Thank you Ken. I will forward all answers to him. Your input is appreciated, especially since you actually have owned them both. I love the FA* way too much to be objective. That's why I decided to ask the list.
I don't believe he expects to use it wide open when shooting the wild ones. He sounded fully aware of the consequences (read limitations) of the extreme shallow DOF. I agree on the hood. It is oversized, and it is definitely not suited for the 1,5 crop. He already have a FA 50/1,4. He said he found it a bit short for this use. That's why he already has tested the Sigma. This he found to bulky and having back focus issues. I tried "talking him into" using manual focus, and prefocusing. But he does want a lens that can handle the situation with AF. Whatever he decides, I hope he is not having too high expectations towards AF performance. I've been there myself. Very frustrating. Tim Mostly harmless (just plain Norwegian) -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of K.Takeshita Sent: 13. januar 2007 02:36 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List Subject: Re: 77 Ltd. vs FA*85 Hi Tim, My comments interspersed below. Ken On 1/12/07 7:34 PM, "Tim Øsleby", <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > And guys, > don't get any ideas, I'm talking photographic tools. Yes, I was preparing for what might be coming :-). Whew, you clarified it. > He has been offered a demo FA* for near exactly the same amount as the Ltd. > What he wants a fast short telephoto for is mainly to shoot his nephews. He > has a Sigma 70-200/2,8 but his experience is that AF is to slow, and off > course it back focuses. He was also talking about using it in a medium > weight trekking kit. At one time, I had both lenses and the same dilemma. Eventually, I sold 85 and kept 77. 85 is of course the gem of pentax lenses but when I got a 77, I was beginning to find that use of 85 was not as versatile as 77 could. It all depends on how your friend intends to use it. If his nephew is young (small?) and active, 85 is unwieldy. Azlso on K10D, it is no longer a mid tele. F1.4 speed is excellent for low light shooting or if he wants good bokeh in portrait, nothing can come close to 85, but it's a chunk of glass, heavy and rather intimidating particularly with its huge hood. Advantage of 85mm FL diminish on K10D. If he wants fast but nimble performance, FA50/1.4 might be so much easier to use. 85 at wide open has such a shallow DOF, it is indeed excels in portraiture with a tripod. At 1.4, just a slight body sway back and forth would change the focal plane, depending on the distance. > > We found the FA* to focus faster than the Sigma. He is also planning to buy > a K10, so AF speed will probably be all right. And that is one reason he was > leaning towards the FA*, because the seller had told him the Ltd has way > slower AF performance. Can someone confirm this? People say that Limited in general has a bit slower AF performance. I never measured it, but in my usage, I really did not feel much of a difference. Limiteds are made with somewhat heavier focus resistance as AF lenses probably to give nicer manual focus feeling. I used to use it on PZ-1P that had stronger AF motor, and aside from jarring noise, it was not particularly slow. On K10D with powerful motor, it should not be an issue. He would not use it for motor racing etc, would he? > > Another reason for preferring FA* was that he found the Ltd more a piece of > jewellery. He expected he would feel a bit uncomfortable with using it > outdoor under rough conditions. I can sympathise with this. The built of the > FA* begs for real life use. True, but 85 also is a gem and I was careful not abusing it. Advantage of 77 is its compact size, much lighter weight and useful for various snapping too. I just have a penchant for a compact package but k10D with 85 would be large and heavy. > > He asked me if I felt the FA* to be a close range lens. Any comments on > this? I do not know what 'close range' means but it is better suited for static portrait in studio etc, although any lens could be sued in any other purpose at the hands of the skilled. I used to take "flower arrangement' by my wife and it was the best lens for that purpose, controlled DOF and under natural light etc. Re speed, there is only half a stop difference between the two, and with K10D, freely adjustable ISO setting coupled with SR would diminish the difference. Just my $.02 -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
