[TKH]

Definitely not..

You must have a really bad copy of the FA43 since you call it not so sharp...
it is about the sharpest pentax lens ever produced.

Thats new for me. All my pics show a clearly difference to the 31 and the 77. Also a lot of pics in the web show this.

See also photozone.de: "At f/1.9 the contrast and resolution is somewhat soft... I guess many Pentax users will raise an eyebrow or two regarding the following statement but the bokeh (out-of-focus blur) can look a little harsh in certain situations."


The argument for the 43 is in common a special three dimensional way of pics and a perhaps magic it has. Also lens users I know and witch post pics from the lens say that the sharpness is the last point to own a 43. Perhaps we all have bad copies, or you have a special good copy.

Here a pic at 1,9 and 1,8 from the 43 and the 77:



It was the same with the 31.

Only me personal opinion, sorry.

Rainer

[TKH]

OK.
Tried out a lot of pics inside and outside the house.
Man, I was wrong.
The 43 is a stunner.
Its very special:


On the left the 43, on the right the 31. Look on the pullover of the bear in the front!
Creamy!
And its not the fact of beeing more out of focus. There are also a lot of details and enaugh sharpness as you can see here in a 100% crop.



I think I fall in love.
Here are a few 100% crops of today:







And annother with 1.9:




Rainer

[Duplo]

Thats new for me. All my pics show a clearly difference to the 31 and the 77. Also a lot of pics in the web show this.

See also photozone.de: "At f/1.9 the contrast and resolution is somewhat soft... I guess many Pentax users will raise an eyebrow or two regarding the following statement but the bokeh (out-of-focus blur) can look a little harsh in certain situations."


The argument for the 43 is in common a special three dimensional way of pics and a perhaps magic it has. Also lens users I know and witch post pics from the lens say that the sharpness is the last point to own a 43. Perhaps we all have bad copies, or you have a special good copy.

Here a pic at 1,9 and 1,8 from the 43 and the 77:

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8083/4377hi7.jpg

It was the same with the 31.

Only me personal opinion, sorry.

Rainer

As I said it is not a razor at f1.9, but not soft either I think, I do not have any crops online (just arrived in CPH tonight) but several 1000 shots i would claim to have a decent feel of the lens.
And yes sharpness is the last reason, but take photozone again and compare the MTF charts... sharpness is surprisingly a strongside with the lens, but the least important one to me.
I like its "soul" the way it renders... it is not perfect, but there is something to the photos especially in print that makes them stand out.

BTW, I thing every lens can produce a bad look with a busy background.

However it is not always so... does this shot look soft to you?
FA43 @ f2.0


FA43 @ f1.9:


FA43 @ f2.8:


These are only snapshots, but it is what I just had at hand from here...
There is a full gallery of shots here:
Zenfolio | Duplo Photography | Pentax FA 43mm f1.9 Limited

But heck I am biased towards this lens. it is IMO the finest AF lens Pentax has ever produced IQ wise and as you say it is very personal, but to call it soft is simply not right... Those whom have actually measured it has shown some pretty impressive figures from it.
Plus as you say sharpness is the last reason, and that is actually quite a statement to how fine it renders IMO, as it is perhaps the shapest AF prime ever made by pentax.

[TKH]

I like its "soul" the way it renders... it is not perfect, but there is something to the photos especially in print that makes them stand out.
But heck I am biased towards this lens. it is IMO the finest AF lens Pentax has ever produced IQ wise and as you say it is very personal, but to call it soft is simply not right...

Dear Thomas.
You are right.
Sorry for my first impression, I was wrong.
As you see in my last posting, I totally agree with you and after learning the lens, I fall in love with it.

Ah, BTW.... Did you see any way to swap our portrait models? I mean my model in my pic no. 5 and your model on your pics no. 1 and 3?

Best and thanks for your nice pics,
Rainer

[Kaimarx]

Heh i came across an article a while back where a similar thing happened. The guy had the 31 and 77 but passed on the 43 due to average (in the limited sense) reviews. Eventually got the 43 some years later and swore it was the best of the 3 limiteds on his digital hands down.

[creampuff]

Reviews all suffer the same fallacy: generalisation from a single instance.
Few if any reviews test more than one lens, and the test results are specific to the lens that was tested.

Does that mean all lenses that the manufacturer produces are necessarily the same? Personally I doubt it. Like so many things, lenses are made and assembled in batches and to expect that every lens to be exactly similar to the one that was reviewed may not be the case.

[Duplo]

Dear Thomas.
You are right.
Sorry for my first impression, I was wrong.
As you see in my last posting, I totally agree with you and after learning the lens, I fall in love with it.

Ah, BTW.... Did you see any way to swap our portrait models? I mean my model in my pic no. 5 and your model on your pics no. 1 and 3?

Best and thanks for your nice pics,
Rainer

Well Rainer should have read that one too.. was a little too fast in my reply, my apologies for that.

I guess my better half would get pretty darn angry with me if I would even consider that offer Not that I would... I am pretty sure you understand though

---

Last edited by Duplo; 11-23-2007 at 05:52 PM. Reason: Careless spelling

[TKH]

I guess my better half would get pretty darn angry with me if I would even consider that offer Not that I would... I am pretty sure you understand though

Its clear that I was only joking.
My respect to you. You are a lucky man.

But please dont tell her that she has mutch more beautiful eyes than a cow from Germany. Wifes dont understand these kind of compliments...

Best,
Rainer

[Duplo]

Its clear that I was only joking.
My respect to you. You are a lucky man.

But please dont tell her that she has mutch more beautiful eyes than a cow from Germany. Wifes dont understand these kind of compliments...

Best,
Rainer

Yep crystal clear and thank you for your kind compliment, I will pass that one on
no I guess compliments like that rarely rings with women in general

[roentarre]

Fa 43 ltd is a beautiful lens to own. I love the feel of images coming out of this lens.

A bit front focusing but I like it like that











All the primes less than 100mm in pentax line up are excellant. The only problem is when you have a tight travel schedule, these primes can be inflexible...

[TKH]

To end this story let me tell you my final decision:

I sold all FA Lenses.

So why now DA21, 40 and 70 for the well known FA31, 43 and 77??

All DA Lenses work perfect with two K10Ds. All FA Lenses work very different with two different K10Ds. I had to change the cameras to -0.3, -0.5 or -1.0 to get pics that are not over exposed. In using the Da21 and the three FAs I was tired to change with every lense also the eposing. Also the FA lenses had a lot problems with CAs and PFs on both bodies. Than I learned by doing that the autofocus of the DAs is a lot quicker than the autofocus of the FAs. For example the DA70 is mutch quicker than the very slow FA77, nearly as quick as a DA*50-135 from a friend of mine.

So my personal result was:

On my K10D the three DAs are

- quicker AF
- smaller
- lighter
- exposing is correct
- mutch less CAs
- have quick shift

I really know that a mutch better photgraph than me will perhaps take mutch better pics from using the FAs instead of using the DAs. But with my little photographic scills, the DA will work better.

Best,
Rainer

[Nesster]

I think you did good, though with these lenses ANYTHING is good

I now have the 43 and the 70. I find the 70 is more consistent on the K100D, it takes like a duck to water.... the 43 is somewhat like you describe, hot and cold.

But put them on a film body, and now the 43 is at home and the 70 is less so.

Which is a funny thing as the lens specs and performance doesn't change between cameras, but the recording medium does... Goes to show lens tests don't necessarily test the things that are important in the real world.

[TKH]

So now you can see that also Germans are sometimes not controlled and we often dont know what we do...

After selling all my FA lenses everything works fine with my DA lenses.

I dont miss the FA31.

Dummdidu...

I dont miss the FA77.

Dummdidu...

The DA40 is a nice and sharp lens.

Dummdidu...

Ah, look. A very nice priced FA43 in a webshop in Canada.

Dummdidu...

Ups. What have I done? Order confirmation!

On monday it will arrive at my door.


Hmpf,
Rainer

[ftpaddict]

Serves you right.

[rparmar]

Ah, look. A very nice priced FA43 in a webshop in Canada.

I hope not the same shop I just used, since their emails say I have not paid (I did over the phone) and they do not reply to the emails I send! More afterwards if they prove to truly be a problem.

(My sig says I have it... but not yet.)