[wissink]

I know this has been discussed endlessly. I've also been reading endlessly. I am considering my lens portrait capabilities and am welcoming advice.

I have DA 15mm (in the mail) DA 35 ltd, DA 50 1.8, and FA 100 2.8 Macro, M 200 F4, Sigma 100-300 F4

My thought process is as follows, is the DA 50 1.8 and FA 100 2.8 good enough?
Should i sell the DA 50 1.8 and save up for either the DA* 55 OR a DA 70 ltd OR FA 77 ltd OR Sigma 70 2.8 OR ???
Would the difference be significant?

I am really not interested in redundant FLs so something like the 40 or 43 ltd would not fit.

I'm somewhat drawn to the DA* 55 for WR (just sold the 18-135 wr) and for F1.4 indoors.

Please don't suggest manual lenses as I am visually impaired and nailing focus--especially under portrait pressure--is nearly impossible for me. Also, lenses that provide technically more correct images (less PF, CA etc.) would probably be a benefit as I don't notice such flaws and will likely miss them in processing.

I am also looking for primes and size can be considered but is not the most important factor.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[Driline]

If it were me, I'd either choose between the DA*55 or the FA 77. Choose the focal length that best suits your style.

[Adam]

I second Driline's suggestion. I'd personally favor the 55mm as it's designed as a portrait lens.

[robbiec]

Depends on the face , 50 works for some, 55 is better for others, 77 is brilliant for most. Your DA50 should be quickest focusing, followed by the 77 then the 55. Again your DA50 is smallest, then the 77 with the 55 being quite a step up in size and weight compared to the other two. The 43 which you say is redundant is quite a capable head and shoulder lens in my experience.

[Drake Avenue]

The DA* 55mm is an amazing portrait lens. I love mine The WR has come in handy as well.

[iDon]

The DA* 55 is a wonderful portrait lens with an ideal focal length for head and shoulder portraits. I use it as a successor for my FA 1.7/50 which strongly resembles your DA 1.8/50. You can also do great portraits with the latter, but I prefer the equivalent of a 83mm lens (in 35mm-film terms) over a 75mm and I think the DA* 55 has a bit more pixie dust.
Maybe the FA50/DA50 was designed more as a general purpose lens and the DA*55 as a special portrait lens with it's predecessor in mind, the FA*85.

If you read too much about portrait lenses in online forums you'll start to believe, that a longer focal length would always be a better choice, because of perspective and subject/background isolation. I tend to disagree with that. I'd recommend a 50mm-equivalent lens like the FA*31, Sigma 35 Art or your DA35lim. for portraits, when you'd like to show a bit more than just head and shoulders and also the emotional quality of the surrounding (if those are the right words for what I mean). This can give you a very natural and harmonious look and feel.

An 85mm equivalent lens like the FA50/DA50 or DA*55 is perfect for more focused shots with a flattering perspective.

For me personally anything longer than that is already too much. Unfortunately this also includes the FA 77, although you just have to love it when you hold it in your hands. In my personal taste, I'd be too far away from my model to keep contact and give instructions. It may work, if you have enough space and more experienced models.

Overall I'd say you're already well equipped with that great selection of lenses you've got. Just go out and look for handsome models

[hcc]

+1 for the FA77mm Ltd.

I love the colour rendering of the FA77mm and I feel that the focal length is more suited iMHO to portrait, than the 50-55mm focal length.

NB: If you choose to move to FF, the 77mm would still work as portrait lens; the DA*55mm might not.

But realistically, both the DA*55mm and FA77mm are very highly regarded and you will not go wrong with one of them or both of them!

My 5 cents.....

[Sandy Hancock]

What you already have should serve you pretty well, but I sense a case of LBA, which should of course be embraced

You can not go wrong with either the DA*55 or the FA77. Personally I prefer the slightly greater working distance of the FA77 for tighter head & shoulder shots, and the DA*55 for half body, but either would do on their own.

77







55

[dinamojuan]

What do you think about using a Zoom like FA* 28-70 f/2.8?

This one is take at 70mm F/4

[mr.b.snowden]

I wholeheartedly recommend the 77. The lens is pure magic and is sharp wide open. Most of my portraits now are shot almost exclusively with that lens. I have rented the 55 a few times, used it with the K-3 last year, and fell in love with it too.

[wibbly]

The only solution is to have both of them.

[JibbaJab]

If it were me, I'd either choose between the DA*55 or the FA 77. Choose the focal length that best suits your style.

This.

[chrisfer]

If it were me, I'd either choose between the DA*55 or the FA 77. Choose the focal length that best suits your style.

Yes but you already have a 50mm, you are really not interested in redundant FLs -> simply choose the 77mm, and enjoy its rendering, its size.

[Nicolas06]

I have the FA77 and I'am very satisfyed with it. I was never satisfyed with my FA50 because you needed f/4 for it to be great while the FA77 can already be used at f/2 many time. So if you are ok with the budget spending of FA77 or DA55, I would go that route instead of DA50.

DA55, I don't know it but I feel it is big/heavy because it come with silent focussing and WR. In the end it make your gear far more visible to your subject and make candids more difficult to achieve. I choosed FA77 because of the unique 3D rendering, the very small size too. It mean I can get another lense in the bag or go lighter. That's very important for me. A great lens you'll not get with you many time is useless.

On perfect vision and AF

If you don't have perfect vision (like me) I also think you need to take care on how you'll achieve focus. If you plan to use the otical view finder and rely on phase detect auto focus you almost need a K3 to get good and reliable AF.

All Pentax bodies except K3 have big focus point and so you think the focus was on the eyes while it focussed on the nose or the elbrow.

If the dof is great like f/4 or f/5.6 with the objective to have the whole head in focus or if you do a full body portrait, there no issue.

But if you go for head shoot with focus on the eyes with maybe part of the head out of focus, then you need to use the off focus point and you need them to be small enough to catch exactly what you aimed.

Few FA77 examples

FA77, f/2, moderate reframing. Look on how at f/2 the bady is already out of focus.


FA77, f/2



FA77, f/4.5. This is more the kind of apperture you need to have most of a head shoot in focus. And if you zoom you'll see this is not even the case. Look more for f/5.6 or f/8 ! But if you want to blur the background, you'll need most of time to open more.

[Rondec]

I would say that I prefer the DA *55 to the FA 77 on a crop camera, due to focal length. Working distance is about perfect with the 55 and gets a little long with the 77. I guess that's for you to figure out which you prefer.

I have to say that after having given input into a whole bunch of these threads and even though it is heresy, I do prefer the rendering the 55 to the 77. There are certain times that the out of focus areas on the 77 do really shine and I can't always predict when that will happen.

Here are some random DA *55 shots (they are in the DA * thread so you can see more there too, if you look).