They're my glasses ! ! !, and you can't even see the anti-glare coating.

Specsavers, start to finish. They performed the tests, produced the prescription, then manufactured the glasses to the prescription.

Well I've used Specsavers for the last 10 or more years and up until my latest experience, I would recommend them to anybody.

I think an error was made in my sight test measurements, I just need another test to prove it. I have no doubt that my glasses have been made to the prescription because they've been measured and the results agree, but if the prescription is wrong . . .

I can't show an example right now, but if you look at most good portraits, they have a dreamy, creamy look to them.

That's softness.

It's a bit like an image being slightly out of focus, but not.

The softness of some lenses, including the FA 50mm 1:1.4, is often used in portrait photography. It helps hide some of the imperfections found in the skin, particularly of older people.

Let's face it, if you had a portrait shot done, you probably wouldn't want to have every pore showing up.

That's softness.

Pentax even made a 'soft' portrait lens, three actually. Check out the three 85mm lenses here.

So did I . . . and I still don't have a pair of glasses I can wear.

I got 'Elite' varifocals, anti-glare coating, and reactions. No b****y use though. They are perfect for close work, but I can't see a thing long distance. Should've gone . . . somewhere else.

See, told yer (4th post from the top). So do I get a prize then, do I, do I?

I think that is to be expected. If you were comparing the F 50mm 1:1.7 to its FA equivelant, I doubt you'd know the difference from the IQ. The FA 50mm 1:1.4 is known to produce softer images than the 1.7 variant, and the 1.7 is also known to be one of the sharpest kit lenses of all time.

You need to compare apples with apples.

The SMCP-FA variant is a newer design. Both the F/FA are auto focus lenses. Whilst the optics are very probably identical to your SMCP-F version, the electronics inside the lens are very likely to be different, which may affect the way it communicates with digital cameras.

That said, your lens is a very sharp lens and will work fine on a DSLR.

The 'A' you refer to is on the aperture ring and denotes that it has an Auto diaphragm setting, meaning the aperture is set by the body when the aperture ring is set to 'A', and not an 'f' number.

That is a lot of black. We have a black marble/slate effect worktop, but everything else is, err, pine and beige.

That's not an SMCP-FA lens, it's an SMCP-F, as it clearly states on the label.

MODS: Change the thread title please to avoid any potentail confusion/misrepresentation.