I have one, and use it often. It's the only 50mm prime k-mount that I have, and I tend to throw it in my pocket when I'm walking around with a slow zoom on a body, just in case I need it for lower light shots.
It's fine stopped down:
http://pug.komkon.org/03mar/filter.html
I know that Greg didn't like his opened up. I think the word he used was "unusable" or something like that. My experience has been quite the opposite, especially since I use it wide open quite often:
http://urbancaravan.com/latte2.jpg
I've had that one blown up to 11x14, and the lip of the glass is still quite sharp. And, that shot's not cropped at all, so the relatively sharp part of the lip on the right hand side is right at the edge of the neg. That one was taken at f2.0, with the lens set to minimum focusing distance; I just moved the body back and forth until I got the focus I wanted.
I have another one taken at 2.0 that I think is quite acceptable (well, I have many, but most are only contacts, and you can't tell sharpness from those), but I don't want to post it now, as it's my next month's PUG entry. Maybe I'll send it to you off list, Boris - send it to others at risk of your personal safety! <vbg>
Now, maybe Greg and I have widely divergent standards (very possible), but I wonder if maybe he had a bad sample? "Unusable" wide open just doesn't come close to my experience.
These lenses are a dime a dozen. Normally go for $20US or less on eBay. As someone already said, it's because there are so many of them out there, and, likely, because who wants a prime these days, right? <g> I got mine for $20US - with an MV attached as a rear lens cap! The MV is dead now, but I only wanted the package for the lens to put on my MX, so I'm happy!
Mechanically, these are nice lenses, with a positive feel to the focus and aperture rings. Not as buttery smooth as my m42 Taks, but what is? <g>
I'd say that if you have a chance to pick one up at the "going" price, you can't go wrong. Can't hurt to have a good performing cheap lens, can it?
cheers, frank
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
From: "Boris Liberman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "PDML" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Questions: M 50/2.0 - any good? Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 13:45:24 +0300
Hi!
I am about to be enabled with the above lens (SMC M 50/2.0). It is optically identical to A 50/2.0 and very similar (AFAICT) to 50/1.7. I wonder how come Stan's site has nothing to say about it and except one line on Alex's site I couldn't find anything in regular PDML annals <g>...
Especially of course I would be interested in opinions of people who have (had) and/or use (used) this lens.
Thanks in advance.
Boris
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