The FA 77mm Limited is the Greatest Pentax Lens

PF Lens Tournament Winner

By cjfeola in Pentax Lens Tournament on Nov 5, 2014
The FA 77mm Limited is the Greatest Pentax Lens

In the end, it wasn't even close: The FA 31mm Limited fell in the final match, just like every other challenger before it, leaving the SMC Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 the undisputed Greatest Pentax Lens of All Time.

While the final vote was a comfortable 144-121 victory for the 77mm Limited, the voters were anything but comfortable. In fact, many found the choice anguishing...

"Can there be a "both" button? Please?" asked pentaxian Outis.

Of course, pentaxians are always ready to help a fellow in distress. "Owners of the losing lens, please toss them in my direction, whereupon they will be condemned to the flames of Hell an eternity mounted on my cameras," suggested luftfluss.

There were suggestions that violated the rules... "Get both," said pentaxian hoanpham. "But if I have to pick one.. oh my head hurts.."

For some, it was like being asked to choose a favorite child.

"It hurts to vote against one of my siamese-twin brothers. Today, I looked again at my pictures taken with them," said pentaxian Naruto. "I like the 77 how it is easy to get wonderful portraits nearly every time I point it towards my family. I do portraits with other lenses, but none gets close to such a high rate of keepers. It beats my Canon 70-200 f2.8 II and 135 f2 in that. This is to tell you how much I like the lens.

"My 31 is a jewel. I bought it not very convinced by the pictures on the forum. But once, in my hand, I was in love. It is beautiful, gives beautiful pictures. I have the 35 from  Sigma  and I think it is wonderful. But, though with an aspherical lens, the 31 beats it. The 31 gives such a buttery bokeh ... my heart hurts ... I voted for the 31."

Naruto wasn't the only one in pain. "Great, we have a winner--but at what cost?" asked pentaxian dadipentak. "Think of the hard feelings this has generated. I, for one, will never forgive those (myself included) who voted against the DA* 300/4 or the FA* 200/4 Macro."

Pentaxian c.a.m. had a pep talk for the lenses left on the shelf. "Well, I’m hearing quite a lot of commotion in my lens cabinet. Guess I’ll need to break the news to my team of lenses that didn’t make the cut. I’ll bring them together tonight on the kitchen table, break open a bottle of wine or scotch (for me), and give ‘em a pep talk. Not sure what to tell them...

  • "DA 15: Don’t be too down, my friend, you’ve got a wider perspective on life than most of the others.
  • "K 28/3.5: Well, look at it this way – you’ve got lots of colour and you’re a pretty sharp guy.
  • "DA 35 Ltd: You have a knack of focusing closer than all the others, don't you? So that’s a pretty good skill to have.
  • "SMC Tak 50/1.4: Yeah, those younger ones think they have it all, but cheer up, mate, you have lots of life. You're a smooth operator, that's for sure.
  • "DA* 50 – 135: Hey, you’re a star, aren’t you? Guess this was prime time; your day will be next.
"Anyways, the competition was stiff, and the tournament was fun. Definitely put a ‘focus’ on a terrific range of exceptional lenses."

Pentaxian Outis was moved to posey by the outcome.

View the complete tournament bracket and scores, and all the comments

A Poem to Celebrate the Occasion

Glassily-brassily
Seventy-Seven starts 
Fighting her brother the
Great Thirty-One;

Built so deliciously 
Bokeh-o-liciously
Who could resist her sweet
Portrait-- she won!

That led Zav to issue a challenge: "Would you make a haiku to give it a Japanese twist?"

To which Outis responded:
Two lenses enter.
Seventy-Seven leaves in
Glassy fratricide

Pentaxian goodnight waxed triumphant over the crowning of the champion. "The FA 77 has defeated all that stood before it, and avenged the FA 43. In its wake it leaves its peers' multitudes of broken glass, their shattered dreams, and their assorted dusts to be tended to by those who held them up high. The FA 77 is #1!"

The FA 77mm Limited is the undisputed Greatest Pentax Lens of All Time!  Or...is it?

Coming in December: The Greatest Third-Party Lens of All Time Tournament.

Win the FA 77mm Lens!

So the tournament is done, and the champion is crowned. The only thing that remains is for us to find out which lucky forum member will be the winner of this lens, which is the grand prize of our November Giveaway.  Be in the top 10 forum posters on any one day in November and you'll have a chance to win the lens.  There are also plenty of daily prizes plus another Limited lens: the DA 15mm.

Click here to learn more about how to win the FA 77mm in our November Giveaway

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