A 50 f1.4 lens for Pentax dslr?

strudelj · Joined: 28 Sep 2011 Posts: 20 Location: Slovenia, Ljubljana

I need some advice on a 50 f1.4 lens for Pentax camera. I am planning to buy a 50 f1.4 lens for my Pentax K-5. I previously owned an Auto Revuenon 55 f1.4 lens, but I didn't like it. Too soft wide open. It was also very prone to flaring and I preferred Olympus Zuiko 50 f1.8 for outside use.

I guess I am more or less limited to M42 and PK mount, which basically means either Takumar or Pentax M lens. But there should be also other lenses.
Funny thing about Pentax M lenses, they seem to have a lower price than Takumars. Probably because there are a lot more users that can use M42 lenses than PK mount lenses. Otherwise they should perform equally well as far as I read.

My budget is around 100 �, but I can go up to 150 �.

William · Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 489 Location: London

Any 50/1.4 is going to be a bit soft wide open. The M 50/1.4 is rather soft wide open but very creamy, from f2 it's sharp and gets more so until f5.6 where it's dangerously sharp. On the K-5 the colours are fairly natural, especially compared to the kit lens. The lens and camera have very good synergy in my opinion and you should be able to get one for �60-80 fairly easily.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

All 50/1.4's are going to be a bit soft at f/1.4
And they will be hell to accurately focus at f/1.4 anyway.

You can use Nikon Nikkor non-AI mount lenses on your K5 btw. They will mount. A bit lopsided and they won't lock, but they will be attached securely enough. There are plenty of Nkkor-S 50/1.4's and they are very good.

Some available 50-55mm f/1.4's in M42 and PK -

Super Takumar 50/1.4 - I have this. Its a bit soft at f/1.4
S-M-C Takumar 50/1.4 - I had one. Little different if at all from the Super Takumar.

Pentax-M 50/1.4 - I have this and prefer it. Quite common and indeed for some reason it goes for less than the Takumars. Collectors market I suppose.
Pentax-K 50/1.4 - It seems quite rare
Pentax-A 50/1.4 - Not common and you will pay a lot for it.

Some third party M42's

Ricoh/Sears 55/1.4 - this may be similar to your Revuenon, but I've always liked it. Its at least as sharp as my Super Takumar. Much larger though.

Yashinon-DX 50/1.4

Mamiya Sekor (or Sears also sometimes) 55/1.4 - Seems to be similar to the Ricoh
Note there is a later SX version of this that has an aperture indicator pin and an overlapping aperture ring used on some Mamiya bodies. These will fit on most M42 film bodies but not on DSLR's with adapters unless modified.

Cosinon 55/1.4 - Also similar to the Ricoh

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

easy choice really, any of the Pentax / Takumar f1.4/50

I disagree about it being soft wide open, I consider my S-M-C 1.4/50 sharp when wide open:

#1

#2

#3

( # 1,2 on Pentax K-x, #3 on NEX5N )

I had created a group on flickr dedicated to the 1.4/50 Takumar, great samples there Smile

http://www.flickr.com/groups/takumar_50mm_f14/pool/show/with/6392436301/

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Hi kuuan,

These are sharp enough for me indeed !
You and me seem to have a pretty practical definition of sharp. If the picture looks sharp - or at least good - thats good enough.
Some of these other guys are more into either pixel-peeping or maybe making very large prints. So theres always a Zeiss that beats a Takumar.

William · Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 489 Location: London

Kuaan, those photos with the S-M-C are very impressive.

Other things to consider are that with K mount lenses you can do proper stop down metering and will not have to use an adapter.

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Great tip Luis, I just attached a Nikon 28/2 to my k-x successfully, and despite it looking a touch lop sided, the image seemed to be sharp across the frame Shocked

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Old trick I learned long ago in the 1970's from a letter to Pop Photo !

This is the kind of thing neither Nikon nor Pentax want you to do.

It doesn't always work with the AI lenses. Some of them yes. Nikon E 50/1.8 is one of them but some of the other Nikon-E's dont.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Not tilted, at least the Non-AI lenses. They don't line up on the centerline of the Pentax but they certainly can go on rigidly and perpendicular to the mount, with no light leaks or other problems. You do have to try it a few times with some lenses, and on some the aperture ring bears on the camera mount and may be stiff to turn. Nice thing abount Nikkors on Pentax is that you are sure to get infinity !. Don't bother with the distance indicator though, to prefocus wide angles, as it is certainly wrong.

The best to use for this are the Non-AI original Nikkors. I have mounted and used the 35/2.8 Nikkor-S, the 50/1.4 Nikkor-S, 50/2 Nikkor (rubber grip), 105/2.5 Nikkor-P, 135/2.8 Nikkor-Q, 200/4 Nikkor-Q and Nikon E 50/1.8, and some third party Nikon mount auto lenses. No big problem and none fell off for me.

I would not select these for normal use with my Pentax, because overall none of these are better than the Pentax made lenses or third party lenses I have. The one thats most impressive though is the 135/2.8 Nikkor-Q. I like that one, and I still have one, probably because I don't have a Super Takumar 135/2.5.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

good to know that you used many Nikkors without issues!
I had used Nikkor N-C Auto 2.8/24 and Nikkor-S Auto 1.4/50 and they stayed on alright!

The Vivitar that had fallen off had problem of movement of the aperture ring, ultimately I must have made a mistake

IAZA · Joined: 16 Apr 2010 Posts: 2587 Location: Indonesia

I agree with Kuuan, my smc m pentaxk 50/1,4 sharp wide open, but we have to focus precisely which is not easy due thin dof.
mine, already posted on other topic
I shot behind bars..

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

I also go for the M50/1.4. Small. But my fav is the mamiya sekor 55/1.4, larger, but longr focus throw.
As for sharpness, all pentax and takumars are very good, but if you want a minor improvement in contrast, the A 50/1.2 step down to 1.4 is the best choice. Any m42, K mount will fit, nikkor, OM with minor modification will fit. Both sigma and pentax has AF in 50/55.

BRunner · Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Posts: 705 Location: Czech Republic

Pentax-M 1.4/50 is best option in price/performance/usability ratio. Very cheaply you can get Auto Revuenon MC 1.4/50 in P/K mount - nice small lens.
But best option for me is Pentax-A 1.4/50. All metering (matrix) and modes (Tv, Av, TAv) works on digital bodies.

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

Don't forget on XR Rikenon 1.4/50mm!

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

In general, I found that when people talk about 1.4 lenses being soft wide open, they do not focus them properly. Yes, the lenses will be even sharper stopped down, but at f/1.4 it's not the sharpness that will be an issue, but the focus accuracy and maybe the chromatic aberrations.

Within the budget, you can try finding Takumar, Pentax, Sears, Mamiya-Sekkor. I don't know that Revuenon, but maybe it needed more practice.

erkie · Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 308 Location: Missouri

I like all 50-58mm lenses. They all have something to offer. That being said, for ease of use on a pentax dslr the A series is probably the easiest but most expensive. Next is the M series then the Takumars. The only real difference is you can use AV mode with the M42 lenses. They meter differently on my Kx but you soon figure those things out and compensate accordingly. Any dslr I have looked through had a lousy focus screen for any f2 or wider lens. But aftermarket screens take care of the problem pretty well. At f1.4 with the stock screen my on my Kx finding critical focus was pretty miserable. I've used both a split screen and a cut down matte screen from a canon that was intended for fast lenses and both are immensely more satisfying.

strudelj · Joined: 28 Sep 2011 Posts: 20 Location: Slovenia, Ljubljana

Thank you all for your replies. I will have to go through the thread once more to do a list of all proposed lenses, but it seems that the Pentax M is firmly on top of the list. It will be fun reading all about other lenses, something to do when nothing else to do at the computer.

Mine Auto Revuenon was a single coated lens, something I guess played a major role in softness and flaring. Actually I should correct myself regarding the softness of the Auto Revuenon. It was more haziness than just softness. When doing a portrait of the person that was somehow detached and caught in own thoughts the results was something I start calling a dreamy portrait. It is also true that you cannot focus precisely with live view outside, because the contrast on the camera lcd is low in strong light.

I will be also ordering the s type screen for K-5 from focusingscreen.com and a magnifying eyecup Hopefully I will be able to focus more precisely. Pentaprism of the K-5 also helps. I also have Pentax 50 1.8 (strongly infected by fungus) and after some �preliminary� tests I am quite optimistic.

William · Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 489 Location: London

strudelj I very much agree that the pentaprism of the K-5 helps with accuracy, having recently upgraded to it from the K-x. It is not just that but also the larger viewfinder size and higher magnification. Good luck with the new focusing screen, I would consider one but now that I have the NEX it makes more to use that if I want super shallow DOF as it always accurately displays it.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

There's also the PK mount Chinon 1.4/50 (or is it 55?), quite a lot cheaper than a Pentax. If I had a Pentax DSLR, though, I'd most certainly be searching and waiting for a Pentax-A.

Laurentiu Cristofor · Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 524 Location: WA, USA

strudelj · Joined: 28 Sep 2011 Posts: 20 Location: Slovenia, Ljubljana

William · Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 489 Location: London