Pentax ME-SUPER K-MOUNT LENS?

I've seen a used 50mm f1.7 lens described as a Pentax ME-SUPER K-MOUNT LENS. Does anyone know where this one fits in the general scheme of things (FA, F, A, etc and SMC)?

It sounds a bit of a doubtful description, are you sure it is a Pentax lens or is it just a K mount lens suitable for a Pentax such as the ME Super? The description is vague....

The first f1.7 Pentax standard lenses were made for the M series cameras, such as the MX, ME, ME Super, etc., and they are marked SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1:1.7 and they take 49mm filters. They are outstanding lenses, so one in good condition is worth buying for a moderate price, maybe as little as £20 if you are lucky.

Later manual focus lenses are marked SMC Pentax-A and these can be used with all exposure modes even on the latest digital bodies.

He's not being very precise, but he no doubt just means a Pentax lens that is appropriate for the ME Super, and it is therefore almost certainly either an SMC Pentax or, more likely, an SMC Pentax-M lens.

The cognoscenti call plain SMC Pentax lenses "K lenses". They were the first K-mount lenses, introduced with the K cameras: K2, KX and KM. These good cameras were superseded after a year by the smaller M series cameras. At the same time, the lenses were replaced by smaller M lenses.

The Ms were followed by the As, then came the Fs (the first auto-focus lenses), the FAs, and then, horrors, the FAJs, which had no aperture ring.

Digital brought the DAs and the D-FAs. The former are for the smaller image circle of the DSLRs, and the latter is a new "digitally-enhanced" lens which will also work on 35mm cameras.

All Pentax 50mm lenses are excellent or better, so don't lose any sleep over which precise one you will get.

Avoid non-SMC K-mount lenses by Pentax.

George

Thanks a lot for all of this information, quite useful as I attempt to line up a few lenses in advance of purchasing a new *ist DS.

The seller of this particular lens reponded to my inquiry with this message, confirming its heritage:
The lens has the following markings: SMC PENTAX-M 1:1.7 50mm 6578330 ASAHI OPT CO.JAPAN

As expected. It's a very good lens, though because so many were sold originally, it goes for peanuts today - around £20 or so in the UK.

Other very common, and good, manual lenses are the M 135 f3.5, the M 200 f4, and the M 75-150 f4. The M or A 28 f2.8 is OK, but perhaps not as good as the others.

The problem with digital cameras is that wide-angle lenses, like the 28mm, become near-normal lenses. Finding a good wide-angle (which means 20mm at most for digital) at a good price is difficult. There is always the 19mm Vivitar, but there's not a lot else at reasonable prices.

G