Pentax A 400mm F5.6 vs Pentax FA*400mm F5.6

Driline · 03-15-2021, 11:07 AM

I've not been able to find someone who has owned both these lenses that has done a direct comparison between the two. I recently purchased the Pentax A 400mm F5.6 and find it sharp, contrasty, and a joy to use. I've seen photos from both lenses and honestly they look very similar. The Pentax A 400mm is a MANUAL focus only lens so there is that but when looking at the MTF charts in photodo I don't see much of a difference between these two lenses. There is however a significant cost difference. The FA*400 last sold for $1,599 in December of last year from a forum members review of the lens while the A 400mm version sold for $586 in August of 2020.. I paid $260 for my lens. The FA*400mm should be the better lens as it has 9 elements in 8 groups while the A 400mm lens only has 7 elements in 6 groups.

I've been on a buying binge of Tokina & Pentax 400mm lenses lately and was curious if anyone else had the opportunity to compare these two very nice lenses.

Wasp · 03-15-2021, 12:14 PM

Sounds like you got a sweet deal on that lens. I have one that I bought new a long time ago and I love it.

Back in those days I felt a little jealous of the pros with their Novoflexes at sports events. A few years ago I discovered that my Pentax is way more sophisticated in terms of optical. One learns such things, thanks to the magic of the interwebs. I should have been looking down on them...

**gofour3** · 03-15-2021, 12:42 PM

I just got the FA400/5.6 a couple weeks ago and also have the K400/5.6. I haven't got my test roll of film back from the lab from my first outing with the FA400, so I can't compare them optically.

However the first thing you do notice with the FA400 is how small/light weight it is compared to the older K400. Pretty amazing piece of engineering that you get a good quality 400mm lens that small.

Phil.

Driline · 03-15-2021, 12:52 PM

Originally posted by gofour3

I just got the FA400/5.6 a couple weeks ago and also have the K400/5.6. I haven't got my test roll of film back from the lab from my first outing with the FA400, so I can't compare them optically.

However the first thing you do notice with the FA400 is how small/light weight it is compared to the older K400. Pretty amazing piece of engineering that you get a good quality 400mm lens that small.

Phil.

No Digital camera's for you eh? (I learned how to speak Canadian years ago when I visited Manitoba so hopefully you will understand what I'm saying). Like, "How's it goin' eh?"

I still have the Pentax Program Plus from 1984 and love that little SLR. It was my first Pentax camera. Now the K 400/5.6 is not as sharp or contrasty as the FA * 400/5.6 so you should see a remarkable difference I would think between those two lenses. The Pentax A 400mm /5.6 however is a different story so it would be interesting to see how those 2 differ side by side.

---------- Post added 03-15-21 at 02:53 PM ----------

Originally posted by Wasp

Sounds like you got a sweet deal on that lens. I have one that I bought new a long time ago and I love it.

Back in those days I felt a little jealous of the pros with their Novoflexes at sports events. A few years ago I discovered that my Pentax is way more sophisticated in terms of optical. One learns such things, thanks to the magic of the interwebs. I should have been looking down on them...

I was wondering, what year and how much did that Pentax A 400mm F5.6 cost you?

Wasp · 03-16-2021, 02:02 AM

Originally posted by Driline

I was wondering, what year and how much did that Pentax A 400mm F5.6 cost you?

It was in 1987. The price was ZAR1600. Back then that was about USB800.

Driline · 03-16-2021, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by Wasp

It was in 1987. The price was ZAR1600. Back then that was about USB800.

Not a cheap lens for sure. You must have had to save a lot of your paper route money to buy that baby

Wasp · 03-16-2021, 11:43 AM

Originally posted by Driline

Not a cheap lens for sure. You must have had to save a lot of your paper route money to buy that baby.

Now that you mention it, I traded in a Hasselblad 500C and Zeiss 120mm f/5.6 S-Planar lens in order to make up the funds. That Hasselblad would be worth a whole lot if I still had it but no regrets. I never really got the hang of medium format photography but the Pentax has seen a lot of use over the years.

angerdan · 03-17-2021, 12:31 PM

Originally posted by Driline

I've been on a buying binge of Tokina & Pentax 400mm lenses lately and was curious if anyone else had the opportunity to compare these two very nice lenses.

Maybe you find more about your wanted informations there:
Question re Pentax A 400 5.6 lens - PentaxForums.com
FA* 400mm 5.6 ED IF - thread collection - everything about the FA400/5.6 - PentaxForums.com

Driline · 03-17-2021, 03:39 PM

Originally posted by angerdan

Maybe you find more about your wanted informations there:
Question re Pentax A 400 5.6 lens - PentaxForums.com
FA* 400mm 5.6 ED IF - thread collection - everything about the FA400/5.6 - PentaxForums.com

Thank you. The more I look the similar these lenses become. I can't wait for a nice Sunny day to really check my new Pentax A 400mm F5.6 out.

**Baard-Einar** · 03-19-2021, 04:52 PM

Should I get one? there is a copy for sale locally for about 200$ including case and caps. And for an aditional 150$ the Converer-A 2XL.

Driline · 03-19-2021, 05:56 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Baard-Einar

Should I get one? there is a copy for sale locally for about 200$ including case and caps. And for an aditional 150$ the Converer-A 2XL.

I would get it right away. $200 dollars is a great deal. I paid $260 for my copy. Forget the converter. It's too expensive and will degrade your photo's too much.

Driline · 03-20-2021, 04:40 PM

Here's a photo taken with the Fuji X-H1 with K&F concept converter with the PENTAX A 400mm F5.6

And now the same shot taken with the Pentax KS2 and Tokina 400mm F5.6. Notice there is alot more CA in this photo. The focus travel is very tight on the Tokina and much more difficult to use. The Pentax A 400mm F5.6 has much more travel and is alot easier to focus. It's also noticeably sharper with no CA shown.

LennyBloke · 03-22-2021, 01:56 AM

I know the original poster asked about a direct comparison of the FA* and A 400mm Pentax lenses - well I have owned both lenses (at the same time) but can't provide any side-by-side images for this type of comparison, I can offer my experience of the two lenses if it helps a little.

Firstly I used the A 400/5.6 for several years having found it sharper than the M series equivalent, and even prefered it to the Tokina AF 400/5.6 - as many will atest it is a very good lens if not a little difficult to nail the focus (for my eyes). Overall I would say it was one of those lenses that was very capable if the conditions, focus and exposure were all "just right" - I didn't have a massively high keeper rate from it, but the Gooduns were worth it!

I found an FA*400/5.6 being sold by a trusted UK camera shop a couple of years back - the price was high, but knowing the advances in design and coatings that Pentax made between some lens ranges I decided to go for it. Firstly, it is so much more "usable" with it's incredibly small size and light weight (for a 400mm) - it is not a chore to add it to the bag if there is potential for longer shots. Secondly, my keeper rate shot up (over the A400/5.6) - partly because of the Autofocus but also I believe it to be sharper - particualarly at wider apertures.

In my experience, after you've used a lens for a while you get to know it's characteristics and strengths - with the A400/5.6 I would always use TAV mode and always shot at f8 (or smaller) with a shutter speed of at least 1/500. With the FA*400/5.6 I am happy to shoot at maximum aperture (1/2 stop down is better) and can use much lower shutter speeds successfully. This meant that I could get more (and better) results in lower light conditions.

Another plus point for me with the FA* (and I can't back this up with any comparisons) is that I seem to be able to crop images far more successfully and the resolution and sharpness is retained better. Many of my A400/5.6 images didn't stand up to tight cropping. This would point to the lens resolution capabilities being significantly better but presumably the MTF data should show this - so maybe it's more to do with my poor technique with the A series lens?

Hope that helps a little?

Driline · 03-22-2021, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by LennyBloke

I know the original poster asked about a direct comparison of the FA* and A 400mm Pentax lenses - well I have owned both lenses (at the same time) but can't provide any side-by-side images for this type of comparison, I can offer my experience of the two lenses if it helps a little.

Firstly I used the A 400/5.6 for several years having found it sharper than the M series equivalent, and even prefered it to the Tokina AF 400/5.6 - as many will atest it is a very good lens if not a little difficult to nail the focus (for my eyes). Overall I would say it was one of those lenses that was very capable if the conditions, focus and exposure were all "just right" - I didn't have a massively high keeper rate from it, but the Gooduns were worth it!

I found an FA*400/5.6 being sold by a trusted UK camera shop a couple of years back - the price was high, but knowing the advances in design and coatings that Pentax made between some lens ranges I decided to go for it. Firstly, it is so much more "usable" with it's incredibly small size and light weight (for a 400mm) - it is not a chore to add it to the bag if there is potential for longer shots. Secondly, my keeper rate shot up (over the A400/5.6) - partly because of the Autofocus but also I believe it to be sharper - particualarly at wider apertures.

In my experience, after you've used a lens for a while you get to know it's characteristics and strengths - with the A400/5.6 I would always use TAV mode and always shot at f8 (or smaller) with a shutter speed of at least 1/500. With the FA*400/5.6 I am happy to shoot at maximum aperture (1/2 stop down is better) and can use much lower shutter speeds successfully. This meant that I could get more (and better) results in lower light conditions.

Another plus point for me with the FA* (and I can't back this up with any comparisons) is that I seem to be able to crop images far more successfully and the resolution and sharpness is retained better. Many of my A400/5.6 images didn't stand up to tight cropping. This would point to the lens resolution capabilities being significantly better but presumably the MTF data should show this - so maybe it's more to do with my poor technique with the A series lens?

Hope that helps a little?

Yes thank you for your reply. I'm shooting between F8 and F11 with shutter speeds of at least 500 to 1000 using my Pentax A 400mm/5.6 I am more than satisfied with the results given. And having paid $260 for this lens I don't think it to be worth my time to invest well over $1,500 for an FA*400mm when I could just as easily purchase the Fuji 100-400mm AF lens for less. I think I maxed out my "bang for the buck" as it were with the Pentax A 400mm/5.6.

I think the use of the Fuji X-H1 and the Pentax A 400mm/5.6 really makes for a great combination. Again thanks for your input.

**luftfluss** · 03-23-2021, 03:54 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Baard-Einar

Should I get one? there is a copy for sale locally for about 200$ including case and caps. And for an aditional 150$ the Converer-A 2XL.

I agree with @Driline. The A 400 is a very good lens and $200 is a terrific price. The A 2x-L converter is good for an old 2x TC, but IMO the A 400 doesn't quite have the sharpness necessary to make it worthwhile, unless you simply enjoy the novelty of shooting at 800mm.

The A 1.4x-L, however, works very nicely with the A 400 and if you ever find one at $150 is well worth picking up.

03-15-2021, 11:07 AM	#1
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697	*Pentax A 400mm F5.6 vs Pentax FA400mm F5.6** I've not been able to find someone who has owned both these lenses that has done a direct comparison between the two. I recently purchased the Pentax A 400mm F5.6 and find it sharp, contrasty, and a joy to use. I've seen photos from both lenses and honestly they look very similar. The Pentax A 400mm is a MANUAL focus only lens so there is that but when looking at the MTF charts in photodo I don't see much of a difference between these two lenses. There is however a significant cost difference. The FA400 last sold for $1,599 in December of last year from a forum members review of the lens while the A 400mm version sold for $586 in August of 2020.. I paid $260 for my lens. The FA400mm should be the better lens as it has 9 elements in 8 groups while the A 400mm lens only has 7 elements in 6 groups. I've been on a buying binge of Tokina & Pentax 400mm lenses lately and was curious if anyone else had the opportunity to compare these two very nice lenses.

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03-15-2021, 12:14 PM	#2
Wasp Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pretoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,661	Sounds like you got a sweet deal on that lens. I have one that I bought new a long time ago and I love it. Back in those days I felt a little jealous of the pros with their Novoflexes at sports events. A few years ago I discovered that my Pentax is way more sophisticated in terms of optical. One learns such things, thanks to the magic of the interwebs. I should have been looking down on them...

03-15-2021, 12:42 PM	#3
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,091	I just got the FA400/5.6 a couple weeks ago and also have the K400/5.6. I haven't got my test roll of film back from the lab from my first outing with the FA400, so I can't compare them optically. However the first thing you do notice with the FA400 is how small/light weight it is compared to the older K400. Pretty amazing piece of engineering that you get a good quality 400mm lens that small. Phil.

03-15-2021, 12:52 PM	#4
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Originally posted by gofour3 I just got the FA400/5.6 a couple weeks ago and also have the K400/5.6. I haven't got my test roll of film back from the lab from my first outing with the FA400, so I can't compare them optically. However the first thing you do notice with the FA400 is how small/light weight it is compared to the older K400. Pretty amazing piece of engineering that you get a good quality 400mm lens that small. Phil. No Digital camera's for you eh? (I learned how to speak Canadian years ago when I visited Manitoba so hopefully you will understand what I'm saying). Like, "How's it goin' eh?" I still have the Pentax Program Plus from 1984 and love that little SLR. It was my first Pentax camera. Now the K 400/5.6 is not as sharp or contrasty as the FA * 400/5.6 so you should see a remarkable difference I would think between those two lenses. The Pentax A 400mm /5.6 however is a different story so it would be interesting to see how those 2 differ side by side. ---------- Post added 03-15-21 at 02:53 PM ---------- Originally posted by Wasp Sounds like you got a sweet deal on that lens. I have one that I bought new a long time ago and I love it. Back in those days I felt a little jealous of the pros with their Novoflexes at sports events. A few years ago I discovered that my Pentax is way more sophisticated in terms of optical. One learns such things, thanks to the magic of the interwebs. I should have been looking down on them... I was wondering, what year and how much did that Pentax A 400mm F5.6 cost you?

03-16-2021, 02:02 AM	#5
Wasp Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pretoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,661	Originally posted by Driline I was wondering, what year and how much did that Pentax A 400mm F5.6 cost you? It was in 1987. The price was ZAR1600. Back then that was about USB800.

03-16-2021, 06:27 AM	#6
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Originally posted by Wasp It was in 1987. The price was ZAR1600. Back then that was about USB800. Not a cheap lens for sure. You must have had to save a lot of your paper route money to buy that baby

03-16-2021, 11:43 AM	#7
Wasp Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pretoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,661	Originally posted by Driline Not a cheap lens for sure. You must have had to save a lot of your paper route money to buy that baby. Now that you mention it, I traded in a Hasselblad 500C and Zeiss 120mm f/5.6 S-Planar lens in order to make up the funds. That Hasselblad would be worth a whole lot if I still had it but no regrets. I never really got the hang of medium format photography but the Pentax has seen a lot of use over the years.

03-17-2021, 12:31 PM	#8
angerdan Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,639	Originally posted by Driline I've been on a buying binge of Tokina & Pentax 400mm lenses lately and was curious if anyone else had the opportunity to compare these two very nice lenses. Maybe you find more about your wanted informations there: Question re Pentax A 400 5.6 lens - PentaxForums.com FA* 400mm 5.6 ED IF - thread collection - everything about the FA400/5.6 - PentaxForums.com

03-17-2021, 03:39 PM	#9
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Originally posted by angerdan Maybe you find more about your wanted informations there: Question re Pentax A 400 5.6 lens - PentaxForums.com FA* 400mm 5.6 ED IF - thread collection - everything about the FA400/5.6 - PentaxForums.com Thank you. The more I look the similar these lenses become. I can't wait for a nice Sunny day to really check my new Pentax A 400mm F5.6 out.

03-19-2021, 04:52 PM	#10
Baard-Einar Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oslo Photos: Gallery Posts: 964	Should I get one? there is a copy for sale locally for about 200$ including case and caps. And for an aditional 150$ the Converer-A 2XL.

03-19-2021, 05:56 PM - 1 Like	#11
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Originally posted by Baard-Einar Should I get one? there is a copy for sale locally for about 200$ including case and caps. And for an aditional 150$ the Converer-A 2XL. I would get it right away. $200 dollars is a great deal. I paid $260 for my copy. Forget the converter. It's too expensive and will degrade your photo's too much.

03-20-2021, 04:40 PM	#12
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Here's a photo taken with the Fuji X-H1 with K&F concept converter with the PENTAX A 400mm F5.6 And now the same shot taken with the Pentax KS2 and Tokina 400mm F5.6. Notice there is alot more CA in this photo. The focus travel is very tight on the Tokina and much more difficult to use. The Pentax A 400mm F5.6 has much more travel and is alot easier to focus. It's also noticeably sharper with no CA shown.

03-22-2021, 01:56 AM	#13
LennyBloke Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Worcestershire, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 677	I know the original poster asked about a direct comparison of the FA* and A 400mm Pentax lenses - well I have owned both lenses (at the same time) but can't provide any side-by-side images for this type of comparison, I can offer my experience of the two lenses if it helps a little. Firstly I used the A 400/5.6 for several years having found it sharper than the M series equivalent, and even prefered it to the Tokina AF 400/5.6 - as many will atest it is a very good lens if not a little difficult to nail the focus (for my eyes). Overall I would say it was one of those lenses that was very capable if the conditions, focus and exposure were all "just right" - I didn't have a massively high keeper rate from it, but the Gooduns were worth it! I found an FA400/5.6 being sold by a trusted UK camera shop a couple of years back - the price was high, but knowing the advances in design and coatings that Pentax made between some lens ranges I decided to go for it. Firstly, it is so much more "usable" with it's incredibly small size and light weight (for a 400mm) - it is not a chore to add it to the bag if there is potential for longer shots. Secondly, my keeper rate shot up (over the A400/5.6) - partly because of the Autofocus but also I believe it to be sharper - particualarly at wider apertures. In my experience, after you've used a lens for a while you get to know it's characteristics and strengths - with the A400/5.6 I would always use TAV mode and always shot at f8 (or smaller) with a shutter speed of at least 1/500. With the FA400/5.6 I am happy to shoot at maximum aperture (1/2 stop down is better) and can use much lower shutter speeds successfully. This meant that I could get more (and better) results in lower light conditions. Another plus point for me with the FA* (and I can't back this up with any comparisons) is that I seem to be able to crop images far more successfully and the resolution and sharpness is retained better. Many of my A400/5.6 images didn't stand up to tight cropping. This would point to the lens resolution capabilities being significantly better but presumably the MTF data should show this - so maybe it's more to do with my poor technique with the A series lens? Hope that helps a little?

03-22-2021, 07:53 AM	#14
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Originally posted by LennyBloke I know the original poster asked about a direct comparison of the FA* and A 400mm Pentax lenses - well I have owned both lenses (at the same time) but can't provide any side-by-side images for this type of comparison, I can offer my experience of the two lenses if it helps a little. Firstly I used the A 400/5.6 for several years having found it sharper than the M series equivalent, and even prefered it to the Tokina AF 400/5.6 - as many will atest it is a very good lens if not a little difficult to nail the focus (for my eyes). Overall I would say it was one of those lenses that was very capable if the conditions, focus and exposure were all "just right" - I didn't have a massively high keeper rate from it, but the Gooduns were worth it! I found an FA400/5.6 being sold by a trusted UK camera shop a couple of years back - the price was high, but knowing the advances in design and coatings that Pentax made between some lens ranges I decided to go for it. Firstly, it is so much more "usable" with it's incredibly small size and light weight (for a 400mm) - it is not a chore to add it to the bag if there is potential for longer shots. Secondly, my keeper rate shot up (over the A400/5.6) - partly because of the Autofocus but also I believe it to be sharper - particualarly at wider apertures. In my experience, after you've used a lens for a while you get to know it's characteristics and strengths - with the A400/5.6 I would always use TAV mode and always shot at f8 (or smaller) with a shutter speed of at least 1/500. With the FA400/5.6 I am happy to shoot at maximum aperture (1/2 stop down is better) and can use much lower shutter speeds successfully. This meant that I could get more (and better) results in lower light conditions. Another plus point for me with the FA* (and I can't back this up with any comparisons) is that I seem to be able to crop images far more successfully and the resolution and sharpness is retained better. Many of my A400/5.6 images didn't stand up to tight cropping. This would point to the lens resolution capabilities being significantly better but presumably the MTF data should show this - so maybe it's more to do with my poor technique with the A series lens? Hope that helps a little? Yes thank you for your reply. I'm shooting between F8 and F11 with shutter speeds of at least 500 to 1000 using my Pentax A 400mm/5.6 I am more than satisfied with the results given. And having paid $260 for this lens I don't think it to be worth my time to invest well over $1,500 for an FA*400mm when I could just as easily purchase the Fuji 100-400mm AF lens for less. I think I maxed out my "bang for the buck" as it were with the Pentax A 400mm/5.6. I think the use of the Fuji X-H1 and the Pentax A 400mm/5.6 really makes for a great combination. Again thanks for your input.

03-23-2021, 03:54 PM - 1 Like	#15
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Originally posted by Baard-Einar Should I get one? there is a copy for sale locally for about 200$ including case and caps. And for an aditional 150$ the Converer-A 2XL. I agree with @Driline. The A 400 is a very good lens and $200 is a terrific price. The A 2x-L converter is good for an old 2x TC, but IMO the A 400 doesn't quite have the sharpness necessary to make it worthwhile, unless you simply enjoy the novelty of shooting at 800mm. The A 1.4x-L, however, works very nicely with the A 400 and if you ever find one at $150 is well worth picking up.