HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW Overview
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The HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW is a fast prime lens for the company's full-frame DSLRs. This weather-sealed lens has 15 elements, including one aspherical and three anomalous dispersion. The combination of 'Aero Bright Coating II' and 'HD coating' reduce flare and ghosting in challenging lighting, while the Super Protect coating keeps dust and moisture off of the front element. A newly developed ring-type ultrasonic motor promises smooth and responsive movement of this lens's heavy elements. The lens also has a nine-blade rounded aperture (electronically controlled), a minimum focus distance of 40cm / 1.3 ft and a magnification of 0.18x.
| Lens type | Prime lens |
| Focal length | 50 mm |
| Image stab. | No |
| Lens mount | Pentax KAF4 |
| Max aperture | F1.4 |
| Min aperture | F16 |
| Min focus | 0.40 m (15.75″) |
| Max magnification | 0.18× |
| Weight | 910 g (2.01 lb) |
| Length | 106 mm (4.17″) |
Excellent build quality and superb sharpness make this lens an ideal companion for Ricoh's high-resolution DSLR bodies. In favorable conditions, the HD 50mm F1.4 also delivers beautifully smooth bokeh, but overall performance is slightly marred by longitudinal chromatic aberration. This can be distracting in some shooting situations.
Good for: Low light imaging and wide-aperture portraiture in low-contrast situations, where this lens's combination of sharpness and smooth bokeh really shines.
Not so good for: Shooting constrasty subjects at wide/medium apertures, where longitudinal chromatic aberration (colored fringing in front and behind your subject) can be distracting.
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