smc P-FA 31mm F1.8 Wide Angle Lens

beaumont · 09-16-2008, 10:01 PM

An indoor , lowlight one from the weekend with the 31...

Last edited by beaumont; 01-05-2011 at 10:05 PM.

K Logan · 09-17-2008, 04:20 AM

Thanks for responding, Piotr. Appreciated.

davef · 09-17-2008, 05:45 AM

The last 3 are stunning Piotr. Thanks for sharing. This lens looks pretty "practical" where it counts the most. I'm pretty happy with mine as well. If this lens is 3 out of 5 for image quality, then I'd love to try the ones that re 5 out of 5! Dave

**Eaglerapids** · 09-17-2008, 06:47 AM

Beautiful photos Piotr, may I take this opportunity to post one of mine from this past weekend? Thank you:-).

pspentax · 09-17-2008, 10:22 AM

Hi,

Some ones from my daughter with the 31mm

beaumont · 09-17-2008, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by pspentax

Hi,

Some ones from my daughter with the 31mm

Congrats on the new daughter!!! The 1.8 will come in handy, and it looks like she is camera friendly judging by the last shot where she's beginging to smile! (Our little gals now run when I bring out the camera...) Congrats again. Beautiful pictures that will be keepsakes...

thePiRaTE!! · 09-17-2008, 09:08 PM

Wow, congrats on the bokeh you guys are gertting with this lens (and the new baby girl!) Going back over some of my examples with this lens, I see mostly architectural or landscapes... it does rock at infinity, to me its strongest suit.

Marcus · 10-01-2008, 08:25 AM

^ Really nice stuff PiRaTE.

Does this lens really live up to the hype and how does it compare to your Voigtlanders and Zeisses?

thePiRaTE!! · 10-01-2008, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by Marcus

^ Really nice stuff PiRaTE.

Does this lens really live up to the hype and how does it compare to your Voigtlanders and Zeisses?

Thanks Marcus. I would comfortably say that the FA31 is certainly on par both optically and construction wise to the VLs and ZKs I've tried. It has its strong suits and some things I don't care for but its generally a very good lens deserving of high praise for the things it does _really_ well. For me, thats nearly reaching max IQ by 2.8. It makes this lens a superb option for night/low light shooting having high resolution available at wide aperture. The last shot in my examples is handheld for instance (albiet braced against a rail).

Ultimately for me though, I find I use the 31 less and less, mostly because with its focal length and minimum focus distance, its - for me - not strong enough bokeh wise to wow me anymore. Theres nothing wrong with its bokeh as you can see, its just not a strong point of the design as it is with other lenses I've turned to. I'd also suggest that the MF performance is reduced by the lens being a native AF design. Short MF throw results with a feel comprimised by the screw drive, though it feels better than many AF lenses used manually.

HermanLee · 10-01-2008, 09:10 AM

...otherwise I have to buy this lens too..

I don't know whether you guys are so good or 31Ltd makes you a better photographer, but either way those shots are amazing.

Pirate, I like my 43Ltd focal length a lot, why do you feel 31 Ltd's focal length is not good for you?

aleonx3 · 10-01-2008, 09:44 AM

Originally posted by k100d

hey piotr, fantastic photos! great to see you're enjoying the lens. how do you like it so far?

as for the hood problem, consider getting a 58mm non-flaring hood or using some empty filter rings and then using a 58mm cap. it works a lot better for me. the built-in hood is pretty useless, especially in portrait.

btw, great to see you posting in this forum, i really liked the photos you took with the 180 in Paris

k100d, may I ask where do you get the 58mm non-flaring hood for the 31mm lens? I am looking for the one similar to the one you have in the picture; it looks good and ergonomically sound. Appreciate your help.

**Ron Boggs** · 10-01-2008, 09:46 AM

Technical discussion aside, the 31 just does a fantastic job! The example image is a mediocre shot but it illustrates a bokeh effect that is seldom mentioned in forum discussions.
Rather than the defocused bokeh we often talk about, there is also focused bokeh. Forgive the lack of specificity, but in the bokeh article from--I think Camera Arts mag. about 10 years ago, a forgotten part of the Leica mystique is the ability to render out of focus areas as if they are in focus. Very sharp and contrasty lenses can extend the "perceived" focus beyond what is actually sharp. In the photo, it would appear that I had stopped down to f16 or even f22 for this shot. The depth of field appears to be quite deep. Nope! Wind blowing the foreground branches forced a faster shutter speed and thus a more open aperture. This image was shot at f4! In reality both foreground and background are out of focus, but the bokeh--instead of blurring--is creating a "perception of sharpness" that isn't actually present. This effect really helps some wide open shots too. For example, the original poster's first shot seems to have an aweful lot of depth of field for f1.8. Much of that is "perceived sharpness" due to the extreme sharpness and contrast of this outstanding lens.
Because this forum is filled with bokeh nuts--myself included--thought this extension of the bokeh dialog was worth noting...

legacyb4 · 10-01-2008, 09:50 AM

Wow, that's a beautifully lit shot.

Originally posted by beaumont

An indoor , lowlight one from the weekend with the 31...

thePiRaTE!! · 10-01-2008, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by HermanLee

...otherwise I have to buy this lens too..

I don't know whether you guys are so good or 31Ltd makes you a better photographer, but either way those shots are amazing.

Pirate, I like my 43Ltd focal length a lot, why do you feel 31 Ltd's focal length is not good for you?

Hi Herman. Its not the focal length specifically, its just that at 31mm, one has to draw quite close to the subject to really acquire strong seperation from its background. The FA31's minimum focus distance and scale of subject (1:6.25) are sort of modest compared to my new favored wider angle lens, the T*25/2.8. Its nearly a macro at 1:2.3, so I can create swirling bokeh scapes of small things, incredible close-ups and/or the good, flat field wide angle shots I'd counted on the 31 for, so it has replaced the FA in overall usefulness to me. I lose some night performance with the Distagon, but I don't shoot much in the dark anyways, hence the FA31 has taken a backseat for me, as good a lens as it is.

In fact, I've considered selling it (gasp!). I'd like to get the 60-250 for event shoots and the $ would be timely.

roentarre · 10-01-2008, 02:39 PM

Originally posted by thePiRaTE!!

I almost forgot that you got this lens in your collection, Kelly. These photographs are very nice in deed. The colour pops and the perspective are over powering.

Isn't there just something about this 31 ltd?

10-01-2008, 09:10 AM	#205
HermanLee Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Southern California, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 729	Stop It! ...otherwise I have to buy this lens too.. I don't know whether you guys are so good or 31Ltd makes you a better photographer, but either way those shots are amazing. Pirate, I like my 43Ltd focal length a lot, why do you feel 31 Ltd's focal length is not good for you? Last edited by HermanLee; 10-01-2008 at 09:17 AM.

10-01-2008, 09:46 AM	#207
Ron Boggs Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MT Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,349	Different Type of Bokeh Technical discussion aside, the 31 just does a fantastic job! The example image is a mediocre shot but it illustrates a bokeh effect that is seldom mentioned in forum discussions. Rather than the defocused bokeh we often talk about, there is also focused bokeh. Forgive the lack of specificity, but in the bokeh article from--I think Camera Arts mag. about 10 years ago, a forgotten part of the Leica mystique is the ability to render out of focus areas as if they are in focus. Very sharp and contrasty lenses can extend the "perceived" focus beyond what is actually sharp. In the photo, it would appear that I had stopped down to f16 or even f22 for this shot. The depth of field appears to be quite deep. Nope! Wind blowing the foreground branches forced a faster shutter speed and thus a more open aperture. This image was shot at f4! In reality both foreground and background are out of focus, but the bokeh--instead of blurring--is creating a "perception of sharpness" that isn't actually present. This effect really helps some wide open shots too. For example, the original poster's first shot seems to have an aweful lot of depth of field for f1.8. Much of that is "perceived sharpness" due to the extreme sharpness and contrast of this outstanding lens. Because this forum is filled with bokeh nuts--myself included--thought this extension of the bokeh dialog was worth noting... Attached Images

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09-16-2008, 10:01 PM	#196
beaumont Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 505	An indoor , lowlight one from the weekend with the 31... Last edited by beaumont; 01-05-2011 at 10:05 PM.

09-17-2008, 04:20 AM	#197
K Logan Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 39	Thanks for responding, Piotr. Appreciated.

09-17-2008, 05:45 AM	#198
davef Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ontario Posts: 433	The last 3 are stunning Piotr. Thanks for sharing. This lens looks pretty "practical" where it counts the most. I'm pretty happy with mine as well. If this lens is 3 out of 5 for image quality, then I'd love to try the ones that re 5 out of 5! Dave

09-17-2008, 06:47 AM	#199
Eaglerapids Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Idaho,USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,619	Beautiful photos Piotr, may I take this opportunity to post one of mine from this past weekend? Thank you:-).

09-17-2008, 10:22 AM	#200
pspentax Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 367	Hi, Some ones from my daughter with the 31mm

09-17-2008, 11:20 AM	#201
beaumont Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 505	Originally posted by pspentax Hi, Some ones from my daughter with the 31mm Congrats on the new daughter!!! The 1.8 will come in handy, and it looks like she is camera friendly judging by the last shot where she's beginging to smile! (Our little gals now run when I bring out the camera...) Congrats again. Beautiful pictures that will be keepsakes...

09-17-2008, 09:08 PM	#202
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942	Wow, congrats on the bokeh you guys are gertting with this lens (and the new baby girl!) Going back over some of my examples with this lens, I see mostly architectural or landscapes... it does rock at infinity, to me its strongest suit.

10-01-2008, 08:25 AM	#203
Marcus Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 187	^ Really nice stuff PiRaTE. Does this lens really live up to the hype and how does it compare to your Voigtlanders and Zeisses?

10-01-2008, 08:58 AM	#204
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942	Originally posted by Marcus ^ Really nice stuff PiRaTE. Does this lens really live up to the hype and how does it compare to your Voigtlanders and Zeisses? Thanks Marcus. I would comfortably say that the FA31 is certainly on par both optically and construction wise to the VLs and ZKs I've tried. It has its strong suits and some things I don't care for but its generally a very good lens deserving of high praise for the things it does _really_ well. For me, thats nearly reaching max IQ by 2.8. It makes this lens a superb option for night/low light shooting having high resolution available at wide aperture. The last shot in my examples is handheld for instance (albiet braced against a rail). Ultimately for me though, I find I use the 31 less and less, mostly because with its focal length and minimum focus distance, its - for me - not strong enough bokeh wise to wow me anymore. Theres nothing wrong with its bokeh as you can see, its just not a strong point of the design as it is with other lenses I've turned to. I'd also suggest that the MF performance is reduced by the lens being a native AF design. Short MF throw results with a feel comprimised by the screw drive, though it feels better than many AF lenses used manually.

10-01-2008, 09:44 AM	#206
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by k100d hey piotr, fantastic photos! great to see you're enjoying the lens. how do you like it so far? as for the hood problem, consider getting a 58mm non-flaring hood or using some empty filter rings and then using a 58mm cap. it works a lot better for me. the built-in hood is pretty useless, especially in portrait. btw, great to see you posting in this forum, i really liked the photos you took with the 180 in Paris k100d, may I ask where do you get the 58mm non-flaring hood for the 31mm lens? I am looking for the one similar to the one you have in the picture; it looks good and ergonomically sound. Appreciate your help.

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10-01-2008, 09:50 AM	#208
legacyb4 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Tri-Cities, British Columbia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,784	Wow, that's a beautifully lit shot. Originally posted by beaumont An indoor , lowlight one from the weekend with the 31...

10-01-2008, 10:53 AM	#209
thePiRaTE!! Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 942	Originally posted by HermanLee ...otherwise I have to buy this lens too.. I don't know whether you guys are so good or 31Ltd makes you a better photographer, but either way those shots are amazing. Pirate, I like my 43Ltd focal length a lot, why do you feel 31 Ltd's focal length is not good for you? Hi Herman. Its not the focal length specifically, its just that at 31mm, one has to draw quite close to the subject to really acquire strong seperation from its background. The FA31's minimum focus distance and scale of subject (1:6.25) are sort of modest compared to my new favored wider angle lens, the T*25/2.8. Its nearly a macro at 1:2.3, so I can create swirling bokeh scapes of small things, incredible close-ups and/or the good, flat field wide angle shots I'd counted on the 31 for, so it has replaced the FA in overall usefulness to me. I lose some night performance with the Distagon, but I don't shoot much in the dark anyways, hence the FA31 has taken a backseat for me, as good a lens as it is. In fact, I've considered selling it (gasp!). I'd like to get the 60-250 for event shoots and the $ would be timely.

10-01-2008, 02:39 PM	#210
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	Originally posted by thePiRaTE!! I almost forgot that you got this lens in your collection, Kelly. These photographs are very nice in deed. The colour pops and the perspective are over powering. Isn't there just something about this 31 ltd?