Joseph Tainter wrote:
According to Boz's site, the FA 135 has not been produced since 2000. Since it has some purple fringing problems on digital, I would bet that this one is due for a makeover, if Pentax decides to reissue that focal length.
I was unaware of purple fringing problems with the FA135. My brother-in-law has one that he uses frequently with his *ist-DS, for personal and professional work. I have always been impressed with the quality he is able to coax out of the lens; it reminds me a lot of the quality I get from the FA50 f/1.4; bright, contrasty, excellent bokeh, sharp in all the right ways, and simple in a minimalist way.
Not that anyone here has any influence over what Pentax does and doesn't produce, but it would be great if Pentax chose to continue with that focal length. After all, it's a pretty compact and lightweight lens, fairly fast at f/2.8, and a nice focal length whether you're using it on a 35mm film SLR, or a *ist-D(s) with its smaller sensor induced crop factor. It's a lot more convenient to haul around the little FA135 than a heavier 85mm f/1.4, or 200mm f/2.8. It seems like it's just a great option. I'm sorry to see it disappearing.
Back to the purple fringing; how bad is it? Does anyone have any examples comparing this lens to one that doesn't have the purple fringing problem, at a similar focal length? (tall order, I know).
Dave
