Pentax 50mm

[Black Pearl]

So the story goes that for the last few weeks I've been scouring eBay for a nice little prime to go on the front of my Pentax K30. I wanted something like the FA 35mm f2.4 but for various odd (Robin) type reasons I've decided I don't want one but instead I wanted a nice 50mm. The thing is they have rocketed in price these last few years as they've become popular. It's been driving me potty as I used to sell them years ago in Jessops for a few quid as they were common and everyone wanted zooms.

 

My old age is making its mark as I was sorting a few things out on Sunday and found the cardboard tube I used as a macro extension - with a 50mm lens bunged in the front  - yep - a Pentax SMC F 50mm f1.7 - not only is it better than the old lenses I have been looking for it is an auto focus version that meters correctly. 

 

Doh!

 

Anyhoo by the time I had found it and stopped kicking myself the light was gone and it was snowing - again - so I headed to work a little earlier this morning and shot a few frames. 

 

Wide open the bokeh is a little weird, its an older design and less emphasis was made on the out of focus rendering when it was designed but it is sharp as a tack still and a joy to use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[colinb]

looking good from here - that last one is really something else, love it!

[Phil]

Weird is the word. It looks like heat haze in the first shot...

 

But the last 3 are excellent, pin sharp and the colours look great!

[NannyFerret]

After seeing these shot; I bet you were glad that you didn't buy another lens.

[Kobione]

Like no2 for the colours, but the last one is a beauty! Love it!

[annie]

i am with kobione....

[FUJI]

Hi! BP, you obviously have a cracking lens there, the DOF and BOKEH are spot on, both working to make each shot here look special, the quality shines through.

I haven't taken my EBay 50 mm lens off the camera since I acquired it a few weeks ago.......I have been frustrated, by both the weather and family commitments preventing me from getting the best from it though.

I just can't believe just how ignorant of lens capabilities I used to be, it is thanks to BP, that I almost always adjust to the way a particular lens .....sees....the world and automatically adjust my photography to suit. I am still grappling with how the sensor on my Sony A55 makes my 50mm into an 80 mm, my numbers problem is a real hindrance at times.

Pleased to see too BP, that you have picked up your proper camera again;-)

FUJI

[Black Pearl]

Shooting with a fixed lens is a challenge, you get used to the framing capabilities of a zoom and forget you have to walk about a lot more but it does make you work for a shot and I honestly believe the end image can benefit. Not all the time as very precise framing often makes a shot and a zoom will do that but it is fun to try.

 

Given a choice I still prefer a 35mm lens on a crop sensor body as that gives you the equivalent of the ever popular Nifty Fifty (sorry for the numbers Fuji) whereas a 50mm ends up giving the equivalent of a 75mm and thats just a bit too long for most things. On my Nikon I love my 35mm f1.8 but Pentax don't really do a similar lens - they produce a fantastic 31mm f1.8 Limited Edition but it is madly expensive and I'm not sure I want to spend that sort of money on a secondary kit. If I get a Fuji X Series system this year I'll buy their 35mm f1.4 and if it ever comes off the camera I'll be amazed. 

 

With luck I'll get a chance to shoot a few more frames this morning.

[Guest DaveW]

I may be wrong, but I always understood the sharpest best corrected lenses produced the worst bokeh, since "good bokeh" is a result of lens aberrations?  However lens manufacturers knowing photographers preferences tend to sacrifice a little sharpness that may only be distinguishable in large prints to provide a softer  more pleasant rendering of out of focus backgrounds:-

 

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm

 

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/02/11/what-is-bokeh/

[Black Pearl]

Good explanation of Bokeh:

http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b8b6f/embedtitelintern/cln_35_bokeh_en/$file/cln35_bokeh_en.pdf

[Guest]

great set of images, I especially like no 2 for the way the artist has incorporated the windows into the artwork, great find and an excellent image

[Guest DaveW]

Interesting article BP, but too long to digest at one go so put it into Favourites.  As I have quickly read some parts it confirms that so called good bokeh is the result of lens aberrations and therefore a theoretically perfect lens would have a bad bokeh? However nobody has yet made a perfect lens and designers make what photographers want, even if that may mean compromising slightly on maximum sharpness to obtain better bokeh?

[Black Pearl]

It's a massive amount to take in but fascinating.

Love how it scorns the 'circular aperture blade make for nice bokeh' cobblers that's often bandied about by some brands.

[Guest DaveW]

Interesting quote from a site on image stabilised lenses:-

 

"Image Stabilization can degrade bokeh – this one might be a surprise for you, but it is true. Because the light that passes through the lens is shifted from its optical path when image stabilization is engaged, it can negatively affect lens bokeh."

 

 http://photographylife.com/lens-stabilization-vs-in-camera-stabilization#ixzz2P19ceS4H

[fuzzyedges]

My own opinion is that 50mm lens were not popular once upon a time because of 2 reasons a) they were on the body you bought and as we know any lens other than the one you have is better and b) for people shooting you had to get up close and personel

Now a 50 is an 80/75 in a lot of cases that little distance makes all the differance and I cant remember who it was (and I should ) who said if your images arnt good you arnt close enough

 

So the rise in popularity and price, it only needs a few people to rave about nifty fifty's and everybody goes and buys one

 

I will now google for the saying God bless google

 

Robert Cappa

 

 

And I forgot No 4 is brilliant

[Guest DaveW]

The 50mm on 35mm film was the standard lens because it pretty well matched the human eyes angle of view, so gave natural perspective. The lens that matches the human eyes angle of view on any format is usually taken as the diagonal of the film/sensor image, therefore the "standard" lens focal length varies with the format used. A standard lens on 35mm film is different to that on medium or large format, or even the APS-C digital format. However on most cameras we now use the fixed focal length lens has been replaced by a "standard" zoom, which usually covers the old standard lens focal length.  See:-

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_lens

 

The old standard lenses were of simple optical construction so easy to correct, therefore are often optically far better than the standard zoom kit lens you now get on most modern digital cameras.

[fuzzyedges]

My old zenith came with a 58mm lens which was considered the nearest to actual vision of the eye

Mindst you needed ear protectors when you pressed the shutter release Quiet it wasnt

[Black Pearl]

Somewhere between 40mm and 58mm is considered normal, it was Oskar Barnack who picked 50mm - we'll let him off seen as how he pretty much invented  35mm photography as we know it.

 

Pentax make a rather lovely 43mm f1.9 Limited lens which when the full frame DSLR arrives later this year will become a very hot potato.

 

Off for two days now so I'll give my 50mm a good work-out.

[roicead]

love the framing on the second, brilliant.  congrats on finding your new old lens.

[Guest Lee]

BP - Found my Nikon manual 24mm lens fits, upside down, on my K5.....time to take it out and have a bash.

[Black Pearl]

Mad isn't it!