[zoonoo]

Hi, everyone.

I live in Seattle - famous for terrible rain - I have a K-5 and really wanna get FA43 / 1.9, but due to the weather, I can not decide whether to buy FA 43 or DA*55. (as you know, DA*55 is water resistance). So If I get FA 43, Should I avoid rain when shooting or Is it OK on just light rain? if I cover my camera with something, is there no problem? Which one do you think is better for me? Please help me out~

[ramseybuckeye]

Think about Rain Sleeves

[TOUGEFC]

Get the DA*55, I have both and can safely say that IMO its the better lens, plus weather sealed

[MegaPower]

I will get the one with WR and not risking the FA43.

[legacyb4]

Agreed; no way would I ever risk my 43 shooting in the rain. I'll do it without thinking with my DA* 50-135 & DA* 200 and likewise with any other DA* lens down the road though.

[LennyBloke]

The DA* 55mm f1.4 has the advantages of a faster maximum aperture, weather-proofing, aero bright coating and a circular diaphram. It is supposedly designed by the legendary Pentax lens designer Jun Hirakawa who has been responsible for some of the best optics ever produced (including the FA*85, FA*80-200, FA* 24 and the FA Limited 43 of course).

If you shoot portraits (formal or candid) then you'll find this one hard to beat, yet its focal length is still short enough to make it a great all-rounder.

[Rondec]

The DA* 55mm f1.4 has the advantages of a faster maximum aperture, weather-proofing, aero bright coating and a circular diaphram. It is supposedly designed by the legendary Pentax lens designer Jun Hirakawa who has been responsible for some of the best optics ever produced (including the FA*85, FA*80-200, FA* 24 and the FA Limited 43 of course).

If you shoot portraits (formal or candid) then you'll find this one hard to beat, yet its focal length is still short enough to make it a great all-rounder.

The lens hood also is generous enough to shield the front element from rain pretty well too. I would second (or third?) the idea of the DA *55.

[yusuf]

DA55 would be a better choice then.

[SpecialK]

This was only a drizzle, not a downpour...I did not have a towel, so I just covered the zoom rings (55-300, I think) with my hand. I did dump a bit of water off the brim of my hat when I looked down, without any adverse effect :-)

[zoonoo]

Finally, There may be no other choice to me as long as I live in Seattle.

Thanks a lot.

Have a nice day.

[Lowell Goudge]

You should consider, in my opinion, proper rain protection. I shoot outside in all weather but protect the camera from direct rain as much as possible, WR to me is insurance when primary protection fails, it is not, in itself primary protection.

While WR might be good, it is not perfect. Just go back to the introduction of WR to find all the posts where people shot outside in the rain all day only to come home and find their camera fogged up, not working, or the one fool(sorry no other way to state it) who complained his K7 stopped working after the 50th time he washed it in the kitchen sink

WR is weather resistant, NOT waterproof

[Lloydy]

Camo-Mac Waterproof Camera Covers

Good kit.