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Finally down to these 2 giants...40mm and 43mm, now which one to get

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Voe said:
magic pixie dust" ? - I must have missed the post where I made any such claim.
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Others have used those exactwords many times, as you surely are aware.
Voe said:
Trusting your own eyes is fair enough, but your opinion about the 43mm Limited doesn't carry any weight, since you speak based on what you've seen someone else posting on the web.
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Yes, of course, personal experience with both is better, but that doesn't make my opinion invalid. Saying my opinion carries no weight at all is yet another insult.

I know what what I've seen; you don't. If there was a difference that mattered to me (not to you - to me ) then I know I would have seen it in the images I looked at. I'm not saying I thought the 40 was better - just that there was not enough difference to matter to me . You might look and the same images as me and conclude the 43 was enough better to matter to you , and that's fine. You're you, I'm me, and can we please leave it at that, instead of constantly belittling my opinion?
Voe said:
I believe it's wrong to force this opinion on other people, who actually handled both lenses and know better.
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I'm not forcing a thing - I'm simply expressing my opinion and defending it against people telling me my opinion is somehow "wrong". Am I also wrong for preferring Coke to Pepsi? Opinions are opinions - there is "wrong". Saying you know "better" because you've handled both is silly - that again suggests you think this is not a matter of opinion but of fact. Sorry, but that is the only "wrong" statement here. There are people who have drunk both Coke and Pepsi, and some strongly prefer Coke, while others strongly prefer Pepsi, and others still can't tell the difference, and others still can tell the difference but have decided it simply doesn't matter to them. How is any one of these opinions "better" than another? I'm not telling you that you should share my opinion. Stop telling me I should share yours.
Voe said:
I don't mind that you prefer the 40mm Limited. I also loved my DA 40mm before I got the 43mm so I feel for you. Just don't go around saying one is better
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Never have, never will. You're arguing a straw man here. I'm expressing my reasons why I chose the 40 over the 43. I'm not saying the 40 is "better"; I'm simply explaining that it met my needs better for reasons that have nothing to do with IQ, and that in my opinion that the IQ differences were not large enough to offset those other advantages. Someone else who sees a greater IQ than I do, or who values QSF less than I do, or whose finds 40mm too short, or who is less conscious of the difference in price, would obviously feel differently, That's too be expected. It has to do with how you weight those factors in your decision making, and there simply is no "right" and 'wrong" here. I'm not arrogant enough to tell someone else they should necessarily feel the same way; please return the favor.

--
Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/
Blog: http://marcsabatella.blogspot.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcsabatella/
 
Chrichey said:
These Da lenses are good but some of them sometimes suffer from mechanical issues.
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Not DA lenses in general - just the SDM ones. There is no reason to fear any build quality issues with the rest of the DA lenses - and most especially, with the Limiteds.

However, if looking at the PPG images you found you really like the 43 better, that seems like all the info you need here. I don't think anyone is claiming the 40 is "better" (well, maybe one person feels that way) - really, the msot you hear in general is that the 40 is also a very good lens, that might meet some people's needs better if they happen to be more sensitive to the other differences between the lenses than to the IQ differences. That's probably not true of most people, though.

--
Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/
Blog: http://marcsabatella.blogspot.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcsabatella/
 
Two lenses with similar focal lengths and yet can be used for different applications. I bought both, used them a bit, and decided I'd be using the 43mm over the 40mm (even with its BF issues), so I sold the 40mm. I don't have the money to keep a lens "just because".

That's my experience, and I speak for nobody but myself.

You will be very pleased with either one, but the 40mm doesn't suit my style.

Remember, we don't have to justify our opinions.

:)
--
-Mike
 
Chrichey said:
I am still thinking this. This evening I might pull the plug for the fa43. I think the majority of forum members believe it outperforms the Da 40mm.
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Yes, perhaps true, and I'm sure I would feel the same way, but that's not exactly why many have chosen the DA 40, or why others have chosen the FA 43. Performance is not the only thing in the equation, really when it comes down to taking pictures.
Chrichey said:
These Da lenses are good but some of them sometimes suffer from mechanical issues. I know my 50-135 had to have the SDM replaced by pentax. That was a 3-4 weeks ordeal. The Fa's are built like a tank...what do you think?
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This doesn't even apply to the Limiteds, and no, none of this gear is built "like a tank". You drop your FA 43 and it will break just the same.

Good luck, you deserve it since you've come this far and asked some questions.

--
Lipo
 
Lively discussion. I needed the input from you folks...it was a great debate. I know I could have researched it myself but I am glad you folks voiced your opinions. That is the reason dpreview is probably one site I come to everyday just to hear what photographers have to say on issues that might influence the work they do
 
I just pulled the plug for the fa 43mm. I could hardly wait for the B&H online ordering to resume. As soon as it was 6.30 eastern time I pulled the plug. It will be here Wednesday and i will test it out for focusing issues for keepsake
 
Chrichey said:
I just pulled the plug for the fa 43mm. I could hardly wait for the B&H online ordering to resume. As soon as it was 6.30 eastern time I pulled the plug. It will be here Wednesday and i will test it out for focusing issues for keepsake
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.

You may think we've helped you, but we've only just infected you with a virus.

:)
.
 
moving_comfort said:
I slightly preferred the 43 because I generally really value speed, but I fully see the value of the DA 40, and frankly the 40 tended to annoy me less - focus hunting in low light was a bit of a problem with the 43. People like Mike Johnston value the DA 35ltd over the FA 31ltd for some of the same reasons that people like the DA 40 over the 43.
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It seems there are some special properties - even idiosyncracies - which endear the FA43 to portrait enthusiasts in particular; e.g. where a subject needs to be picked out in its full "vibrance" in contrast to surroundings.

And it seems there are some, shall we say, more neutral and "forensic" properties that equip the DA40 well for those areas of photography where even-handedness and "delicacy" is the rule.

A similar variation of talents, perhaps more pronounced, exists between the FA77 and the DA70 as far as I can determine. My own kit includes the DA35 and 70; I value evenness of sharpness and correctable CA, and good flare control; I especially dislike the appearance of longitudinal CA which seems IMO better controlled in the DA series than in the FA series when used on these cameras (judging from samples).

Yes, cost is a factor, and weight, and Quick Shift - my fingers learnt to photograph in manual focus-only, and they just will not leave tweakable focus alone ;-) - but mainly the particular photographic tasks at which the FA lenses are usually said to shine, are simply not representative of the kind of photography I enjoy.

There's no point IMO in arguing which is "better" in the abstract; we must each decide which is more "suited" or "equipped" for what we want to do.

RP
 
I have the 40.....I'm loving it. On the K-7, it makes the whole camera feel like a point & shoot, from a size and weight perspective. I also have several other lenses (like the 300, the 50-135 and the 16-50). I've been birdhunting lately, so the 300 has been on the camera mostly. But the DA 40 LTD is the only thing that's been able to consistently keep my 16-50 off the camera....

Next week I'll probably be shooting BBal, so that will change. I'll have two cameras, the K10D and K-7. One will have the 16-50 (prolly the K7) and the other will likely have the 50-135.....we'll see.

And yes, I promise, I will eventually make some use of the galleries....so many pictures, so little organization....but then, I'd rather shoot than sort.... :)
 
richardplondon said:
moving_comfort said:
I slightly preferred the 43 because I generally really value speed, but I fully see the value of the DA 40, and frankly the 40 tended to annoy me less - focus hunting in low light was a bit of a problem with the 43. People like Mike Johnston value the DA 35ltd over the FA 31ltd for some of the same reasons that people like the DA 40 over the 43.
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It seems there are some special properties - even idiosyncracies - which endear the FA43 to portrait enthusiasts in particular; e.g. where a subject needs to be picked out in its full "vibrance" in contrast to surroundings.

And it seems there are some, shall we say, more neutral and "forensic" properties that equip the DA40 well for those areas of photography where even-handedness and "delicacy" is the rule.

A similar variation of talents, perhaps more pronounced, exists between the FA77 and the DA70 as far as I can determine. My own kit includes the DA35 and 70; I value evenness of sharpness and correctable CA, and good flare control; I especially dislike the appearance of longitudinal CA which seems IMO better controlled in the DA series than in the FA series when used on these cameras (judging from samples).

Yes, cost is a factor, and weight, and Quick Shift - my fingers learnt to photograph in manual focus-only, and they just will not leave tweakable focus alone ;-) - but mainly the particular photographic tasks at which the FA lenses are usually said to shine, are simply not representative of the kind of photography I enjoy.

There's no point IMO in arguing which is "better" in the abstract; we must each decide which is more "suited" or "equipped" for what we want to do.

RP
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.

A perfect explanation, IMO. Both you & Marc make the case nicely for the 40.
 
The salesman at BH almost got me mad this morning when he could not tell me if the fa 43mm I ordered was assembled in Japan or in Vietnam. This is important to me because after I bought the fa 31mm the focusing was decentered and I found out it was asembled in Vietnam and I returned it for the assembled in Japan which focused spot on. But I was out of pocket more than $30 shipping. This time I wanted to call ahead and the salesman was just plain mean....saying " they are made where they are made, if you dont like it you have 2 weeks to return it", ... no empathy. I asked him if he would pay for the return shipping and he would not answer that until a supervisor came on the phone to tell me they would absorb the return shipping if it turns out not what I ordered...huh
 
The salesman at BH almost got me mad this morning when he could not tell me if the fa 43mm I ordered was assembled in Japan or in Vietnam. This is important to me because after I bought the fa 31mm the focusing was decentered and I found out it was asembled in Vietnam and I returned it for the assembled in Japan which focused spot on. But I was out of pocket more than $30 shipping. This time I wanted to call ahead and the salesman was just plain mean....saying " they are made where they are made, if you dont like it you have 2 weeks to return it", ... no empathy. I asked him if he would pay for the return shipping and he would not answer that until a supervisor came on the phone to tell me they would absorb the return shipping if it turns out not what I ordered...huh
 
Chrichey said:
The salesman at BH almost got me mad this morning when he could not tell me if the fa 43mm I ordered was assembled in Japan or in Vietnam. This is important to me because after I bought the fa 31mm the focusing was decentered and I found out it was asembled in Vietnam and I returned it for the assembled in Japan which focused spot on.
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I'd say the chances of this being anything but coincidence are pretty low.

--
Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/
Blog: http://marcsabatella.blogspot.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcsabatella/
 
My fa 43mm just arrived this evening, made in Japan....immediate focus chart tests and images around the kitchen are incredibly sharp, bokeh is great, contrast is amazing. It will be fighting with the camera body for time. I will post images soon when the weather clears up. Everybody needs the lightweight gem in their camera bag.

Please does anybody know what size lens cap will fit the hood of the fa 43
 
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