> They had an SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2.8 Macro. External finish a little rough > (KEH would likely call it "ugly", "bargain" at least) but the optics are > perfectly clean, no dust, the aperture mechanism worked perfectly, the > focusing mount is smooth as a new lens. I recalled seeing several M50/4 > macro lenses in "Bargain" condition going for around $110 or so. They > offered this one to me at $130, with Pentax caps.
At $130, it's a good, deal, I'd say, ~IF~ indeed the only problem is the cosmetics. The A 50/2.8 is a solid step up from the M 50/4, and not just in speed. The A 50/2.8 is just a wee tad less sharp than the F/FA 50/2.8's, but it's ~so~ much nicer to use. The A 50/2.8 is my most frequently used 50mm lens. (Actually, it's used somewhat ~infrequently~ - I am more likely to shoot macros with the A 100/2.8 Macro, if lens size is no object, but sometimes the compact 50/2.8 Macro gets the nod before an outing - still, the other non-macro 50's get used relatively even less often.) Fred
