| Author: | | Pentaxian Registered: July, 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Posts: 9,910
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 6, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $70.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very sharp, nice bokeh | | Cons: | None (I knew it was a manual lens when I got it!) | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-S1, K10D
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I love this lens.
I only purchased it about a year ago because my Rikenon XR 50 1.4 has a stuck aperture, but this lens is much superior to it. It is already sharp at f/1.4 - not extremely sharp, but sharp enough all the way to the borders in my K-S1. At f2, it's sharp all over. It peaks at f4-f5.6 on the K-S1. The center is always tack sharp and the borders are just sharp - but I think that's common with the 50 1.4 designs that are designed to make the subjects "pop".
Link for pixel peeping at f/1.4: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11375085@N02/32360054253/sizes/o/
It does have a hint of aberrations at f/1.4 but not too bad. Close one click and it's basically gone except for the extreme corners.
The only thing I miss from the XR version is that it focused a bit closer, but this focuses exactly at the same distance as my M 50 1.7, so it's not that bad.
Bokeh is excellent, and even wide open it has a bit of that 3D effect. Colors are rich and accurate.
f1.4:
 Vases on the Sidewalk by ChristianRock, on Flickr
 Peace by ChristianRock, on Flickr
f2:
 Drinks from the night before by ChristianRock, on Flickr
f2 or f2.8:
 Searching the Sun by ChristianRock, on Flickr
f5.6:
 Delightful Yellow Rose by ChristianRock, on Flickr
All in all, considering the price you pay for one, I gave it a 10. Sure it's not as good as a Sigma 35 1.4 Art or a DFA 50 2.8 (both of which I can't afford...) but it's still an excellent lens.
| | | | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2015 Posts: 71
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 12, 2017 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | IQ, especially contrast and border sharpness at f/1.4 | | Cons: | M lens functionality limitations | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5
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In limited test shots this lens beats my Pentax-F 50mm f/1.4 handily in wide open performance. Slightly better center sharpness at f/1.4, significantly better border sharpness, significantly better contrast, and significantly less PF. Even the SMC-F with a deep hood does not approach the contrast of a no-hood Rikenon P at f/1.4
I owned and did similar test shots with an XR Rikenon 50mm f/1.4 a while back and found it to be softer than ALL my Pentax fast 50's wide open. I don't know for certain that the Rikenon P is a different optical formula, but if not my XR Rikenon was a bad copy....like night and day.
I am surprised to read the comments in the other reviews regarding a particularly thin DOF with this. My shots actually showed that the SMC-F has a thinner DOF at similar apertures. It's going to be tough to nail focus with any MF lens at f/1.4 but there is nothing here to make it tougher than average in my opinion.
There are limited reviews around the web for this lens and I'm not ready to call it a sleeper yet, but it's got my attention and more experimentation is in order. Stay tuned...
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: May, 2012 Posts: 2,962
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 6, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $98.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | bokeh, sharpness, and more bokeh and sharpness. | | Cons: | high skill level lens, especially wide open | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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This lens is sharper than most. As stated in the other review the DOF is thin when wide open and makes focusing critical... its not impossible, you just have to have a good eye. Its not a very forgiving lens just as is the case with any lens of this caliber. It was one of the first lenses I bought so to me it was like when i was a kid having a pair of shoes too big 'to grow into'...This lens is awesome. My best eBay purchase for any kind of manual lens to date. This lens makes a nice creamy bokeh...
I would give it a 9.5 if I could.
Update: When I bought the lens I was still using it on a crop sensor. I have since moved up to the K-1 and I absolutely love using this lens even more now. The live focusing on the K-1 helps, and the live focus zoom function is indispensable. I got comfortable using those two functions and now....I use this lens a lot more than before. Still very high ratings. Still super sharp, not FA Limited sharp but sharper than most other lenses. Wide open it's fantastic but you have to really nail the focus.
I won't give this lens up unless I am forced to.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 21 | | Review Date: February 24, 2012 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Extremely sharp, very good in low light | | Cons: | difficulty focusing | |
This lens was given to me. It is really incredible in low light and IQ is outstanding. It takes very sharp pictures that almost look 3D.
The main complaint I have is that even when stopped down several notches I have a difficult time getting it focused. It seems to have a very narrow DOF.
If you have the time to carefully focus, this lens rewards you with outstanding pictures!
| | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2012 Location: Medina, OH Posts: 7,224 | | Review Date: April 13, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Build construction, sharpness, IQ, good focussing grip | | Cons: | P function does not work like Pentax A lens | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5II and K-7
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An excellent lens to subdue my LBA for Pentax 50 mm f 1.2, which I cannot afford at present. Like the 1.2 lens, this 1.4 takes some time to learn how to focus. With portraits, you have to focus upon the nearest eye, and a tripod makes the outcome more certain. I have numerous portraits that look good, but I can tell the focus was slightly off and could have been improved by closer attention. This difficulty is not a fault of the lens, of course, but simply requires lots of practice to get it right. I like to use "catch in focus," and can do so with this lens for non-portrait subjects, but manual focus in my experience is the only way to obtain the exact focussing required for portraiture.
The only real negative I have found is that the Rikenon P function, unlike the Pentax A function, does not convey aperture information to the camera. Therefore, the lens must be used like a Pentax M lens, and not like an A lens. I tried it on both the K-5II and the K-7, and the results are similar. My Pentax A 1.7mm, tried at the same sitting, works fine in automated modes. For most of my own uses of this lens, the M approach is standard, but using aperture priority Pentax A style is sometimes a very nice convenience.
Overall, I am quite pleased with this lens. It showed some flare, but adding a hood sharply reduced the flare.
I am rating the lens an 8 overall, but if the P function worked I would give it a 9. I would recommend the lens for indigenous light portraiture, for low-light photography in general where fast focussing is not a requirement, and (probably) for closeup flower photography. I say probably because I am writing out of season, and really looking forward to using this lens for the upcoming season when our garden is all abloom.
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