable for F2 prime lens | | Cons: | Not as sharp as other lenses of the same specs | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 7
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This is a hard lens to review. It's a very affordable lens from one of the most prestigious camera makers. While it doesn't have the build quality of the older Super-Takumars, its not built badly. It features Pentax's very good multicoating which resists flare, but its image quality is not as good as some competitors. My Ricoh XR Rikenon is sharper wide open, and so is the its brother, the Auto Sears lens. While those lenses lack multicoating, they can be bought cheaper than the Pentax-M. Color rendition is good with the Pentax-M and the bokeh is just okay. When compared to very good modern day zoom lenses, the Pentax is a no brainer for price/performance ratio. Would I recommend it? Only if you can get it for less than $25. I believe its a good starter lens for people who want to use vintage manual lenses.
I have had both the old and newer versions of the lens. Try to get the older version. It is build better with slightly less plastic and QC might actually be better as my later version actually had a defect in one of the lens elements. A small chunk of glass was missing and was clearly there before they polished the lens and added SMC. While it didn't effect image quality, it is still not what I expect from Pentax.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15 | | Review Date: October 8, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Small and easy to use | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax film and KX
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There are some very odd reviews here that seem to rate this lens so far down that it makes me wonder what is going on! This lens is actually as good as the Pentax M SMC 1.7 version; the only difference being that it has a slightly smaller lens diameter. All this means is that at f2 it's not so sharp and it can't function as well in very dark contexts, but how many people genuinely go that low down the aperture scale when taking photos? At f5.6 both versions are identical and right up to the smaller aperture range. Being more affordable, I think that makes this lens as good as the f1.7 version.
And maybe those people who have really attacked this lens need to check to see if their copy is full of dirt, dust and fungus because the lens is decades old. This is not the fault of the lens! Just get your old lens cleaned up and then re-write your reviews, people!
The f2 is a lovely, easy to use, small, well-built and gorgeously coated lens that is a joy to rely upon and use to take wonderful photos in a vast range of lighting conditions and contexts. It just works, and works very well indeed.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2018 Posts: 585
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 3, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
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 | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: June, 2013 Location: Utrecht Posts: 255
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 11, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Cheap, build quality, decent performer stopped down | | Cons: | M1.7 is better and also costs almost nothing... | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: ME super to K1ii
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Wide open this lens is less good compared with the M1.7 at F2.0, visible less sharp, visible more ghosting. Stopped down this lens is realy good. But... For a few more €$ you can get a M1.7 which is clearly a better performer. Build quality and handling of the M2.0 are great like all M-lenses. I own the metal "made in Japan" version.
See also https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/390869-som...-compared.html
Picture wide open:
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2016 Location: Moab, Utah Posts: 90
8 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 29, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $31.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Fine contrast, Color Punch, Sharpness in that order | | Cons: | bokeh, fringing possible at f2 until 2.8, doesn't look cool | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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This is the best Pentax 50mm for landscapes. I tested the SMC 50 1.2 & 1.4 with 52mm filter rings and 8 bladed apertures, SMC Tak 55 1.8, and Super Tak 50 1.4... Hands down, this one offers the best fine contrast and color punch. The 55 1.8 is close, but isn't sharp from f13 to f16 and doesn't even have 22... This one also gives the best flare resistance out of them all, though can fringe when used wide open at f2. fringing clears up completely by about 2.8. Hence, this is "The" 50mm landscape lens from Pentax. I use this one a lot more than my SMC 1.2, which is reserved for bokeh and dreaminess. This 5 element design is barely more than a Tessar and performs similarly with a lot of 3d pop. Bokeh is not great - this is not the design of the lens, and why I also recommend the SMC 50 1.2 or Takumar 55 1.8 in addition to this 50.
For anyone interested, I compared 5 different 50mm lens options from Pentax and posted it on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/G22LGiKngp4
On my copy, the rubber focusing ring was slipping so a thin bead of high temperature black RTV gasket maker applied with a toothpick underneath fixed that. The focusing helicoid is so small on this lens that it feels like it's not even moving. Glassy focus and clicky aperture, typical of M series Pentax.
More people should get over fast lenses and start using readily available gems like this one.
| | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2017 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 3, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | great DOF, Build quality, Long focus throw, Sharpness | | Cons: | Can't think of anything at this moment | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Panasonic Lumix GX80
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I have been looking at this forum for some time now. When i realised i could use the old pentax lenses my father used 30/35 years ago, i tried to use them with a focal reducer from Pixco on my Panasonic Lumix GX80/GX85 and with great results. I will show some samples with this post.
This lens is great. The focus throw is buttery smooth and the sharpness is very good with the camera i am using. When i use this 50mm lens with a m4/3 camera and the focal reducer it comes down to 76mm, but the results are great. The sharpness at F2.0 is reasonable and at f8 it is ultra sharp. The mood and depth of field of this lens is beautifull. It feels like quality and it is.
https://ibb.co/eZYxvv
https://ibb.co/nfhCTF
https://ibb.co/mATaha
https://ibb.co/dxPFha | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: May, 2016 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: April 29, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp @ 2.8, metal body, cheap, bokeh | | Cons: | soft wide open | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K500
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very dreamy wide open with a little of purple fringing (the M 1.4 @ 2 has no this dreamy effects), perfect solution for anyone that want to use the legendary M series of Pentax (but for 10 bucks more you can buy the M 1.7 that is really the state of the art of 1.7 50mm). The bokeh is very good (round wide open and hexagonal stopped down - not ninja star like the 1.7). At 2.8 is very sharp with a very nice color rendition.
I recommend this lens but only if you need an extra 50mm and if the price is less than 15 bucks.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2014 Posts: 9
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 16, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small, good build q, pleasure to use. | | Cons: | Soft-ish wide open. | | Sharpness: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-5
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This is a good lens an I enjoy using it.
Build quality of this lens is very good and it also looks nice.
It is small and comfortable to use, and has smooth focus ring.
Bokeh is excellent, though the lens lacks sharpness when wide open (also it's a manual lens, so a lot of depends on photographer). It is sharp when stopped down.
Would I recommend it? Well, That depends on at what price you can get it.
For what I paid for it, I could've gotten the f1.7 version instead (Don't know if it's any better though, as I've never tried it, but 1.7 looks better than 2.0 on paper  ).
For 20-40USD - it's a no brainer.
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2015 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 134 | | Review Date: January 19, 2017 | Not Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 4 |
| Pros: | Cheap, easy to find, aberrations well controlled | | Cons: | Soft, way out-classed by the other 50mm options | | Sharpness: 3
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 5
Value: 8
Camera Used: K3-II
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My copy of this lens came attached to a set of K-mount bellows I bought. So I can't really deny the amazing value offered by it (you can get it for change!). Originally these were the cheap-as kit lens option (vs the not as cheap 50mm f1.7 and f1.4 options). Definitely not the worst option at the time, but now, with so many better legacy lenses going for cheap, I cannot recommend hunting one down - chances are you will get one attached to an old body or something else anyway.
Image quality wise, the lens is soft wide open, unable at f4, acceptably sharp at f5.6, and even good at f8. Problem is that this leaves in heavily out-classed by its faster brothers - both of which (even the notoriously soft f1.4) are sharper, earlier.
Aberrations are surprisingly will controlled. Distortion is non-existent (as you would expect from a 50mm lens), but even chromatic aberration is minimal. Apart from cost, this is its biggest plus.
Bokeh is nice and smooth, but no better than from its faster brothers.
My example's aperture ring is quite resistant to moving (not great on a lens which doesn't allow body-aperture-control!). This is probably down to age and lubricants drying out, but compared to other Pentax lenses I have with metal aperture rings, it is disappointing. Otherwise handling is as you would expect from a M-era manual lens.
Despite the lens' cheapness, I really cannot recommend the lens. Optically it is just 'meh', and with so many other cheap manual 50mm lenses out there, you can easily pick up something much better (I recommend any of the f1.7 versions). If you really want a 50mm f2, I'd suggest tracking down the A-series version, if only because it has the aperture contacts, meaning you are not restricted to green-button metering on DSLRs.
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