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77mm limited or 85mm 1.4 ?

Started 10 months ago | Discussions thread
James O'Neill Veteran Member • Posts: 6,117
Re: 77mm limited or 85mm 1.4 ?

SMCTakumar wrote:

I was on the edge of getting the latest 85mm. I chose the FA77 because of price and size/weight (not a pro). The rest, 85mm is just so much better at. The DFA85 is incredible lens and I am still thinking about it, and missed a good used buying opportunity a month ago or so. I find the FA77 to be so-so until about F2.8, then at F4 it starts to shine. Plus the screw drive focus is old and would not want that for more serious wedding shots. The DFA85 is just above and beyond the FA77, technically more advanced and optically superior.

See my other post. What you say is true. The Shallow D.o.F. means using either of them wide open needs care. I tend not to give too much weight to "edges aren't that good at wider than f/2 because - unless it is dark and I'm trying to keep ISO down and shutter speed up - that's for selective focus and I'm not bothered about sharpness at the edge. The 77 is very good and 85 is better. "Much" better is arguable.

The 77 has more character the 85 is more clinical. The 85 AF is more sure, and silent (as near as makes no difference). But it's also a monster to shove in someone's face and to carry. Like I said in the other post, the 85 is the best lens I own, but if I have to carry the camera for a long time I'll take the 77.

 James O'Neill's gear list:James O'Neill's gear list
Pentax K-5 IIs Pentax K-1 Pentax smc FA 50mm F1.4 Pentax smc DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 Pentax smc FA 43mm F1.9 Limited +3 more
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