Originally posted by krebsy75 In the US I believe a fair price for a mint FA 31 is <$900.
The problem with the FA 31 is that it represents a normal focal length on APS-C. In other words, it renders a rather boring perspective. If someone really wants the Limited look and feel the 20-40 is a nice alternative. Sure, it's not quite an FA 31 but having the convenience to zoom a little in either direction makes it more usable. That's the direction I recently went.
I really don't think this is an accurate assessment of the 31. Boring is completely subjective. The 31 is quite probably the most desired lens in the Pentax line-up. This wouldn't be the case if the FL was inherently boring. You can certainly say that you prefer that FL on film or FF, but as someone who has only ever used it on aps-c, I find it to be quite desirable in that format as well.
Then there is all that makes the 31 so uniquely wonderful. That's been discussed here ad-nauseam, so I won't go into it again, but most of us know what a jewel it is.
I too had a 20-40, and while I would agree that it's a very fine lens (and probably the only Pentax lens that's sexier to look
at than the 31), it just never earned a place in my bag like the 31 has. Frustratingly short range for a zoom, not as speedy, bokeh is quite decent, but not as special as any of the FA Ltds., and rendering is more like the DA Ltds, which appeals to many, but I greatly prefer the FA's. The variable speed thing really annoyed me more than I thought it would, too. The only really good use I found for it during the time that I had it was Christmas in my mother-in-law's rather small house. I still had to use a flash, which I prefer not to do, but the range and IQ were quite sufficient for holiday pics in that rather limited environment. Since weather-resistance also means very little to me, I sold it. If I'm going to use a zoom, I'd rather have something with some actual range to it like my Sigma 24-70, which also happens to be a constant f/2.8.
Sorry to hijack the thread, but my original point (yes, I had one) was that this gentleman is not having trouble selling his 31 because of a perceived short-coming of the lens. It's strictly a price/shipping area thing.