Pentax SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7

NormalMount: Pentax K50mmf/1.7 – f/22
Introduced: 1977
Pentax SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
Image: Joe Haupt — CC BY 2.0

SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 is Pentax's standard kit prime in the M-series — included as a kit lens with millions of MX, ME Super, and K1000 bodies. The f/1.7 maximum aperture is one-third stop slower than f/1.4 but the lens is significantly smaller and cheaper.

Key features

  • 50mm focal length on 35mm full-frame
  • f/1.7 maximum aperture
  • 49mm filter thread
  • Pentax K bayonet with SMC coating
  • 6-element design
  • Compact body

Use case + rendering

  • Standard kit prime; everything from portrait to street to landscape
  • Sharp wide-open at center; very sharp by f/2.8
  • The Pentax counterpart to Nikkor 50/1.8 and FD 50/1.8

Compatible bodies

Related lenses