Pentax SMC-FA 50mm f/1.4 Review

SMC Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4 Handling and Features

First made available around 1991, the SMC Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4 lens is fundamentally a much older optical design, stretching back perhaps even further than the F series lenses that preceded it. Nonetheless, its seven elements in six groups design is a well tried and tested one that is capable of high grade results.

If we start at the front of the lens, the bright f/1.4 maximum aperture results in a very easy to focus viewfinder image. It is an AF lens, but if the camera body is switched to MF then a thin focusing ring at the front of the lens can be used to focus. The image snaps in and out very cleanly, so manual focusing is not a problem if needed.

A plastic window reveals the focusing scale in feet and metres. There is also a depth of field scale inscribed on the lens barrel. Finally, closest to the camera body, is an aperture ring. This should be set to the “A” position to fully utilise the features of the DSLR range.

The diaphragm has eight blades, the filter thread is an economical 49mm and the lens focuses down to 1.5 feet (0.45m), giving a maximum magnification of 0.15x. Weight is a modest 220g.

One missing feature is QuickShift, the ability to tweak focus manually whilst using AF. With this lens, manual focus must be set on the camera before the manual focusing ring can be used. There is also no inbuilt focusing motor, so AF is by screw drive. This is fine and works quickly, but is inherently more noisy than the DC or SDM lenses.

Another feature that is absent is Weather Resistance, although the construction of the lens does not seem to offer too many avenues for water ingress.

The beauty of the 50mm lens is its relatively low cost, its high quality and its ability to be abused with the use of extension tubes, close up filters, bellows and any other accessories that might be found. These lenses are also generally very bright and f/1.4 is a useful maximum aperture. With the higher ISO values now available, hand held shooting can continue as the light fades, to remarkably low levels.

It is a shame that no lens hood is supplied as standard, but it was the norm in the days when this was first released. There is a dedicated square Pentax lens hood available, a very convenient clip on design, the PH-SA49. This is now priced at a more palatable £24.99 after many years at around £60. There are also plenty of lower cost third party hoods available. Even with current coating technology, a lens hood is always a good idea.

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