-solid optics -solid contruction -price

-speed compared to the f/1.4s out there

i disagree with the negative reviews here. aside from the relatively small aperture as compared to most 50s, this lens really competes well with the others. The build quality is really top notch. Yes, it is soft below f/4 but aren't almost all lenses? no, this is not a leica. keep in mind that this is a review of the 'A' version of this lens which is optically superior to the older 'M' version.

Customer Service

never needed except for a lsot hot shoe cover which Pentax USA sent me for free.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K 50mm f/1.2 Pentax M 50mm f/2

Cheap. Feels well built.

Not that great quality compared to other 50's

I don't want to say horrible things about this lense because it is a good value, but the truth be told, compared to other 50's (by Nikon, e.g.) it's not that great. Coma (and the resultant lack of sharpness) is pretty bad, as is light falloff near wide open. But if you're not going to be doing much beyond 8x10 and you can stop down, it'll be fine.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 50 1.8 (AF and the manual focus on which the AF is based are the best deal in 50's EVER)

Inexpensive Okay as backup lens

Dull pictures No sharpness or snap

If you can afford it, don''t bother with this lens. You''re going to want to replace it for any serious or important work. And whose work isn''t serious to them? If, like me, you must use this lens for financial reasons, stick with f/5.6 and f/8, if possible. Flare is well controlled with a Pentax multi-coated filter. You won''t get sharp 8x10s, regardless.

Customer Service

No problems

Similar Products Used:

Minolta zooms

Cheap, only cost around US$50 in secondhand market and not difficult to find. Very contact size, should be thinner and smaller than FA 43mm F1.9 without hood. Good sharpness and flare control.

Nil

Very good lens and cost effective.

Customer Service

No experience

Similar Products Used:

FA 50mm F1.4, A 50mm F1.7, FA 43mm F1.9, Nikon AF 50mm F1.4 and 1.8, Contax G 45mm F2, Leica M 50mm F2.

None

None

Surprisingly good lens for almost no money. It has good performance wide open, is very sharp stopped down, and you can buy three for the price of a meal in a restaurant.

Similar Products Used:

Too many to list--I've probably used more than half the normal lenses available.

Fast lens, solid construction

None

For the modest price of $50, this lens is great. It is fast (f/2), which is good for low light situations, and has excellent sharpness and contrast. A definite must-have for any photographer.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax zooms: 28-80, 80-200

* Good sharpness
* No distorsion
* Flare under good control
* Solid (metal) construction
* Smooth focusing ring

for the price - none.

A great lens at a bargain price. Was my standard lens until I changed to AF. Of course the more expensive FA 50 f/1.7 is better, but at this price - who can complain?

Similar Products Used:

Pentax FA 50 f/1.7, M40 f/2.8 "pancake".

Cheap
Good build quality

Lousy optics

Bought this guy about 10 years ago with a K1000.

Before I go tell you to buy something else, let it be known that this is a popular lens. This lens was sold with *lots* of Pentax K1000's, which have been used by students everywhere. It's constructed very well, and has a nice solid feel to it.

Despite it's nice build quality, it's a really poor lens. The color accuracy is bad, and the sharpness is terrible, and the contrast is blah. I guess if you haven't used many other lenses, this one might not seem too bad. For a few extra bucks, you can pick up lenses from Nikon, Canon or Minolta that will wax this guy. Even Olympus will whip the snot out of this sad piece of glass.

OK, I know this is an old lens that was marketed primarily to students. Still, at $50 or so new, this is a waste of money. For about the same cash, you can do a thousand times better.

Really!

Don't waste your money. I don't care if it's cheap. It's still money out the window. This is easily the poorest 50mm lens I have ever used. I have 50mm's that are new, and some that are 30 years old. This is junk. Compare a shot with this lens to a shot with another 50mm, and you'll think this lens had cheesecloth draped in front of it.

Stay away!

I realize I'm the only one who's posted a negative review of this lens here, so please e-mail me if you have more specific questions. I'm tellin ya though, even at a measly $50, this is a waste of money.

Bad, bad, really bad.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Various 50mm's from many manufacturers

Highly rated lens, a steal at the prices it is generally purchased at. Very light

Not as fast as a 1.4

If you are looking for a light cheap and relatively fast lens, this is the one to get. People almost give them away for zooms. Their mistake.

Customer Service

Unused for this product but Pentax is generally excellent.

Similar Products Used:

Too many to name, most every manual focus 50mm in Pentax's line

cheap
pretty good optics stopped up to f/4+
good for beginner

lens flare is not controlled well at all

lousy optical quality below f/4

-good value for money
-still better than lenses on automatic cameras
-try not to use it below f/4 and you'll get good photos

Similar Products Used:

canon 50mm 1.8
vivitar 28-80
pentax 1.4 50mm