Originally posted by cali92rs I am interested in picking ond of these up...however i dont have any idea it's relative size. Does anyone have a pic of one next to say a 31mm, a 50mm f1.4, or a 77mm?
This is just the right focal length for me, and the right aperture. I just dont want it if it is much bigger than the FA 31mm LTD.
I have this lens actually. The lens is not big by any mean... Say it is "normal" size like a small zoom. But it is quite dense/heavy. The weight is comparable to some f/2.8 transtandard zooms. And when you add the hood it is big.
At f/2 the lense is soft from center to corner. It can be tack sharp borders to borders... but at f/5.6 - f/8, not f/2 or even f/2.8. At f/4 center is good, but borders need f/5.6.
In the end I find the lens a bit sharper corners to corners than the DA21 once closed down. The rendering too is better, more interresting. But the flare resistance is not at the same level, by far. So you really want that big hood and at time, this can be anoying.
I think I will sell this FA*24 because it add weight to the bag and its qualities are offset to me by the weight and lack of flare resistance. The focal length of the 21 is bit better for me because I find that at 24mm I much more often struggling to put a bit more in the frame than with the 21... And the DA21 hood is a gift from heaven: you can always let it on the lens and fully benefit of it while staying light/small/unobtrusive.