Boy is this lens sharp!

A walk around with my new 50mm f2 macro lens on the K1, just trying it out as a general purpose prime. It is relatively inexpensive, light and with a 49mm filter thread takes the same filters as the 100mm macro and others. For macro though you need to get very close indeed so no use for (live) insects and it is difficult to keep your shadow out of the shot, but you have the great depth of field when needed. I confess to being blown away with its sharpness and here are a few snaps of Cornwall.

Superb shots Rob, the detail as you suggest is excellent

Can't comment on new lenses but the A series f2.8, 50mm macro behaves exactly as you describe and show here. It's a fantastic bit of kit.

These images don’t really do the lens justice, on the original of the ferry shot for instance I can zoom into the notice on the boat and read the lettering. My erroneous typing wrongly gave the f-stop as 2 but the full description is smc Pentax D-FA Macro 50mm f 2.8, the same lineage as the one Davidwozhere describes.

I always use the earlier model smc PENTAX-FA 50mm f/2.8 macro as my main lens... if it suits the shot. Works well at f/2.8 and is sharper at every aperture than all the other lenses except the new expensive 50mm f1.4..... but that can't do 1:1 and I haven't got one.

Yoshihiko's old film tests......

http://www.takinami.com/yoshihiko/photo/lens_test/pentax_normal.html

The A series lens is also very nice to use...... but not the same lens and only goes to half life size.

--

I own one of these gems and concur it's a nice bit of kit.

They're all absolutely nuts, even the oldest ones. Pentax have always produced excellent macro lenses!

The pentax heritage in Macro lenses is excellent, in 50's, 100's and 200's (and of course the DA35) - I don't think I've encountered any that are anything but superb!

These are a great illustration of the versatility of the 50's an full-frame - nice shooting

I don't have the K-1, but my favourite and most used prime on APS-C is my DA 35mm Limited, although I don't do macro (yet). For use as a versatile standard lens in the way Rob has used the 50 here, the image quality is superb.

Philip

PENTAX-FA 50mm f/2.8 macro are really superb lenses. I have only good experiences with them.