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Portrait Lens

bros
Posted 09/09/2014 - 09:18 Link
Apologies if this has been asked before (I am sure it has but can't find it)

I am looking to buy a budget portrait lens for my kr model.
The lenses I was looking at are the
50mm FA f1.4 cost around £221 lenshero
50mm SMC DA f1.8 around £116 John Lewis
35mm SMC DA f2.4 around £112 lenshero

Anyone used these lenses?
Any other lenses that I should look at?

Appreciate any feedback or advice on what to go for.
Many thanks
Bobby
Darkmunk
Posted 09/09/2014 - 09:35 - Helpful Comment Link
I have the 1.4 and it's lovely. You'll get some purple fringing wide open, but this is common with very fast lenses. quite soft wide open anyway, I rarely use it at 1.4, more likely to be at 2.2 or 2.8 Where it's a gem. No quick focus on the FAs
Haven't tried the DA, but there's one here
bros
Posted 09/09/2014 - 09:54 Link
Darkmunk wrote:
I have the 1.4 and it's lovely. You'll get some purple fringing wide open, but this is common with very fast lenses. quite soft wide open anyway, I rarely use it at 1.4, more likely to be at 2.2 or 2.8 Where it's a gem. No quick focus on the FAs
Haven't tried the DA, but there's one here

Thanks very much for the prompt reply, most helpful.
Got to say I do fancy the 1.4 fast lens

Cheers
Bobby
AndrewA
Posted 09/09/2014 - 10:20 - Helpful Comment Link
If you can stretch a bit further the Sigma f1.4 50mm is a stunner. It is a bigger lens but has stunning IQ.
Andrew

"I'm here because the whiskey is free" - Tyla

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bros
Posted 09/09/2014 - 10:41 Link
AndrewA wrote:
If you can stretch a bit further the Sigma f1.4 50mm is a stunner. It is a bigger lens but has stunning IQ.

I will check the sigma lens out, thank you

Bobby
Posted 09/09/2014 - 11:08 Link
I like the Pentax 1.4 and agree with Darkmunk's comments. Light and fast autofocus (relatively!). You can pick up them secondhand on here, as I did, for about £150 and they do come up now and again.
Pentax K50,FA 35 2.0,FA 50 1.4, DA 18-135 WR, Sony RX100 2, Manfrotto bits...
LennyBloke
Posted 09/09/2014 - 15:59 Link
There are a couple of DA70/2.4 Limited Series lenses on this (and another UK forum) at present for pretty good prices. A stunning lens for portraits IMO
LennyBloke
doingthebobs
Posted 09/09/2014 - 23:59 Link
Another vote here for the DA70. It is a stunning lens, not just for portraits either but not the cheapest.

If you are really short of cash, any of the manual focus 50mm f1.7 are good, the A versions are bit easier to use but the M's come cheaper.
The F2 versions come at really low prices and must be one of the 'best for less' of all the Pentax lenses secondhand.
Bob
bros
Posted 10/09/2014 - 17:24 Link
Thanks for thé help and advice
Bobby

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