Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

View Poll Results: Which lens should be the winner of this match?
FA 31mm Limited 9075.63%
FA 43mm Limited 2924.37%
Voters: 119. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
10-25-2014, 01:24 PM   #1
Administrator
Site Webmaster
Adam's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Arizona
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 51,584
Lens Tournament: FA 31mm F1.8 Limited vs FA 43mm F1.9 Limited

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the knockout round of the Greatest Pentax Lens Tournament! The rules are simple: Two lenses enter. You must choose one. The winner moves to Knockout Round Two. The loser is gone. Check out the bracket here, which is based on the user nomination results.

In this normal knockout match, and the second match of round 2, the SMC Pentax-FA 31mm F1.8 Limited faces the SMC Pentax-FA 43mm F1.9 Limited.

Make your choice by voting in the poll above. You will need to log in or register if you don't yet have a forum account.
Feel free to argue, persuade, and generally carry on after that. Voting will be open for exactly 24 hours.


Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)



PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:
10-25-2014, 01:55 PM   #2
Pentaxian
DonThomaso's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Skåne, Sweden
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 482
I have both, and I feel like that I may go towards the stream here, but I vote for the FA43. It was the first Limited. It already is the perfect normal (43mm). What makes both lenses stand out in a wider perspective is that they are both very small full frame lenses with AF. I find the FA43 very useful for portraits, being able to do both full body, half body and closeups. It would be a stretch to call it a normal on APS-C though, a very long one maybe.. The FA31 is a good fast normal on APS-C but it is very low value for the money unfortunately. If taking FF into account it would be a very different story.
10-25-2014, 02:25 PM   #3
Veteran Member
VisualDarkness's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 4,438
The 43 seems to have that swirly rendering that adds some extra to the pic. The 31 on the other hand seems to be one of the smoothest rendering ~30's in a smallish package.
10-25-2014, 02:29 PM   #4
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
monochrome's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Working From Home
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 26,276
I have both now - but only for a few weeks. I'm floored by the 43. I've yet to figure out the 31.

10-25-2014, 02:36 PM   #5
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
wizofoz's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Melbourne, Outer east.
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,695
QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
I have both now - but only for a few weeks. I'm floored by the 43. I've yet to figure out the 31.
I think I'm in the same camp, but I've had both for several years. I struggle to get the magic out of the 31 that others can achieve. I love the 43 for just about everything. Portraits, half length, head and shoulders. Nothing renders metals like the 43.
10-25-2014, 02:40 PM - 2 Likes   #6
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Gladys, Virginia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 27,603
I picked the 31 limited. It just has a special way of rendering...

10-25-2014, 02:45 PM   #7
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Pål Jensen's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Norway
Photos: Albums
Posts: 4,371
Impossible to choose between these two.
However, these are the lenses that suffers the most from APS for me. They have both wonderful angles of view on the 35mm format. On APS they turn into rather awkward angle of view lenses for my use. Hence, I don't use them much anylonger. However, I find that the 77 Limited is more useful on APS than on FF.

10-25-2014, 04:29 PM   #8
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
luftfluss's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NJ
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,595
QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
I picked the 31 limited. It just has a special way of rendering...

Damn, a leaf partially embedded in ice never looked so good...
10-25-2014, 04:55 PM - 4 Likes   #9
Pentaxian
DonThomaso's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Skåne, Sweden
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 482
This can be my case for the FA43 then
10-25-2014, 05:14 PM   #10
Pentaxian
Class A's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Posts: 11,250
One really should own both, but if there has to be a winner, in my book it is the FA 31/1.8. It offers truly special rendering without the temperament of the FA 43/1.9.
10-25-2014, 05:54 PM   #11
Veteran Member




Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 935
I've never tried the 43, but I have to point out that 80% of my shots have been taken with the 31mm. I use it for everything from landscapes to portraits to close-ups of flowers. I stick it on my camera and it goes everywhere with me.
10-25-2014, 07:14 PM   #12
Pentaxian
mikeSF's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East Bay Area, CA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,611
How can these two be pitted against one another? Really so many good things to say but I really find enormous utility with the FA31 for my landscapes, panos and astro(milky way) shooting, and it renders fantastic 18-pt light stars. The FA43 makes an ordinary 8-pt star, if that is important to anybody. I love the OOF rendering of the 43 with close focused objects; it really excels here.
seriously, like having to pick your favorite child.
...but my favorite child is the FA31

---------- Post added 10-25-2014 at 07:15 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by DonThomaso Quote
This can be my case for the FA43 then
stunning and it has pixie dust
10-25-2014, 08:28 PM   #13
Pentaxian
LeRolls's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PSL, FL
Posts: 4,501
I love both but I have to go with the 31.
10-25-2014, 10:24 PM   #14
Forum Member
langkata's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Baton Rouge
Photos: Albums
Posts: 68
QuoteOriginally posted by DonThomaso Quote
This can be my case for the FA43 then
Fantastic! After as much delay as possible, I have to sell off much of my gear including the 43. These kinds of shots make it much more painful.
10-25-2014, 11:00 PM   #15
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Richland, Washington, USA
Posts: 935
Have 'em both and love 'em both, but I pick the 31. It's been my go-to lens since I acquired it.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
31mm, 43mm, child, fa, fa31, fa43, k-mount, lens, lenses, pentax, pentax lens, pentax-fa, reviews, round, slr lens, smc
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Lens Tournament: FA 43mm F1.9 Limited vs A 50mm F1.2 Adam Pentax Forums Giveaways 30 10-29-2014 10:32 PM
Lens Tournament: FA 77mm F1.8 Limited vs M 85mm F2 Adam Pentax Forums Giveaways 19 10-27-2014 02:15 AM
For Sale - Sold: FA 77mm f1.8, FA 43mm f1.9 limited, K 50mm f1.2 Nuff Sold Items 2 10-20-2014 07:02 PM
For Sale - Sold: FA limited 43mm/f1.9 (black), FA limited 77mm/f1.8 (silver), FA 28-105mm/f3.2- chemxaj Sold Items 24 10-16-2008 11:17 AM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax FA Limited 31mm/f1.8 and 43mm/f1.9 - black chemxaj Sold Items 10 08-04-2008 03:30 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:32 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top