Shel,
IMO the lens is very good. Certainly, build quality, resistance to
flare, handling, and weight are all just about perfect. Optically, the lens
is the extremely free of linear distortion, almost none at all - the best
I've ever seen. Resolution is also very good both at center and edges, and
very consistent, both at close focus and infinity. I would not say that it
blows other lenses away in maximum resolution at middle apertures, but it is
very, very good. At maximum aperture, resolution is good by Pentax
standards at infinity, but close up there is the simple problem of such a
limited DOF at F1.8, that resolution can sometimes look just OK, but I feel
that's mostly a DOF problem (because it's pretty good - [not great - but
good] at infinity wide open).
I've shot B&W exclusively with it. Tone rendition seems good and
pleasing with Tri-X, but I find the Delta films a little lacking punch with
skintones (probably just the film's sensitivity - not the lens color).
Bokeh is very smooth and nice for most shots where there is no highly
reflective object in the background, but I've seen some really annoying
round highlights from shiny objects like out of focus doorknobs,
lightsources, etc. The 43 is the same in that respect also. They are
similar in that the apertures produce very round smooth out of focus
highlights, but they can be very strong for some reason, and often lean a
little toward the center axis of the lens when the apertures are big.
All in all, I love it, and if the MZ-S turns out to have a crappy
finder or bad AF that sends me to the Nikon F100, then the 77 is the lens I
will miss most if I abandon Pentax.
Thanks,
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shel Belinkoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Pentax List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 9:42 AM
Subject: 77mm Ltd Questions
> Hi gang ...
>
> More questions about this lens. Sorry if I'm being a PITA about
> this, but there's just none around here that I can try out.
>
> Bill Robb commented that the 77mm is one of, if not the,
> sharpest lenses he's ever used for 35mm work. How does it
> compare to the A*85/1.4 or the K85/1.8? How's its ability to
> resolve extremely fine detail? Does it provide a great deal of
> contrast (I don't know how to quantify that)? Have you done
> any B&W work with it? Have you used it for anything other than
> portraits? How does it seem with scenics, for example? Does it
> retain its good qualities when it's focused at, or very close
> to, its minimum focusing distance? How does the bokeh look at
> various apertures?
>
> Yoshi's resolution tests show the K85/1.8 has having better
> resolving power at mid-aperture, and the K105/2.8 seems to have
> substantially better resolving power, although at smaller than
> mid aperture.
>
> So, just how good is this lens?
> --
> Shel Belinkoff
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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