Originally posted by soccerjoe5 yeah i'm leaning towards the FA or D-FA 50! which one is a better one?
Have the FA 50mm macro and DFA 50mm macro as well as the FA 100mm macro and DFA 100mm f/2.8 macro so let me highlight the differences.
Both FA and DFA macros can be used on digital and film cameras, the latter without vignetting as both have image circles that can cover 35mm film cameras and have aperture rings for older film cameras that don't have electronic control of the aperture from the camera body.
In terms of build quality, the FA macros are physically bigger and heavier lenses compared to the DFA macros. DFA macros are smaller but have polycarbonate plastic construction, which makes for a lighter lens. This might be a consideration if you're in the field or shooting for extended periods. Filter size for the FA 50mm/100mm takes 52mm/58mm filters whereas both the DFA macros use a 49mm filter thread.
The FA macros have a deeply recessed front element, which means no lens hood are needed. The DFA lenses on the other hand have a clip-on lens hoods which is quite necessary when shooting at larger magnifications as the front barrel extends outwards.
Optically, the FA macros have the edge in terms of sharpness and have a more punchy colour rendition typical of FA lenses. The DFA lenses gives images that are a little more contrasty. These are probably due to changes in the lens coating. I personally prefer the FA versions.
The DFA macros have Quick Shift, which is a very useful feature allowing the user to adjust focus manually after AF. Focusing wise the Pentax macros can hunt in AF due to the long focus travel from 1:1 to infinity, especially at low light or when there is no distinct object to lock focus. At normal shooting distances, AF is fast enough.
The FA 50mm & FA 100mm macros both have a Clamp Screw that is used to tighten the rotation of the focusing ring when focusing manually to avoid any shift in focus, especially when used on a copy stand.
The FA 100mm macro has in addition a Focus Range Limiter switch. This limits the focus range either for either macro or normal shooting distances.
Both the DFA macros only have a Focus Clamp, which works similar to the Clamp Screw of the FA macros.
Last edited by creampuff; 10-15-2008 at 11:19 PM.