Pentax A 45mm lens or A 55mm

[Roughcollie]

I looking at buying a wide angle lens for my Pentax 645n for landscapes,I would like to buy the Pentax A 35mm but at the moment I can not afford this lens,so I have been looking at the Pentax A 45mm lens,but have read several reviews on this lens that say it is not very good,a lot of the reviews say the A 55mm is a better lens but not so wide,I could buy the Pentax A 55mm lens for now and save up and buy the A 35mm at a later date,has anybody had experience with the Pentax A 45mm lens ?
Nigel

 

[Kate-the-Great]

There was a thread on here recently where people were recommending the 33-55 zoom as an alternative to all the above- it's apparently very good.

FWIW, my choice would be to get a 55mm now as that will make a good "Wide-Normal", and save up for a 35mm later. That would give you the 135 equivalent of a 21mm and 35mm- a pretty solid kit!

 

[mfogiel]

My advice would be to buy Hasselblad Distagon 50/4 FLE and use it with an adapter. Otherwise, the 55-2.8 from Pentax is a great lens for little money.

MF20130102 by mfogiel, on Flickr

 

[Roughcollie]

Thanks for the info, what a great picture.
Nigel

 

[it'sawhat?]

There seems to be a fair amount of sample variation on the 45 from generally soft to some doing well stopped down to f8 or 11;the 55 pretty much good all around.the 55 roughly equivalent to a 35 on 35mm camera . How wide do you want to go? I have a 45 while mine is good enough for me I only paid $100 us for it versus the 55 going for twice that.

 

[littleearth]

You can always go for something in the middle like the CZJ Flektogon 50mm f4.
It's really sharp wide open, you get the zeiss colors and great flare resistance.
It's slower and a little bigger than the Pentax glass, but for landscape use is awesome.

 

[Pioneer]

The problem with the 45 is not softness. It is actually quite sharp. The issue is distortion. If you shoot any architectural work then this is certainly not the lens for you. If you understand that limitation then it is a terrific wide angle, as good or better than the 55.

However, to be honest, that 35mm is certainly worth saving for. It truly is a great lens.

If you are looking for a zoom I would not even consider the 33-55. It really is not a very good lens. The 45-85 is the best zoom if that is your interest. It is very usable from one end to the other with good sharpness and very little distortion, practically unnoticeable.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Swift1]

I highly recommend the 45-85mm zoom.
It's a perfect landscape lens.

This was taken @45mm, on Ektar



Untitled by Daiku_San, on Flickr

 

[nparsons13]

The 55mm is a really great lens, and for the price you can't go wrong with it. For the wider angle go with the CZJ Flektogon 50mm f4 in Pentacon 6 mount and an inexpensive German-made adapter.

 

[Roughcollie]

Thanks for all the advice,I have chosen to get the Pentax FA 45-85mm lens as I think this will do the job.
Nigel