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02-19-2020, 05:32 AM   #1
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Pentax fa 20 2.8 OR Samyang 20 1.8 Or ?? your help pls ....

This summer we are off to a 3 week tour of Iceland. And it's time to get prepared for it.

What I have (and am planning to take with me):

K-1ii
D FA 70-210
D FA 28-105

What I also want :
- something wider, mainly for landscapes.
- (optional) something better instead of the D FA 28-105 (which IS quite good actually).

What I've dismissed :
- D FA 24-70 : Big, quite heavy, not THAT good, not really wide.
- D FA 15-30 : Big, heavy, not very good, still will need the 28-105.

Currently am thinking of either the :
- FA 20 2.8 : Used, screwdrive focus, LIGHT, loved by users.
- Samyang\Rokinon 20 1.8 : New, manualdrive focus :-) , very good, FAST, loved by users. About same price as 20 2.8.

Am also aware of the FA 20-35 4 (used), but between it and the 20 2.8 I prefer the later.

What I also have at home :
- 31 limited
- FA 50 2.8 macro
- FA 50 1.7

Currently I'm thinking of just adding the Samyang 20 1.8, but would like to hear from others. Your thoughts and experiences will be appreciated. Am open also for new ideas, not just what I've described here.

Ben

02-19-2020, 05:38 AM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by ben-pentax Quote
- D FA 15-30 : Big, heavy, not very good, still will need the 28-105.
Not very good?
02-19-2020, 05:56 AM   #3
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one to consider: the SMC A 20/2.8
02-19-2020, 07:17 AM   #4
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I'm interested too in comments about the Samyang 20mm 1.8, especially it's distortion for buildings and interiors Please ignore this request if it's dragging the OP's thread away from the landscapes he asked about. I have the Irix15mm which is wonderful lens, by the way.

02-19-2020, 07:40 AM   #5
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Sigma has a couple of AF lenses that might be considered: The 20mm f/1,8 and the 24mm f/1,8. I doubt you will find them new, so I assume you will have to find used ones.
02-19-2020, 07:50 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by sergysergy Quote
Not very good?
It has a rating of 8.91 in the lens DB which is not very encouraging (the 20 2.8 rating is 9.26). The PF review does state that "is large, heavy and expensive. It is also an optically stellar lens", and also mensions ghosting, vignetting and distortion problems.

Al in all, at it's price point, for me it is "not very good".

---------- Post added 02-19-2020 at 04:53 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by pepperberry farm Quote
one to consider: the SMC A 20/2.8
Noticed it, but I would rather have the newer FA 20 2.8.

---------- Post added 02-19-2020 at 04:59 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Simen1 Quote
Sigma has a couple of AF lenses that might be considered: The 20mm f/1,8 and the 24mm f/1,8. I doubt you will find them new, so I assume you will have to find used ones.
Looked at the 20 1.8 - even if I can find it with K mount, didn't like it. Thanks anyway :-)
02-19-2020, 08:01 AM - 1 Like   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by ben-pentax Quote
It has a rating of 8.91 in the lens DB which is not very encouraging (the 20 2.8 rating is 9.26). The PF review does state that "is large, heavy and expensive. It is also an optically stellar lens", and also mensions ghosting, vignetting and distortion problems.

Al in all, at it's price point, for me it is "not very good".

---------- Post added 02-19-2020 at 04:53 PM ----------


Noticed it, but I would rather have the newer FA 20 2.8.

---------- Post added 02-19-2020 at 04:59 PM ----------


Looked at the 20 1.8 - even if I can find it with K mount, didn't like it. Thanks anyway :-)
... the A 20/2.8 makes nicer stars, because of the 5 instead of 6 blades of the FA Version ... if you are intrested in that.

02-19-2020, 08:14 AM   #8
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@pid - thanks for the info, not a deal breaker for me.
02-19-2020, 09:43 AM - 2 Likes   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by ben-pentax Quote
It has a rating of 8.91 in the lens DB which is not very encouraging (the 20 2.8 rating is 9.26).
Numeric rankings in the reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.

QuoteOriginally posted by ben-pentax Quote
Noticed it, but I would rather have the newer FA 20 2.8.
Same optics as the A 20/2.8, but AF. My preference would be for the A 20/2.8 based on build (all metal vs. plastic-sheathed) and much better manual focus ergonomics. BTW, the FA is not "newer" in any real sense that might infer better condition or higher performance. The A 20/2.8 had a long production run (1985-2001), overlapping the FA (1995-2006) for several years.


Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 02-19-2020 at 09:56 AM.
02-19-2020, 11:12 AM   #10
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I think the M 20 f4 actually out-performs the A & FA 20 f2.8 based on images shared here. There was also a Voigtlander 20 that was quite good but rare and non-cheap. Really there's a lot of film-era 20ish primes available either in k-mount, m42, and convertible via Leitax. The unfortunate thing is that many of them aren't stellar performers on digital bodies and they're not getting any younger. The Sigma 17-35 EX DG would also interest me as a good compromise zoom.
02-19-2020, 03:52 PM   #11
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If one considers the 15-30mm to be 'not very good', the corner performance of the Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 isn't good enough for sure. It is however a lens that's almost always in my K-1 bag for hikes, because it is super compact, has good contrast and is excellent when closed down a bit for landscapes on 95% of the frame. Another alternative would be a Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 ZF Leitax-converted Nikon version, I don't think I've ever seen a ZK version of this one. Being an A-lens, the Samyang is definitely easier to use and from what I've seen extremely capable - if you get a good one.
02-19-2020, 04:00 PM   #12
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The DFA 24-70 is "very good"
The DFA 15-30 is superb.

Don't believe everything you see in the Lens Review section.

But if your mind is made up about them, the FA 20 is a great little lens. Tiny, fast AF, nice IQ, big fat six point stars if you like that kind of thing
02-19-2020, 06:32 PM - 1 Like   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
I think the M 20 f4 actually out-performs the A & FA 20 f2.8 based on images shared here.
I have all 3, and like them all for different reasons. The M is delightfully small, it's great to have a FF ultra-wide in such a small package, and has excellent flare resistance. The A and FA are both optically superior, mainly with respect to corner sharpness. They are both larger, but still very small.

If I could only keep one, I would choose the A due to its superior build quality compared to the FA, especially the focus feel - it's a dream to use. Luckily I don't have to!
02-19-2020, 07:38 PM   #14
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I rented the DFA 15-30 and optically it is great, but I agree it is very heavy. I ended up buying the FA 20 instead, which is very sharp and very small/light plus it is auto focus. The FA, however, has too high coma for astro shots. For daylight it seems great so far. I have the Samyang 14/2.8 for astro and its distortion is not too bad for normal landscape shooting.
02-19-2020, 08:47 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by krazykat Quote
I have all 3, and like them all for different reasons. The M is delightfully small, it's great to have a FF ultra-wide in such a small package, and has excellent flare resistance. The A and FA are both optically superior, mainly with respect to corner sharpness. They are both larger, but still very small.

If I could only keep one, I would choose the A due to its superior build quality compared to the FA, especially the focus feel - it's a dream to use. Luckily I don't have to!
I can't compare it to the A and FA 20's, but I would really like to see some kind of proof that the M 20 doesn't outscore these other lenses optically. NorthcoastGreg seems to get some stunning results out of his M 20 and I just don't see similar quality shots out of the A or FA 20's.
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