Decisions decisions...LBA

I have a K200D. I shoot mainly landscapes. I have Pentax 16-45, 24-90 and a Sigma 70-300. However I recently bought a 35mm macro limited which blows all the zooms into the weeds, and am now considering my second limited prime. I think I'd use a short tele. So - 70mm DA or 77 mm FA - that is the question... Is the 77mm worth the extra? Input and advice from owners of either or both much appreciated! 77 has allegedly slower AF speed which probably won't bother me. 70mm is smaller and lighter and has quickshift focus which I like on the 35mm. Oh dear..

A simple question: if you're shooting landscapes rather than double page spreads of the Financial Times, would you, could you, really tell the difference between the two? I should imagine they are both wonderful optics which will compliment your excellent camera perfectly!

Personally I'd look for something wider: I also shoot mainly landscapes and love to use primes (albeit of a less exotic vintage) and these are on the long side for what I'd use. I find a 50mm makes me spend the day stepping backwards into things!

Oh dear...that's probably just confused you!

Best wishes and enjoy using whichever you choose! You can't really go wrong, can you?

Andrew

Try reading this review from Photozone - link

Hmmm that review may not help the decision that much hyram !

Do you ever shoot film? Yes: buy the FA77. No: buy the DA70.



K.

I've got the 77mm and as a result have never tried the 70mm, but from what I've seen the DA70 is capable of very nice results indeed. I wouldn't swap if offered though if that helps...

Have not tried the 77mm but I can't beleieve it is worth twice the price of the 70mm (which is superb). Saying that if you believe Pentax may someday bring out a ff camera and you would buy one then maybe it is.

The 70 is superb (I have one and love it) but I wonder if the build quality of the 77 is higher. Hwoever, the 70 is way more compact which means it goes out more.

The DA 70 does actually cover a FF circle, here is a shot I took on my MZ-S, scanned from the full negative. I apologise for the bland subject matter but it does show any vignetting issues.




So does the DA 40




The DA 21 vignettes




The only caveat would be, how good will the edge performance be on a digital sensor.

They both have advantages, and you have to decide which you value more.

FA77:
*Speed
*Slight edge in sharpness?

DA70:
*Price
*Lightness
*Quick shift
*The £300 you save can go towards another lens, which might make more of a difference to your photography than the differences in IQ between these two

Well that's a result then ..

The DA70 is sharper in the corners and they both appear equally sharp in the centre at the same aperture.

If you don't need the wider aperture then the DA70 seems to be the better choice.

I think the wider aperture and possibly better bokeh mean the 77 is an ideal portrait lens - possibly more suited to this than the 70? Stopped down outdoors I suspect that it would be very hard to tell much difference between them when viewing at normal sizes (but the 77 feels wonderful!). The 70 certainly focuses much faster if that is an issue.

The DA70 is the one to get if you are thinking with your head, the FA77 (in silver) is the one to get if you are thinking with your heart.

For me, one of the main reasons I went Pentax was because of the FA limiteds, so I know which one I would go for.

My heart would be doing the thinking in this case...