[shaolen]

I'm thinking about getting large aperture primes. One normal-ish and one longer. I can't decide between these two pairs. DA*55mm 1.4 and FA85mm 1.4 or FA43mm 1.9 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited. What do you guys think. Looking for personal opinions. Weighing the balance of each pair

[UncleVanya]

I don't own any of those, however I have the A*85 1.4 and my Dad has a DA 70. I have several M or A 50mm lenses as well.

To me 55mm seems too long to be a normal lens substitute on APSC. The DA 70 is great for portrait work, as is my 85, but you need more working distance with the 85 which may be an issue.

I would consider the FA 31 and the DA 55 as an option. Alternately the 31 and FA 77 combo. If the 31 does not appeal then the 43 and 77 or 43 and 85. The 55 seems just a bit too long to be the normal lens end of your combo.

[Driline]

If it were me starting over, I'd get the FA 31 and FA 77 for sure. Anything more is icing on the cake. I've got the FA 31 and it's a great "normalish" focal length. The only reason I don't have the 77 is that I've already got that focal length in my DA*50-135 zoom.

[savoche]

What are your intended use? If for portraits I would probably choose the 55 over the 43. What kind of working you have would pretty much settle it between the 77 and the 85.

If for "general use" I would prefer wider rather than longer. I like my FA43 + FA28 + DA15 combo for outdoor use, and FA43 + DA21 for indoor use - as well as the DA70 if there's enough working space. (28 and 70 in my case because I have neither the 31 nor the 77.)

[formercanuck]

As Savoche mentioned - what are you going to be using the large aperture primes for ?

Portraits ? Groups ? Landscapes ? General ?

31mm (IMHO) is a great FL on APS-C for typical pictures. I have a cheap 28mm Sigma that I get a LOT of use on because of the FL.
When you get up ~43-55 you're getting into body shots, and the 77-85mm - headshots in portraits.

Don't get me wrong, I have a Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 - and its a great lens ( a little heavy), but its main use is portraits, of which I don't do a whole lot of.
There are some good outdoor uses for it (indoor as well, esp in low light), it can get a little difficult with a min focus distance though.

If it was me - I'd have the following options:
Low end: Plastic Fantastic - DA 35mm f/2.4 and maybe DA 50mm f/1.8 ( effective normal + short tele)
or
Low end: Plastic Fantastic - DA 35mm f/2.4 and maybe Rokinon 85mm f/1.4

Expensive end - hit up the 'limiteds'
DA 31mm ltd + DA* 55mm f/1.4 SDM
DA 31mm ltd + DA 71mm ltd

[emalvick]

I have the 43 mm and 77 mm combination. I'm not sure there is really a right answer, and I'm not sure why you might hold yourself to the specific pairs mentioned. As much as I like the 43 mm, it isn't wide enough. I don't shoot in that 30 mm range often enough (nor own the FA31) to say whether you'd be better with that lens, but I do know that the DA21mm is quite useful. If someone told me I had to limit my bag to two primes, I'd probably choose the 15mm or 21mm and the 43mm. I wouldn't bother with the 77mm even though it is great for what it does. I love the 43 mm too much to skip it.

[formercanuck]

I haven't had anything wider than the 18mm on my 18-55mm / 18-200mm lenses, but I would tend to agree with you there - I have even found my 28mm to be not wide enough, and have been thinking about getting a 15mm Rokinon. Of course, if Shaolen is planning to do a lot of portrait/studio work, 43-85mm range would pretty good, possibly a bit long.

[shaolen]

oh ok so I guess ill clear this up a bit. I di appreciate everyone's thoughts though. The reason I decided with those two pairs was because I had in mind a two body kit. One would be a Fujifilm x-t1 covering the wider end with the Zeiss 12mm 2.8 and the 23mm 1.4. And then the K-3 (or maybe even the K-01) with either of the two pairs mentioned to cover the mid-long end. 43+77 being slightly wider and 55+85 being slightly longer. What do you guys think?

[hcc]

You already got some good advice. Let me add a few comments.

You need to consider your full lens road-map. You already have the DA40mm and this will influence my suggestions, assuming that you will keep the DA40mm. I see three options:

DA*55mm 1.4 and FA85mm 1.4
FA43mm 1.9 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited
FA31mm 1.8 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited

DA*55mm 1.4 and FA85mm 1.4
Pros: complement nicely your 40 mm - excellent lenses with outstanding IQ
Cons: no wide angle lens in the line up - bulk of DA*55mm (and to some extent FA*85mm) - FA*85mm available 2nd hand only and expensive

FA43mm 1.9 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited
Pros: excellent lenses with outstanding IQ - small compact lenses
Cons: no wide angle lens in the line up - overlap between DA40mm Ltd and FA43mm ltd

FA31mm 1.8 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited

Pros: excellent lenses with outstanding IQ - small compact lenses- complement nicely your 40 mm -
Cons: not much in my opinion

To sum up, you are considering excellent lenses and you cannot be disappointed by their IQ. But the FA43mm selection is no consistent and would overlap with your DA40mm Ltd (a great lens in its own rights). I think that the selection of FA31mm/FA77mm makes more sense because it gives your a better breadth of focal range.

But, why do you seek some large aperture lens? Do you want to shoot in low light or simply after shallow DOF? For low light and very low light, you may consider other lenses, incl. MF lenses. The Voigtlander lens series and Carl Zeiss lens series offer some incredible option, if you are willing to go MF.

I hope that the comment may help.

[UncleVanya]

oh ok so I guess ill clear this up a bit. I di appreciate everyone's thoughts though. The reason I decided with those two pairs was because I had in mind a two body kit. One would be a Fujifilm x-t1 covering the wider end with the Zeiss 12mm 2.8 and the 23mm 1.4. And then the K-3 (or maybe even the K-01) with either of the two pairs mentioned to cover the mid-long end. 43+77 being slightly wider and 55+85 being slightly longer. What do you guys think?

Still unclear what you plan to shoot with them but in the absence of any info I would say 43/77 - because the gaps are better managed 12, 23, 43, 77 seems more versatile than 12, 23, 55, 85. With the former set of lenses you lack anything in the normal perspective. The 43 is still a little long but pretty close.

[lytrytyr]

Selecting from the lenses mentioned,
I'd recommend the 12/23/43/85 combination,
which gives you an even progression
of doubling focal lengths.

[UncleVanya]

Selecting from the lenses mentioned,
I'd recommend the 12/23/43/85 combination,
which gives you an even progression
of doubling focal lengths.

I missed that - good point.

[shaolen]

You already got some good advice. Let me add a few comments.

You need to consider your full lens road-map. You already have the DA40mm and this will influence my suggestions, assuming that you will keep the DA40mm. I see three options:

DA*55mm 1.4 and FA85mm 1.4
FA43mm 1.9 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited
FA31mm 1.8 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited

DA*55mm 1.4 and FA85mm 1.4
Pros: complement nicely your 40 mm - excellent lenses with outstanding IQ
Cons: no wide angle lens in the line up - bulk of DA*55mm (and to some extent FA*85mm) - FA*85mm available 2nd hand only and expensive

FA43mm 1.9 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited
Pros: excellent lenses with outstanding IQ - small compact lenses
Cons: no wide angle lens in the line up - overlap between DA40mm Ltd and FA43mm ltd

FA31mm 1.8 limited and FA77mm 1.8 limited

Pros: excellent lenses with outstanding IQ - small compact lenses- complement nicely your 40 mm -
Cons: not much in my opinion

To sum up, you are considering excellent lenses and you cannot be disappointed by their IQ. But the FA43mm selection is no consistent and would overlap with your DA40mm Ltd (a great lens in its own rights). I think that the selection of FA31mm/FA77mm makes more sense because it gives your a better breadth of focal range.

But, why do you seek some large aperture lens? Do you want to shoot in low light or simply after shallow DOF? For low light and very low light, you may consider other lenses, incl. MF lenses. The Voigtlander lens series and Carl Zeiss lens series offer some incredible option, if you are willing to go MF.

I hope that the comment may help.

Hey great onsite! Do you think 40 is worth keeping over 43? I would like then for both shallow dof and low light. How much do voigtlanders cost?

[Naruto]

I do not have the 55 and the 85. I used the 55. I have the 31, the two DA 35/40/ 43/DA 50 (and the M-50)/DA 70 /FA 77/D-FA 100.

The DA 40 and FA 43 are two very different beasts as long as you do not close the 43 below f8. The 43 is a portrait lens: wide open, it is very sharp in the center and very soft in the corners. This is shared with the 55. The 40 is sharp (very but less than the 43) along all the frame. It is not as good for portraits but excels as a walk around lens if you like the FL. The 55 sharpness is more uniform along the frame than the 43, sharper in the corners but much softer in the center below f2.8, with a better bokeh. For portrait the FA 43 is the better choice but the 55 is also good.

The FA 31 is better optics; shapness, color, bokeh and build than all the other 35/40/43/55 you can put on Pentax. The FA 77 is the only other lens I own that I put in the same class. Its only flaw is CA/PF at large aperture. The 85mm will not provide better images.

I 'll go for 77 + 43.

[shaolen]

Selecting from the lenses mentioned,
I'd recommend the 12/23/43/85 combination,
which gives you an even progression
of doubling focal lengths.

Excellent

---------- Post added 01-02-15 at 02:13 PM ----------

I do not have the 55 and the 85. I used the 55. I have the 31, the two DA 35/40/ 43/DA 50 (and the M-50)/DA 70 /FA 77/D-FA 100.

The DA 40 and FA 43 are two very different beasts as long as you do not close the 43 below f8. The 43 is a portrait lens: wide open, it is very sharp in the center and very soft in the corners. This is shared with the 55. The 40 is sharp (very but less than the 43) along all the frame. It is not as good for portraits but excels as a walk around lens if you like the FL. The 55 sharpness is more uniform along the frame than the 43, sharper in the corners but much softer in the center below f2.8, with a better bokeh. For portrait the FA 43 is the better choice but the 55 is also good.

The FA 31 is better optics; shapness, color, bokeh and build than all the other 35/40/43/55 you can put on Pentax. The FA 77 is the only other lens I own that I put in the same class. Its only flaw is CA/PF at large aperture. The 85mm will not provide better images.

I 'll go for 77 + 43.

Interesting. So you'd say the 85mm wouldn't get any better IQ than 77mm? Man this is tough decision.

---------- Post added 01-02-15 at 02:18 PM ----------

id be shooting just all over. I do interiors professionally so I need the 12mm for wide end. I'd like to do portraits as well.