FA 43mm, K 50/1.2, A 50/1.2 - which would you choose?

tvdtvdtvd · 01-23-2020, 01:14 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by monochrome

manual focus is well damped and tight on the 43.

I'm intrigued by this comment^^^

I do not own the FA43 but I do own the FA77. While the focus feel of the FA77 is acceptably good for an AF lens, it is a far cry from
the well damped feel of a quality manual focus lens. IMO, the focus feel of the FA77 is noticeably inferior to the the focus feel of most
any A or K series lens I've ever used. Would you say the FA43 has a focus feel equivalent to a manual lens like the A50/1.2, or is
it just that the FA43 is acceptably good as a MF lens, (and happens to do double duty as an AF lens).

**bwgv001** · 01-23-2020, 01:21 PM

love my 43

**aslyfox** · 01-23-2020, 01:35 PM

here is a source that seems to consider the MF of the 43 to be " close "

Quote:

Manual Focus
Like the other Limited lenses, the FA 43mm retains some of the feel of older, manual lenses: the focus ring is adequately dampened, accurate and with good feedback. It is not quite as smooth as a fully manual lens, but comes close. This is no surprise and is on par with what we have come to expect from FA Limited lenses. Manual focus is easy to perform with good accuracy. The ring's throw is 150°.

Read more at: SMC Pentax-FA 43mm F1.9 Limited Review - Focusing | PentaxForums.com Reviews

ChristianRock · 01-23-2020, 01:47 PM

I only have the K 50 1.2 and I would also describe the focus ring feeling/dampening as "sublime". I would argue that it, too, has "pixie dust" - the lens likes to surprise you, it seems, with pictures that look better than your skills.

I made a comparison with my F 50 1.7 at f/2.8 and the bokeh of the 50 1.2 is visibly better - but other than that, the F 50 is just as sharp and renders very similarly. I was surprised at how close the pictures looked. My M 50 1.4 in comparison does not look as nice or interesting in terms of rendering, though the bokeh is a bit closer to the 50 1.2, though still not in the same class.

But I do know it's quite a lot larger and heavier than the FA 43, so that might be taken into consideration as well. So if you want the best possible bokeh and don't mind the size/weight and focusing manually, I'd say the 50 1.2 models are worth having. If you want great rendering in what is probably a more useful package for daily use, the 43 is probably your lens, though I don't find myself yearning for one even though the sharpness and details seem almost on par with great lenses like the DA 35 2.8 Limited.

**monochrome** · 01-23-2020, 04:37 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by tvdtvdtvd

I'm intrigued by this comment^^^

I do not own the FA43 but I do own the FA77. While the focus feel of the FA77 is acceptably good for an AF lens, it is a far cry from
the well damped feel of a quality manual focus lens. IMO, the focus feel of the FA77 is noticeably inferior to the the focus feel of most
any A or K series lens I've ever used. Would you say the FA43 has a focus feel equivalent to a manual lens like the A50/1.2, or is
it just that the FA43 is acceptably good as a MF lens, (and happens to do double duty as an AF lens).

IMO (complete set of K primes and a few A’s) the best are the K, and the Takumars I formerly owned, that have been CLA’ed by Eric. Many K lenses have dry, dirty grease and are much improved once reworked.

My two early serial (under 0001000) 43’s - both also CLA’ed by Eric - have a similar damping to my refreshed K lenses. IMO we have become accustomed to the friction caused by dirty focusing helicoids in Takumar and many K lenses.

My A50/1.2 - completely disassembled and rebuilt by dcshooter - actually has less damping than my 43’s.

So, yes, the 43’s I own aren’t as good for manual focusing as a correct K lens, but they’re still very good. As stated, I use them with my KX, K2DMD and MX on a regular basis.

**ramseybuckeye** · 01-23-2020, 06:52 PM

I have none of the above, I think the 43 would be more useful to me.

northcoastgreg · 01-23-2020, 07:08 PM - **3 Likes**

I have the K 50/1.2 and the FA 43. My K 50/1.2 is rather soft, but dreamy and beautiful, wide open; by f2 it's reasonably sharp, and comparable apertures nearly as sharp as the FA 43. The FA 43 is contrastier, with more natural and more brilliant color. It's for this reason that I prefer the FA 43, as color and contrast are the most important lens attributes the sort of photography I do. The 50/1.2 does feature smoother bokeh, if that's considered important. But to my eye, the FA 43 images do tend to be better. As much character as the 50/1.2 has, the FA 43 seems to have a bit more.

Here's an image with K 50/1.2:

And an image from the FA 43:

**Digitalis** · 01-23-2020, 07:49 PM - **4 Likes**

Originally posted by ChristianRock

I only have the K 50 1.2 and I would also describe the focus ring feeling/dampening as "sublime". I would argue that it, too, has "pixie dust"

I concur, I have both the K and A versions of the 50mm f/1.2 and I find the feel of manual focusing equally as satisfying, although my personal impressions of the plastics used on the A version somewhat detracts from the aesthetic and tactile feel of the lens. The K version feels solid enough to survive atmospheric re-entry.

The image quality of the pentax 50mm f/1.2 lenses is superb. Not as bitingly sharp and contrasty as modern 50mm "Otus" clones.

Pentax K5IIs - SMCP-K 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2 ISO 80 1/1250th

Pentax K5IIs - SMCP-K 50mm f/1.2 @ f/11 30s ISO 80

**clickclick** · 01-23-2020, 08:37 PM

I have the A50/1.2 and the 43. They are both wonderful, and I'd be hard pressed to pick one over the other. As mentioned, the 50 has a dreamy glow wide open, which can be pleasing. I like the aperture control with the A lenses, which may or may not be of importance to you. Since the 43 seems more common, if you had a chance to snag one of the 50's now, it might make sense to do so, and add the 43 later.

leekil · 01-23-2020, 11:19 PM

I think a big question for you is how do you like the focal lengths you describe, on your K-3?

I have a FA43 and an A50/1.2, and on the K-3 I didn't love the focal lengths for how I shoot. I already had the 43 from using on film cameras, and I would use it only when I wanted a smaller lens to carry around than something wider. The A50 I consider somewhat of a specialty lens, as the focal length is even longer than the 43, and I am not into the manual focus so much on an autofocus camera. I mostly use it when I really need the larger aperture in low-light situations.

WorksAsIntended · 01-24-2020, 01:07 AM

Those are very different options.
The FA43 has a significant wider viewing angle (which I really like). Af and auto aperture make it more versatile than mf lenses for most users (not all of course) and considering the af its mf capabilities are great. The Bokeh is somehow special, sometimes very pleasing, sometimes very hard to work with. Point and shoot does not work with that lense for me. You need to carefully check the oof areas.
The 50 1.2 are much creamier, but fully manually with higher focal lenght. Although mf on the 43 is nice, the old lenses I used (K, M, A) are still much better. Also the color contrasts are not as high as using the FA43.

On everyday use I would prefer your F 50 1.7 over both options, faster af and somehow easier to use and more consistent use.
This makes me think the new lense will be an addition for thought of and composed pictures. In this case both, MF and Bokeh composition are a non issue to me.
It is simply about the question what you want to achieve. I personally would go with 50 1.2 in this case.

Disclaimer: While I owned a FA 43 I can judge the 50 1.2 only by pictures seen from others and haptics by comparing to other old Pentax lenses I own or used to own.

Jonathan Mac · 01-24-2020, 01:50 AM

Wow, that's a lot of feedback. I see everyone has their own preferences and they're all ones I can relate to. In principle I would be replacing both the FA 50/1.7 and the DA 40/2.8, both of which I have up for sale to partially fund something new. The 43 certainly would be the most useful for me. It would replace the M 50/1.7 as my travel prime for film, the FA 50mm as a portrait-ish length fast prime and the DA 40mm Limited as a prime to use when space is at a premium. I'd love one of the 1.2s and I'm a bit stunned that both are available used and in great condition so close to me at the same time.

noelpolar · 01-24-2020, 03:21 AM

For me.... I use my 43 for most day to day shooting on the K1 and my K 50/1.2 when.... just .... um.... trying to think of what to say.... ok got it now..... my 43 is for when I'm shooting with my head and my 50/1.2 is when shooting from the heart. Also... with the 43 there is always some heart in it of course.... otherwise we'd be using a zoom.

Jonathan Mac · 03-12-2020, 08:54 AM - **3 Likes**

Update - in case any of you hadn't noticed from other threads, I bought the 43mm. The two f/1.2 lenses are still for sale.

**kernos** · 03-12-2020, 09:43 AM

I have the FA43 and while I like it for street type photography its not my favorite for meditative shots or portraits. There's also the issue of busy bokeh particularly with foliage in the background. The K50 and A50 1.2's have exactly same optical formula which is also a similar layout to the FA77, one of my favorite lenses. So for an expressive lens it would probably be one of the 1.2's. with the A getting the nod for more usability and better coatings.

01-24-2020, 01:07 AM	#26
WorksAsIntended Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 639	Those are very different options. The FA43 has a significant wider viewing angle (which I really like). Af and auto aperture make it more versatile than mf lenses for most users (not all of course) and considering the af its mf capabilities are great. The Bokeh is somehow special, sometimes very pleasing, sometimes very hard to work with. Point and shoot does not work with that lense for me. You need to carefully check the oof areas. The 50 1.2 are much creamier, but fully manually with higher focal lenght. Although mf on the 43 is nice, the old lenses I used (K, M, A) are still much better. Also the color contrasts are not as high as using the FA43. On everyday use I would prefer your F 50 1.7 over both options, faster af and somehow easier to use and more consistent use. This makes me think the new lense will be an addition for thought of and composed pictures. In this case both, MF and Bokeh composition are a non issue to me. It is simply about the question what you want to achieve. I personally would go with 50 1.2 in this case. Disclaimer: While I owned a FA 43 I can judge the 50 1.2 only by pictures seen from others and haptics by comparing to other old Pentax lenses I own or used to own. Last edited by WorksAsIntended; 01-24-2020 at 01:12 AM.

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01-23-2020, 01:14 PM - 1 Like	#16
tvdtvdtvd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,665	Originally posted by monochrome manual focus is well damped and tight on the 43. I'm intrigued by this comment^^^ I do not own the FA43 but I do own the FA77. While the focus feel of the FA77 is acceptably good for an AF lens, it is a far cry from the well damped feel of a quality manual focus lens. IMO, the focus feel of the FA77 is noticeably inferior to the the focus feel of most any A or K series lens I've ever used. Would you say the FA43 has a focus feel equivalent to a manual lens like the A50/1.2, or is it just that the FA43 is acceptably good as a MF lens, (and happens to do double duty as an AF lens).

01-23-2020, 01:21 PM	#17
bwgv001 Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Alabama Photos: Gallery Posts: 697	love my 43

01-23-2020, 01:35 PM	#18
aslyfox Seeker of Knowledge Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Topeka, Kansas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,581	here is a source that seems to consider the MF of the 43 to be " close " Quote: Manual Focus Like the other Limited lenses, the FA 43mm retains some of the feel of older, manual lenses: the focus ring is adequately dampened, accurate and with good feedback. It is not quite as smooth as a fully manual lens, but comes close. This is no surprise and is on par with what we have come to expect from FA Limited lenses. Manual focus is easy to perform with good accuracy. The ring's throw is 150°. Read more at: SMC Pentax-FA 43mm F1.9 Limited Review - Focusing \| PentaxForums.com Reviews

01-23-2020, 01:47 PM	#19
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	I only have the K 50 1.2 and I would also describe the focus ring feeling/dampening as "sublime". I would argue that it, too, has "pixie dust" - the lens likes to surprise you, it seems, with pictures that look better than your skills. I made a comparison with my F 50 1.7 at f/2.8 and the bokeh of the 50 1.2 is visibly better - but other than that, the F 50 is just as sharp and renders very similarly. I was surprised at how close the pictures looked. My M 50 1.4 in comparison does not look as nice or interesting in terms of rendering, though the bokeh is a bit closer to the 50 1.2, though still not in the same class. But I do know it's quite a lot larger and heavier than the FA 43, so that might be taken into consideration as well. So if you want the best possible bokeh and don't mind the size/weight and focusing manually, I'd say the 50 1.2 models are worth having. If you want great rendering in what is probably a more useful package for daily use, the 43 is probably your lens, though I don't find myself yearning for one even though the sharpness and details seem almost on par with great lenses like the DA 35 2.8 Limited.

01-23-2020, 04:37 PM - 2 Likes	#20
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by tvdtvdtvd I'm intrigued by this comment^^^ I do not own the FA43 but I do own the FA77. While the focus feel of the FA77 is acceptably good for an AF lens, it is a far cry from the well damped feel of a quality manual focus lens. IMO, the focus feel of the FA77 is noticeably inferior to the the focus feel of most any A or K series lens I've ever used. Would you say the FA43 has a focus feel equivalent to a manual lens like the A50/1.2, or is it just that the FA43 is acceptably good as a MF lens, (and happens to do double duty as an AF lens). IMO (complete set of K primes and a few A’s) the best are the K, and the Takumars I formerly owned, that have been CLA’ed by Eric. Many K lenses have dry, dirty grease and are much improved once reworked. My two early serial (under 0001000) 43’s - both also CLA’ed by Eric - have a similar damping to my refreshed K lenses. IMO we have become accustomed to the friction caused by dirty focusing helicoids in Takumar and many K lenses. My A50/1.2 - completely disassembled and rebuilt by dcshooter - actually has less damping than my 43’s. So, yes, the 43’s I own aren’t as good for manual focusing as a correct K lens, but they’re still very good. As stated, I use them with my KX, K2DMD and MX on a regular basis.

01-23-2020, 06:52 PM	#21
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 17,292	I have none of the above, I think the 43 would be more useful to me.

01-23-2020, 07:08 PM - 3 Likes	#22
northcoastgreg Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Northern Michigan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,173	I have the K 50/1.2 and the FA 43. My K 50/1.2 is rather soft, but dreamy and beautiful, wide open; by f2 it's reasonably sharp, and comparable apertures nearly as sharp as the FA 43. The FA 43 is contrastier, with more natural and more brilliant color. It's for this reason that I prefer the FA 43, as color and contrast are the most important lens attributes the sort of photography I do. The 50/1.2 does feature smoother bokeh, if that's considered important. But to my eye, the FA 43 images do tend to be better. As much character as the 50/1.2 has, the FA 43 seems to have a bit more. Here's an image with K 50/1.2: And an image from the FA 43:

01-23-2020, 07:49 PM - 4 Likes	#23
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Originally posted by ChristianRock I only have the K 50 1.2 and I would also describe the focus ring feeling/dampening as "sublime". I would argue that it, too, has "pixie dust" I concur, I have both the K and A versions of the 50mm f/1.2 and I find the feel of manual focusing equally as satisfying, although my personal impressions of the plastics used on the A version somewhat detracts from the aesthetic and tactile feel of the lens. The K version feels solid enough to survive atmospheric re-entry. The image quality of the pentax 50mm f/1.2 lenses is superb. Not as bitingly sharp and contrasty as modern 50mm "Otus" clones. Pentax K5IIs - SMCP-K 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2 ISO 80 1/1250th Pentax K5IIs - SMCP-K 50mm f/1.2 @ f/11 30s ISO 80

01-23-2020, 08:37 PM	#24
clickclick Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2016 Location: East Coast Posts: 2,903	I have the A50/1.2 and the 43. They are both wonderful, and I'd be hard pressed to pick one over the other. As mentioned, the 50 has a dreamy glow wide open, which can be pleasing. I like the aperture control with the A lenses, which may or may not be of importance to you. Since the 43 seems more common, if you had a chance to snag one of the 50's now, it might make sense to do so, and add the 43 later.

01-23-2020, 11:19 PM	#25
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	I think a big question for you is how do you like the focal lengths you describe, on your K-3? I have a FA43 and an A50/1.2, and on the K-3 I didn't love the focal lengths for how I shoot. I already had the 43 from using on film cameras, and I would use it only when I wanted a smaller lens to carry around than something wider. The A50 I consider somewhat of a specialty lens, as the focal length is even longer than the 43, and I am not into the manual focus so much on an autofocus camera. I mostly use it when I really need the larger aperture in low-light situations.

01-24-2020, 01:50 AM	#27
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,897 Original Poster	Wow, that's a lot of feedback. I see everyone has their own preferences and they're all ones I can relate to. In principle I would be replacing both the FA 50/1.7 and the DA 40/2.8, both of which I have up for sale to partially fund something new. The 43 certainly would be the most useful for me. It would replace the M 50/1.7 as my travel prime for film, the FA 50mm as a portrait-ish length fast prime and the DA 40mm Limited as a prime to use when space is at a premium. I'd love one of the 1.2s and I'm a bit stunned that both are available used and in great condition so close to me at the same time.

01-24-2020, 03:21 AM	#28
noelpolar Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Goolwa, SA Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,310	For me.... I use my 43 for most day to day shooting on the K1 and my K 50/1.2 when.... just .... um.... trying to think of what to say.... ok got it now..... my 43 is for when I'm shooting with my head and my 50/1.2 is when shooting from the heart. Also... with the 43 there is always some heart in it of course.... otherwise we'd be using a zoom.

03-12-2020, 08:54 AM - 3 Likes	#29
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,897 Original Poster	Update - in case any of you hadn't noticed from other threads, I bought the 43mm. The two f/1.2 lenses are still for sale.

03-12-2020, 09:43 AM	#30
kernos Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 456	I have the FA43 and while I like it for street type photography its not my favorite for meditative shots or portraits. There's also the issue of busy bokeh particularly with foliage in the background. The K50 and A50 1.2's have exactly same optical formula which is also a similar layout to the FA77, one of my favorite lenses. So for an expressive lens it would probably be one of the 1.2's. with the A getting the nod for more usability and better coatings.