Originally posted by 6BQ5 The joy of the FA 50mm is not in its full open aperture performance. It comes in the colors, contrast, and rendering while being a small, reliable, and classic lens that has withstood the test of time. I try to stay away comparing lenses by numbers and look instead at what and how it renders.
I did not care about one arm being more in focus than the other. Symmetrical depth of field was not my goal. I wanted to focus on my son's face.
Every lens will do something special if you are ready to massage it and work with its strengths and weaknesses. They are made for different circumstances just like clothes. Some clothes we wear to work. Some we wear to fancy parties. All clothes make a statement. Just different statements.
Even though the focal lengths are about the same between the 43mm and 50mm I consider the lenses unique enough in their performance that they compliment each other wonderfully. They will give your photographs a wider variety of taste.
So, I will continue to defend the lovely FA 50mm f/1.4.
I understand your point of view but this was not what I was after. Personnally I don't want to have dozen of lenses few milimeters appart and to change them constantly. I don't want to have 2 or 3 lenses to cover a given focal rangre and to have to choose this one when closed down, this one when I want shallow deph of field and so on. i know that if I had FA43 + FA50, the FA43 would get all the shoots because overall it is better.
FA50 is not sharp enough, contrasty enough at large appertures neither the reliable in term of focus. You photo worked despite the focus not centered on the head really because of f/5 even through the front left arm is more in focus than the right part of the head.
I did brought it to give me something that my 50-135 didn't do. it was supposed to give better results on the shared range. It didn't. It was lighter but less reliable and less sharp at f/2.8. The DA50-135 was just rendering better (to me) at f/2.8 than the FA50.
And from understanding then if it not to use it at f/1.4, many are convinced the FA50 f/1.7 or DA50 f/1.8 are as great or even slightly better optically. Thoses lenses are cheaper.
After some time being really disapointed by this lense that for me given me nothing, I decided to try FA77. And really this was completely different experience, much more satisfying. I suppose DA*55 would have given something similar. FA43 apparently already is a bit more moody/difficult and can have disturbing bokeh at time and make so-so image from time to time.
FA77 render beautifully most of the time, at all appertures in all circonstances and for all kind of subjects. This is what I want from my gear.
So there was no reason for me to keep both lenses. I prefer to be light I sold the FA50 that I still consider to be untinterresting, and the 50-135 that is simply too heavy/big and that didn't achieve the level of quality the FA77 did provided. Last week I ordered an F135 for the few cases where I need a longer tele than 77.
I also replace DA35 f/2.4 with DA35 f/2.8 ltd for taking contrasty landscape and macro/proxy use. I have no lense between 35 and 77mm and for me that's a feature. Like I have no lense between 77 and 135 and again that intentionnal.
Then I have DA15 and DA21. I'am a bit disapointed with thoses because sometime the lack of corner sharpness show at web size to nacked eyes. I keep them for the great color/rendering. I know I can't really get something better anyway for now with acceptable weight/size but I hope Pentax will make a lense in the 20-24 range that would be not to big and would have less field curvature. Because really theses lenses are sharp enough, it is just that they have field curvature.
Anyway that give me DA15, DA21, DA35, FA77, F135. I try to have different lenses for different use, to have them small and to have a few. I would hate to add FA50 and FA43 to this setup to say yeah but sometime the FA50 can even make good photos in easy settings so I must have it even if it does no better than other lenses.
I would hate to have then FA43 that is near DA35 and that FA50. I know the FA43 (and FA31) render better out of focus areas and make for better portraits, but they can't do any macro and FA31 is too expensive. The job for specialized portrait lense is already taken by FA77 and well it also manage to take the job for best rendering lense in the pack and great versatile short tele. The occasional portrait shoot wider will be taken with DA35 f/2.8 so be it.
Anyway every lense in the bag has to really justify itself and bring to the table. I don't want to be gentle, I want the gear to perform and being a joy to use. FA50 didn't have anything better than other lenses in any means. What It was supposed to bring, it failed to provide. It had to go. Theses things are object, I'am not social with lenses !
6BQ5, your boy picture it great because of the great lighting and it is crip/constrasty because any lense is crip and contrasty at f/5... I don't say the DA18-55 would have done that great, but honestly I'am not sure he would have done much worse in theses condition and f/5.6 is not far from f/5
Stavri: as for your cat, the lighting is a bit more difficult for sure here... But from my point of view while sharp enough, this is not razor sharp (not necessary maybe here) and it is already f/3.2. The FA77 is as sharp at f/2. This make the apperture usable. Well it is usable on FA50, but not that great.
Like your both I don't care the technical number really, I just want the thing to be great to my eyes.
When I need it, the FA77 deliver at f/2. It isn't that sharp if you zoom, but sufficiantly for a portrait and it is pleasing to look at:
And if I want more punchy color, more contrast, and more details it also deliver closed down (f/4.5 here):
It also does bit compressed tele rendering and landscape:
I really don't see where the FA50 would do better and would justify I keep it outside having a different framing. I also don't think there would be much cases in the initial poster case where FA50 would do really better than the FA43 and then the framing is very similar.
Last edited by Nicolas06; 03-16-2015 at 11:34 PM.