Originally posted by mikesbike There may be a combination of noises working here. I just did a little test and I am convinced the noise in question is very normal. I do not have the FA 31mm Limited, but I do have a Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG, which, like the Pentax FA 31mm LTD, uses the camera's screw-driven AF and also has an aperture ring.
The aperture, of course, is held open with a lever on the lens's rear for viewing through the VF, and will retract to allow the lens to close aperture to the selected f/stop when the shutter fires. When I mount my Pentax DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 DC WR lens there is not the same noise upon powering up the camera (virtually none) as is the case with the Sigma lens, which is a different story. When I change to this Sigma lens, then turn on the camera, there is a slight noise apparently as the camera's screw-driven AF is engaged, and I also notice a slight simultaneous movement of the aperture (iris) as I look down through the lens. The noise is virtually the same as the AF makes when making a very slight adjustment in focus with this lens.
I just did the same test with the FA 43mm f/1.9 LTD- the sibling of the FA 31mm. Same result, but a bit quieter than the Sigma lens, perhaps because of the difference in lens size. Both the Sigma and the FA 31mm are larger, having more massive AF mechanisms. But if Sandy says your combo is more pronounced than his, that difference is anybody's guess.
BTW, if you like shooting jpegs right out of the camera, the KP is exceptionally good for this. Just be sure to implement "Fine Sharpening" in the Custom Image menus, especially in the "Bright" category which is best for most shooting needs, if you have not already done so. If you need assistance in doing this I'd be happy to walk you through.
You have a superb lens and a superb camera- I'm sure with them you will have a lot of pleasure ahead! Congrats in finding a vintage FA 31mm in silver! My two FA LTDs, the 43 and 77mm are vintage Japanese made. I got both years ago at much lower price and a $100 rebate on top of that, so I bought each in black and in silver to have backups.
Thanks Mikesbike. Yes I was very lucky to find this lens in mint condition and for half the price of a new one. I'm partial to older lenses which seem to render in a way that some modern lenses cannot.
I do like to use jpegs when I can and as this camera is mainly intended as a supplement to my other system (Hasselblad x1D) for street and portraiture and poor light, jpegs will mostly be quite sufficient so I'd love to get some pointers from you. So far I've not opened a page of the manual but just trying to get accustomed to the feel of the camera and the rendering of the lens. The additional dials and multitude of custom settings is a little overwhelming but no doubt I'll slowly get there. I found in the past that it can take months before being able to "read and write" with a new camera.
From the little I've experienced, I'm finding the colours great and they also convert well to B&W (with a rather attractive grainy-ness) which I often use for portraits. The type of work that very much interests me is people at their jobs and here are a couple of examples. As you can see, lighting can be a challenge. (These are taken with Nikon and Fuji resp). These are the types of scenes I'm intending to use the KP for.