Pentax HD PENTAX-FA 50mm f/1.4 50mm
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
What Buyers Say
Pentax HD PENTAX-FA 50mm f/1.4 50mm
The HD FA 50mm f/1.4 lens is widely praised for its exceptional sharpness, beautiful color rendition, and smooth bokeh. Users appreciate its fast and silent autofocus, solid build quality, and compatibility with both film and digital Pentax bodies. Some mention the need for a firmware update on older cameras and occasional back-focus issues, but overall it's considered a top-tier prime lens.
Pros
- Exceptional sharpness
- Beautiful color rendition
- Smooth bokeh
- Fast and silent autofocus
- Solid build quality
Cons
- Firmware update required on older cameras
- Occasional back-focus issues
- Slight magenta cast wide open
- Heavier than some other lenses
- Price may be higher than Pentax direct
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens is widely praised as an excellent all-in-one travel and walkaround lens for APS-C E-mount cameras. Users consistently highlight its sharpness, compact size, light weight, and versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range. While many note it is not ideal for low light and some report significant vignetting at the wide end, the overall sentiment is very positive, with most considering it a great value kit lens upgrade.
Pros
- Sharp image quality
- Compact and lightweight
- Versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range
- Effective optical image stabilization
- Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
- Significant vignetting at 18mm wide end
- Not ideal for low light photography
- Variable aperture limits brightness at telephoto
- Some copies may have quality control issues
- Slight autofocus lag compared to premium lenses
Scores
Specifications
| Pentax HD PENTAX-FA 50mm f/1.4 50mm | Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | prime | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 50 mm | 18 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 50 mm | 135 mm |
| Elements | 7 | 16 |
| Groups | 6 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 | 1 |
| ED Elements | 1 | 2★ |
| Coating | Multilayer HD Coating | — |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/22 | f/3.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/1.4 | 3.5-5.6 |
| Constant | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 8★ | 7 |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Pentax K | Sony E |
| Format | full-frame★ | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.91 kg | 0.33 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 49 mm | 55 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Autofocus | Linear motor★ |
| Stabilization | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 450 mm | 450 mm |
| Max Magnification | 1:6.67★ | 0.29x |
Pros & Cons
Pentax HD PENTAX-FA 50mm f/1.4 50mm
- Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Below average bokeh (19th percentile)19th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
- Below average stabilization (34th percentile)
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
- Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong aperture (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
Pricing
Verdict
Scores 91 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.
