HD FA35 or FA43 limited. Am I crazy that I like FA35 samples better?

**BigMackCam** · 12-08-2019, 05:23 PM

Originally posted by dcpropilot

Apparently the 35 limited wasn't intended to be macro originally, but ended up being a macro.

Originally posted by Madaboutpix

That's what I read too, probably thanks to our diligent chronicler JPT. Of course, the short working distance can be a problem with living subjects and can make lighting a bit difficult, but the optics deliver critically sharp 1:1 macros. Not a mean feat for a compact lens that, as long as speed is not the chief concern, beautifully doubles as a capable standard lens. Never had any regrets about adding it to my kit.

I've never actually used my HD DA35 f/2.8 for traditional macro work, but I certainly appreciate its closer-than-normal minimum focus distance. It offers a lot of creative opportunities...

dbs · 12-08-2019, 07:03 PM - **1 Like**

31...........................................................................................................
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ducks and hides

Dave

08amczb · 12-09-2019, 04:51 AM

I has the HD DFA 35 F2 and I had the FA43 Ltd. Currently I don't have a digital Pentax body so I have only a little experience with the DFA35, I borrowed my friends digital bodies to play with it.
The FA43 is much better in my view, I like more the rendering of that lens. Optically the FA34 is sharper and has less aberrations. I replaced the FA43 with an F50 and the FA31 with the DFA35 when I switched my digital kit to Nikon, I use my remaining lenses on the PZ-1p and I do not need the higher quality for family portraits.

tokyoscape · 12-09-2019, 05:31 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by mconwxdr

I'm looking for a compact normal prime for my K-70 faster than 2.8. I've had the DA40, really liked it, but I like the 40mm 2.8 shots from my 16-50 just fine. I also tried the 35/2.4 and didn't like the plastic feel of it. So at first I was determined to get a 43 and blow off the 35, but looking at sample images of the FA35 (not many out there yet of the HD version), I have to say I'm impressed. And some of the 43 images have bokeh busier than I like. There's only one review of the HD version of the 35 on here and would like more opinions. Am I crazy that I'm leaning toward the 35?

I used to have legacy version of FA35, don't have the 43 but only test it in store compared with my own 35.
My FA 35 was super sharp. The person buy from me said it sharper than his old copy. So from my experience, it sharps from f2 and very sharp when stop down to f2.2 then bleeeeeeding sharp at f4. Sharpness alone, my copy beat a copy of FA31 I test in store. Totally beat it, but .... but FA 35 is neither FA31 nor FA43! Pentax add black magic to the FA limited series. That's all I can say!

If you only concern about sharpness, let's say you do landscape. FA35 new or older version won't disappoint you. But if you want the magic, you go for FA limited.

**BigMackCam** · 12-09-2019, 05:44 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by tokyoscape

I used to have legacy version of FA35, don't have the 43 but only test it in store compared with my own 35.
My FA 35 was super sharp. The person buy from me said it sharper than his old copy. So from my experience, it sharps from f2 and very sharp when stop down to f2.2 then bleeeeeeding sharp at f4. Sharpness alone, my copy beat a copy of FA31 I test in store. Totally beat it, but .... but FA 35 is neither FA31 nor FA43! Pentax add black magic to the FA limited series. That's all I can say!

If you only concern about sharpness, let's say you do landscape. FA35 new or older version won't disappoint you. But if you want the magic, you go for FA limited.

I've been playing around with my recently acquired HD FA35/2 this morning, carrying out AF fine adjustment (for the second time) and testing it at each aperture. It's already good enough to use wide open, no doubt about that, but really benefits from being stopped down just a little, where it quickly becomes decently sharp. And you're quite right, by f/4 it's just amazingly sharp. Border and corner performance on APS-C is very, very good indeed. Impressive, I must say...

mconwxdr · 12-09-2019, 07:06 AM

The 31.....yeah unfortunately my will power is too good. I remember flipping through random shots at 28-35mm FLs from all lens manufacturers and being able to pick out the 31 pretty consistently. Not exactly compact either (but I'd deal with it for that performance).

Thanks for the impressions on the HD and FA35. Hope PF does a review on it sometime soon.

**pres589** · 12-09-2019, 07:19 AM

What's the manual focus feel like with the HD FA 35 f2? I like what they did with the focus ring.

bdery · 12-09-2019, 07:22 AM

Nothing crazy in the original question. I LOVE my FA43, it's my most-used prime and I find it reliable and its images beautiful. I also don't really like the 35-ish focal length. But that's me. Both lenses will serve you well. Many people have called the FA35 the poor man's 31, that's saying something.

**BigMackCam** · 12-09-2019, 07:26 AM

Originally posted by pres589

What's the manual focus feel like with the HD FA 35 f2? I like what they did with the focus ring.

It's excellent. No sense of it being a mechanism made of gears - it's perfectly smooth, with the perfect amount of resistance. Nicer, in fact, than my HD DA Limited lenses (you can just feel the gearing in those, occasionally). And the knurled rubber ring feels much nicer than the smooth one on my FA50/1.4...

**pres589** · 12-09-2019, 07:43 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BigMackCam

It's excellent. No sense of it being a mechanism made of gears - it's perfectly smooth, with the perfect amount of resistance. Nicer, in fact, than my HD DA Limited lenses (you can just feel the gearing in those, occasionally). And the knurled rubber ring feels much nicer than the smooth one on my FA50/1.4...

Perhaps this would be a good lens to own if I were okay with selling both my K 35 f2 and my M 35 f2.8... it seems like it could replace both pretty nicely and work well on my film cameras if the focusing is as nice as you say.

Maybe on a trip to NYC I could try a copy at one of the big stores and see what I think.

Andrea K · 12-09-2019, 09:38 AM

Originally posted by tokyoscape

I used to have legacy version of FA35, don't have the 43 but only test it in store compared with my own 35.
My FA 35 was super sharp. The person buy from me said it sharper than his old copy. So from my experience, it sharps from f2 and very sharp when stop down to f2.2 then bleeeeeeding sharp at f4. Sharpness alone, my copy beat a copy of FA31 I test in store. Totally beat it, but .... but FA 35 is neither FA31 nor FA43! Pentax add black magic to the FA limited series. That's all I can say!

If you only concern about sharpness, let's say you do landscape. FA35 new or older version won't disappoint you. But if you want the magic, you go for FA limited.

True.

Ben-G · 02-27-2020, 08:54 AM

With any doubt the magic FA 43mm Ltd !!!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun_Hirakawa

Ps. "Magic" doesn't mean absence of sharpness ...

Sharpness is a Bourgeois Concept | Yatesweb

02-27-2020, 08:54 AM	#42
Ben-G Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 171	With any doubt the magic FA 43mm Ltd !!! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun_Hirakawa Ps. "Magic" doesn't mean absence of sharpness ... Sharpness is a Bourgeois Concept \| Yatesweb Last edited by Ben-G; 02-29-2020 at 03:33 AM.

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12-08-2019, 05:23 PM	#31
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,679	Originally posted by dcpropilot Apparently the 35 limited wasn't intended to be macro originally, but ended up being a macro. Originally posted by Madaboutpix That's what I read too, probably thanks to our diligent chronicler JPT. Of course, the short working distance can be a problem with living subjects and can make lighting a bit difficult, but the optics deliver critically sharp 1:1 macros. Not a mean feat for a compact lens that, as long as speed is not the chief concern, beautifully doubles as a capable standard lens. Never had any regrets about adding it to my kit. I've never actually used my HD DA35 f/2.8 for traditional macro work, but I certainly appreciate its closer-than-normal minimum focus distance. It offers a lot of creative opportunities...

12-08-2019, 07:03 PM - 1 Like	#32
dbs Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Clare Valley S A Photos: Albums Posts: 7,564	31........................................................................................................... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ducks and hides Dave

12-09-2019, 04:51 AM	#33
08amczb Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 796	I has the HD DFA 35 F2 and I had the FA43 Ltd. Currently I don't have a digital Pentax body so I have only a little experience with the DFA35, I borrowed my friends digital bodies to play with it. The FA43 is much better in my view, I like more the rendering of that lens. Optically the FA34 is sharper and has less aberrations. I replaced the FA43 with an F50 and the FA31 with the DFA35 when I switched my digital kit to Nikon, I use my remaining lenses on the PZ-1p and I do not need the higher quality for family portraits.

12-09-2019, 05:31 AM - 2 Likes	#34
tokyoscape Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,256	Originally posted by mconwxdr I'm looking for a compact normal prime for my K-70 faster than 2.8. I've had the DA40, really liked it, but I like the 40mm 2.8 shots from my 16-50 just fine. I also tried the 35/2.4 and didn't like the plastic feel of it. So at first I was determined to get a 43 and blow off the 35, but looking at sample images of the FA35 (not many out there yet of the HD version), I have to say I'm impressed. And some of the 43 images have bokeh busier than I like. There's only one review of the HD version of the 35 on here and would like more opinions. Am I crazy that I'm leaning toward the 35? I used to have legacy version of FA35, don't have the 43 but only test it in store compared with my own 35. My FA 35 was super sharp. The person buy from me said it sharper than his old copy. So from my experience, it sharps from f2 and very sharp when stop down to f2.2 then bleeeeeeding sharp at f4. Sharpness alone, my copy beat a copy of FA31 I test in store. Totally beat it, but .... but FA 35 is neither FA31 nor FA43! Pentax add black magic to the FA limited series. That's all I can say! If you only concern about sharpness, let's say you do landscape. FA35 new or older version won't disappoint you. But if you want the magic, you go for FA limited.

12-09-2019, 05:44 AM - 2 Likes	#35
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,679	Originally posted by tokyoscape I used to have legacy version of FA35, don't have the 43 but only test it in store compared with my own 35. My FA 35 was super sharp. The person buy from me said it sharper than his old copy. So from my experience, it sharps from f2 and very sharp when stop down to f2.2 then bleeeeeeding sharp at f4. Sharpness alone, my copy beat a copy of FA31 I test in store. Totally beat it, but .... but FA 35 is neither FA31 nor FA43! Pentax add black magic to the FA limited series. That's all I can say! If you only concern about sharpness, let's say you do landscape. FA35 new or older version won't disappoint you. But if you want the magic, you go for FA limited. I've been playing around with my recently acquired HD FA35/2 this morning, carrying out AF fine adjustment (for the second time) and testing it at each aperture. It's already good enough to use wide open, no doubt about that, but really benefits from being stopped down just a little, where it quickly becomes decently sharp. And you're quite right, by f/4 it's just amazingly sharp. Border and corner performance on APS-C is very, very good indeed. Impressive, I must say...

12-09-2019, 07:06 AM	#36
mconwxdr Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Oklahoma Photos: Gallery Posts: 344 Original Poster	The 31.....yeah unfortunately my will power is too good. I remember flipping through random shots at 28-35mm FLs from all lens manufacturers and being able to pick out the 31 pretty consistently. Not exactly compact either (but I'd deal with it for that performance). Thanks for the impressions on the HD and FA35. Hope PF does a review on it sometime soon.

12-09-2019, 07:19 AM	#37
pres589 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Wichita, KS Photos: Albums Posts: 4,533	What's the manual focus feel like with the HD FA 35 f2? I like what they did with the focus ring.

12-09-2019, 07:22 AM	#38
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,360	Nothing crazy in the original question. I LOVE my FA43, it's my most-used prime and I find it reliable and its images beautiful. I also don't really like the 35-ish focal length. But that's me. Both lenses will serve you well. Many people have called the FA35 the poor man's 31, that's saying something.

12-09-2019, 07:26 AM	#39
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,679	Originally posted by pres589 What's the manual focus feel like with the HD FA 35 f2? I like what they did with the focus ring. It's excellent. No sense of it being a mechanism made of gears - it's perfectly smooth, with the perfect amount of resistance. Nicer, in fact, than my HD DA Limited lenses (you can just feel the gearing in those, occasionally). And the knurled rubber ring feels much nicer than the smooth one on my FA50/1.4...

12-09-2019, 07:43 AM - 1 Like	#40
pres589 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Wichita, KS Photos: Albums Posts: 4,533	Originally posted by BigMackCam It's excellent. No sense of it being a mechanism made of gears - it's perfectly smooth, with the perfect amount of resistance. Nicer, in fact, than my HD DA Limited lenses (you can just feel the gearing in those, occasionally). And the knurled rubber ring feels much nicer than the smooth one on my FA50/1.4... Perhaps this would be a good lens to own if I were okay with selling both my K 35 f2 and my M 35 f2.8... it seems like it could replace both pretty nicely and work well on my film cameras if the focusing is as nice as you say. Maybe on a trip to NYC I could try a copy at one of the big stores and see what I think.

12-09-2019, 09:38 AM	#41
Andrea K Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 822	Originally posted by tokyoscape I used to have legacy version of FA35, don't have the 43 but only test it in store compared with my own 35. My FA 35 was super sharp. The person buy from me said it sharper than his old copy. So from my experience, it sharps from f2 and very sharp when stop down to f2.2 then bleeeeeeding sharp at f4. Sharpness alone, my copy beat a copy of FA31 I test in store. Totally beat it, but .... but FA 35 is neither FA31 nor FA43! Pentax add black magic to the FA limited series. That's all I can say! If you only concern about sharpness, let's say you do landscape. FA35 new or older version won't disappoint you. But if you want the magic, you go for FA limited. True.