[UncleVanya]

The FA* isn't what I'd call soft wide open (and certainly not soft at f2 like the OP is shooting at). I think what some people preceive as softness is a mix of some spherical aberrations as well as a super smooth transition to the out of focus parts. It doesn't have what some would refer to as a "hard sharpness" like you see other lenses have. I think the soft appearance is an advantage not a disadvantage.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51542818887_e95c2e3406_o.jpg

Can see it here at 100% on the plane of focus on the tree. Taken at 1.4.

I've personally never seen 100% crops from an A* 85 1.4 but I can' imagine it being much sharper than this.

But I mean in terms of fragility the FA* can receive a giant crack in the rear element and keep going you know
Single In - October 2021 Cracked FA* 851.4 | Flickr

I will look for the article I read that specifically says the design of the FA* was intended to be softer wide open at portrait distances than the A*. It isn’t something I can claim a lot of firsthand experience with however. Lol.

[Sandy Hancock]

The FA*85/1.4 definitely has a bit of soft glow wide open. In a good way, mind you

The DFA* has none of that nonsense. Razor sharp from the get-go, but beautiful bokeh. I clearly need to keep both

[ZombieArmy]

I will look for the article I read that specifically says the design of the FA* was intended to be softer wide open at portrait distances than the A*. It isn’t something I can claim a lot of firsthand experience with however. Lol.

To me designed softness refers to spherical aberrations. It's what causes the "glow" as far as I'm aware. But most of it is cleared up by f2, and by f3.2 the FA* 85 1.4 is razor sharp.

Gorgeous lens, it's such a keeper.

[LennyBloke]

Firstly, you're not going to be disappointed with any of these - your A*85 is a great lens and so are all of the potential replacements you have listed, technically the FA77mm (or HD version) has the most similar optical design so in some ways this may be the right choice.

Your shooting technique/style has the sensible step of stopping down slightly - almost every lens will benefit from being used in this way (dependent on the result you are looking for), and the same will be true for your 4 candidates. The one exception to this is the D-FA*85, this lens does produce stunningly sharp results at full aperture but that doesn't mean it will give the "look" you want, that ultra-thin depth of field can be great for some shots but I suspect your style may be retained better by stopping down slightly.

If I had to choose it would be the D-FA*85 (and I have used all of the lenses you proposed - apart from the HD FA 77) - but I will re-iterate my first statement, you will enjoy any of these!

Good Luck with your agonising

[gatorguy]

I do want to make you aware that AF hardware failure on the old FA85 is not unheard of, and salvaged parts to fix it are essentially non-existent. If investing in a lens today to use for the long-term the DFA is the more reliable choice.

I would also verify the sharp yet soft rendering of the old lens mentioned by UncleVanya, something lacking on the new version. So yeah trade-offs. I almost regret not keeping both.

[iheiramo]

The one exception to this is the D-FA*85, this lens does produce stunningly sharp results at full aperture but that doesn't mean it will give the "look" you want, that ultra-thin depth of field can be great for some shots but I suspect your style may be retained better by stopping down slightly.

With DFA*85 it's so hard to find reasons to stop down

I shot a full month wide open with it for single in challenge in May. It worked great even for landscapes, thought I needed ND filter on sunny weather to avoid overexposure.

[bdery]

You can compare the 77 with the 85 in the 85's review here:

HD Pentax-D FA* 85mm F1.4 ED SDM AW Review - Comparison with the FA 77mm F1.8 Limited | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Plus the whole 85mm's review is instructive, as is the 77mm's review:

SMC Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Limited Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

finally, this review compares the SMC and HD versions of the three Limited lenses, you'll find the last missing bit to answer your question:

HD vs. SMC Pentax FA Limited Lenses Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

[Andrea K]

If you have some revenue from these shots then go for the D-FA* 85 that is a pro-grade lens. The 77mm is the A* 85 "scaled down", with some pixie dust added, but has too purple fringing.

[Kunzite]

Sorry, but I didn't read all the posts - is this about getting the black, or the silver version of the D FA* 85mm f/1.4?

[Sandy Hancock]

Sorry, but I didn't read all the posts - is this about getting the black, or the silver version of the D FA* 85mm f/1.4?

Indeed, this is the true question.
My answer is that the Limiteds are silver and the Stars are black. The gold band just doesn't work with silver

[Sluggo]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I'm leaning toward the HD FA77 at the moment for a handful of reasons. First, I hadn't realized till now that the 77 -- and not the FA*85 -- is the direct design heir of the A*85, which produces a look I absolutely love even if the new DFA hotness beats its IQ objectively. It promises a welcome continuity, it's fast enough, and also yes there's the size thing. Screw drive noise could be a non-issue once I've weaned myself off the combination of live view and magnifying eyepiece, as PDAF doesn't have to hunt the way CDAF does.

I haven't settled on that choice yet. But I can say the two older lenses (FA*85 and SMC-FA77) are no longer candidates.

[pepperberry farm]

one off-the-wall suggestion may be the Sigma EX DG 85/1.4 HSM - no longer available new, but I've seen some amazing samples from it....

[Watcha]

I do a lot of concert shooting, and have found that in the venue locations I have access to (including, occasionally, the lip of the stage), I get some of the most striking shots at mid-portrait length. My preferred lens for several years on the K-1ii (and before that, the K-3ii) has been an A-star 85/1.4, typically used with a viewfinder loupe and focus peaking. Results at f/2 or thereabouts are very satisfying -- when I can get the focus right.

Problem is, I'm getting older, and even with optical aids, manual focusing has become more hit-and-miss for me in just the last couple of years. As my keeper ratio drops, I'm thinking about moving on.

I occasionally pull out a Tamron 70-200/2.8 that supports autofocus, obviously covers the 85mm length, and makes perfectly respectable quality photos, but it's not a great fallback. When using it I miss the extra speed and short-DOF "drama" of the prime, and the screw drive seems especially noisy, more so than I'm comfortable with for certain events.

It would seem there are four attractive options -

1: HD-DFA* 85/1.4 new. I can afford it, though it doesn't necessary follow I want to spend that much. But by all accounts it would do the job in terms of IQ and fast, quiet autofocus. Size/weight is a consideration but probably not a deal breaker.

2: FA*85/1.4 used. Basically adding autofocus to what I have, in (unless I misunderstand) a similar optical formula. Not a ton of them around but should be able to find something in the $500-800 range. There seems to be a supply of Japanese sellers. Niggling downside: I've never liked the way the lens looks -- wish it had been available in flat black.

3: FA 77/1.8 LTD used. I'm strongly tempted to pick one up, partly because I own copies of the other two "princesses" and this would complete the set, it's still a fairly fast lens, so compact, and with some well-known fairy dust in the design. I'm not concerned about the small difference in focal length. My concern is, how loud is the screw drive? The noise level does seem to vary some between lenses.

4: HD FA 77/1.8 LTD new or used. As above, maybe better flare control which could sometimes matter depending on how stage lighting is set up, and a cost difference.

Am I missing any?

What about the Sigma 85MM F/1.4 EX DG HSM
Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

[Gerbermiester]

What about the Sigma 85MM F/1.4 EX DG HSM
Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

I hear this lens can be a dream if you get a good copy. In my personal experience, however, I found it to be wanting. While the optic itself was awesome, I couldn't get it to focus accurately on my K-5 (which was the camera I was using it with at the time). One minute it would front focus and the next it would back focus, even on a tripod. Perhaps this was more a reflection of the AF abilities of the K-5 than the lens. Who knows? I sold it for what I paid for it.

I'm also fairly leery about older Sigma lenses that sport HSM focusing at this point. I recently went through the rigmarole I'm trying to get my Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM II serviced so that it would work on my K-1. After 6 months of trying and two attempted firmware / motherboard updates from my country's Sigma authorized repair centre, I'm left with a paperweight for anything newer than a K-5ii body. It freezes up my K-1 as soon as it's mounted. I need to detach the lens and pull the battery out of the camera to even get the camera to turn off. 😭

As it turns out, not all Sigma lenses are as updateable as I was lead to believe when I bought the dang thing. While Sigma still puts forward that they offer free updates for legacy lenses, I'm hesitant to believe that Pentax will remain a brand that they will concern themselves with, at this point. I got burned, YMMV.

[Sluggo]

My only purchase of a Sigma HSM lens (a few years ago, not this model) culminated in a return because of intermittently bad autofocus. I trust Pentax's quality control more, at least for the lenses being considered here, and don't feel eager to pursue this one.