This lens is just amazing. Though all the criticism is targeted on its "unsharp" quality wide open, I did not really care much about that at all! It is not that soft wide open but I do stop down the aperture to the range between f2.8 to f5.6.
This lens gives that wonderful 3D look with oil painting quality when the lighting is slightly blue and dim. Like the other 2 fa ltd lenses, it performs better in dark setting. This 3Dness and oily texture effect seems to linger even aperture is f8!
I still have little images coming out of this lens but I am very happy with it. It is very well built, tiny to hold and mine has that silver look. A gem!
All shot in PEF, converted by bibble pro 4.9 and some simple adjustments when needed.
1) Wake boarding shots: sports - AF speed is not that bad at all, freezing actions relatively faster than Fa 77 ltd. I love this lens today as I saw Nikonian guys next to me looking surprised with my tiny baby lens ...
1/2000s f/4.5 at 43.0mm iso200 full exif
1/1500s f/4.5 at 43.0mm iso200 full exif
1/2000s f/4.5 at 43.0mm iso200 full exif
1/2000s f/4.5 at 43.0mm iso200 full exif
2) General low light purpose (some shots do look quite 3D; most are shot relatively fast)
1/8s f/1.9 at 43.0mm iso800 full exif
1/20s f/2.4 at 43.0mm iso400 full exif
1/60s f/6.7 at 43.0mm iso200 full exif
3) Landscape (f8 here)
1/180s f/8.0 at 43.0mm iso100 full exif
1/180s f/8.0 at 43.0mm iso100 full exif
This lens can manage to produce
sharp images when stopping down to f8 and it is a different kind of sharp!
Thanks to Regken, Godfrey and Peter Fang for assisting in helping me getting this beautiful lens!
Cheers