Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 Lens by Pentax
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Digital camera reviews of Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 Lens
Digital camera Review: If you need an ultra fast portrait lens, Buy This! Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 Lens
Summary: 5 Stars
This lens is just way under priced.
It has very good coatings and optics. The color looks natural when the camera settings are Natural and it is a little more vivid with more contrast when the camera is set to Brite. It is ultra fast, and sharp as a tack through the middle of it's range and it is plenty sharp enough opened up to sharply render the hairs on my dog portraits beautifully while creating that soft and appealing background that comes from the shallow depth of focus that a F1.4 lens can deliver. This is a great mild telephoto for DSLRs at a price that is a gift from Pentax to all of us.
Digital camera Review: Incorrect Specifications
Summary: 4 Stars
The spec's on this product have incorrectly stated Lens Construction as 6 Elements in 5 Groups, however it should be 7 Elements in 6 Groups.
6/5 relates to the 50mm f1.7 lens.
7/6 relates to the 50mm f1.4 lens.
Digital camera Review: Just buy it.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you've never had a fixed lens you don't even know what you're missing. If you've never had a lens that fast you don't know what you're missing. If you've never had an original Pentax lens on your Pentax or Samsung camera, you don't know what you're missing.
Just go and buy it. What are you waiting for?
Digital camera Review: Just get it
Summary: 5 Stars
Got it for baby portraits with a k200d. Amazing results.
Only draw back is that it gives you such shallow depth of field at 1.4 (which is a very very good thing), you need to be really precise in focusing.
Digital camera Review: Just great glass. Taking great pictures, your responsibility.
Summary: 5 Stars
First, I must say this is a very high quality, prime lens. With all the virtues and the relative lack of flexibility you would expect from a fixed focal length. That is to say, extremely sharp, contrasty, very little chromatic aberration , negligible distortion and the most beautiful soft, buttery bokeh. It also exhibits a quite respectable build quality, so it should last at least for a while.
At 50mm, with a 1.5 crop factor, this lens becomes a 75mm equivalent in a full frame system which I consider just a little bit longer than a "normal" lens. In MY OWN personal taste, this would be a bit short for a portrait lens, as you would need to approach to close to your subject. At the same time, I consider it a bit long to be an effective "walk around" lens. For this same reason, it could be considered "versatile." As in most things in life, I feel "one size fits all" simply doesn't exist. I believe that's the reason why most professionals recommend to skip the "normal" lenses in favor of a wide and a tele.
With a prime lens, you need to actually move to compose. This, in my opinion, is a good thing as it further develops your photographic skills. Also people will think you are a pro, as you assume the most bizarre positions to capture that moment.
At the end of the day, this is a great first additions, specially if you are looking for a more "photographic" approach which made you look for something better than the safety of a kit lens. (And not murder your wallet at the same time). You also probably know by now that your gear is rarely the limitation to taking beautiful pictures. For all these reasons this is a highly recommended lens, proud deserver of five stars.