Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8 Lens Review

Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8 Sample Photos

Sharpness and contrast are excellent | 1/800 sec | f/6.3 | 50.0 mm | ISO 100 High-Res	Blurred backgrounds are rendered very smoothly | 1/125 sec | f/2.8 | 50.0 mm | ISO 100 High-Res
Distortion is very well controlled | 1/200 sec | f/6.3 | 50.0 mm | ISO 100 High-Res	Focusing is fast, although maybe not accurate enough to be effective for use at wide apertures | 1/100 sec | f/6.3 | 50.0 mm | ISO 250 High-Res
1/100 sec | f/4.5 | 50.0 mm | ISO 250 High-Res	1/100 sec | f/3.2 | 50.0 mm | ISO 640 High-Res
1/500 sec | f/6.3 | 50.0 mm | ISO 100 High-Res	1/400 sec | f/6.3 | 50.0 mm | ISO 100 High-Res

Value For Money

With a price tag of around £250, the performance of the optics are certainly worth paying a little extra for, although some aspects of the lens' design bring how good value this lens is into question. For example the plastic lens mount is a feature normally seen on much cheaper lenses.

Pentax also produce a 50mm f/1.4 lens, which sports a faster maximum aperture, but costs £330 as a result. Those looking for a lens around this focal length, who have money to spare, may also consider the Pentax 43mm f/1.9 Limited lens, which costs around £780.

Sigma also produce a 50mm f/1.4 which is available with a Pentax K mount fitting for around £380.

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