The only slight advantage with the f/1.4 is a slightly brighter viewfinder image. Digital sensors record it as f/1.7- f/2.0 anyway, they can't handle f/1.4. (See previous posts for proof).

My f/1.7's were sharper at all apertures wide-open to f/8, but all the 50mm's seemed to have already lost their edge at f/8 anyway.

The only reason I've kept the A f/1.4 is that it needs new grease on the focus helicoid, which doesn't bother me and is only noticeable when you twist the focus ring fast, but it makes it difficult to sell.

This is a 100% (at 100ISO K20D)crop of the best shots of 8 taken from each lens wide open. Both were F and FA lenses which I no longer own. The F f/1.7 is clearly sharper than the FA f/1.4 , but the A f/1.4 was almost identical to the F f/1.7 as was the A f/1.7. It was very hard to choose between the two f/1.7's The F version may have just pipped it, but I'll never sell my A version.




Edit: The f/1.7's also have a flatter field and less distortion..... A BIG Disadvantage to most people though is that they don't cost anywhere near as much

Ah! that's better Be careful with the clouds at 20 secs also make sure that the lens is still sharp at f/16?

Looks a nice shot Simon, but without exposure info, we can't see why you've used it/needed it Is it f/1.4 at 1/100th sec.

I was surprised to see how slow they (Elements) were being sold last night I thought they would be all gone within a minute.

I've still got a Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4 found it better than the FA 50mm f/1.4 and almost as good as the A 50mm f/1.7 which I still have. I sold the FA 50mm's f/1.7 and f/1.4 mostly because I rarely use AF on a 50mm.

If you get a good Helios 58mm it does have superb bokeh. Unfortunately they do vary and sometimes the build quality looks like they were made in a 1st year metalwork class

I think you would be better to buy another identical lens and build one good one out of the two. Focusing can be very stiff due to the wax.

Some Sample Shots

Are you going to start shooting in Stereo

There was some talk about the copyright bill they rushed through
taking away the right to photograph people without their consent
in public. It was possibly dropped along with the right to use
images commercially free of charge when the photographer couldn't
be traced.

Sorry Stefan... I can't understand what you mean? Somethings got lost in the translation

A black DSLR with a big lens and hood is intimidating. It's made a lot worse by having Video incorporated. It's bad enough having someone pointing it at you for 5 secs, but 30 secs + is going just too far. I would expect them to be banned in quite a lot of places