[morfic]

Which KA Lens do you like as much as your Ltd 77mm but keep both since you find AF to be handy at times?
I am tempted to give KA Lenses another shot after some better than before results with the Viv 28/2.8, unless there is nothing comparable, then i would have to do some drastic market place things to get me the Ltd 77 and something a more "widefast"

Thanks in advance for any light anyone can shed,

Daniel

(I'd prefer Lenses the cam can stop down for me and do not require using the green button to meter, if i missed a type, please edumicate me, thanks )

[k100d]

i don't have one but i'd say A* 85

[morfic]

i don't have one but i'd say A* 85

I was SO hoping noone would suggest that one, knowing how i could pick up a 31/1.8 and 77/1.8 tandem for that one ;P

I think if i had that cash, i wouldn't hesitate and get both.

[Wheatfield]

Which KA Lens do you like as much as your Ltd 77mm but keep both since you find AF to be handy at times?
I am tempted to give KA Lenses another shot after some better than before results with the Viv 28/2.8, unless there is nothing comparable, then i would have to do some drastic market place things to get me the Ltd 77 and something a more "widefast"

Thanks in advance for any light anyone can shed,

Daniel

(I'd prefer Lenses the cam can stop down for me and do not require using the green button to meter, if i missed a type, please edumicate me, thanks )

Hate to say it guys, but definitely the Ka*85/1.4.
I have the 70, 77 and *85.
Just a wild guess, but I wouldn't hesitate to say that I use the 85 close to 100% of the time.
If you are going to go back to manual focus lenses, a Katz-Eye screen is a very good investment, especially with the better prism finders on the K10/20.
I have recently gone to a 100% Ka series kit consisting of the 15/3.5, 20/2.8, 24/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.2, Nokton 58/1.4, 85/1.4, and 100/2.8 Macro.
For longer than that, I use an old Tokina SD 80-200/2.8 (non A) that is a surprisingly good lens on the DSLR.
Frankly, I couldn't be happier with the image quality of these lenses, even though I have some of the better AF lenses as well (21/ 3.2, 31/1.8, 50/1.4, 70/2.4 and 77/1.8)

[morfic]

If i ever bought a KatzEye, i'd pay for them to calibrate it, i have not been lucky with focus screen replacements, but somehow i see to have extreme good luck with the original screen back in. Your reply and the FA 50/1.4 thread made me take off my "avatar lens" from the Super Program and shoot it around the desk on the K20D, and i was impressed by how many more keepers (in realtive terms since they are just test shots) I had at f/1.4 compared to before.

Thinking i sold the 58/1.4 due to trouble manual focusing, how i shifted my interest back to AF zooms, and right now find myself with a week old zoom i am contemplating of selling to go and realize my initial idea of cheap zooms to cover a lot and AF primes to cover particular focal lengths.
And now i see my good old Super-Takumar 50/1.4 treating me this good at f/1.4 (ph and i seem to have forgotten it works nice in Av!) (Can i get M lenses to treat me the same in Av? Got none to try)

I need to think long and well about my next step, i make too many steps, and i need to stop supplying others with barely used cheap deals I Want my next step to be my last.

I don't think i'd be happy with the A* 85/1.4 due to how much funds it ties up in a single lens. Same reason i can't consider any ZK Lens past the 50/1.4 which is something that's covered.

Please keep the suggestions coming, maybe i'll be able to cut out the gear shuffling and just worry what to shoot with what i have next.

Thanks,

Daniel

[k100d]

if we're in the 70-80 range for MF lenses
there's the Jupiter-9 ... and for Pentax the Tak 85, K85, M85. thing w/ Pentax 85's is that they are all overpriced.

[morfic]

if we're in the 70-80 range for MF lenses
there's the Jupiter-9 ... and for Pentax the Tak 85, K85, M85. thing w/ Pentax 85's is that they are all overpriced.

They are pricey, i guess since i ask about the 77mm Ltd, i will end up always hearing about the 85s

The Jupiter-9 was nice on the 30D, and although tempting, and despite the 50/1.4 M42 success, i would only add K, M, A lenses, not M42, i guess i am a tad spoiled by the K mount

Maybe i had best asked which lens, any focal length you always pair with your 77Ltd. like "I always have the 77mm ltd on me, and my K|M|A xxxx" or "I never leave the house w/o my K|M|A xxxx, but sometimes i take the 77ltd with me too"

[morfic]

Oh yeah Wheatfield, i meant to add i am much more likely to try the magnifying eyepiece with the stock screen next.

[kbrabble]

If you are looking for something comparable to the 77mm in a manual focus lens, really the only options are one of the 85mm, the A* 85 being the only one in the A series.

If you don't mind the Takumar or K series lenses, as opposed to the A series, there are some real gems that can be had for a very good price. My three favorite lenses are the K 30mm 2.8, 85mm 1.8 and 200mm 2.5. All are amazingly good and are as good or better than their modern equivelents.

[Indianadinos]

Hello,

I have never used the FA-77 (well, at least for now ;-) ...), but i would suggest the Pentax-K 85/1.8 ... I bought one two years ago, and it has become one of my most used lenses: it is a bit soft wide open, but really sharp starting at f/2 (well, maybe a little too much for portraits, but this can be fixed), very well built and not prone to flare ... The cons is that you will not have the f/stop value in the viewfinder of the camera, but, in such a case, you can always check the FA*85 or the A*85, although, IMHO, your FA-77 should perform better and for a lower price ...

Hope this helps

Best regards