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07-16-2018, 10:57 AM - 1 Like   #1
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FF wide prime choices

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I'm putting together a smaller K-1 kit for travel and backpacking when I still want what the K-1 offers (instead of using my crop system).
I just got the FA 43 and already have the FA 77 and I'd like to round it out with a wider prime for a portable 3 prime kit.
I know the FA 31 is the natural choice here and I might go that route (when finances allow) but I might prefer something closer to the 20mm mark for the wide end.

Do any of you have a full frame prime you like in the 20mm range? Doesn't have to be especially fast but that doesn't hurt either as long as the size is manageable.

I have the Rokinon 14/2.8 and it's a bit bigger than what I'm looking for in addition to being wider.

I see there is a Rokinon 21mm which looks interesting but I'd prefer AF. Also, it's hard to tell how big it is but it might be a little on the large side. I could deal with MF if it's otherwise a good fit for this niche.

The Pentax FA 20/2.8 looks like it might work well but it's old and discontinued. Any opinions on this one? Prices are kind of crazy high on eBay which is maybe a reflection of supply and demand. The FA 31 is generally cheaper (but it also isn't 20mm).

Any comments or better suggestions? Thanks!

07-16-2018, 11:06 AM - 1 Like   #2
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I'm in the market for a 20mm prime for a film camera and this end of the market is bonkers. The FA 31 seems like such a better lens than the FA 20 aside from the focal length itself. It doesn't make sense for the prices to be where they're at but here we are.

Tamron 17 SP, an Adaptall lens, isn't a bad performer and it's smaller than the Sy 14 (hood on this thing is stupid and it doesn't have filter threads so you need a slide-on cap). Theyr'e not crazy expensive either, oddly. I'm on the hunt for a good (or cleanable) Pentax M 20 f4. Can you live with manual focus?

Sigma 24mm Super-Wide II AF is small, seems pretty sharp wide-open, and are around for about $250 or $300 on evil-bay. There's some older f1.8 Sigmas, the 20, 24, and 28 on the used market but they're huge and I think the 28 is supposed to be the best of the three (I have one, it's quite nice).

I don't know why one of the third party manufacturers like Tamron isn't jumping back into k-mount land with something to own this end of the market with an AF lens. There's no competition!
07-16-2018, 11:51 AM - 1 Like   #3
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This thread may prove relevant: M 20 f4; prices? Alternatives? - PentaxForums.com

Although in this case the goal was more 20mm than AF. Size was paramount and the conclusion was that modifying a Nikon 20mm f/4 may be the only sane option from a price and performance perspective for that users' needs.

Autofocus Pentax lenses in that focal range have gone through the roof. The only one I can think of that isn't crazy expensive is a zoom, the F 24-50 f/4. It has good reviews and great range but comes in at 380g and it isn't a prime. Only two pentax primes even exist in AF and a range of around 20mm, the FA 20mm f/2.8 and the FA* 24mm f/2.

Used Sigma 24mm AF Superwide II aren't sky high either and that lens has a following.
07-16-2018, 12:04 PM   #4
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This same basic thread has occurred a number of times. Pentax 12-24 from 17mm to 24mm covers the full image circle of a K-1. Sigma had that 12-24 DG but I don't think that lens is all that hot until it's stopped well down.

The goal of my M 20 f4 thread definitely didn't include AF as my film cameras don't have AF and I'm not interested in an AF Pentax film camera.

07-16-2018, 01:28 PM - 1 Like   #5
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the RMC Tokina 17mm f3.5 is not bad and much cheaper than the A or M 20 from Pentax.

But if you want AF, why you dont use the DA 12-24mm f4. you can use it FF from 18mm to 24mm with no vignetting.
07-16-2018, 01:28 PM - 1 Like   #6
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I'd like AF but I'm not willing to pay what the FA 20 is going for to get it. I guess I need to decide between AF and the focal length I really want.
No hurry as the lens account needs time to recover anyway. Maybe something will materialize between now and then. I won't hold my breath.
07-16-2018, 01:39 PM - 1 Like   #7
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I think Rokinon/Samyang 24 1.4 and 20 1.8 are pretty good modern primes to consider. All manual, but 24 1.4 in particular seems to be a stellar lens.

07-16-2018, 03:01 PM - 1 Like   #8
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Matt did you check the FA★ 24mm F2? you might wanna check the profile of fellow pentaxian Ireneusz Ciejka, he used the lens on K-1 quite a lot as far as I remember from his flickr stream. He has an album called Landscapes and some of them are shot with the lens I mentioned, you might need to dig a little bit through his pictures to identify them. But I think the rendering of this lens might suit your style. Only downside is that you already have this focal covered with the 24-70.

Ireneusz Ciejka | Flickr
07-16-2018, 03:54 PM - 1 Like   #9
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My (next) travel kit will comprise 4 lenses. In addition to FA 31, 43 and 77, I will also bring the FA20-35/4, small and light. And a set of 58mm filters. Eventually I might leave the 31 at home, but I likely won't.
07-16-2018, 05:02 PM   #10
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I've got, or have had, a number of 20mm or sub-20mm lenses, including the M 20/4, A 20/2.8, FA 20-35, Tokina 17/3.5, Vivitar 13mm 2.8, Sigma 15-30, Sigma 20-40, Sigma 12-24.


A summary of my experiences:


I'm keeping the M 20/4 for its portability & flare resistance. Its corner sharpness isn't great though.


I'm keeping the A 20/2.8 too. Its corner sharpness is a bit better than the M 20, but it's field curvature seems worse, but it's easy to deal with. It's bigger than the M but A metering helps.


I'm also keeping the FA 20-35. I keeping this as its corners are better than the two MF primes and it can also cover up to 35mm and of course it's AF too. It's a bit bigger than the primes but it's still fairly light.


I'm selling the Tokina 17/3.5. Its sharper on the edges & corners than the M20 & A20 but its flare resistance is worse and I don't like the colours as much.


I'm keeping the Sigma 12-24 (at least for the moment). It's big and heavy but it's super wide. The Sigma 8-16 is a better performer on APS-C (I have one of those too ) but it's as wide as I have that can cover the full frame - so it stays.


The Sigma 15-30 was a bit sharper than the 12-24 but FoV trumped sharpness for me so the 12-24 stayed and the 15-30 went.


The Vivitar was better optically than the 12-24 (apart from the moustache distortion) but the Sigma 12-24 covered that focal length and more, and I'm eyeing off a Laowa 12mm, so it went too.


Ultimately each of their lenses have/had their own individual characteristics and what was right for me might not have been right for someone else. I tend to favour things like FoV, portability, manual focus feel, flare resistance and build construction over things like corner-to-corner sharpness, but YMMV.
07-16-2018, 05:19 PM   #11
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Oh yeah, the Laowa 12 is very interesting to me as well, but it's almost excessively wide on full-frame. And no AF.
07-16-2018, 05:33 PM   #12
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It is not 20mm, 28mm instead but it is autofocus. I purchased this Sigma 28mm 1.8 macro last year from Adorama. They had a few refurbished at $170 so I figured I really couldn't loose. It is one the few lenses that really surprised me. It is not necessarily small with a 77mm filter diameter but it balances very well on the K-1.

SIGMA AF 28mm F/1.8 EX DG Macro ASP Lens for Pentax << Excellent >> | eBay

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/sigma-28mm-f1-8-ex-dg-aspherical-dg-df-macro.html
07-16-2018, 05:38 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Scorpio71GR Quote
It is not 20mm, 28mm instead but it is autofocus. I purchased this Sigma 28mm 1.8 macro last year from Adorama. They had a few refurbished at $170 so I figured I really couldn't loose. It is one the few lenses that really surprised me. It is not necessarily small with a 77mm filter diameter but it balances very well on the K-1.

SIGMA AF 28mm F/1.8 EX DG Macro ASP Lens for Pentax << Excellent >> | eBay

Sigma 28mm F1.8 EX DG Aspherical DG DF Macro Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database



I'm glad that lens works well on the K-1; I love it on the K-3...
07-16-2018, 06:04 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
Oh yeah, the Laowa 12 is very interesting to me as well, but it's almost excessively wide on full-frame. And no AF.

Wide, Super-Wide, Ultra-Wide, Excessively-Wide, Insufficiently-Wide - these are all subjective terms.


No AF is fine for me at these focal lengths (again, YMMV). In fact, I usually prefer MF lenses at 20mm & wider if the focus feel is nice.
07-16-2018, 06:30 PM   #15
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Save up for the FA20 Matt. It really is an excellent lens, and remarkably compact - almost a pancake.
I'd offer you mine, but every time I get close to putting it on the marketplace I find a time when I'm not willing to lug the DFA15-30 around and into the bag it goes

The A20 and M20 are also very good by all accounts, and the latter is considerably cheaper, and smaller again. Depends on how important auto focus +/- auto apreture are to you.
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