[ivanvernon]

I thought your wife had the 77mm

what do you bribe her with so you can use it

You have identified a very real problem, but she does lend me the lens just so long as I promise to return it to her yellow brick post haste! When bribery becomes necessary, I do so with trips to Hobby Lobby and other crafter stores.

[BruceBanner]

Pentax K-1 FA 31mm Limited



Pentax K-1 FA 77mm

Colonial Williamsburg Reenactors


I am now a full convert to the Cult of the Three Amigos

Love these shots, tastefully rendered. Fabulous.

[Hattifnatt]

Two pictures with FA 77.

[Rondec]

Country Road (FA 31 limited)

[Erictator]

Two pictures with FA 77.

BAAAAAAAAAAH!

Sorry, I can't pass a field of sheep without doing that.

Cool pics.
Eric

[RobA_Oz]

I spotted this piece of street art, whilst wandering around Porto in 2017, with my K-1 and FA31 ltd.

[Erictator]

I spotted this piece of street art, whilst wandering around Porto in 2017, with my K-1 and FA31 ltd.

Almost looks like a PSA... a lot cleaner than graffiti around here. Nice street pic.
Eric

[RobA_Oz]

Almost looks like a PSA... a lot cleaner than graffiti around here. Nice street pic.
Eric

Thank you! Portugal is good for real street art. Most graffiti is boring, derivative, mindless defacement posing as art.

The 31 is great for capturing street life, and easy to carry, even with the K-1. Make a WR DC version and Ricoh would have another winner, IMO.

[northcoastgreg]

Eureka Slough at full-tide, with the FA 43:

[BruceBanner]

Thank you! Portugal is good for real street art. Most graffiti is boring, derivative, mindless defacement posing as art.

The 31 is great for capturing street life, and easy to carry, even with the K-1. Make a WR DC version and Ricoh would have another winner, IMO.

There was a poll recently (on a Facebook Pentax group) for what people wanted to see from Pentax in terms of new DFA lens. One of the options added was a DFA 30/1.8. I can't help feeling that if such a lens was released the FA31 sales would drop, because price wise a new DFA prime in that range wouldn't actually deviate that much from the price of a FA31, yet look at all the benefits it would carry, AW/WR, silent AF, better optimised AF, HD Coatings etc etc.

There's a reason I haven't added a FA31 to my collection to finish off the trio, it's just ridiculously expensive for what it is, legacy glass! The DFA 50/1.4 really is the cream of the crop right now and yet isn't priced that far beyond a FA 31...

I would love to see either the FA ltds get more affordable, or updated with as you say WR DC versions... sadly I think we both know the chances of that happening are slim.

[Erictator]

There was a poll recently (on a Facebook Pentax group) for what people wanted to see from Pentax in terms of new DFA lens. One of the options added was a DFA 30/1.8. I can't help feeling that if such a lens was released the FA31 sales would drop, because price wise a new DFA prime in that range wouldn't actually deviate that much from the price of a FA31, yet look at all the benefits it would carry, AW/WR, silent AF, better optimised AF, HD Coatings etc etc.

There's a reason I haven't added a FA31 to my collection to finish off the trio, it's just ridiculously expensive for what it is, legacy glass! The DFA 50/1.4 really is the cream of the crop right now and yet isn't priced that far beyond a FA 31...

I would love to see either the FA ltds get more affordable, or updated with as you say WR DC versions... sadly I think we both know the chances of that happening are slim.

Bruce, I have the FA31 now and felt like you... until I got my grubby paws on one... it turns out that Legacy isn't a dirty word for me after all, and there is a reason the prices are holding. It is a pretty amazing piece of kit! (and twice the size of my FA77, yet still tiny compared to the new behemoth HDFA50mm) If it were subpar in some way, it would be priced used down where the old FA50 1.4 is currently selling (which isn't a great example since I happen to like my FA50mm 1.4 very much and don't know why it gets panned so much...) but I digress. I thought the word from Ricoh rumors was that a refresh of the LTD's is already on the agenda? Maybe they won't be on the lens roadmap, and just magically appear like when the HD FA 35mm F2 showed up? (speaking of refreshed 35mm's... has anyone really put one through its paces on our forum yet? I know Frederic really gets great output out of his "Legacy" FA35mm f2...) OK OK, Enough babbling. I'll shut up now (if you find a FA31mm cheap, I wouldn't kick it out of bed if I were you...) No really, I'm done now. Sorta...

Xposted from K-1 thread:


smc PENTAX-FA 77mm F1.8 Limited ƒ/5.6 77.0 mm 1/250 iso320

[aslyfox]

. . . No really, I'm done now. Sorta...

famous last words

[volley]

FA77 ltd.

Monkey in Zhang Jia Jie National Park, Hunan, China



Sign at a hiking trail in Zhang Jia Jie



---------- Post added 11-22-19 at 08:57 PM ----------

I found a black FA 77 Limited at a price i couldn't resist in the marketplace.

any hints on using it on a ASP-C sensor camera ( K 3 and K 3 II )

The 77 ltd. was already my favourite lens on the K3.
I actually enjoyed the somewhat longer reach (back in the film days 135 mm was the FL I liked best ...)
Here is one of my favourite shots taken at a low light concert location ...



BTW, the guitar player is Martin Barre, for several decades the lead guitarist of Jethro Tull.

... but on the K1 I like the lens even better
The famous 3D effect seems to be even more pronounced on a FF sensor.

[jschoonj]

Last week I received my "new" MIJ FA 43mm f/1.9.
I immediately slapped it on my Z-1 and went out shooting in the weekend.
Here's an image from my very first test roll of film with it!

Kodak UltraMax 400 | SMC 43mm f/1.9 Limited | Pentax Z-1

[BruceBanner]

Bruce, I have the FA31 now and felt like you... until I got my grubby paws on one... it turns out that Legacy isn't a dirty word for me after all, and there is a reason the prices are holding. It is a pretty amazing piece of kit! (and twice the size of my FA77, yet still tiny compared to the new behemoth HDFA50mm) If it were subpar in some way, it would be priced used down where the old FA50 1.4 is currently selling (which isn't a great example since I happen to like my FA50mm 1.4 very much and don't know why it gets panned so much...) but I digress. I thought the word from Ricoh rumors was that a refresh of the LTD's is already on the agenda? Maybe they won't be on the lens roadmap, and just magically appear like when the HD FA 35mm F2 showed up? (speaking of refreshed 35mm's... has anyone really put one through its paces on our forum yet? I know Frederic really gets great output out of his "Legacy" FA35mm f2...) OK OK, Enough babbling. I'll shut up now (if you find a FA31mm cheap, I wouldn't kick it out of bed if I were you...) No really, I'm done now. Sorta...

Xposted from K-1 thread:


smc PENTAX-FA 77mm F1.8 Limited ƒ/5.6 77.0 mm 1/250 iso320

I have played with a FA31, I was impressed, but $1500AUD impressed? The DFA 50/1.4 is $1729AUD, just $229 more and look at what we get;

- Full AW/WR
- Silent AF
- Fast AF (most optimised and accurate and fast AF lens for K-1 yet)
- Faster lens (1.4)
- Superior edge sharpness, group portraits at f1.4 is possible, across the entire frame
- Controlled CA

And now the FA31

- Noisy af!
- Bad CA
- Slightly softer wide open
- Worse edge sharpness
- No AW/WR
- Not as good AF

But the FA31 is smaller, and that's important. It is to me. Before i had the FA77 I used the Samyang 85/1.4, I did ok with it, but there were a few jobs I felt that I really did need AF. That and the combination of the size and bulk (especially when you factor in the hood) really was the nail in the coffin and the reason I sold it to help fund the FA77. The FA77 is still expensive, nearly went the route of a DA70/2.4 but I had an inkling I wouldn't be satisfied and would end up selling that to try the FA77... and even though there were rumours of a DFA 85 coming I also realised it would be a behemoth and this event shooter does appreciate smaller glass for ease of lens carrying so...

For me there just feels a 'limit' of how much I will spend for certain lenses doing certain things. At the FA31 price point I just think there are more options out there that make more sense, heck I even think the new HD FA35/2 would give the FA31 a run for your money (The age old comparison of SMC fa 31 ltd to the SMC fa35 f2 - considering the upgrade - Page 3 - PentaxForums.com).

So yeah, it's not off the cards, I just bought a MINT copy of a DA 12-24 for $400AUD (it retails for $1189AUD), and am very happy with that, so if a FA31 comes along in aus for a good price tag and I have funds, I would like to add it to the other two and finish the trio, but brand new? Nah... not this time.

I had the FA 50 too, I quite liked it, but it was soft at 1.4-1.6, 1.8 it gets better, I believe the F50/1.7 is the better lens, really I think the DA* 55/1.4 is probably the best value 50mm, has WR as well.

I've seen enough images of the FA 35 vs the HD FA 35, I do believe the HD FA 35 to be significantly better wide open, genuinely sharp, but at f2 it does CA quite badly but is mostly treatable in PP. The two become more equal at later stopped down apertures. My issue is 35mm to FA43mm is not a huge difference for me to consider getting it, I'd rather keep my F28 (poor mans FA31).

famous last words

Never a truer word said... speaking from the guy that just bought a 8 element Takumar 50/1.4... :/

FA77 ltd.

Monkey in Zhang Jia Jie National Park, Hunan, China



Sign at a hiking trail in Zhang Jia Jie



---------- Post added 11-22-19 at 08:57 PM ----------



The 77 ltd. was already my favourite lens on the K3.
I actually enjoyed the somewhat longer reach (back in the film days 135 mm was the FL I liked best ...)
Here is one of my favourite shots taken at a low light concert location ...



BTW, the guitar player is Martin Barre, for several decades the lead guitarist of Jethro Tull.

... but on the K1 I like the lens even better
The famous 3D effect seems to be even more pronounced on a FF sensor.

Lovely shots, and yes the FA ltds do perform better on FF, that additional DoF punch and framing adds so much to the shot.

---------- Post added 11-23-19 at 10:52 AM ----------

Last week I received my "new" MIJ FA 43mm f/1.9.
I immediately slapped it on my Z-1 and went out shooting in the weekend.
Here's an image from my very first test roll of film with it!

Kodak UltraMax 400 | SMC 43mm f/1.9 Limited | Pentax Z-1

Doesn't get much better than that does it. Superb.