[dadipentak]

Just interested in other FA31 owners experiences.

In my experience, all the FA ltds have some fringing tendencies wide open. I think you'll find this mentioned the reviews.

[Parry]

In my experience, all the FA ltds have some fringing tendencies wide open. I think you'll find this mentioned the reviews.

Okay, yes, but that much?

If others are getting this amount of PF wide open in relatively high contrast situations please let me know.

I'm starting to think . . . two cogs turning now . . .

1. High contrast

2. Wide open

3. At or near infinity

Equals . . . not very good resolution at all and dire PF.

If so, that's just a limitation of the design and I can live with that. A frank discussion about this would be handy.

I also find it hopeless in low light. Could be me. May spend this weekend testing the be'jesus out of the thing and then make a decision.

[Naruto]

All Pentax and Tokina lenses I ever tried (and they are numerous) are plagued with PF. When you get rid of it, if ever you can, the pics become very good.

[Parry]

All Pentax and Tokina lenses I ever tried (and they are numerous) are plagued with PF. When you get rid of it, if ever you can, the pics become very good.

This is what I'm finding. It is possible to drag a decent image out of the 31 wide open, but oh my my is it a lot of aggravation. In mediocre light I find it near impossible.

The thing is, the 77 Ltd is simply golden, it really is and I'm surprised at the really quite stark difference between the 77 and the 31, I'm talking wide open now.

Ferocious toothache "beyond root canal" doesn't help whilst pondering this matter, nor listening to the dogs gob going round and round at the same time which really winds me up.

[Naruto]

I will have hard time to compare the 77 and the 31 on PF and LoCA.

I can get monstruous PF from the 77 wide open. I read that the DA 70 has much less PF, I bought a copy, tested it, changed it, tested a few ones and kept the last: PF was the same all around. You just need to know how to get the "good" conditions and you will create enough purple lines.

[Parry]

I will have hard time to compare the 77 and the 31 on PF and LoCA.

I can get monstruous PF from the 77 wide open. I read that the DA 70 has much less PF, I bought a copy, tested it, changed it, tested a few ones and kept the last: PF was the same all around. You just need to know how to get the "good" conditions and you will create enough purple lines.

I still get the PF with the 77 but no where near as bad as the 31. This is the 77 wide open, with a lot of post . . .




Now I've never got anywhere near the same performance out of the 31, by a wide margin. I'd go so far as to compare my 31 to my first kit lens (WR 17-55) in many respects. Okay, in some situations I can get the thing to perform, but it's unreasonably tough to do so and most of the work is done in post.

[Naruto]

@Parry: The FA 31 should be able to give you similar quality. I realized how much my FA 31 is sharp when I compared it to my DA 35 macro. This is very far from a kit lens for color rendition, aperture and bokeh.

[Parry]

@Parry: The FA 31 should be able to give you similar quality. I realized how much my FA 31 is sharp when I compared it to my DA 35 macro. This is very far from a kit lens for color rendition, aperture and bokeh.

Hard as I try, mine just doesn't. I mean it really does disappoint me time after time.

I think it's partly why I use the old M42's in manual focus so much these days, Jupiters, Helios and CZJ's, Meyer's and wotnot.

---------- Post added 19-03-14 at 05:35 ----------

Right so second question(s) . . . where can I get this thing seen to in the UK?

Is it a matter of realigning the elements and bolting the thing back together?

Has anyone else had these issues and had them resolved by a lens technician?


Because something clearly ain't right with this.

[LeRolls]

Hard as I try, mine just doesn't. I mean it really does disappoint me time after time.

I think it's partly why I use the old M42's in manual focus so much these days, Jupiters, Helios and CZJ's, Meyer's and wotnot.

---------- Post added 19-03-14 at 05:35 ----------

Right so second question(s) . . . where can I get this thing seen to in the UK?

Is it a matter of realigning the elements and bolting the thing back together?

Has anyone else had these issues and had them resolved by a lens technician?


Because something clearly ain't right with this.

If you really are disappointed with your FA31 then you could very well have a less than stellar copy. I have nothing but love for mine, quite sharp when I need it to be. Of course I almost never shoot wide open on any of my lenses. I do agree with you on the 77. A truly great performer to the point where I don't even look at my DA70 anymore.

[LeRolls]

Today at the park. FA77

[Deimos]

Okay, yes, but that much?

If others are getting this amount of PF wide open in relatively high contrast situations please let me know.

I'm starting to think . . . two cogs turning now . . .

1. High contrast

2. Wide open

3. At or near infinity

Equals . . . not very good resolution at all and dire PF.

If so, that's just a limitation of the design and I can live with that. A frank discussion about this would be handy.

I also find it hopeless in low light. Could be me. May spend this weekend testing the be'jesus out of the thing and then make a decision.

Taking wide open shots in bright sun of white things will get you lower contrast and PF 100% of the time with these lenses, it is what it is, it is also easily corrected in LR. Why you need to take a shot like that wide-open and not stopped down, I dont understand the benefit. It is just part of the old design optimized for film, you can also get PF from a DA15 Limited or pretty much any other lens. Is that a reason to throw the lens away I dont think so. Your other shots have proven that your lens can take nice photos but you seem to be intent on the 31 passing some sort of PF torture test that frankly your beloved 77 would fare worse at (the photo from the 77 you posted looks like it was taken at dusk/dawn not in noonday sun).

That said, if this lens isnt what you like or want just get rid of it. Try a sigma 35 or anything else, and see if its any better for you. Or maybe try and get it serviced (Eric H. in the US?) but not sure that will do much for wide-open PF.

I find my 31 produces great results and is very versatile, I love the FL and the rendering, and it was well worth the $1100 I spent on it (another reason for the higher prices for it these days is that it is no longer in production, soon you wont be able to buy this FA version anymore, maybe the new one will be better? Maybe not). While my 77 isnt as good (for me), and I have a hard time getting anything but a nice portrait out of it. To each their own...

[Parry]

So is this normal?

[noelpolar]

Travelling around at the moment within a few hundred K's of home….….a few with the 77….....still learning when and how to use it…… (no post on the sunset)…amazing sunsets in Renmark South Australia….Kookaburras in the Gum Tree (Grampians National Park, Victoria)………

[LeRolls]

And now for something completely different...

FA31

[Digitalis]

If this is normal behavior for this lens wide open I'll accept that.

Yeah, it is. but to be fair the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 does it the Canon 35mm f/1.4, the Nikkor 35mm f/1.4, Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2, Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4, Leica Summicron-R 35mm f/2, Minolta 35mm f/1.4 ....etc..etc so on and so forth.