Originally posted by awscreo Excellent info! Thank you
---------- Post added 10-19-16 at 06:58 PM ----------
Had a quick look at all of the lenses you've suggested. The FAJ 17-28 is not much cheaper than the Tokina 19-35 that I found, so I'm wondering what would be a better choice.
Couldn't find 20-35 for sale on ebay right now, but it looks very good from images on the review page.
Don't want to spend too much on this right now, I'd rather save up a bit and get 15-30 sometime next year)
The problem is that all used Pentax full frame lenses went up in price steeply from when Ricoh announced that there would actually be a FF camera. So did the FAJ and the 20-35mm.
I don't know the Tokina personally...but have noted that there are several Tokinas in this focal range, with quite different reputation. I considered them as well as some Sigmas in the same range about a year ago, but ended up with the FAJ very cheaply and after much patience the FA 20-35mm.
I'm happy with both.
The Tokinas are probably better built than the FAJ, but not better than the FA, which is built in the same style as my FA28, FA35, FA50/1.4, FA50 macro, FA135...meaning metal in combination with strong black plastic. But the FA20-35 is as you noticed relatively rare. I think it was a rather late design of the film era so not that many were sold before the APS-C era came and made 20-35mm less a usefull range.
One thing to remember is that 17mm is much wider than 19mm. The millimiters really matter in the ultrawide range.