[farfisa]

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You do, you do. We all do.

Is your "screen name" (I forget the "computer" name for it, as it's currently cocktail hour) indicative of an interest in the wonderful organ of the same name?

Jer

It is!
I loved that organ. Sold it to buy the 77!

And this might not help with the LBA, but I noticed in one of Heather's posts she bought a 43 from prodigital2000 for $349 US (as a best offer).

The Canadian dollar is so bad right now--let it work in your favour. Unfortunately for me, prodigital2000's US auction prices are higher than retail up here in Canada.

So now I'm not only not helping to talk you out of it, I'm a facilitator.

[jsherman999]

Thats a long history and lots of glass , congrats! You have also identified the flaw in the logic however - keeping everything. In the end, look at the birds in the hand and ask if the birds in the bush would make you happier. I know if I can say yes, I don't feel guilty selling something after I've had a test run with the new purchase to be sure I was right. On the other hand, if you're legitimately shooting everything you have, more power to you! Bottomline, once you eleminate the dust collection, you're neurosis is cured

Well put, Kelly.

Jer, for me, with lenses, acquiring is actually just as fun as owning. And selling
to buy alleviates any guilt. So, win-win. Or something. My logic is fragile, but
it works for me.


.

[Mallee Boy]

I currently own an FA 35/2, a DA 40/2.8 Limited and an FA 50/1.4, and - of course -a couple of zooms that cover the same focal length range. The last - and I mean the very last - thing I need is another prime in the same range, yet I've had a hankering for an FA 43 for years - a hankering that resurfaced when my wife asked me what I want for Christmas a few days ago.

Please explain clearly to me that I'm nuts and that I ought to put the money into some beaten down stock with a low P/E and a high dividend.

Thanks,

Jer

Of course you need it Jer. I have a cute little silver one and it is a great little lens.

In fact I think you will be in more serious need of physchological help if you don't buy it....you will be forever wondering. Yep, I can see you now....lying awake at night in cold sweats, muttering away to yourself "should've bought it! what have I done!". Loitering outside camera shops stealing furtive glances inside desperately seeking a glimpse of a 43 ltd.

Mate, save yourself all this potential grief and anguish....go get the bloody thing! in fact thats an order....go..now!

See, your feeling better already now that the decision is made.

And by the way, I note no 31ltd or 77 either.....tsk tsk................




hey...what are friends for.

[jsherman999]

.

The 43ltd seems to be the ultimate "back seat FOV shooter" - shooting into the back
seat from the front (um, passenger seat, of course)

(wide open)

[Stratario]

I love my FA 43mm. I took some indoor flower shots today and I just love the colours.

F1.9
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/3055267800_a4dcf2dd1a_o.jpg

F1.9
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3016/3055268186_6d3a3e18f5_o.jpg

F2.2
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/3055268510_bcac7f1e86_o.jpg

F2.2
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/3054433721_6069a5dd3b_o.jpg

[legacyb4]

Agreed. Indoor close up come out incredibly buttery smooth...

Nice shots.

[benjikan]

I hope you don't mind my positive rant here, but when I was with Canon and saw the images by the photographers on the Canon Forums, the quality didn't come close to what appears here. I am so often awe struck by the quality and artfulness of the images posted on the Pentax Forum.

What an incredibly talented group of artistic photographers.

Bravo and my Fond and Best Wishes to All for this incredible Forum!

Ben

[jsherman999]

I hope you don't mind my positive rant here, but when I was with Canon and saw the images by the photographers on the Canon Forums, the quality didn't come close to what appears here. I am so often awe struck by the quality and artfulness of the images posted on the Pentax Forum.

What an incredibly talented group of artistic photographers.

Bravo and my Fond and Best Wishes to All for this incredible Forum!

Ben

Thanks Ben! Of course, you show us what's possible, we just aspire to that.

(Plus, CaNikonees are a pitiful sort. They try.)


.

[Lovold]

The 43mm ltd. is indeed a fantastic piece of equipment. It is _perfect_ for portraits (I don't justify it though).

Here's a portrait of my friend, and a 100% crop of his eye. What sharpness.

[Kds100]

It was reported by some Taiwanees that there are two versions of the FA43, the old version (w/ a series number smaller than 20000) and new version. Pentax might changed coating material used for the new version, thus the different colors from the front element. Those guys also did some test and showed different colors, produced by the two versions, and the pics from the old version seem to be brighter, probably due to the lead material used in coating. There was also some talks about the QC issues on the later version (the glass element of some later version isn't exactly centered, you can see this from the rear end). That's why sometimes the older types are much sort after ones and slightly more expensive on the second hand market.

Here are two of those testing shots they posted:

Photo by the old version:


Photo by the new version:



There were some similar talks on the FA77 as well (series number smaller than 7000 is old version).

These are not my opinion or experience but what those guys found. To be honest, I don't really know if this is true. But Pentax does have more QC issues nowadays than they used to have. I guess it's true to most camera or lenses manufacturers.

Frank, after I read about this here, I tried a Google search looking for more information but found none (aside from what I assume is your post with the same info at DPReview). Can you point me to the source(s) of the information about the coatings and serial numbers? Hopefully it'll be in English

[frank]

Frank, after I read about this here, I tried a Google search looking for more information but found none (aside from what I assume is your post with the same info at DPReview). Can you point me to the source(s) of the information about the coatings and serial numbers? Hopefully it'll be in English

Sorry I'm afraid I can't be much help here. I read this at a couple of Chinese photo forums, all in Chinese. The original source was from one guy in Taiwan who has bought over 20 copies of FA43, and played over 100 (from friends, shops and etc) copies. He is the one who came out w/ the following types:

SMC PENTAX-FA 1:1.9 43mm Limited

Type-1 0000001~00160xx
Silver Version

Type-2 0013xxx~0015xxx
Black Version

Type-3 0016xxx~0019xxx
Silver & Black

Type-4 0020xxx~0023xxx
Silver & Black

Type-5 0023xxx~ Still in production
Silver & Black

This guy claimed type 2 and 3 might have the best built and optical quality. And the coating in the earlier versions (type 1, 2, 3) might be different from the later versions. But I guess nobody can confirm this, not even Pentax. It's more like speculation to me, any difference in tests is more likely due to sample variation.

But because of this, the early types are more sort after ones, sometimes even can fetch slightly higher resale prices, at least would be easier to sell.

I myself have had 3 copies of this lens, the one I'm keeping is a silver one w/ a serial number of 15xxx

Cheers!

[lbam]

I'm not sure if this is a myth or not, but isn't there some claim that the earlier versions had glass that contained lead, unlike the later versions.

Aside from this the coatings obviously look different.

[Kds100]

Sorry I'm afraid I can't be much help here. I read this at a couple of Chinese photo forums, all in Chinese. The original source was from one guy in Taiwan who has bought over 20 copies of FA43, and played over 100 (from friends, shops and etc) copies. He is the one who came out w/ the following types:

SMC PENTAX-FA 1:1.9 43mm Limited

Type-1 0000001~00160xx
Silver Version

Type-2 0013xxx~0015xxx
Black Version

Type-3 0016xxx~0019xxx
Silver & Black

Type-4 0020xxx~0023xxx
Silver & Black

Type-5 0023xxx~ Still in production
Silver & Black

This guy claimed type 2 and 3 might have the best built and optical quality. And the coating in the earlier versions (type 1, 2, 3) might be different from the later versions. But I guess nobody can confirm this, not even Pentax. It's more like speculation to me, any difference in tests is more likely due to sample variation.

But because of this, the early types are more sort after ones, sometimes even can fetch slightly higher resale prices, at least would be easier to sell.

I myself have had 3 copies of this lens, the one I'm keeping is a silver one w/ a serial number of 15xxx

Cheers!

Thank you, this is actually very helpful and much appreciated!

[k100d]

The original source was from one guy in Taiwan who has bought over 20 copies of FA43, and played over 100 (from friends, shops and etc) copies.

holy crap... must have really looooved the FA43

[farfisa]

Yeah, that guy definitely had 43BA.

I figured it couldn't be as easy as going and and getting a particular lens--now you have to look at the serial too! :P That explains this ebay auction.
Pentax FA 1,9/43mm Limited Ser.No. 5000 - (eBay.ca item 230310799833 end time 05-Dec-08 11:38:02 EST)

Not entirely, but it explains it a bit! Before this thread, I just wondered if 5000 was a lucky number in Germany