[studiocrocevia]

For you what is the best "normal" autofocus prime ?

[frank]

You left out the FA50/1.4

To me the FA43 taks the most pleasing photos, which is why I'm keeping it.

[axl]

hi-
I have F50 1.7 & DA40. Both are great and I use both for different purposes. However, I thin on dslr DA40 makes better everyday 'normal' lens
BR

[platinum]

50 1.7 is best in sharp

[studiocrocevia]

i forgot the 50 f 1.4 !

[NaClH2O]

Have to agree with frank on this one (which isn't a bad idea generally) I own the FA 50 F1.4, the K 50 F1.2 and the FA 43 ltd. I would rate them 43 ltd, K 50 and FA 50. Tho you would probabaly starve on the difference between the K 50 and the FA 50. The 43 ltd is a significantly better lens than the other two IMO.

NaCl(and I have a good friend who swears by his A 50 1.7)H2O

[platinum]

i forgot the 50 f 1.4 !

usually 50 f 1.4 is for portrait, but i try to use a 50 f 1.7 and it is good.

about me on the new photocameras, like k20d (14megapixel), a good sharp is better.

DA 40 f 2.8 is not fast.

FA 43 f 1.9 i don't know.

[roentarre]

I got for Fa 43 which is an amazing lens in deed. I love it not only for its optics but also its boutique build.

[k100d]

FA43, i like the focal length and build. after using limited lenses, plain lenses don't seem the same.

[Eigengrau]

Does the 43 have quick-shift, or does it focus like the FA 50/1.4?

[frank]

Does the 43 have quick-shift, or does it focus like the FA 50/1.4?

As far as I know, only DFA and most DA lenses have quick-shift feature, all the other lenses don't. All F*/FA* lenses have this quick push-poll shift feature, which I like better than the DA lens' quick shift.

[Red]

hi-
I have F50 1.7 & DA40. Both are great and I use both for different purposes. However, I thin on dslr DA40 makes better everyday 'normal' lens
BR

x2. I have both as well.


But I prefer the DA40 as a walkaround because it is sharp across the whole frame from wide open, tiny/light, and it has faster AF. Low light and portraits I prefer the edge softness and slightly muted colors of the F50 1.7

[jsherman999]

.

FA 50 1.7
plus: Sharpest, very sharp wide open, nice colors/contrast
minus: Bokeh can be busy, smaller FOV





DA 40 2.8 limited
plus: Very sharp, best edge-to-edge, bright colors, good contrast, no CA,
fast to lock focus, tiny
minus: only 2.8, hard to MF, not quite as sharp as 50 1.7 or 43 (but still
exceptional sharpness and sharper than any zoom.)





FA 43 1.8 limited
plus: Maybe as sharp as the 50 1.7 at f/2.4+, rendering is FA-limited, very 3-D because of center sharpness and specular highlights. Build quality is exceptional, will probably last forever, MF is nice.
minus: More expensive.





As you can see, all three are fun to own. Right now I only have the 43, sold the
40 and FA 50, but missed the FA so I found a cheaper F 50 1.7 that's just as good.

[Marc Sabatella]

For you what is the best "normal" autofocus prime ?

Al of the above are rather longer than "normal" on a Pentax DSLR - somewhere between 28 and 35 would be the "normal" range. So really, if you're looking for "normal", the 40 comes closest, but is still noticeably too long. but if you're actually looking for something short telephoto, they are all quite good and have different strengths and weaknesses.

I love the DA40 despite being "only" f/2.8. Most of the time, that's fast enough, as I have no problems using ISO 1600. And I love the fast focus, small size, image quality, and quite reasonable price. I'm sure I'd prefer the FA50 if I actually preferred that focal length. But the main reason I got the 40 was I got tired of mounting a fast 50 only to find it too long most of the time.

[TourDeForce]

Al of the above are rather longer than "normal" on a Pentax DSLR - somewhere between 28 and 35 would be the "normal" range. So really, if you're looking for "normal", the 40 comes closest, but is still noticeably too long.

Jay has the field nailed pretty well. 43mm Limited, 40mm because of the color & build, border to border performance, then the 50mm 1.7 - and I own the 50mm. In fact I have both the 50mm 1.7 and the 1.4. I like the 1.7 better because the performance is more consistent and it's slightly easier to manually focus.

For a general walk around lens I have a Sigma 17-70mm. Good all around performer. How good? Thousands of copies out there, but try to find a used one on Ebay. People keep them because they're very good and you really can't beat it for the price.

For a prime I was considering the 21mm Limited or a 31mm. Now THAT is a great standard lens on a digital SLR.