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Saturday, June 18, 2022

Legacy Lenses 11 - SMC Pentax 50mm F1.2

This lens is a true classic from the '70s-'80s. It's an extremely compact large aperture normal. It was made from 1975 to 1984.


The optical formula is 7 elements in 6 groups SMC coated (multilayer coated). It delivers stunning results in mid-apertures and like all F1.2 primes from this era, somewhat soft borders wide open, but with an incredibly sharp center. 

The SMC coating is very effective against flare and ghosting, but I would always fit a lens hood on it just in case.

Very interesting for portraits when used with APS-size digital camera sensors and an available light monster. Be advised about the very shallow depth-of-field when wide open.

It's small and weights only 385g, making it one of the most compact and light F1.2 primes ever made.



The SMC coating is a very nice bonus. This lens copes well with flare, better that any other similar lens from this era.

Definitely a keeper and my favorite F1.2 lens. 

A joy to use with the Sony A7 series.


Pros: Very sharp, light, compact

Cons: Not very easy to find and very expensive.

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