Originally posted by Coiseam FA lims' unique rendering is evident on crop sensors, too. Wide open the results on crop look better in respect to corner sharpness because there sharpness loss is not as pronounced as on full frame (though look not as epic as on full frame). On the other hand, if 40 lim could possess adequate corner sharpness on full frame at least from f5.6 (my version can't boast that even at f8), I would prefer it to 43 lim in most cases, it's much easier to use and more predictable.
Ok, a few things here. Let's all be honest for a minute. There are significant lens changing things happening when using a lens that is compatible on both FF and Crop. For those that have never used a FF lens this might be hard to understand, indeed I did not till the K-1 was in my hands. I will never forget the day I took the DFA100 and fired my first test shot of it with the K-1 (whereas before all it knew was the K-50). It wasn't the extra mega pixels that blew me away (I was jaw dropping purely from the rear of the Live View screen), it was what was happening in the seemingly amplified bokeh. The shot looked professional and I hadn't done anything, just took a boring shot of a household object
Bit of a poor example but look at this site;
The ultimate portrait bokeh shootout - Crop vs full frame vs large format - DIY Photography
You will notice that the subject is always
framed the same (and this is key). the crop shots look 'meh' compared to what FF and LF can achieve. To achieve a similar intense bokeh (on crop sensors) you have to move
closer to the subject and that means compositional compromise. Nowhere is this stuff more important than shooting at the wider apertures. I'm not necessarily talking about f1.9, but even f2.5,-f4 can be a game changer with certain lenses on ff vs crop. Nowhere is this more important (imo) than with the FA Ltds. You can even see the FA killing it on crop when I compare the FA43 at F4 with the HD DA 20-40@f4 on the KP, so to take that extreme bokeh win that the FA43 has and plough it on the K-1... it's a different beast entirely.
We do also need to be fair however. Very few lenses do well on edge sharpness on any format wide open. This isn't a crop vs ff thing but rather a lens thing. There is really only one winner that is available for K mount that can hold that edge sharpness and that's the DFA50 (as shown previously before). Perhaps the Sigma Art 35/1.4 can have a good bash at it, but really what I'm saying is this is more about lenses and their optical properties than sensor.
The Fa's were never good in this competition, they vignette heavily and do all other sorts of things wide open, but that poor trade off also results in much goodness where you typically want it. I think it's quite rare that you want to shoot a group of people wide open at f1.4, I think Sandy's shot illustrates those moments its handy. Otherwise a lot of people are ok to trade off edge sharpness at wide apertures for the other sorta cool benefits it brings.
So I really see lenses in two classes. Optically clinically good vs 'artistically' good. The FA ltds would fall in the latter, the DFA50 in the former.
The DA40... is a nice value lens, but the XS version is actually quite horrible to use. Lens swapping it's not nice, manual focus is very loose, it's a little 'odd'. DA 40 is different granted, but I wouldn't call the DA 40 XS easier to use, give me a FA43 anytime, that thing feels very comfortable to use.
Originally posted by repaap I have DA40XS it will never have corners sharp, it looks okayish after f8... I have FA 43, stopped down even little and you get corner to corner sharp(same goes to ALL FA limiteds). I have DA*55 corners sharpen up around f 5,6. DA lenses are for crop sensor(DA*55 works well with FF too). Needless to say that I have DA40XS just for fun/to have one for my small collection. FA 43 I could take with me on paid gig and need not to worry
But yes, people think the FA43 is some 'portrait only' kinda lens, suitable only for wide open stuff, not true. Stopping down and it does gain some wicked edge and corner sharpness. I'm sorry but I just don't see the DA 40 as a worthy rival at all*...
*But that doesn't mean I don't think the DA40 is a wonderful lens, you must always judge a lens by it's price point and the DA40 is a good value lens.