DA 70mm vs FA 77mm Limited
Conclusion
So, which is the better lens: the Pentax 70mm or the Pentax 77mm? Unfortunately, we're looking at a tie - but ultimately, we did have a preference! Read on to see which lens we preferred.
DA 70mm Summary
The DA 70mm is a well-constructed lens that is very compact and handles exceptionally. The lens is sharp and once it is stopped beyond 5.6 it is very sharp; it has great bokeh and no measurable chromatic aberration, distortion, and vignetting.
Pros
- Very sharp beyond F5.6
- Negligible distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration
- Well-built and very compact
- Quick-shift focus
Cons
- Very small focus ring
- Removable lens hood adds significant size
Rating
| Sharpness | 9 |
| Aberrations | 9 |
| Bokeh | 10 |
| Autofocus | 9 |
| Handling | 9 |
| Value | 9 |
| Overall | 9.2 (Excellent) |
FA 77mm Summary
The FA 77mm is a well-constructed lens that handles exceptionally well. The lens is very sharp, wide open it has great bokeh. It does have slight chromatic aberration wide open but it disappears once you get to f/3.5; it does not have any distortion, or vignetting.
Pros
- F1.8 aperture
- Very sharp wide open
- No measurable distortion or vignetting
- Well-built
- Built-in lens hood
- Full-frame
Cons
- Slight chromatic aberration
- No quick-shift focus
Rating
| Sharpness | 10 |
| Aberrations | 8 |
| Bokeh | 10 |
| Autofocus | 9 |
| Handling | 9 |
| Value | 9 |
| Overall | 9.2 (Excellent) |
Closing Remarks
In conclusion, both lenses are exceptional in quality and performed superbly in field tests. The lenses do in fact live up to the ratings that our users have assigned to them. After recent DA lens price increases by Pentax, there is now only an $85 dollar difference in price between the DA 70mm and the FA 77mm. Because the price is so close the deciding factor is end user preference. If you want a more compact lens, the DA 70mm is for you. If sharpness and a fast lens is your goal, the FA 77mm is for you. Each lens has unique attributes that will ultimately be the determine factor of your selection. Also keep in mind that the FA 77mm is a full-frame lens, so you will be able to use it on film cameras as well as that future Pentax full-frame.
If we had to pick one lens over the other, we'd go for the FA 77mm, just in case that Pentax full-frame comes out faster than expected! It's faster aperture and backwards-compatibility thanks to its aperture right is also an added bonus.
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