xpiotiavos

jon, that last shot of the reflections in the water is outstanding. you guys are REALLY making me wish it wasn't still in the

upper 70s where i am. fall, hurry up!! ;)

apologizes for the the multiple posts, but not only did i forget to attach it this first time, i uploaded the wrong version of the

photo. it's supposed to have a border and a water mark.<div></div>

Well, I shot my first official engagement photo shoot this afternoon. #1 lesson learned: I have a lot to learn about directing

people.

Anyway, here's one of my favorite shots of the day (ironically, when i looked at in on the LCD right after taking it, it thought

the shot didn't work at all, but when i got back to the computer, i loved it. funny how that works):

I suppose I'm not adding much information to what Dave said, but the pentamirror on my *ist DL was MUCH darker than the

pentaprism on my K10D.

Yeah, I thought about the different aperture issue after i was done with it, but i was already so far into the review it wasn't

practical for me to change it at the time. But it's a new day! So here ya go:<P>

<b>Situation #1</b><P>

FA 35 @ 2.8 <BR><a href=" title="IMGP5523 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2926494531_61bee7dbfc_o.jpg" width="685"

height="459" alt="IMGP5523" /></a><BR>(proof that it the vine was moving in and out of the focus plane)<P>

DA 35 @ 2.8 <BR><a href=" title="IMGP5530 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2927349110_876c9489e2_o.jpg" width="681"

height="456" alt="IMGP5530" /></a><P>

<b>Situation #2</b>

FA 35 @ 2.8<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5548 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2927349178_9dd134b86c_o.jpg" width="692"

height="464" alt="IMGP5548" /></a><P>

DA 35 @ 2.8<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5540 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2926494623_da67bcd8b0_o.jpg" width="613"

height="410" alt="IMGP5540" /></a><BR>(again, sorry for the different focus points here.<P>_<P>

Hope this helps!

Just in case you didn't see it in the forum topic list, Part I of this review is <a href="http://www.photo.net/pentax-camera-

forum/00R66r">here</a>. And now that that's out of the way, let's jump right back in:<P>_<P>

<b>CA Tests</b><P>

Since CAs are typically worst at wide-open apertures, and since I'm a college student with a limited schedule, I'm only going to post

shots

taken wide open and shots taken at f/8 (in two different scenarios) to give you a sense of the overall CA performance of the lens. At

any

rate, here are the photos:<P>

<b>Situation #1: take picture of random wisteria vine and give the folks on the pnet forum a sense of deja vu.</b><P>

DA 35 wide-open @ f/2.8 (followed by 100% crop, as the rest of the CA test photos will be):<BR><a

href=" title="IMGP5530-2 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2925303346_cc69dff2a0_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5530-2" /></a>

<a href=" title="IMGP5530 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/2924450343_1fab39b0de_o.jpg" width="623" height="417" alt="IMGP5530" /></a><P>

FA 35 wide-open @ f/2.0:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5522-2 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2924451509_ab086ec009_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5522-2" /></a><a href=" title="IMGP5522 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2924449959_6a5073eb64_o.jpg" width="616" height="412"

alt="IMGP5522" /></a><P>

DA 35 @ f/8:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5533-2 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/2924452231_2d6f041f65_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5533-2"

/></a><a href=" title="IMGP5533 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2925301814_dfbaab4324_o.jpg" width="646" height="432" alt="IMGP5533" /></a><P>

FA 35 @ f/8:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5526-2 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2925303162_77dd3af3d4_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5526-2"

/></a><a href=" title="IMGP5526 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2924450135_9fdc57cb60_o.jpg" width="615" height="412" alt="IMGP5526" /></a><P>

<b>Situation #2: worst-case scenario for CAs (aka, the decorative steel work outside my apartment against a clear sky in the middle of

the day)</b><P>

DA 35 wide-open @ f/2.8:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5540 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3107/2925302044_8bbe3746bb_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5540" /></a><a href=" title="IMGP5540-2 by adamwilson.photo,

on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/2924452383_2beddceb5b_o.jpg" width="613" height="410" alt="IMGP5540-2"

/></a><P>

FA 35 wide-open @ f/2.0:<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924451123/" title="IMGP5547 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2924451123_9716b821c8_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5547" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924671615/" title="IMGP5547-2 by adamwilson.photo,

on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/2924671615_74ff6891d1_o.jpg" width="668" height="447" alt="IMGP5547-2"

/></a><P>

DA 35 @ f/8:<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924450923/" title="IMGP5543 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2924450923_1fb4743b8a_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5543"

/></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2925303856/" title="IMGP5543-2 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2925303856_dbfd873359_o.jpg" width="615" height="412" alt="IMGP5543-2" /></a><P>

FA 35 @ f/8:<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2925302664/" title="IMGP5551 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2925302664_faa24a704a_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5551"

/></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924671765/" title="IMGP5551-2 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2924671765_580b72f3a1_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5551-2" /></a><P>

<b>CA Test Conclusions:</b><P>

I feel like there's not much I need to say about this particular test. The DA 35 Limited beats the heck out of the FA 35 in both situations

(note the absolute lack of CAs in situation #1 even at wide-open). The FA 35, on the other hand, shows quite pronounced CAs wide

open (VERY visible CA on the wisteria leaves in the first situation, even when viewing the un-cropped version), but handles them quite

well at all other apertures.<P>

(two quick notes: 1) sorry that the 100% crops are different between the two lenses in the second situation. I forgot that the AF system

might pick a different point after i changed lenses. 2) don't judge the lenses too much by the apparent softness in the 100% crops of

the leaves. the vine was moving quite a bit in the wind, so the softness is mostly due to being out of focus.)<P>_<P>

<b>Bokeh Tests (aka, the reason i call this an incomplete review)</b><P>

Let me start this part with an apology: I have no idea how to test for bokeh, and I only have one scene that was taken with both lenses.

So I'll post that first, then post a string of random images in different situations and different apertures.<P>

<b>Situation #A: weird red flower with green leaves in the background</b><P>

DA 35 @ f/2.8, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 22, respectively:<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923481926/"

title="IMGP5590 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2923481926_dfcf5b0118_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5590" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922630853/"

title="IMGP5592 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/2922630853_0d1c43b7a3_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5592" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923482274/"

title="IMGP5593 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3078/2923482274_40cf00455b_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5593" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922631167/"

title="IMGP5595 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/2922631167_27506ea90b_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5595" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923482686/"

title="IMGP5596 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2923482686_69c7a4c9c8_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5596" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922631603/"

title="IMGP5597 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2922631603_c4a79668e2_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5597" /></a><P>

FA 35 @ f/2, 2.8, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 22:<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924765877/" title="IMGP5582 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2924765877_921a89fe9c_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5582" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922629621/" title="IMGP5583 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/2922629621_4d00674978_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5583" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922629789/" title="IMGP5585 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2922629789_589430fbc0_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5585" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923481138/" title="IMGP5586 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/2923481138_ddd29d423f_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5586" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922630125/" title="IMGP5587 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2922630125_5218f88146_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5587" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922630323/" title="IMGP5588 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/2922630323_d40d46c0b0_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5588" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922630559/" title="IMGP5589 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/2922630559_2ddcf7d3cf_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5589" /></a><P>

<b>Situation #B: randomness (aka, the reason my friends will kill me if they ever find out that i posted these pictures on the

internet)</b><P>

DA 35 at various apertures and scenes:<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923477306/"

title="IMGP5620 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2923477306_879495dfd1_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5620" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923477150/"

title="IMGP5608 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2923477150_7c5604571d_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5608" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923476872/"

title="IMGP1815 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/2923476872_3bc9085126_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1815" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922625729/"

title="IMGP1802 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/2922625729_f32b3bce9f_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1802" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923476402/"

title="IMGP1793 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2923476402_8eeec49b68_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1793" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923476212/"

title="IMGP1775 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/2923476212_3299ab8820_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1775" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922625295/"

title="IMGP1771 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2922625295_f76a824ab2_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1771" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922625153/"

title="IMGP1765 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/2922625153_f1bd19a488_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1765" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922624969/"

title="IMGP1760 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2922624969_cfb0e5c252_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1760" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923475658/"

title="IMGP1757 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/2923475658_077a58fe64_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1757" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922624629/"

title="IMGP1747 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2922624629_83331e3e10_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1747" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923475304/"

title="IMGP1744 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3254/2923475304_19eb289813_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1744" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923475076/"

title="IMGP1741 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2923475076_0f5efdbb43_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1741" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923474688/"

title="IMGP1735 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2923474688_4391329359_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1735" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2923474456/"

title="IMGP1734 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2923474456_8468706051_o.jpg"

width="700" height="467" alt="IMGP1734" /></a><P>

And, finally, the FA 35 in various situations at various apertures (unfortunately, almost all of my shots with the FA 35 were taken near

the wide-open end of the aperture range. while most of my shooting with the DA has been with testing in mind, most of the stuff i've

shot with the FA has been with the photos themselves in mind, and that typically means low-light situations and small apertures.

sorry!):<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924816309/" title="IMGP6051 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/2924816309_a0e2a77969_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP6051"

/></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924816155/" title="IMGP5880 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2924816155_94f326612c_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5880"

/></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2925668934/" title="IMGP5698 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/2925668934_c57213af11_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5698"

/></a><BR>(the above picture is of me, proving to my friends that i'm not afraid to get my picture taken! ha. i think they were tired of

being the only subjects.)<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924815689/" title="IMGP5690 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2924815689_84be036714_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5690" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924815525/" title="IMGP5674 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2924815525_bbc785098c_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5674" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2925668348/" title="IMGP5650 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2925668348_ef80c0893b_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5650" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2925668122/" title="IMGP5634 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2925668122_8541043a5c_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5634" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2924814751/" title="IMGP5343 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2924814751_006922ffb7_o.jpg" width="469" height="700"

alt="IMGP5343" /></a><BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2925667720/" title="IMGP5340 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2925667720_ca524930dd_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5340" /></a><P>

<b>Bokeh Test Conclusions:</b><P>

I'm pretty much amazed by both, and, considering that this clearly does NOT constitute a thorough test of the bokeh of each lens, I

can't really pick one over the other for bokeh quality alone.<P>_<P>

<b><u>Overall Conclusions (aka, the pros and cons of each):</u></b><P>

<b>DA 35 Pros and Cons:</b><P>

Pros:<P>

1) BUILD QUALITY. I don't care if people say the value of build quality is overstated, it makes this lens an absolute joy to use. I know

there was some comments on the lack of weather sealing, but, frankly, I wouldn't hesitate to take this thing out in LIGHT rain or foggy

conditions. The tight mechanical tolerances alone make me think that the DA would stand up just fine to a little water and dust.<BR>

2) OPTICAL QUALITY. I know that it's close, but I've got to hand this one to the DA over the FA. When viewing the photos, I

repeatedly found myself saying "geez... it's like this thing has no flaws whatsoever...". The resolving power is higher than that of the

sensor on my K10D at almost every setting, CAs only show up when you force them (and are pleasingly absent when you think they

might show up), the contrast is wonderful, and the color-rendition is absolutely outstanding, and it handles flare as well as any lens I've

ever seen. It's been called an optical paragon, and I agree completely.<BR>

3) MACRO. Obviously. But I don't think that should be downplayed. Few macro shooters will prefer the short focal length of 35mm, but

the ability to focus as close as you want to is a serious advantage when you only want to take one lens with you wherever you're

going.<BR>

4) MF ABILITY. Manually focusing with this thing is a dream. It's well damped, smooth, and the focus path is long enough to let you

fine-tune.<P>

Cons:<P>

1) AF SPEED. and I only list that as a con with serious reservation. the AF speed of this lens has not hindered any of the day-to-day

shooting that I've done with it. The lens is clearly not designed for sports shooting, and in all other situations, the AF speed is fast

enough. Still, the FA 35 is as quick as you could ask for, especially in low-light settings, so the FA wins and the DA loses the auto

focus speed competition, unsurprisingly.<BR>

2) IT'S NOT FULL FRAME <i>MAYBE</i>. I'm still waiting to finish the roll of film in my K1000, which includes a few test shots with

the DA Limited, so I can't claim that it covers the frame. I CAN say, however, that i noticed no corner-darkening whatsoever in the

viewfinder (checked against my 18-55mm kit, which shows serious vignetting on the K1000, even in the viewfinder).<P>

<b>FA 35 Pros and Cons:</b><P>

Pros:<P>

1) AF SPEED. I said this already, but the FA wins the speed competition. It really is lightning fast in the daylight and faster than any

lens I've used in low-light situations (AF lenses I've used included the 18-55, the Sigma 70-300mm, and, um, that's all. so that's not

saying much. but still. it's fast!)<BR>

2) SIZE AND WEIGHT. It's only marginally smaller than the DA (by a few tenths of an inch), but it's considerably lighter. This isn't

surprising for a plastic lens, but for those (myself included) who have an affinity for travel and backpacking, less weight is a

considerable advantage.<BR>

3) THE REMOVABLE LENS HOOD. Ok, this might just be me being anal, but I really like to have the ability to mount the lens hood

backwards when I don't need it. After all, the hood is easy to replace, and a scratched up hood is much easier on the mind than a

scratched up lens.<P>

Cons:<P>

1) BUILD QUALITY. I know, I know, I'm beating a dead horse here, but I can't help but feeling that, were I inclined to try and smash the

FA using the DA as a hammer, I would be able to do so easily, and the DA probably wouldn't have any scratches on it.<BR>

2) CA WIDE OPEN. This is really not a big deal, because i'm assuming any scene you're shooting where CAs are going to be a

problem, you're probably not going to want the shallow DOF given by f/2.0, but the CAs are rather annoying nonetheless.<P>_<P>

<b><u>Recommendations (aka, why you should transfer money to my paypal account):</u></b><P>

Yes, they both cover the same focal length, but they really are very different animals. The DA, on the one hand, excels at difficult

lighting and contrast situations and gives you a true flat-field macro that's never going to break and could double as an all-around-

shooting lens that will only ever struggle if you try to make it AF in extreme low light situations. The FA, on the other hand, makes a

fantastic general shooting lens that's super lightweight and really shows its merit in low-light situations because of it's wide aperture.<P>

So, since I'm not a macro guy, and I do 90% of my shooting in low light, I'll be selling the DA 35, albeit reluctantly, because dang it, it's

beautiful. And I want it. But I also want to eat and buy some christmas presents this year, so I have no choice... ;) The lens is,

naturally, still in perfect condition, and since I'm slowly but surely coming to HATE eBay, I figure I'll offer it to you guys first. Email me

if you're interested. wilsoad@auburn.edu.<div></div>

Does the "nerd alert" include a warning that you used a "/" in the closing warning, as if you were writing in HTML?

But yes, 18-point. thanks for keeping me straight, mis!

(part two will show up soon. i promise!)

but as to the price point: I paid $299 for the FA at adorama, and $402 for the DA on ebay from prodigital2000. I'll share my

thoughts on the implications of that later, but the DA is certainly not twice as much as the FA, assuming you trust

canadian ebay sellers (which in this case, I do, and you should).

"In the first set, there seems to be a sudden outburst of dust spots in the shots at f/22 - what happened?"

ha. yeah. i did a lot of lens changing that day (trying different shots with different lenses) and i figured i'd get some dust

on the sensor. i'm sure they'll show up in more photos then those, but don't worry, i've since cleaned them off! ;)

Sorry that this review can't be more thorough, but I haven't been able to find time to do really extensive tests of both lenses (nevermind

my

lack of ability to do so) and my school semester is only going to get busier from here, so i'm calling it done and showing you guys all i've

got so far. hopefully it will be moderately helpful.<P>_<P>

<b><u>First Impressions (aka, first thoughts when taking it out of the box)</u></b><P>

<b>DA 35mm f/2.8 Limited Macro: </b> "HOLY CRAP IT'S BEAUTIFUL." Seriously. Everything about the aesthetics of lens is done

right. The jet-black metal finish, the metal lens cap with felt interior, the white name engraving contrasted with the red "Limited"

designation, the bright-green band near the mount, the finger grips at the base, the pull-out hood, the buttery smooth and well-damped

focus ring, the oddly pretty front element (yeah, i'm weird. get over it.), and the overall solid feel of the lens combine to let you know

that

you're dealing with one of the highest-quality pieces of equipment in the world.<P>

<b>FA 35mm f/2 AL</b> "Hmmmm.... it looks exactly like you would expect an FA lens to look." My first impression of this one, after

being wow-ed by the DA limited, was decidedly unenthusiastic. It's made of almost-black-but-closer-to-grey-with-a-hint-of-brown plastic

just

like the rest of the FA line, has a little plastic window that lets you see the distance markings, and has an aperture ring at the base...

just

like the rest of the FA line...<P>_<P>

<b><u>Lens Tests (aka, the fun part)</u></b><P>

<b>Sharpness</b><BR>I'm not even going to bother posting photos for this category. Both lenses are absolutely as sharp as you can

get

(as measured from my K10D) at all apertures. From wide open to f/22, both remain sharp from center to corner. This is perhaps

expected

based on their reputations, but it's rather a lot of fun to shoot at any setting and know that you're going to get sharp pictures (so long as

YOU don't screw anything up!) Both lenses win this category.<P>

<b>Flare control</b><BR>This is where things get slightly more interesting. But before we get to that, let's post some photos:<P>

<b>Situation #1: Point lens at sun</b><P>

DA 35 @ f/5.6 (note: apertures wider than f/5.6 were impossible in this situation because at ISO 100, f/5.6 gives a shutter speed of

1/4000 sec, the fastest available on the K10D):<BR><a href="

title="IMGP5570 by adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/2923561752_eee11dbb95_o.jpg"

width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5570" /></a><P>

FA 35 @ f/5.6:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5575 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/2922711123_24958ed253_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5575"

/></a><P>

DA 35 @ f/11:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5572 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2922710785_8db44146f7_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5572"

/></a><P>

FA 35 @ f/11:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5577 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2923562392_88f57cd12d_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5577"

/></a><P>

DA 35 @ f/22:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5574 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2923562038_46d4591c54_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5574"

/></a><P>

FA 35 @ f/22:<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5579 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/2923562544_bf2cd295b3_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5579"

/></a><P>

<b>Situation #2: Take picture of random wisteria vine with front element in direct sunlight</b><P>

DA 35mm @ f/2.8 (wide open)<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5530 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/2923478818_2785441b9a_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5530" /></a><P>

FA 35mm @ f/2.0 (wide open)<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5522 by

adamwilson.photo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/2923477468_6e68dcf2a4_o.jpg" width="700" height="469"

alt="IMGP5522" /></a><P>

DA 35mm @ f/8<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5533 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/2923478988_bc8351bb17_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5533"

/></a><P>

FA 35mm @ f/8<BR><a href=" title="IMGP5526 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2923478494_e8484759c7_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5526"

/></a><P>

DA 35mm @ f/16<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922628159/" title="IMGP5535 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2922628159_36cb69d769_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5535"

/></a><P>

FA 35mm @ f/16<BR><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilsonphoto/2922627663/" title="IMGP5528 by adamwilson.photo, on

Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/2922627663_26e7834e57_o.jpg" width="700" height="469" alt="IMGP5528"

/></a><P>

<b>Flare Control Conclusions</b> The most obvious difference is in the star-pattern observed at smaller apertures. I suppose this is

just a matter of

taste, but I actually prefer the 6-point look rendered by the FA 35 to the 9-point look rendered by the DA 35mm. However, the FA 35

does tend to show a bit more green and purple flare (ghosting maybe?), especially in the first situation. The DA 35 displays a rather-

obvious purple speck in the f/5.6 to f/11 range, but it's small enough so as to be easily corrected in PP.<P>_<P>

Well, this is taking quite a bit longer to present than I thought, so I'm gonna have to split this up into two parts. We'll call this part one

and let part two include the CA tests, Bokeh tests, and overall conclusions. I'll post part II tomorrow afternoon.

dah! stupid backspace button!

ok here's the photo:<div></div>

fantastic work everyone. Garry, those b&w photos blew me away. excellent tone, contrast, everything.

here's another shot from my friends' and my weekly pancake habit:

Garry, those black and whites are phenomenal.

here's another one from the weekly pancake happening:

APS-C formats works out to having roughly a 3.4x "crop factor" if you use 6x7 as your base format.

13.33mm on APS-C = 20mm on 35mm film = 45mm on 6x7 film,

so 45mm divided by 13.33 equals 3.375 (so roughly 3.4)

John, coming from the 6x7 system, i'm not surprised your first response to the K200D + kit lens combination is a bit of

disappointment. the viewfinder on the K200D is no doubt dark compared to what you're used to, and the kit lens is, well,

a kit lens. it's a GREAT kit lens, to be sure, but i image it's got no where near the IQ of your 6x7 glass.

that being said, keep at it. the sensor in your camera is outstanding by all accounts, and the kit lens can be coerced

into getting some pretty fantastic results. my general rules for the 18-55mm (when quality is most important):

1) stay away from the long and short ends. CAs get really noticeable at 18mm, and it's a bit soft at 55mm

2) f/8 is the key.

3) 21-35mm (landscape bread-and-butter) and f/8 and it's as good as any lens on the market for sharpness.

4) take the filters off (assuming you don't buy super high quality filters to go with your sub $100 lens). that SMC coating

is amazing for flare control.

woah, there's some nasty color fringing on the main headstone in that second shot. i suppose that's nothing out of the

ordinary for a kit zoom at the wide end, but i guess pentax didn't make any efforts to fix that aspect.

hi,

any news on whether or not the DA II offers any real improvement over the original kit lens? I can't find any actual reviews online.

thanks!

wait what lens it that?

as to the light meter issue, you may just want to download the ME service manual (should come up on a google search)

and troubleshoot yourself, that is, if you're mechanically inclined.

it's very convenient that Lightroom can organize your photos into date (including month)! makes it easy to remember which

ones were shot when.

anyway, i'm going with this for my favorite of the month, not because of it's photographic quality, but because the subject

matter is just hilarious to me.

thanks for the comments everyone. i have no idea what the proper name for that spider is, but i do know that around here

we call them orb weavers. i think i unintentionally walked through 4 similar webs during that afternoon.