I guess I'm going to ruffle some feathers :) but I think we all have the right to express our opinions, isn't it?
I have no experience about more recent Limiteds for APS-C, which I'm sure are different in many ways.
The Limiteds with FF coverage I've tried, and I still own and use, are tiny, well made, and AF.
These are huge merits, given the current panorama.
Though I wouldn't say that they excel optically, not in absolute terms at least.
All the hype about the 77mm is due to the two main reasons: 1) brand loyalty and cult status 2) very good rendition (reminding some great vintage lenses) in a compact all-metal AF package.
Don't get me wrong, I like it, but there are other cheaper MF lenses that have comparable sharpness and similar (very good) rendition.
Yes, it's AF. Yet it hunts a lot in low light (which is the kind of photography I usually do).
As most, if not all, photographic tools, it has its pros and cons.
I think the current prices of a second-hand example in good shape are high enough to suggest some caution. If you ask me, I'm not sure it's a must have. If you don't care that much about AF, a recent Samyang 1.4/85mm is probably slightly sharper at the same aperture, and can be found used for roughly one third of the price.
There are also better choices for portrait photography, but I'm not aware of any AF prime in the same range that is as practical and convenient (and has the same "character").
I've never used the 31mm, that is the other Limited with cult status, and the only one I never tried.
I had in mind to buy it, if it came at the right price, but I've never pulled the trigger, cause it's even more expensive, and AF is not as important at this focal. I couldn't justify the expense cause I have plenty of alternatives that are either sharper/faster (Samyang 1.4/35mm), have a great rendition at close range (Pentax/Zeiss 2/28mm), or are as practical (FA 2/35mm).
Of course I'm basing my considerations about the 31mm on full res images I found online. I'd prefer to compare in person :) but I don't think it will ever happen if I don't find a good bargain (let's say close to $500).
Which is an unmistakable symptom of serious LBA, all those affected know very well about that: I don't buy cause I don't need, but if I find a good deal, it's a damned good reason to buy just because I like...
But that's me, very fond of photographic lenses and their history, almost never selling, and buying a lot of them, for use or for collection, since the late seventies...
If I had to build a Pentax AF kit from scratch I'd go for a Sigma Art instead, bigger but also faster and sharper, and somewhat cheaper (especially second-hand).
Landscape enthusiasts who have to trek to remote locations would of course disagree. Personally I dislike any kind of unnecessary physical exercise, so I'm fine with a couple of huge primes most of the times, with my bike/car not too distant :)
Jokes aside, the only humble advice I have is a very simple one. Use some common sense, don't fall for web generated hype excesses, use the incredible amount of available informations and make up your own mind (possibly taking a close look to non resized online photos).
There are no magic bullets, but there many different points of view, and an almost infinite number of nuances and subtleties that are not so obvious to an uneducated eye. Looking at great pictures made with great (and often not so great) lenses helps a lot in finding what we like and what we don't, which lenses would help our creativity and which would serve no purpose, at the same time providing us with plenty of tricks and suggestions that help us explore different paths or do better what we already do.
Fashionable and expensive are not synonymous terms of useful and convenient. Following the hype is an easy shortcut, it just takes enough money!
I don't mean to be judgemental, just thinking of some prices skyrocketing because of collective Internet-induced mania.
Trioplan's are a good example. I really love them but I also think that current prices are unreasonable, and people should know better... leaving the heavily overpriced ones in the hands of opportunistic vendors.
FA Limited's should be appreciated in regard to their merits, not as status-defining items. We all fall for that, more or less, starting with myself. Being aware is at least a little step in the right direction.
Knowledge is the best antidote, unfortunately it does not come fast nor cheap.
To better clarify my point, a simple example.
I like my 40mm Limited, but I'm not sure I would be able to identify its pictures from others shot with the other old pancakes I have (the old M, two Cosina-made f/2.8 and f/2.5, plus a wonderful Konica f/1.8 that I keep with the fantasy of converting to PK). Of course the Limited is AF, light and pretty, but the performance on FF most likely won't be affected by all that...
Cheers
Paolo
