> > Don't bother with the f/1.2. It is nice and all but price/performance > > is totally unacceptable. > > Kris, I have to disagree with you on this, at least in regards to IQ. > I have 3 copies of the Pentax 50/1.2 lenses and while they are a bit > dreamy wide open, when stopped down a bit they are very good - as good > as or better than my Pentax 50/1.4 lenses, especially when considering > rendering. As to cost, no argument there - they are very pricey today. > > They are beautifully made examples of the lensmakers' art from the era > before "plastic fantastic" became the order of the day, and as a > collector I'm glad to have them. Of course YMMV... > > Regards, Jim
I knew I was going to get in trouble with the f/1.2 crowd :) Here is the original email I replied to: > My 50mm f/1.7 is my favourite lens, but I'd love to try a 1.4 or even > a 1.2, for the extra light. > > Daniele Let me rehash my point. The 50 f/1.2 is nice. Very nice. But they are only manual focus and you wouldn't be able to casually focus it at f/1.2 in low light anyway. Unless your eyesight, hand-eye coordination and viewfinder precision are well above average and/or you use static targets. And if sharp-ish eyes and blurry nose/ears is your thing or you are not going to use it at f/1.2 at tight portrait distances. The going rate for the FA50 is less than half of the various 50/1.2. You get a little more real "extra light" over the f/1.7 and autofocus for that. I would get the FA50/1.4 right away if my f/1.7 wasn't autofocus or if I had a buyer for it. I never made any comments about 50/1.2 being inferior to other 50s at f/4 or anything to that effect. I said it was nice, what more do you want? :) It is, however, a "specialty" lens with an appropriate price tag. The reaction from the non-photographer members of my family when showing them kids pictures made at f/1.2 has always been "This is nice and all, but if only you had used a real lens, we would have decent pictures now". Yes, apparently I aim to start a holy f/1.2 war here. kris -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
