[laissezfaire]

My DA*'s are wonderful, but my $200 FA50 is stunning. I guess my next lens has to be a prime / limited. Please help me decide!

[enoxatnep]

I know everyone else here will have a different opinion, so I'll throw my hat in the ring first and base my suggestion on experience. I absolutely LOVE my DA 35mm Macro. It's a superb 1:1 macro and fantastic all-round lens for landscapes. However, this lens is my suggestion only if you also like macro. If you need to get further away from your subject, get the new 100mm D-FA Macro WR.

If macro isn't important, try to get a prime in the 28-35mm range for starters, like the FA 35 f2. I could go on and on about other suggestions, but I know others will do this for me!

[hangu]

Have you checked the lens review section of this site?

Do you have a budget?

A specific focal length you'd like to have?

What kind of subjects? etc?

[nulla]

My DA*'s are wonderful, but my $200 FA50 is stunning. I guess my next lens has to be a prime / limited. Please help me decide!

Check what focal length you use the most then check out the primes in that range.

The 3 amigos are great FA ltds

And the DA limiteds all wonderful

cheers

[deadwolfbones]

Ok, why not... rated by a mixture of IQ and utility (mixture not the same for all lenses; i.e., entirely subjective):

1. Tokina 90mm f/2.5 Macro (Bokina)
2. Pentax DA 70mm f/2.4 Limited
3. Lester Dine 105mm f/2.8 Macro
4. Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Limited Macro
5. Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AI
6. Nikon 85mm f/1.8 D
7. Helios-44K-4 58mm f/2
8. Sigma Super-Wide II 24mm f/2.8 AF
9. Nikon 300mm f/4 AF ED
10. Nikon 180mm f/2.8 AF-N
11. Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 Close Focus
12. Sigma 30mm f/1.4
13. Pentax K 135mm f2.5
14. Pentax-A 100mm f/2.8
15. Pentax DA 15mm f/4 Limited
16. Nikon 35mm f/2 D
17. Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D
18. Pentax FA 50mm f/1.7
19. Kaleinar-3B 150mm f/2.8

Previously owned and where they'd slot in:

Tomioka/Yashinon 60mm f/2.8 Macro M42 (~3rd)
Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited (~8th)
Pentax-M 28mm f/3.5 (~12th)
Tair-11a 135mm f/2.8 M42 (~14th)
Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 Limited (~15th)
Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 (~15th)
Jupiter-9 85mm f/2 M42 (~16th)
Pentax-M 135mm f/3.5 (~19th)
Pentax-A 50mm f/2 (~20th)

[aliquis]

If you need to get further away from your subject, get the new 100mm D-FA Macro WR.

It's so new it's not even on their webpage? Found it listed in stores though. Decent price considering WR.

like the FA 35 f2.

"The Pentax SMC FA 35mm f/2 is a great performer and even better - it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. At f/2 the optical quality is already on a very good level and if you stop down a bit it easily reaches excellent to outstanding resolution levels. Neither distortions nor vignetting are real problems in field conditions. CAs (color shadows at the image borders) are well controlled for a lens in this focal length class."

It did here though, ~600 euro!?

On the other side 77/1.8 limited is only like or less than 400.

[Eagle_Friends]

i lust for the DFA 100mm WR

however, if pricing is an issue, i would get the DA 40mm. I haven't touched my FA 50 since I got that, and I feel it will be the same for you.

[Ash]

OP, depends on what you're looking for in a prime.

My ranking (for the lenses I have or have had) are:
Primes:
FA 31 ltd
FA 77 ltd
FA 100/2.8 macro
FA 50/1.4
DA 14
Vivitar 135/2.8
Tamron 500/8 mirror
M 200/4

Zooms:
DA* 16-50
DA 12-24
Tamron 70-200/2.8
DA 10-17 FE
- all the above are so close to each other that it's hard to judge
Tamron 28-75/2.8
DA 55-300
DA 18-55

[NaClH2O]

OK, here's my ratings:
FA 43mm ltd
FA 20mm F2.8
Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro
FA 77mm ltd
K 135 F2.5
Zenitar 16mm F2.8 Fisheye
Sigma EX DG 24mm F1.8
A 50mm F1.7
FA 35mm F2.0
Sigma EX DG 180mm F3.5 macro
Takumar 55mm F1.8 screwmount
K 50mm F1.2
K 300mm F4.0
Vivitar 105mm F.28 Macro

NaCl(some lenses are very close to each other in ranking)H2O

[Andi Lo]

My faves and their rankings (by category), not for any particular purpose...

Magicians: 1. Jupiter 9 / 2. SMC Tak 50 / 3. SMC Tak 105
Technicians: 1. DA 40 / 2. FA 35 / 3. Tak 24 / 4. Tak 200

[wlachan]

Zeiss ZK 21/2.8.

[ilya80]

FA31
FA77
Bokina
A50 1:1.2

A50 1.2 being my current favourite.

[matoqui]

Currently, this is my lens list, in order of preference: DA 35/2.8, Voigtlander 58/1.4, FA 77/1.8, DA 21/3.2, Tamron 90/2.8, Vivitar series 1 90mm (Bokina), and Vivitar/komine 135/2.8. To complement these primes, I have the DA 18-55mm and the DA 55-300mm zooms.

[bdery]

Thisis very personal, very much dependant on the commenter's lineup, and dependant on the purpose the lens is used for.

The FA 50 macro is my sharpest lens. But it's a bit too sharp for portraits.

The DA 21 LTD is amazing for subject isolation, because of the 3D effect it creates, even though the bokeh is more busy than the macro. Its performance is more even across the frame, too.

The F50 f1,7 is king of low light. My favourite in this kind of situation.

The M150 has that nice M feeling, plus its my only fast tele. So it's my favourite tele prime

One lens, one purpose.

I could even say without shame that the 18-55 WR is my favourite hiking lens, since it's small, weather proof, light, and reliable. But it's not my best lens.

[pcarfan]

Lenses and the score I would give them.

FA 43/1.9 [10]

FA31/1.8 [9.7] New to me

FA77/1.8 [9.5]

F135/2.8 [9.4] Not a typo

F21/3.8 [9]

F15/4 [9] New to me