If you could have but one Limited............

**miltona580** · 03-14-2014, 07:00 AM

I think i would chose the FA 43 Limited. I got it last of the three FA limiteds. While the 77 is almost absolutely perfect, and the 31's bokeh is the best I've ever seen, the focal length of the 43 is what really does it for me. It has rendering that is truly great, and its micro-contrast is very good. It's not as good as the 31, but at least for what I shoot, its focal length is better for me. I have both the DA 40 Limited (I found it for an insane price and could not resist) and the FA 43 Limited, and the 40 does not compare.

beeldmark · 03-14-2014, 08:55 AM

From the lenses I know: the DA 40mm f2.8. It is sharp, and has lots of contrast, and in such a small package. So that will be my vote.

I have the 21, the 35 and the 70 as well, and like them a lot as well.
the 21 is my latest acquisition, I think a bit less sharp than my 12-24 at 21mm, but the images have charm, character.
the 35mm was my first limited. I like it for macro and close up. It is too sharp for portraits, and I often miss focus at medium distances...
the 70mm: some of my best pictures are made with this lens, but, how to say it, I somehow, I miss something. It's technical perfect, but...I don't know.

Of the lenses I don't know: the 15 makes me curious, but the FA43 and 77 make me ache for it... especially when hearing people that owned the 40 or 70, as their favorite, then bought the 43 or 77 and never looked back...

ChristianRock · 03-14-2014, 02:42 PM

Originally posted by retroflex

Hmm... I counted to 5.

I did not count the following votes because I didn't think they were clear. I prefer to wait for the people that said "This one or that one, probably this one, but I dunno..." to give a definite answer...

icywindow - the post doesn't make a definite choice, correct me if I'm wrong
bdery - chose 2 lenses, so I can't count the vote
KDAFA - chose 2 lenses also.

1r0nh31d3 went back and changed his post, it wasn't a definite choice earlier - so now it's been counted.
slipdm16 also clarified his vote (see below) - the previous post did not make a definite choice. Just said you favored the 43 for portraits and indoor but were currently playing with the 15.

Originally posted by slipdm16

I also voted for the 43 BTW

Not sure I could swap out the 43 for the Helios (I also own the 44K-4) although the bokeh is all it's own...

Thanks for clarifying, your vote will be counted in the next time I do the totals. I'll let the weekend people come and vote first, though

Jonathan Mac · 03-14-2014, 03:07 PM

DA 35 macro, due to the incredible IQ and versatility.

yorik · 03-14-2014, 10:54 PM

77... No question, but I would miss the 43 a lot, more than I would miss the 31. They all render beautifully, albeit differently, so it comes down to focal length. And I prefer tele to wide.

siamthai · 03-15-2014, 03:17 AM

Earlier I wrote I'd choose FA77 but thats only because I want to be prepared for Pentax FF. As for now I have K-5 and therefore I have the 70mm. In fact DA70mm is even better than the FA77mm in many ways. So... as long as I have a Pentax APC I'll keep my 70mm :-)

GoremanX · 03-15-2014, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by siamthai

Earlier I wrote I'd choose FA77 but thats only because I want to be prepared for Pentax FF. As for now I have K-5 and therefore I have the 70mm. In fact DA70mm is even better than the FA77mm in many ways. So... as long as I have a Pentax APC I'll keep my 70mm :-)

Seriously... that green/purple fringing on the 77mm at large apertures is something awful. The 70mm has it outclassed in almost every way with the exception of max aperture, and the green/purple fringing on the 77mm doesn't get much better until F4 anyways.

Last edited by GoremanX; 03-15-2014 at 10:07 AM.

Eyewanders · 03-15-2014, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by GoremanX

Seriously... that green/purple fringing on the 77mm at large apertures is something awful. The 70mm has it outclassed in almost every way with the exception of max aperture, and the green/purple fringing on the 77mm doesn't get much better until F4 anyways.

I don't find that to be any sort of problem and much prefer the overall rendering and magic (it's subjective and elusively spoken about of course) of the 77. The fringing in much much less on film, and if you're using it on APSC it's literally a single slider adjustment in post to all but get rid of it entirely.

This OP is horrible question. I have all three, but when I leave the house, whether film or digital in tow, I nearly always leave with two lenses - the 31 and and the 77. The combination is just perfect for nearly anything I may want to shoot. If I had to choose one, well, I think I'd use my Lifeline™ and call my mom.

GoremanX · 03-15-2014, 12:19 PM

Originally posted by chickentender

The fringing in much much less on film, and if you're using it on APSC it's literally a single slider adjustment in post to all but get rid of it entirely.

Actually for me it's usually 4 sliders, especially when I'm using it wider than F2.8. And it's not really "simple" at all, since those sliders can also affect the greens and purples elsewhere in the picture if I'm not careful. It's always a careful manual edit.

Also, those sliders have only existed since Lightroom 4.1 (mid 2012). Before that, there was no simple way to get rid of axial fringing short of tedious manual editing in Photoshop. No RAW image processor could get rid of it automatically. The only automatic tools available were for lateral fringing. That's still true today for most RAW image processors.

By far, the 77mm is the worst offender I've ever used when it comes to axial fringing. Worse even than the Samyang 85mm F1.4 I used to have. And my 70mm Limited doesn't suffer from it at all.

Eyewanders · 03-15-2014, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by GoremanX

Actually for me it's usually 4 sliders, especially when I'm using it wider than F2.8. And it's not really "simple" at all, since those sliders can also affect the greens and purples elsewhere in the picture if I'm not careful. It's always a careful manual edit.

Also, those sliders have only existed since Lightroom 4.1 (mid 2012). Before that, there was no simple way to get rid of axial fringing short of tedious manual editing in Photoshop. No RAW image processor could get rid of it automatically. The only automatic tools available were for lateral fringing. That's still true today for most RAW image processors.

By far, the 77mm is the worst offender I've ever used when it comes to axial fringing. Worse even than the Samyang 85mm F1.4 I used to have. And my 70mm Limited doesn't suffer from it at all.

Absolutely agreed, but I assume no one is going to be using the 77mm in the past.

LFLee · 03-15-2014, 01:15 PM

prefer longer focal length. 77 ltd it is.
FA*85 if I have to choose 1 lens, but it is not limited.

zmohie · 03-15-2014, 02:00 PM

FA 31 .It is the reason why I am here.

northcoastgreg · 03-15-2014, 02:07 PM

I only own one limited, so this would be a pretty easy choice: the DA 15. I have other glass in the ranges of the other limiteds that I'm satisfied with. Not so in the range of the DA 15.

GoremanX · 03-15-2014, 03:55 PM

Originally posted by chickentender

Absolutely agreed, but I assume no one is going to be using the 77mm in the past.

But what about people who don't use Adobe software?

**jeffshaddix** · 03-15-2014, 08:26 PM

Originally posted by GoremanX

Actually for me it's usually 4 sliders, especially when I'm using it wider than F2.8. And it's not really "simple" at all, since those sliders can also affect the greens and purples elsewhere in the picture if I'm not careful. It's always a careful manual edit.

Also, those sliders have only existed since Lightroom 4.1 (mid 2012). Before that, there was no simple way to get rid of axial fringing short of tedious manual editing in Photoshop. No RAW image processor could get rid of it automatically. The only automatic tools available were for lateral fringing. That's still true today for most RAW image processors.

By far, the 77mm is the worst offender I've ever used when it comes to axial fringing. Worse even than the Samyang 85mm F1.4 I used to have. And my 70mm Limited doesn't suffer from it at all.

Meh, the fringing isn't bad for portraits with good lighting, and if I'm using the lens to shoot metallic highlights or choppy water in the sun, I'm usually stopping down to f/4 or more - no problems there.

The exceptional rendering makes the fringing moot for my uses. I haven't used the DA70, but I do enjoy the wide aperture of the 77.

As for the LR processing, it works well enough 50% of the time, but it's better to avoid it in the first place. As you say, the image processing isn't magical - it can screw up purple and green tones in the rest of the image. If I need a good lens against fringing, I use a pre-SMC takumar like my auto-tak 55.

03-15-2014, 08:26 PM	#90
jeffshaddix Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,473	Originally posted by GoremanX Actually for me it's usually 4 sliders, especially when I'm using it wider than F2.8. And it's not really "simple" at all, since those sliders can also affect the greens and purples elsewhere in the picture if I'm not careful. It's always a careful manual edit. Also, those sliders have only existed since Lightroom 4.1 (mid 2012). Before that, there was no simple way to get rid of axial fringing short of tedious manual editing in Photoshop. No RAW image processor could get rid of it automatically. The only automatic tools available were for lateral fringing. That's still true today for most RAW image processors. By far, the 77mm is the worst offender I've ever used when it comes to axial fringing. Worse even than the Samyang 85mm F1.4 I used to have. And my 70mm Limited doesn't suffer from it at all. Meh, the fringing isn't bad for portraits with good lighting, and if I'm using the lens to shoot metallic highlights or choppy water in the sun, I'm usually stopping down to f/4 or more - no problems there. The exceptional rendering makes the fringing moot for my uses. I haven't used the DA70, but I do enjoy the wide aperture of the 77. As for the LR processing, it works well enough 50% of the time, but it's better to avoid it in the first place. As you say, the image processing isn't magical - it can screw up purple and green tones in the rest of the image. If I need a good lens against fringing, I use a pre-SMC takumar like my auto-tak 55. Last edited by jeffshaddix; 03-15-2014 at 08:53 PM.

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03-14-2014, 07:00 AM	#76
miltona580 Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 309	I think i would chose the FA 43 Limited. I got it last of the three FA limiteds. While the 77 is almost absolutely perfect, and the 31's bokeh is the best I've ever seen, the focal length of the 43 is what really does it for me. It has rendering that is truly great, and its micro-contrast is very good. It's not as good as the 31, but at least for what I shoot, its focal length is better for me. I have both the DA 40 Limited (I found it for an insane price and could not resist) and the FA 43 Limited, and the 40 does not compare.

03-14-2014, 08:55 AM	#77
beeldmark Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 100	From the lenses I know: the DA 40mm f2.8. It is sharp, and has lots of contrast, and in such a small package. So that will be my vote. I have the 21, the 35 and the 70 as well, and like them a lot as well. the 21 is my latest acquisition, I think a bit less sharp than my 12-24 at 21mm, but the images have charm, character. the 35mm was my first limited. I like it for macro and close up. It is too sharp for portraits, and I often miss focus at medium distances... the 70mm: some of my best pictures are made with this lens, but, how to say it, I somehow, I miss something. It's technical perfect, but...I don't know. Of the lenses I don't know: the 15 makes me curious, but the FA43 and 77 make me ache for it... especially when hearing people that owned the 40 or 70, as their favorite, then bought the 43 or 77 and never looked back...

03-14-2014, 02:42 PM	#78
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	Originally posted by retroflex Hmm... I counted to 5. I did not count the following votes because I didn't think they were clear. I prefer to wait for the people that said "This one or that one, probably this one, but I dunno..." to give a definite answer... icywindow - the post doesn't make a definite choice, correct me if I'm wrong bdery - chose 2 lenses, so I can't count the vote KDAFA - chose 2 lenses also. 1r0nh31d3 went back and changed his post, it wasn't a definite choice earlier - so now it's been counted. slipdm16 also clarified his vote (see below) - the previous post did not make a definite choice. Just said you favored the 43 for portraits and indoor but were currently playing with the 15. Originally posted by slipdm16 I also voted for the 43 BTW Not sure I could swap out the 43 for the Helios (I also own the 44K-4) although the bokeh is all it's own... Thanks for clarifying, your vote will be counted in the next time I do the totals. I'll let the weekend people come and vote first, though

03-14-2014, 03:07 PM	#79
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,897	DA 35 macro, due to the incredible IQ and versatility.

03-14-2014, 10:54 PM	#80
yorik Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Scotts Valley, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 991	77... No question, but I would miss the 43 a lot, more than I would miss the 31. They all render beautifully, albeit differently, so it comes down to focal length. And I prefer tele to wide.

03-15-2014, 03:17 AM	#81
siamthai Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Svealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 172	Earlier I wrote I'd choose FA77 but thats only because I want to be prepared for Pentax FF. As for now I have K-5 and therefore I have the 70mm. In fact DA70mm is even better than the FA77mm in many ways. So... as long as I have a Pentax APC I'll keep my 70mm :-)

03-15-2014, 09:52 AM	#82
GoremanX Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Georgia, VT Photos: Albums Posts: 1,657	Originally posted by siamthai Earlier I wrote I'd choose FA77 but thats only because I want to be prepared for Pentax FF. As for now I have K-5 and therefore I have the 70mm. In fact DA70mm is even better than the FA77mm in many ways. So... as long as I have a Pentax APC I'll keep my 70mm :-) Seriously... that green/purple fringing on the 77mm at large apertures is something awful. The 70mm has it outclassed in almost every way with the exception of max aperture, and the green/purple fringing on the 77mm doesn't get much better until F4 anyways. Last edited by GoremanX; 03-15-2014 at 10:07 AM.

03-15-2014, 10:50 AM	#83
Eyewanders Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Land of the Salish Sea Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,343	Originally posted by GoremanX Seriously... that green/purple fringing on the 77mm at large apertures is something awful. The 70mm has it outclassed in almost every way with the exception of max aperture, and the green/purple fringing on the 77mm doesn't get much better until F4 anyways. I don't find that to be any sort of problem and much prefer the overall rendering and magic (it's subjective and elusively spoken about of course) of the 77. The fringing in much much less on film, and if you're using it on APSC it's literally a single slider adjustment in post to all but get rid of it entirely. This OP is horrible question. I have all three, but when I leave the house, whether film or digital in tow, I nearly always leave with two lenses - the 31 and and the 77. The combination is just perfect for nearly anything I may want to shoot. If I had to choose one, well, I think I'd use my Lifeline™ and call my mom.

03-15-2014, 12:19 PM	#84
GoremanX Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Georgia, VT Photos: Albums Posts: 1,657	Originally posted by chickentender The fringing in much much less on film, and if you're using it on APSC it's literally a single slider adjustment in post to all but get rid of it entirely. Actually for me it's usually 4 sliders, especially when I'm using it wider than F2.8. And it's not really "simple" at all, since those sliders can also affect the greens and purples elsewhere in the picture if I'm not careful. It's always a careful manual edit. Also, those sliders have only existed since Lightroom 4.1 (mid 2012). Before that, there was no simple way to get rid of axial fringing short of tedious manual editing in Photoshop. No RAW image processor could get rid of it automatically. The only automatic tools available were for lateral fringing. That's still true today for most RAW image processors. By far, the 77mm is the worst offender I've ever used when it comes to axial fringing. Worse even than the Samyang 85mm F1.4 I used to have. And my 70mm Limited doesn't suffer from it at all.

03-15-2014, 01:06 PM	#85
Eyewanders Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Land of the Salish Sea Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,343	Originally posted by GoremanX Actually for me it's usually 4 sliders, especially when I'm using it wider than F2.8. And it's not really "simple" at all, since those sliders can also affect the greens and purples elsewhere in the picture if I'm not careful. It's always a careful manual edit. Also, those sliders have only existed since Lightroom 4.1 (mid 2012). Before that, there was no simple way to get rid of axial fringing short of tedious manual editing in Photoshop. No RAW image processor could get rid of it automatically. The only automatic tools available were for lateral fringing. That's still true today for most RAW image processors. By far, the 77mm is the worst offender I've ever used when it comes to axial fringing. Worse even than the Samyang 85mm F1.4 I used to have. And my 70mm Limited doesn't suffer from it at all. Absolutely agreed, but I assume no one is going to be using the 77mm in the past.

03-15-2014, 01:15 PM	#86
LFLee Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,292	prefer longer focal length. 77 ltd it is. FA*85 if I have to choose 1 lens, but it is not limited.

03-15-2014, 02:00 PM	#87
zmohie Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: egypt Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 435	FA 31 .It is the reason why I am here.

03-15-2014, 02:07 PM	#88
northcoastgreg Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Northern Michigan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,173	I only own one limited, so this would be a pretty easy choice: the DA 15. I have other glass in the ranges of the other limiteds that I'm satisfied with. Not so in the range of the DA 15.

03-15-2014, 03:55 PM	#89
GoremanX Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Georgia, VT Photos: Albums Posts: 1,657	Originally posted by chickentender Absolutely agreed, but I assume no one is going to be using the 77mm in the past. But what about people who don't use Adobe software?