[TheTenaciousOne]

Well i happen to have some funds coming in in a few weeks (scholarship =p) and am wondering which lenses i should get
Thing is i dont really want to spend much over a grand so i can either get a used 77mm or new 70mm and used 35mm. Imma wondering what peoples opinions are on this.
While i would like to have both the 31 and 77 (every picture i see from these lenses just make me drool =D) i really dont think i can afford them on a students budget.

The main uses from these lenses would be portrait style stuff, ie. people and whatever objects i find interesting.

Thanks for anything

[ll_coffee_lP]

I'm not going to beat around the bush. If you want the 77 get it. If you don't you'll likely end up pining over it and getting it later anyway.

c[_]

[TheTenaciousOne]

Yea that was what my roommate was telling me.
Thing is dont know if i'd regret not getting both focal lengths either =/

[Digitalis]

the FA77 f/1.8 is a stellar lens, the built in lens hood is excellent, the resolution is quite impressive...and it covers full frame. The DA70 f/2.4 focuses faster,it's smaller, it has less chromatic abberration.

why, oh god why did Pentax have to make two lenses that have such close focal lengths that are so good?

[Ari]

77! 77! 77! Really - well worth getting now if you're going to have the funds. Lots of used 35's show up here and there. If you have a chance to get a used copy of the 77 now, do it now. Pissed I missed two opportunities when I had the funds...........

[Urkeldaedalus]

Well i happen to have some funds coming in in a few weeks (scholarship =p) and am wondering which lenses i should get
Thing is i dont really want to spend much over a grand so i can either get a used 77mm or new 70mm and used 35mm. Imma wondering what peoples opinions are on this.
While i would like to have both the 31 and 77 (every picture i see from these lenses just make me drool =D) i really dont think i can afford them on a students budget.

The main uses from these lenses would be portrait style stuff, ie. people and whatever objects i find interesting.

Thanks for anything

I'm going to recommend going with the new 70 mm and the used 35 macro. The 77 is a great lens, but the 70 holds its own quite well and is superior in some ways, and the 35 macro is so incredibly versatile. Also, if you buy those two you won't be so tempted to buy the other two FA Limited lenses -- think of it as a cost saving move

Just as a note, people testing it on film cameras have shown that the DA70 does cover full frame. I'm not sure if that matters to you, but just fyi.

Edit: I agree with Ari, though. If you see a good price on a used FA77, go for it.

[scorpioh]

Technically, the 70 and 35 option is more sound but if you can still grab a Made in Japan copy of the FA77, you better grab them now as they are slowly disappearing from the mass market. I suppose you can always get the 70 and 35 a few years down the road.

[TheTenaciousOne]

Hmm, i read around on the forums that the 77mm isnt as great on the K-7 cause it was designed for film bodies.
Do many people here agree with that?

[scorpioh]

I do not think so. Usually, FF lenses on cropped sensors is fine but not the other way round. There may be some features of distortion correction provided by the k-7 on DA lenses but I think it is just some hype. The FA77 is a gem - get it!

[jeffrey r]

I will say that the FA 77 really has quite the spell over its owners, and surely for good reason considering what I have seen it is capable of. I will also say that from personal ownership and usage, and seeing what some of the others on this and other forums are capable of producing with it, the DA 70 is an amazing lens in its own right. It really is "that good" of a lens. Since I just have not seen so much better from the FA 77 in comparison to the DA 70, the fact that you could also pick up the DA 35 by going with the DA 70, I would definitely recommend that option. Good luck anyway--all great lenses.

[8540tomg]

Damn I could never afford stuff like this as a student. I could barely afford beer! I'm going to agree with those who are suggesting the DA 70/DA 35 option. I have the DA 70/2.4 and it is an excellent portrait lens by any standard. The DA 35 also gets excellent reviews and offers macro to boot. The 77 has a "pixy dust" reputation going for it and is approaching legendary status in the minds of some but it won't give you the versatility of the 70/35 option. In any case you are going to wind up with an excellent lens or lenses. There is no poor outcome here.

[rparmar]

These are all great lenses. But there is nothing like speed.

So get the FA77 and then buy a screw-on macro adapter. One lens: two uses.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

The DA70 is a fantastic lens regarding the quality you get from something so small. Only drawback is that it is so compact that I sometimes can't find it (somewhere in the bottom of the bag) and that I'm afraid that it spend so much time in my pockets (where it is easier to find) that it risk ending up in the washing machine one day.

The FA77 is a nice lens...but it is after all just a slow budget AF version of the A*85/1.4 (now I will soon get bashed!), so why not go for the original...there is one on the forum market now.

[rparmar]

The FA77 is a nice lens...but it is after all just a slow budget AF version of the A*85/1.4 (now I will soon get bashed!), so why not go for the original...there is one on the forum market now.

I will not bash you since the FA77 is indeed an autofocus version of the A*85. They both have 7 elements in 6 groups arranged exactly the same way, with 9 bladed aperture and FREE (Fixed Rear Element Extension) focusing. Unlike the FA*85, they are both designed to put the subject in the middle of the zone of focus, so as to maintain ultimate sharpness.

However, I disagree with the word "budget" since most would find the FA77 fairly expensive in the Pentax range. And it is certainly no budget build but a most excellent all-metal construction with smooth manual focusing and aperture dial. If you mean it is "affordable" then I would agree.

In almost every way the Limited lens betters its predecessor. The FA77 is only 4.8cm long compared with 6.6cm, weighing a mere 270g versus 555g. This lens won't scare small children and there's no excuse not to have it in a handy bag or pocket. The A* with hood is not fitting in any pocket any time soon. Speaking of which, the snazzy built-in FA hood rocks!

The FA77 has better close focus, 70cm compared with 85cm. It takes less expensive 49mm filters, matching the rest of the range. And it comes in silver should you wish to match metal finish bodies.

In fact the only thing the A* has going for it is a faster aperture, but it's not even a full stop. At similar apertures the lenses test out to have similar sharpness, and both can suffer in the same way from CA.

[Marc Sabatella]

Hmm, i read around on the forums that the 77mm isnt as great on the K-7 cause it was designed for film bodies.

Who said that? Aside from the fact that it lacks quick shift and I guess the new K-7 lens correction facility won't work with it, it's still a great lens by virtually all accounts.

However, nothing I've seen or experienced would suggest it's so much better than the DA70 to be worth getting only one great lens for the money instead of two (although you must be getting a heck of a deal on the 70 or 35 to be able to sfford both for the price of the 77). If you're absolutely obsessed with shooting f/2 and faster, OK, sure, but as someone who does an lot of low light shooting, I personally think apertures beyond f/2.8 are overrated. Others, of course, vehemently disagree, which is fine: it's all about personal preference. If you can't imagine not having the option of f/2 or slightly better, get the 77; otherwise, get the two just-as-great lenses for the price of one.