G.A.S. attack!!!!

hoakin1981 · Mar 13, 2014

So, my Pentax MX will be my main SLR/workhorse from now on since I will be abandoning my old "digital" ways and concentrate purely on the magic of analog/film photography.

In this respect, surprise surprise i am feeling my GAS wakening. Apparently the specific syndrome does not distinguish between analog and digital shooters.

Anyway I only have one 50mm lens for my Pentax, this one:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/chinon-auto-50mm-f1-9.html

It is a good quality lens that provides good results, only problem is that I found a good deal on one of these:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-M-50mm-F1.7-Lens.html

Apparently this is a beast IQ-wise and I am a true sucker for razor sharp images with good contrast and nice vibrant colors.

So, what do I do!!!!??? Both are 50mm so no added value from having one more focal length so it all comes down to IQ I guess. The asked price on the Pentax is very reasonable (even though not a steal). I could buy the Pentax and sell the Auto-Chinon but I somewhat doubt if anyone will buy it.

So, any wise suggestions?

Xmas · Mar 13, 2014

sell before you buy otherwise bad...

BASS - Buy And Sell Syndrome

Richard S. (rich815) · Mar 13, 2014

Get it! You can always sell the one you like least. If you don't get it you will regret it forever.

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 13, 2014

hoakin1981 said:
So, my Pentax MX will be my main SLR/workhorse from now on since I will be abandoning my old "digital" ways and concentrate purely on the magic of analog/film photography.

In this respect, surprise surprise i am feeling my GAS wakening. Apparently the specific syndrome does not distinguish between analog and digital shooters.

Anyway I only have one 50mm lens for my Pentax, this one:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/chinon-auto-50mm-f1-9.html

It is a good quality lens that provides good results, only problem is that I found a good deal on one of these:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-M-50mm-F1.7-Lens.html

Apparently this is a beast IQ-wise and I am a true sucker for razor sharp images with good contrast and nice vibrant colors.

So, what do I do!!!!??? Both are 50mm so no added value from having one more focal length so it all comes down to IQ I guess. The asked price on the Pentax is very reasonable (even though not a steal). I could buy the Pentax and sell the Auto-Chinon but I somewhat doubt if anyone will buy it.

So, any wise suggestions?

The 50mm f/1.7 is a very nice lens. I used one for a few years, and when I got an f/1.4 I gave the 1.7 to somebody who showed an interest in film photography.

If I were you I would probably see if there was another focal length lens to add a wide angle or telephoto to your arsenal. The 35mm f/3.5 is probably the most underrated Pentax lens in existence. It's cheap too, but a mind bendingly good performer. I have enjoyed a 100mm f/2.8 lately too, but all of the lenses between 50mm and 135mm are unfortunately quite expensive, so 135mm might be your best option for a telephoto.

Just some thoughts I hope will help.

Richard S. (rich815) · Mar 13, 2014

Thomas Bertilsson said:
The 50mm f/1.7 is a very nice lens. I used one for a few years, and when I got an f/1.4 I gave the 1.7 to somebody who showed an interest in film photography.

If I were you I would probably see if there was another focal length lens to add a wide angle or telephoto to your arsenal. The 35mm f/3.5 is probably the most underrated Pentax lens in existence. It's cheap too, but a mind bendingly good performer. I have enjoyed a 100mm f/2.8 lately too, but all of the lenses between 50mm and 135mm are unfortunately quite expensive, so 135mm might be your best option for a telephoto.

Just some thoughts I hope will help.

Great suggestions Thomas. OP should get them all.

jspillane · Mar 13, 2014

I haven't used the 50 1.7, but the 50 1.4 is great and can be found pretty cheap.

I buy m42 Pentax so I can't speak to all the particulars in K-mount, but my favorite lenses are the 35 f/2 and the 105 f/2.8. If you are on a tight budget, the 35 f/2.8 and 135 f/3.5 can be easily found for peanuts and are also great. If you like wider than 35, the 28 f/3.5 can be found for reasonable prices (not so with the 28 f/2, though).

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 13, 2014

Believe it or not, the f/3,5 performs better than the f/2. I've used both extensively.

ArtO · Mar 13, 2014

Xmas said:
sell before you buy otherwise bad...

BASS - Buy And Sell Syndrome

Ah! But don't forget BABS. Buy and Buy Syndrome!!

Dan Daniel · Mar 13, 2014

The 50mm f1.7 Pentax lens is wonderful. Get it.

I had a spare one that I included when I sold off a Sony NEX camera. Even on the LCD screen, the guy buying the camera could tell something special was going on. When he pulled the files up on screen, he was more than impressed. When he tried to talk me down on the full package price, I suggested that we simply pull the Pentax out of the deal; he refused.

You'll never regret having that lens. On the MX it's a great size, great quality. Oh, the A series of that lens can have problems with the aperture ring, going in and out of the A setting. Same optical design. The 1.7 has the same optics up to the last series (FA?), while the 1.4 had a change made somewhere in the progression.

fotch · Mar 13, 2014

ArtO said:
Ah! But don't forget BABS. Buy and Buy Syndrome!!

I may forget but my wife never forgets.

snapguy · Mar 13, 2014

But the new lens and if it is truly outstanding, sell the old one. If you can wrap your mind around the strange concept of selling camera stuff, that is.

AllanD · Mar 13, 2014

I have the Pentax 50/1.7 and the Chinon 50/1.9. FWIW when wide open, my example of the Chinon is sharper than my Pentax 50. The Chinon is just as good as the 50/1.7 at middling apertures. The Chinon may be cheap but it might also be a bargain!

Sirius Glass · Mar 13, 2014

hoakin1981 said:
So, any wise suggestions?

The Force of GAs resist one cannot. GAS resistance futile! -- Yoda, Star Wars XLViii

Les Sarile · Mar 16, 2014

All Pentax 50mm primes are outstanding performers if they are in good condition.

Sirius Glass · Mar 16, 2014

The OP will do well to remember the second line of my signature.

fretlessdavis · Mar 16, 2014

Thomas Bertilsson said:
The 50mm f/1.7 is a very nice lens. I used one for a few years, and when I got an f/1.4 I gave the 1.7 to somebody who showed an interest in film photography.

If I were you I would probably see if there was another focal length lens to add a wide angle or telephoto to your arsenal. The 35mm f/3.5 is probably the most underrated Pentax lens in existence. It's cheap too, but a mind bendingly good performer. I have enjoyed a 100mm f/2.8 lately too, but all of the lenses between 50mm and 135mm are unfortunately quite expensive, so 135mm might be your best option for a telephoto.

Just some thoughts I hope will help.

+1 on the 35mm f/3.5. Slow but mind-blowingly sharp. Most of the I'm shooting my MX, I have my Super Tak 35mm on it, and no other lens in my bag.

Fixcinater · Mar 16, 2014

One thing to remember is that after this amount of time out in the field (or in the cupboard, depending on the previous owners), there can be (and generally is, in my experience) significant copy variation. I didn't believe it when I first started reading about it, but there has been a large difference in the sharpness/resolving power between the best and the worst of the 50mms I have owned. Enough of a difference that my girlfriend, who normally does not stick her nose right in prints could readily identify the "good" lenses of the bunch.

One Pentax Super Takumar 50/1.4 was in great cosmetic shape but never got sharp, even stopped down. Another is completely battered looking, and has fungus and lots of dust inside but it resolves better detail wide open than the bad copy did at f/4. I've had a number of 50s lined up and of course they are all pretty darn good but being able to cherry pick the best is never a bad thing:

Super Takumar 50/1.4 8-Element
Super Takumar 50/1.4 7-element x3
Super Takumar 55/1.8
SMC Takumar 55/1.8
SMC Takumar 50/1.4 (Rubber focus ring)
S-M-C Takumar 50/1.4 (Metal Focus Ring)
S-M-C Takumar 50/4.0 Macro
M 50/1.4 (K-Mount)
M 50/4.0 Macro (K-Mount)
Helios 44-2 58mm f/2.0
Canon EF 50/1.4
Sigma 50/1.4 for Canon EOS

One of the oddest parts of my experience with copy variation has been with the consistent high quality of the Helios 44 models. Each and every one has been excellent, even the rough and scratched up glass examples.

So, just because you buy a "better" lens, doesn't mean it will be better in image quality. Or, you may have a dud right now in the cheaper lens and the f/1.7 Pentax may be an outstanding copy and you'll see a huge jump up. The Canon EF I had was an acceptable copy (especially if you were shooting portraits) but the best of the earlier Pentax lenses handily won out.

AllanD · Mar 16, 2014

Just to add a little to my original post (in case in makes any difference) I have 2 copies of the Pentax SMC-A 50/1.7 and a copy of the SMC-A50/2.0. All are immaculate and the two 50/1.7 perform equally well, as far as I'm concerned. I wasn't expecting anything from the Chinon, as it came with an £8 camera from a charity shop, but I taken completely by surprised by its performance. Of course, my comments relate to a sample of one, so I might just be lucky. However, it doesn't take much of a search to find owners that have a high opinion of the 50/1.9 and Chinon prime lenses in general.

G.A.S. attack!!!!

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