[Ben-G]

Well, ... if you're inclined to option [ A ] :

[ A ] + Fa31limited

#Save the Legend !

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/limited_lens/fa_limited/

Best regards,

Ben

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Last edited by Ben-G; 06-21-2020 at 12:59 PM.

[house]

A sounds like a great setup. I've not tried the 43 though but it must be a great focal length. I really dislike owning lenses that are to close. Makes me pick one or the other randomly and prevents the gear from becoming "stable". Really knowing your FL's and having a set kit is great for your results imho. For me the DA 15 vs DA 21 and even the DA 35 vs the DA 50 were such annoying choices.

[vrrattko]

Well if you're inclined to A ... :

A+ Fa31limited

#Save the Legend !

FA Limited | PENTAX Limited Lens Special Site | RICOH IMAGING

Best regards,

Ben

Nice link, thanks Ben.

[RICHARD L.]

When you sell a lens, you lose money, just as is the case for a car (depreciation). Better stick with your arsenal.

Regards

[ramseybuckeye]

Based your descriptions, all seven lenses are keepers! LOL!

Why get rid of three lenses? How will you be better off without them?

I can understand not wanting to carry every lens on every outing. But it seems clear that if you make a 3+1 set for each type of outing: landscape, portrait, street, astro, etc., then you'll end up keeping every lens even if some lenses stay home on some outings.

This is the best idea, but if you need to sell something you said the 85 is the most valuable and least used, And with a new 85 out, will the value change.

[Paul the Sunman]

There's a mix of FF and APS-C lenses there. Which camera are you shooting on?

[Gianclaudio]

I'll keep the 20-40 and Da*55, use the 58mm filters, with a step up ring for the 20-40 (55mm in diameter); plus the A*85.

As mentioned by AfterPentax before, both 20-40 and 55 are WR and silent focusing; and having the versatility of a zoom is really useful in many situations.
I also keep the 31, and sell the 21, 43 and 70.

[Sandy Hancock]

That is a fantastic set of lenses. I truly do not understand why you would consider getting rid of any of them.

[vrrattko]

This is the best idea, but if you need to sell something you said the 85 is the most valuable and least used, And with a new 85 out, will the value change.

Thanks, that's perfectly reasonable suggestion and yet somehow owning A*85 is beyond reason. I think it is emotional thing to own something special. But I give it a serious thought. Not before i try it for deep space photography though.
Maybe it will go down in value, maybe not. For example the existence of FA*85 didn't harm its value really nor Sigma 85ex or Samyang85. And i did rough comparisons....interestingly A*85 had less fringing at 2.5 than HD DA70 at 2.4 when shot against bright light. That lens is extremely likeable.

---------- Post added 06-22-2020 at 06:55 AM ----------

There's a mix of FF and APS-C lenses there. Which camera are you shooting on?

95 percent of time shooting with K5IIs, 5 percent with ME Super on BW films.

---------- Post added 06-22-2020 at 07:02 AM ----------

That is a fantastic set of lenses. I truly do not understand why you would consider getting rid of any of them.

Well Sandy sometimes I think I should simplify my choices and focus more on taking photos than gear. I consistently find out that i am pretty well off with using just 4-5 lenses and i take other 2-3 just from remorse. Plus selling 3 of them may help me little to finance my other plans.

[Rondec]

If there is a possibility of ever going full frame, I would include that in your criteria for which to keep. The thing is that over time used full frame gear will drop in price and there may come a time where you decide to try it out and many of your current lenses would be more than usable on such a camera.

[dcpropilot]

I'd pick up a 15, and roll with the 15, 20-40, and 70 combo.

[UncleVanya]

I own far too many lenses. One legend I did own and sold off was my A* 85 in pristine condition. My reason we're all related to vision. My ability to manually focus it at that time was hit or miss. I bought an FA 31 and FA 77 from the sales proceeds. The 77 has not disappointed me at all. It is a baby 85 and does share the basic optical formula with autofocus and compact size.

But enough about that. I also own a da 70, which is slightly shorter a bit slower and tiny. Given your love of tiny (20-40 is a case in point) I'd go 21, 43, 70 with the 85 for special uses. But if you ever go full frame you will hate yourself for selling the 31 which gives a very similar perspective on FF as the 21 on your gear now with a faster aperture and interesting rendering.

[vrrattko]

I own far too many lenses. One legend I did own and sold off was my A* 85 in pristine condition. My reason we're all related to vision. My ability to manually focus it at that time was hit or miss. I bought an FA 31 and FA 77 from the sales proceeds. The 77 has not disappointed me at all. It is a baby 85 and does share the basic optical formula with autofocus and compact size.

But enough about that. I also own a da 70, which is slightly shorter a bit slower and tiny. Given your love of tiny (20-40 is a case in point) I'd go 21, 43, 70 with the 85 for special uses. But if you ever go full frame you will hate yourself for selling the 31 which gives a very similar perspective on FF as the 21 on your gear now with a faster aperture and interesting rendering.

Very true, however i am not planning to go FF. If that ever happens, i think finding pristine FA31 would be still easier than finding pristine A*85. Hence i favour keeping A*.
I agree with things you wrote. I do like 31 on apsc, on FF it must be great

[monochrome]

Having too much expensive star and limited lenses at the moment, some of them used less than i would like to. So I was thinking about reducing it to 3 + 1specialty lens kit.

My current lenses are:
DA20-40ltd - universal lens, however i find it big and awkward for street photo. Mostly used for landscapes.
DA21ltd - I bought it for street photography, but also use it for landscape a lot. Compact!
FA31ltd - Most used for environmental portraits, landscape, some street. Great bokeh for wideangle.
FA43ltd - mainly portrait lens, but used for landscape and street as well. Works nicely with DA21 and DA70 - shares same filter.
DA*55 - beautiful portrait lens, but quite big, over the time I take FA43 with me more often. Works nicely with FA31, which has same filter thread.
DA70ltd - Can't beat the bokeh of DA*55 but has more reach as short telephoto. Great combo with DA21 + FA43. Great also for landscapes.
A*85/1.4 - this is an incredible lens. It suffers from purple fringing wide open, but its rendering outclasses everything from my collection. Great for mountain landscapes, portraits and I yet want to try it for astro photography. This is also most valuable lens i have, and will probably keep its value. Amazingly I found it almost mint. However it is big and heavy, and least used by me.

Idea here is to have 3 lenses that are commonly used and taken everywhere and one for special uses. So my options are:

A. DA 21,FA 43, DA70 + A*85 - small, lightweight, 49mm filters, nice for street, easy to carry to mountains or travel.
B. DA21, FA31, DA70 + A*85 - same as above, but FA31 replaced FA43, thus not so compact. Two filter systems needed - 49 and 58.
C. DA21,FA43, DA 70 + FA31 - main downside is that i would need to let A*85 go

What are your opinions? Thanks.

Sell all the DA lenses, add the FA77 Limited and keep the A*85/1.4. I plan to start doing that this weekend. All my lenses will be FF and there won’t be any overlap. Since I don’t have the A*85/1.4 I ordered the new lens with the proceeds of my sales. The FA Lims worked just fine on K-3 before I bought the K-1

[gatorguy]

A* 85mm has 67mm filter thread. It is a huge heavy lens. I am one of the fortunate ones that own one!

After using the HD FA50 1.4 and the FA85 1.4, not to mention a couple of 70-200 2.8's and *200/300, the A*85 would feel neither huge nor heavy. It would actually be one of the lighter lenses I'd use.