Originally posted by Pentaxor maybe you got a lemon for the FA35. mine works great at f2 doing a few highkey portraits. I think there was one other complaint about the FA35 but that was more of user error, although I don't dismiss the fact that there might be 1 in a 1,000 copy that turn out a dud once in a while.
truly the FA31 is different and needs some a bit of work. this is also the difference between the FA31 and FA35. I can use the FA35 straight out if I want to. as for wanting an FA31, it's more because of a wider FOV and some bokeh-tastic results. other than that, the FA35 can stand on it's own. same as FA43. the only difference between the 2, the FA43 seems sharper.
Your comments are helpful and I agree with most of them - especially the ones about the FA31, and how the FA35 is easier to use (I think that's what you meant). But the FA43 is the sharpest and has the most vivid colors with a slight, pleasant "glow."
I doubt I had a bad copy of the FA35 - I actually had two (one for only a short time) and as I recall there was a significant loss of color and contrast in low-light situations at wider than f/2.8 - especially at f/2.2 or f/2. The comparisons above of the FA43, DA35/2.8 Macro, and FA35 are pretty representative, I think. If they were all shot at f/2.8 I think the FA35 would be close to the DA35 macro, but it would probably still be the FA43, followed by the DA35 macro (not sure, haven't owned one) and then the FA35 close behind. But the FA35 will sure lose wide open (which is appropriate, considering its original selling price), as you can see even in these examples.
I should probably add that the FA35 I had longer was the Samsung version, which I got new. I think it was a good lens - just disappointing that for optimum images, in practice it wasn't much faster than my f/2.8 primes. This is why I think the DA35/2.4 is so promising - it's not trying to be a so-so wide open performer at f/2. If you ask me, I think Pentax noticed the same characteristics I did, plus they didn't want it to appear so close to the FA31 on paper.