This single-focus standard lens has been designed to provide a unique image rendition — rainbow flare in particular — resembling that of a lens designed more than 50 years ago. Designed as an interchangeable lens for use with PENTAX K-mount digital SLR cameras, its larger-diameter optics cover the full-frame image circle of K-mount cameras, despite its compact dimensions. When mounted on a PENTAX digital SLR camera body, it can be used as a 50mm standard lens in the full-frame format, or a 76.5mm medium-telephoto lens in the APS-C format. With a full-frame camera, it provides an angle of view close to that of the human visual field, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications, such as snapshots, scenic images and portraiture.
Features
- Distinctive imaging characteristics
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Through intentional fine-tuning of the lens design, this lens has been designed to produce a unique visual effect commonly known as rainbow flare when an image is captured at open aperture* and against strong backlight.** It lets the photographer change the position and size of the rainbow flare by shifting the relative position of the subject and light source, creating this unique visual expression not available with the latest lenses. By closing the aperture down to F4 or smaller, the photographer can also capture sharper, crisper images with minimal flare and ghost images.
* It may be difficult to create rainbow flare when the lens is mounted on an APS-C-format digital SLR camera, because the camera’s image sensor is designed to use only the central area of the image circle.
** During shooting, the user is advised to mount a Neutral Density (ND) filter (included as a standard accessory), or a commercial ND filter designed to reduce light transmittance in the lens to less than a 1/16 level, on the lens. When observing an image through the camera’s optical viewfinder, the user is advised to avoid looking directly at strong light sources.
The lens coating on each optical element of the smc PENTAX-FA 50mm F1.4 Classic has been fine-tuned to minimize the generation of unwanted ghost images, while retaining those that are essential in producing its distinctive rendition.
SP Coating
Water- and grease-repellent SP (Super Protect) Coating has been applied to the front surface of the lens, making it easier for the user to wipe off water or stains.
Distinctive image rendition
Thanks to its large F1.4 open aperture, this lens captures images with a very shallow depth of field. Its eight-blade diaphragm control mechanism produces a soft, natural bokeh (defocus) effect from open aperture to F2.8, and also minimizes the streaking effect of point light sources.
Nostalgic design
This lens retains the exterior design of its base model — the smc PENTAX-FA50mm F1.4 — and features a black matte finish and a matte-black focus ring. It has no green ring — the symbolic design of recent PENTAX-brand lenses — to recreate the nostalgic appearance of interchangeable lenses designed for PENTAX Z-series film-format cameras.
Compatibility with older cameras
Thanks to the aperture ring installed on the lens body, and the coupling mechanism with the camera’s motor-driven, in-body AF system, this lens is designed to be fully compatible with older K-mount digital SLR cameras and film-format AF SLR cameras, allowing the photographer to retain all camera functions of these models.