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02-14-2011, 10:30 PM   #61
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zoom ( for versatility) or prime ( no sdm issues)

02-14-2011, 11:29 PM   #62
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QuoteOriginally posted by wed7 Quote
zoom ( for versatility) or prime ( no sdm issues)
As "SDM ISSUES" are mentioned again, what's the matter with it?
I have the DA*16-50 mm (don't use it a lot because I don't like zooms) and never had any issues, what am I missing here?
02-17-2011, 06:11 AM   #63
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Just goes to show how experienced people, on the same platform, prefer different things.

I have 8mm to 300mm, from F1.4 to 5.8, and would often want faster glass.

We only need look 10 years ahead when we will have access to 1000MP images through F1.0 glass with clean ISO100K on compact cameras. Optical zooms will be moot.

10 years from now my children will be nearly adults, so I'm willing to invest in the now. My children can ponder the expensive and ultimately useless relics of my love for them sometime down the road.
02-17-2011, 02:27 PM   #64
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77 vs 50-135

QuoteOriginally posted by freewheeler Quote
FA77, because the pictures have the wauw factor I don't experience in
zoom lenses although the 50-135 is one of the best.
Better 2 great pictures than 5 very good ones at the end of the day.
I think wau factor was not incorporated in the lens in the design stage. I believe it comes from the photographers experience, hence good photographer might get better pictures from DA zoom, than mediocre photographer from limited. I own 77 - not wow factore there if the light isn't right, the composition isn't right etc....

02-17-2011, 05:21 PM   #65
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QuoteOriginally posted by vrrattko Quote
I think wau factor was not incorporated in the lens in the design stage.
Except that it was designed in. Lens designers generally know what they are doing, to a degree that is not usually appreciated. For examples, read the Leica lens technical papers. Amazing.

Last edited by rparmar; 03-08-2011 at 10:04 AM.
02-18-2011, 08:13 PM   #66
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DA* 50-135mm.

The FA77 is way to expensive for what it is.... and generally I have not been to impressed by the images it produces. If only it was faster
03-08-2011, 09:58 AM   #67
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I own the 50-135 and tried the 77 and kept the 50-135. I found them to be virtually indistinguishable at 77 (both have that pixie dust quality). Even though the 50-135 is a monster, I prefer it for the versatility.

03-08-2011, 10:04 AM   #68
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Strange comment...

QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
77 because the 50-135mm has a pretty useless zoom range. If you want a tele zoom, get a 70-200mm IMO.
50-135 x 1.5 = ...?

QuoteOriginally posted by twitch Quote
I have to completely disagree with that. A 50-135 is the perfect range for portraits on a cropped sensor. That's like saying 70-200 is a useless range on a full frame body.
No kidding. So why have EVERY camera company been pumping them out since they became technically feasible then, not to mention pretty much every photographer in the world using them?



Cheers,
Cameron
03-08-2011, 10:15 AM   #69
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Having owned both (not at the same time though)... If I had only one to choose, i'd go with the 50-135... Despite the size, you can't beat the versatility of its zoom range... And IQ is stellar from both lenses...

The so-called "wow-factor" about 77ltd is an urban legend of Pentax community... among many other onces... the biggest strength of that lens being its size... For the rest, not much to "wow" about... by the time it gets sharp you realize that you could've gone with the DA70 with the same, if not better, outcome for half the price...

Last edited by alexeyga; 03-08-2011 at 10:22 AM.
03-08-2011, 10:32 AM   #70
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My vote is for the 50-135. I'm still amazed at how sharp it is for a zoom.
03-08-2011, 10:40 AM   #71
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The 50-135 is about the most brilliant lens I have ever used and the focal range is quite usable, more so than a prime at least.
03-08-2011, 11:24 AM   #72
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Just FYI, I decided to go with the 50-135mm and i am loving it. The FA 77mm will be in my future though. Thanks for everyone's input.
03-08-2011, 03:22 PM   #73
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QuoteOriginally posted by alexeyga Quote
The so-called "wow-factor" about 77ltd is an urban legend of Pentax community... among many other onces... the biggest strength of that lens being its size... For the rest, not much to "wow" about... by the time it gets sharp you realize that you could've gone with the DA70 with the same, if not better, outcome for half the price...
The FA77 doesn't have to "get sharp" since it has an MTF50 of 1930 in the centre wide open. Stop down to f/2.4 and it's already as sharp as the DA70. Plus it reaches a maximum the DA70 never reaches. It also has .1% distortion as opposed to .5%.

Crank the DA* 50-135 wide open and the FA77 is sharper and doesn't suffer from 1.2% distortion. At its best the zoom also cannot match the Limited at its best. Notice a pattern here?

Now, I would be the first to say that for all intents and purposes, in most real-word photography scenarios, the sharpness figures are equivalent. But if a winner must be declared it's pretty darned obvious which it is.

This doesn't even consider the rendering, which is what really makes the FA Limiteds shine. I won't get into that, since it requires actually looking at pictures and making bias-free judgements. Someone who has to resort to slandering the preferences of others is unlikely to get that far.
03-08-2011, 03:24 PM   #74
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QuoteOriginally posted by Eagle_Friends Quote
Just FYI, I decided to go with the 50-135mm and i am loving it. The FA 77mm will be in my future though. Thanks for everyone's input.
Cool. I love the rendering off the zoom in many cases, especially what it does to bokeh towards the longer end. If you don't mind the size of it, you might never need the Limited.
03-09-2011, 09:08 AM   #75
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This is really a "prime vs. zoom" question, and everyone has to decide for himself which tradeoffs he prefers to make: size, weight, versatility, convenience, IQ etc. My kit is a combination of a zoom (DA* 16-50) as my main lens and primes (31 Limited, 77 Limited, DA* 200) to supplement it. I rarely carry or use the DA* 200, so the kit is reasonably small and light, which is important to me. Others do not mind the size and weight of multiple zoom lenses. Since many Pentaxians buy into the system mainly for the excellent prime lenses in Pentax's lineup, you are likely to get a preponderance of recommendations in that direction.

Rob
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