Pentax smc FA 50mm Unimpressed

I have now had a play and i cant see any difference between my lenses at all, Am i missing something here?Obviously better in lower light but not really as amazed as i thought i would be

If you don't notice any difference in sharpness, contrast, colour rendition, resolution or overall quality there can only be two reasons.
#1: You have a dog of a lens
#2: Something is wrong with your skills as a photographer, or as a reviewer.

Looking at your sig, your remark could be true, when compared to the A 1.7/50. But it should be very noticeable against the other two used at 50 MM and the same apertures.

Martin.

I dont have the lens, but I am surprised at your findings. Can you post some photos.

I just want to add something. Please don't take point two in my previous post to personal. It just seems strange and maybe you aren't comparing with the right parameters.

I would have edited into a less harsh comment (it wasn't meant that way, believe me) but the option to edit posts after a couple of minutes seems to have disappeared. (already started a thread about that)

Martin.

I've had various lenses that i thought would've performed well in certain situations that havn't.

Certain lenses are better suited to certain situations.For example the sigma 10-20mm is in my opinion poor indoors but put in front of a landscape and i love the perspection it gives.

You will come across a situation where a lens will excell and you will probably use that lens for that situation all the time.

To be blown away by a certain lens you have to know how to use it(Not a dig at you).There are a lot of lenses out there that take a bit of getting used to but to me that is where the fun is at.

My sigma 10-20mm took me a while to learn how to use and i'm not saying i've mastered it yet but am very happy with what it gives.

No problem. Thats a valid point. I was just thinking it would be bam , instant results, However i notice a differnce in sharpness between my manual 50mm a 1.7 lens.

The 50/1.4 is quite different from the 50/1.7
The 1.7 has a flatter field - more suited to copying work etc. And as such it is extremely sharp - quite likely sharper than the 1.4.

However, the 1.4 really excels when it comes to creamy bokeh that the 1.7 just can't match (perhaps down to differences in aperture blades etc). Primarily useful (if you'll excuse the pun) when doing portraiture.

Shooting at around f/2.2 for portraiture and weddings the 50/1.4 is stellar (And of course in low light)

Matt

This is probably where it stems from, Just haveing to get used to the lens and how to use it best to its ability, That the problem with having a zoom lens , I got lazy

Often people make the assumption that because a lens is expensive will be better or because it is a prime lens it will better.
Truth is, it may or may not be. If you read the tests on Pentax primes, sometimes they are good, sometimes they are not.
In practical, rather than testing, use, you wouldn't expect to see much difference. A computer screen is inherently low resolution and since most people don't make large prints, they won't look much different either.
If you photograph a flat surface with the lenses wide open and view the extreme corners at 100% any differences will show up.
It's entertaining to do but tells you little about a lens in day to day use.
If you can't see any difference, just use whichever lens you prefer the feel of - a perfect situation to be in, really.

Believe me, if I buy a lens and it's not what it's cracked up to be, I will say so. But slow focusing aside, the 50 1:4 is an absolute gem. The 'quality' (lots of things) for portraits is just sublime IMO.

Maybe I should just say it suits my style, but that's not very helpful.
I think, objectively, it is the best value lens out there - by factor of about 10 in some cases.

Did I say I like this lens?

I've had a FA 50 for few months now. I really like the colours, bokeh, sharpness is great from about f/2.8. There is a lot to like about that lens. The only thing that doesn't work for me is the focal lenght. I found it too long for general use and too short for portraits.

Marcin

To be frank, you are comparing two excellent lenses, and are not going to be blown away by one compared to the other.

When people say, "Buy a 50mm 1.4 and be amazed" they are usually talking to people who only know zoom lenses.

G