43mm Limited

Hi All,

What yould you pay for a second hand 43mm limited? How does this lens compare to the 35mm macro limited? The other one I was looking at is the 40mm pancake. Which of these would you choose?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Aaron

I chose the 43mm simply because I shoot film as well as digital and therefore need "full frame" coverage and an aperture ring.

K.

What would you pay for it second hand? Bearing in mind the 40mm limited is just around the corner...

It depends on what you want it for.

If you want a standard lens for your K7 then the 35mm is a clear winner. I find 40mm just a bit too long on digital. That said, unless you actually need the Macro function then at least try the new DA 35mm f2.4, it's an absolute bargain considering the image quality.

40mm/43mm is great on film, but I can't fathom why Pentax made the DA 40mm but nothing around the 28mm mark. Something like a 28mm f1.8 would have an equivalent field of view to the 43mm on film (Pentax made this as they reckoned it was the true standard lens, as opposed to the 50mm which 99% of cameras were sold with before zooms took over) with the same potential for shallow depth of field effects. I know I was very happy with the old K 28/3.5 on digital and only added the DA 35mm f2.4 to the collection as it's easier to work with (all exposure modes and AF, rather than stop down metering, no aperture data in EXIF, and manual focus).

I have the 35 Macro Ltd and 43 Ltd, I've never shot with the 40 Ltd but found it a bit too small when I played with it in SRS - I have fat fingers.

I love both of them dearly but if I could only keep one then it'd be the 35 Macro for its sheer versatility.

Expect to pay around £400-450 for a used 43mm.

I have the DA35 and it's a brilliant little lens. For walkaround use it's just about right, but I think that if it was any longer it wouldn't be as good - I find it "slightly too long" on the odd occasion, but being "slightly too short" is far rarer in my own experience. So if it's a "one lens walkaround" you're after then the 35 Limited wins.

What does the FA43 have going for it? Well it's faster, and is very nice for portraits (though IMO the 35 Limited is no slouch). Its main weakness according to those who have used it (and I haven't, personally) tends to be its minimum focus distance - obviously not an issue for the 35!

18" is too distant ? I wouldn't want to be much closer for portraits and if you really wanted to be then the incredible resolution gives you amazing cropping power. I have to say that the MFD has never been an issue for me - but then it isn't a macro lense so I've never used it as one.

I only have the 40 out of the ones disussed here so far, and I'm very happy with it. Particularly if pancake lenses suit what you're doing (but not solely for that reason), it's well worth considering.

Well, I guess you can do a nice macro of an eye Are both the 35 and 43 pretty well sealed to rain? I know they're not WR, but some lenses are better than others. I guess I'm asking is there much in terms of build quality, or will they both out-live me?

I've seen a lot of comments about the 40mm being too small, which is something I hadn't considered. Tough for me to judge that since I can't try a demo lens (I don't live anywhere near a Pentax supplier).

The 40mm is only "too small" if you do a lot of manual focussing - there's not much to get a hold of.

Both the 35 and 43 (and 40 for that matter) are exceptionally well made with very tight tolerances - both should outlive all of us. Having said that, I've never used either in more than spitting rain - just in case...

I only own the 35mm macro, and I think Unlocker (Danny) will agree that the thing rarely comes off my K7, and that you would have to prise it out of my dead cold fingers! I find it so versatile: it's great for me for landscapes, and because of my love of flower macros, is a great all round lens for me. I can visit a garden and keep the same lens on all day! And the quality is excellent.

Fiona

Ditto! The versatility is enormous.

I kept the FA43 but traded the DA35. Nothing wrong with the lens except the inability to manually focus out beyond the macro range. But, as many threads will illustrate, the FA43 has a special something only two other lenses possess.