[pinholecam]

The FA77ltd is unique to Pentax.
Small and portable, so it gets used often and very often produces that 'pop' in a photo in the right conditions.












The FA*85 is nice as well (and I would expect the Sigma to be close)





As you can see, I posted 3 shots from the 77ltd and one from the FA*85/1.4.
Why?
Because I take the FA77ltd out more often because of the size.
The FA* ends up to be a specialist lens that I'd use only if I have the specific objective of people portraits and going out for the day for that specific task.
The Sigma, I believe will be the same since its as big.
YMMV

No wrong choice, just the matter of preference and usage,

[lesmore49]

You've got me salivating, Apapukas.

I ordered a DA 70 last week and can't wait for it to arrive. :-)

You'll be happy with the DA 70, I had one for about 2 years....it's a wonderful lens.

[Parallax]

Which was pretty much my point. If purchase price is the only index of value then it is indeed an easy decision..................

You left out of your quote the "especially when the better AF and CA control was factored in." part of my post (I'm sure that was just an oversight on your part) which clearly points out that price wasn't my only consideration. So should opinions not be posted?. Only "XYZ lens is the best ever, and that's a proven fact" type of claims should be made here? Well, okay, go ahead if you want. You have a 77 and it's better than the 70. Enjoy your lens as I enjoy my 70.

.............the DA70 is demonstrably cheaper, so by definition the FA77 isn't worth it.

Of course we all know the opposite is in fact true. The FA77 is more expensive, so by definition it's better and the only one worth having.

[hcc]

Coming back to the OP and being in a similar situation a few month ago, I would add a few points:

-The Sigma is quite heavy. Compared to most Pentax primes, it is very heavy and you may feel that your system (camera+ lens) is un-balanced - I would recommend to try in store the Sigma on your camera to see how you feel

-The FA77mm f1.8 Ltd is a legendary lens - It has been quoted as The Best (Autofocus) Lenses Money Can Buy across all lenses including Nikon, Leica, Voigtlander, ... (sm-02-05-02)

-There are some excellent copies of the FA77mm Ltd on the second hand market, incl. PF marketplace between US$600 and US$700 - Use a reputed seller and you can get a good bargain IMHO

In my case, I went for the FA77mm Ltd because of the weight. I do not regret my decision because I love the IQ of the FA77mm.

Hope that the comment may help.

[schnitzer79]

Coming back to the OP and being in a similar situation a few month ago, I would add a few points:

-The Sigma is quite heavy. Compared to most Pentax primes, it is very heavy and you may feel that your system (camera+ lens) is un-balanced - I would recommend to try in store the Sigma on your camera to see how you feel

-The FA77mm f1.8 Ltd is a legendary lens - It has been quoted as The Best (Autofocus) Lenses Money Can Buy across all lenses including Nikon, Leica, Voigtlander, ... (sm-02-05-02)

-There are some excellent copies of the FA77mm Ltd on the second hand market, incl. PF marketplace between US$600 and US$700 - Use a reputed seller and you can get a good bargain IMHO

In my case, I went for the FA77mm Ltd because of the weight. I do not regret my decision because I love the IQ of the FA77mm.

Hope that the comment may help.

its either the 77mm or the sigma since the lens will be used 95% of the time for portraits. i am leaning towards the 77mm a little bit more but i want to make sure i make the right choice since its quite a steep price. the DA 70mm is a nice lens which can be had for much less but if comparing both wide open for portraiture the 77mm wins hands down...and then again the 77mm is 1.5-2x the price. might wait until summer when im on holiday. might land a good deal...

[noelpolar]

its either the 77mm or the sigma since the lens will be used 95% of the time for portraits. i am leaning towards the 77mm a little bit more but i want to make sure i make the right choice since its quite a steep price. the DA 70mm is a nice lens which can be had for much less but if comparing both wide open for portraiture the 77mm wins hands down...and then again the 77mm is 1.5-2x the price. might wait until summer when im on holiday. might land a good deal...

I've recently got a 77 and don't regret it for a second. It does what everyone says it does....... and price has truly been forgotten now.....

[schnitzer79]

ok guys.ive been searching again in order to conclude somewhere as far as a portrait lens goes.
weight is not an issue anymore and neither is autofocus thats why i included in my options the samyang 85mm f1.4. can be had quite cheap as well.
how easy is it to manual focus at apertures f1.4-2 with the samyang?
is it a worthy contender? will i still want the fa77mm if i get the samyang?
i know a lot of people that sold their da 70mm in order to get the samyang and never regretted it and that made me think a little....

[mano]

ok guys.ive been searching again in order to conclude somewhere as far as a portrait lens goes.
weight is not an issue anymore and neither is autofocus thats why i included in my options the samyang 85mm f1.4. can be had quite cheap as well.
how easy is it to manual focus at apertures f1.4-2 with the samyang?
is it a worthy contender? will i still want the fa77mm if i get the samyang?
i know a lot of people that sold their da 70mm in order to get the samyang and never regretted it and that made me think a little....

I got the Samyang second hand a while ago when I already had the 77. I ended up selling the Samyang again. It's a good lens but apart from being faster I saw no point where it was better than the Pentax and when I was choosing which lens to pack it's size usually made me leave it behind.

On the other hand, I think the worth of a lens to a photographer is a matter of individual taste. When I was taking the plunge into the deep end of the LBA pool I was not sure if I should go for the DA 40 or FA 43, so I checked the numerous examples on this forum and other sources and found the FA's pictures much more to my liking. I got a second hand FA 43 for a good price and never regretted my choice.

If money is not an issue, I would browse the samples and see what looks better to me. If you are still unsure whether you should spend so much on the 77, I would consider getting a (maybe second hand) Samyang. The lens is good, but if the FA still looks interesting later, you could sell it with little loss and get the limited.

[disco_owner]

Schnitzer , which version of Sigma 24-70 do you own ? I have a copy of the close focussing variant and it is quite a capable lens ? I have taken many shots at 70mm even wide open using a metz for fill flash and the images had a lot of pop ;-)

[schnitzer79]

Schnitzer , which version of Sigma 24-70 do you own ? I have a copy of the close focussing variant and it is quite a capable lens ? I have taken many shots at 70mm even wide open using a metz for fill flash and the images had a lot of pop ;-)

this is the sigma that i have Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG Macro Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

indeed it is very capable at 70mm and f2.4 thats why ive been skeptical about the da70mm... the sigma is 3 times the size and weight however

[schnitzer79]

edited the title of the thread to include the samyang as im between the pentax and the samyang now and i really need your help.
i know if funds werent a problem i would go for the 77mm. heres the situation :
pentax 77mm used - $730
samyang 85mm new - $337

i did buy the da 15mm ltd recently and I havent recovered fully from that economic hit
the lens i will buy will be strictly used for portraits and 80-90% of the time in a controlled environment i.e. no sports, or action shots etc etc where MF will be a struggle.
pentax is more than twice the price used,so what would you guys do if you were in my shoes?

[sam-joseph]

Buy the Samyang. It's supposed to be very good, and fast. And the price is fantastic compared to the others.
I'll be saving up for one this year, when the dust settles after my recent DA 55-300 and Sigma 10-20 purchases.
Just do it. Now.

Regards

[lguckert79]

I was looking at simular lenses when I got my taxes but I was looking at the tamron 70-200 or the sigma 85 or the samyang 85 so I went with the tamron and love it but still want one of the 85's so I am saving up for the samyang at this point but like i said I love that tamron and am so glade I got it so you may want to concider that one also.

[kswong_00]

If price is not a big issue, always buy the top quality lens first appear in your mind. Otherwise you will always wondering whether to get that particular lens if you go for a cheaper option in the first place. FA77 is really superb imho and it's superior than my tamron 28-75 zoom lens for portrait shot.

[Winder]

looking for a short telephoto lens,basically a fast portrait lens and im considering one of these two. My A-50mm f1.4 is a bit on the short side and my sigma 24-70 f2.8 even though its a great lens, doesnt make my portraits really pop.
so im considering either the fa77mm or the sigma 85mm. ive also considered briefly the DA70mm but not sure since theres 1-1.5 stops difference than the other two.
anyone who has tried both the 77mm and the sigma 85mm? the sigma is 80-90 bucks cheaper by the way (both new).

the samyang 85mm is f1.4 is out of the equation. definitely want AF otherwise it wouldve been my 1st choice

I usually do a search on Flickr to compare lenses when I'm looking around.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/1619491@N24/ 85mm Sigma
https://www.flickr.com/groups/84263201@N00/ 77mm Pentax