Normal (digital) primes

qksilver · 05-16-2008, 08:05 PM

It looks like we have alot of options for primes in the 30-40mm range. I am guessing the fa 31 ltd is top dog. but what comes second?? da 35ltd? da 40ltd? fa 35? also any thoughts on the upcoming da*30???

k100d · 05-16-2008, 08:17 PM

i don't think there's one top dog
based upon photozone, the DA40 and FA35 are technically very excellent lenses and on user experience, the DA35 is great too. basically choose based upon what you need from the three

macro - da35
small size - da40
speed - fa35

barbosas · 05-17-2008, 03:00 AM

I agree with K100d.

I have the FA35 and I'm very satisfied with it, because of what I've been reading people tend to like more of the DA40 then the FA35, if you don't need the extra speed i think the DA40 is better choice then the FA35...

But that's up to you, i personally prefer the FOV of the 35mm

So many lenses....

Buddha Jones · 05-17-2008, 04:27 AM

I love the DA35, it is a permanent fixture on my camera for the everyday walk around lens. I think it cured my LBA.

q10 · 05-17-2008, 04:38 AM

my disorganized thoughts:

my da40 was my primary lens for a while and i've been playing with my new da35 the last couple of days.

the da40 is a very fun little lens. it's a bit overpriced for its specs, but pretty affordable with good overal performance. the two things that did bothere me were that it was a little longer than i wanted in a normal lens, and that it really wouldn't get me very close at all. the fa31 and fa35 will both get you somewhat better magnification, and of course the da35 is macro.

given the weight of most bodies, the weight difference between the da40 and the da35 or fa35 isn't likely to make much practical difference, but the size difference is more noticeable. with the da40, i've had camera store empoyees who weren't paying attention not realize i had a lens on my camera, whereas with my da35 i can't imagine that happening.

from my brief experience da35 does have some awkward focus behavior - the macroness gives it a little tendency to hunt, while the very short focus throw (for 1:1) makes manual a bit tricky.

one drawback of the da lenses that hasn't been mentioned yet is lack of an aperture ring. i don't know if this is a big deal for you, but i find that, especially on cameras with only one control wheel, an aperture ring is awfully handy.

you may also want to look a little wider - pentax released some manual focus 28s back in the day, and 28 is still in the normal range (in fact, it's pretty close to sensor diagonal) on an APS sensor. third-party lenses are also worth considering - the voigtlander 40mm and the sigma 28mm both seem like interesting options, and if you have too much money for your own good there's zeiss to consider.

i have no thoughts about the da* 30mm, except that i'm as curious as you are.

q10 · 05-17-2008, 04:52 AM

also, if you're buying the da35 for macro, be warned that it's not really a practical choice if you're in the market for a 1:1 lens - at 1:1, you've nearly collided with the target (with the hood fully extended, you've probably actually collided), you're almost certainly casting a troublesome shadow, and things are just generally awkward. i'm not saying there aren't good 1:1 shots taken with this lens, but as a 1:1 lens it makes your life a lot more difficult than a longer one would and most of the time a longer one wouldn't have much of a drawback.

it may sound like i'm trying to run down the lens, but i'm actually okay with this aspect of things. i like close shots, but it's not like a shot that fails to be perfectly 1:1 suddenlty gets awful. the da35, even without the insanity of getting super-close, still gets you a lot closer than most of the competitors in the 28-40 focal length range, and that's all i want: a guarantee that, when i'm leaning in to get my shot, i'll flinch before the optics do.

k100d · 05-17-2008, 08:11 AM

Originally posted by q10

also, if you're buying the da35 for macro, be warned that it's not really a practical choice if you're in the market for a 1:1 lens - at 1:1, you've nearly collided with the target (with the hood fully extended, you've probably actually collided), you're almost certainly casting a troublesome shadow, and things are just generally awkward. i'm not saying there aren't good 1:1 shots taken with this lens, but as a 1:1 lens it makes your life a lot more difficult than a longer one would and most of the time a longer one wouldn't have much of a drawback.

that's a very good point, it's not very useful for 1:1 shots, but it does give you the ability to get in close whenever you need it

05-16-2008, 08:05 PM	#1
qksilver Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northern Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 131	Normal (digital) primes It looks like we have alot of options for primes in the 30-40mm range. I am guessing the fa 31 ltd is top dog. but what comes second?? da 35ltd? da 40ltd? fa 35? also any thoughts on the upcoming da*30???

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05-16-2008, 08:17 PM	#2
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	i don't think there's one top dog based upon photozone, the DA40 and FA35 are technically very excellent lenses and on user experience, the DA35 is great too. basically choose based upon what you need from the three macro - da35 small size - da40 speed - fa35

05-17-2008, 03:00 AM	#3
barbosas Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Lisbon Photos: Gallery Posts: 683	I agree with K100d. I have the FA35 and I'm very satisfied with it, because of what I've been reading people tend to like more of the DA40 then the FA35, if you don't need the extra speed i think the DA40 is better choice then the FA35... But that's up to you, i personally prefer the FOV of the 35mm So many lenses....

05-17-2008, 04:27 AM	#4
Buddha Jones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Charlotte, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,587	I love the DA35, it is a permanent fixture on my camera for the everyday walk around lens. I think it cured my LBA.

05-17-2008, 04:38 AM	#5
q10 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 32	my disorganized thoughts: my da40 was my primary lens for a while and i've been playing with my new da35 the last couple of days. the da40 is a very fun little lens. it's a bit overpriced for its specs, but pretty affordable with good overal performance. the two things that did bothere me were that it was a little longer than i wanted in a normal lens, and that it really wouldn't get me very close at all. the fa31 and fa35 will both get you somewhat better magnification, and of course the da35 is macro. given the weight of most bodies, the weight difference between the da40 and the da35 or fa35 isn't likely to make much practical difference, but the size difference is more noticeable. with the da40, i've had camera store empoyees who weren't paying attention not realize i had a lens on my camera, whereas with my da35 i can't imagine that happening. from my brief experience da35 does have some awkward focus behavior - the macroness gives it a little tendency to hunt, while the very short focus throw (for 1:1) makes manual a bit tricky. one drawback of the da lenses that hasn't been mentioned yet is lack of an aperture ring. i don't know if this is a big deal for you, but i find that, especially on cameras with only one control wheel, an aperture ring is awfully handy. you may also want to look a little wider - pentax released some manual focus 28s back in the day, and 28 is still in the normal range (in fact, it's pretty close to sensor diagonal) on an APS sensor. third-party lenses are also worth considering - the voigtlander 40mm and the sigma 28mm both seem like interesting options, and if you have too much money for your own good there's zeiss to consider. i have no thoughts about the da* 30mm, except that i'm as curious as you are.

05-17-2008, 04:52 AM	#6
q10 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 32	also, if you're buying the da35 for macro, be warned that it's not really a practical choice if you're in the market for a 1:1 lens - at 1:1, you've nearly collided with the target (with the hood fully extended, you've probably actually collided), you're almost certainly casting a troublesome shadow, and things are just generally awkward. i'm not saying there aren't good 1:1 shots taken with this lens, but as a 1:1 lens it makes your life a lot more difficult than a longer one would and most of the time a longer one wouldn't have much of a drawback. it may sound like i'm trying to run down the lens, but i'm actually okay with this aspect of things. i like close shots, but it's not like a shot that fails to be perfectly 1:1 suddenlty gets awful. the da35, even without the insanity of getting super-close, still gets you a lot closer than most of the competitors in the 28-40 focal length range, and that's all i want: a guarantee that, when i'm leaning in to get my shot, i'll flinch before the optics do.

05-17-2008, 08:11 AM	#7
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	Originally posted by q10 also, if you're buying the da35 for macro, be warned that it's not really a practical choice if you're in the market for a 1:1 lens - at 1:1, you've nearly collided with the target (with the hood fully extended, you've probably actually collided), you're almost certainly casting a troublesome shadow, and things are just generally awkward. i'm not saying there aren't good 1:1 shots taken with this lens, but as a 1:1 lens it makes your life a lot more difficult than a longer one would and most of the time a longer one wouldn't have much of a drawback. that's a very good point, it's not very useful for 1:1 shots, but it does give you the ability to get in close whenever you need it