Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Limited First week of use:
So far, it's the only lens worthy of being mounted on my K-5 IIs. It's just an unbelievably good prime. It made me realize I don't really need f1.4 for this focal length - not that I want hair-thin DoF for portraits anyway. It has this 3D pop-up effect in nice ambient lighting, I don't know if it's the color or the contrast or a combination. It also has a DoF scale, perfect for mounting it on my really old K2.
Sharpness-wise, it's a no-brainer: the FA77 takes out even my DA35 or M 50 f1.4 hands-down.
CA, haven't seen it yet, or at least never obvious: just a lingering purple/green lining on stupidly contrasty shots I shouldn't have clicked anyway (wrong exposure setting so my bad, not the camera+lens).
Build is superb - nothing bad against it. It's amazingly small for such a fast lens, and AF to boot - I have no idea how Pentax fit everything in it, let alone being made of metal and glass (try flicking the lever to see how big it is inside - it's like a metal shell with nothing but glass inside).
AF is fast and accurate (thanks to SAFOX X). I somehow miss Quick Shift, but with the K-5 II's pinpoint-accurate AF, never had a problem. Yet.
I am so lucky to have this lens at a great price from a fellow Pentaxian.
Will update when I get to test the lens further.
edit/add: just because it's a Limited made a lot of friends think it has QS... they almost forced the focus ring >_<
also, it does have a nasty tendency to exhibit PF at f1.8 up to f2.... |