Pentax SMC-FA 43mm F1.9 Limited

Pentax HD FA 43mm F1.9 Limited Review

The Pentax HD FA 43mm F1.9 Limited introduces some small, but thoughtful, upgrades to one of photography's timeless lenses. Pentax's Limited lenses have garnered plenty of acclaim and won their share of devotees over their twenty-plus years of existence. The oldest, the SMC FA 43mm F1.9 Limited, debuted in 1997 and is getting a modest refresh in its twenty-fifth year. The new Pentax HD FA 43mm F1.9 Limited ($599.95) improves flare resistance, adds anti-smudge protection to the front glass, and swaps a polygonal aperture for a circular one. The changes aren't huge, but the new HD FA 43mm is just as lovely a lens as the original and an Editors' Choice winner just the same.For Cameras New and Old Some cosmetic changes aside, the HD FA 43mm looks and handles just like the original SMC edition. It's strikingly small, especially when you leave off its threaded hood. The lens measures just 1.1 by 2.5 inches (HD), weighs 5.5 ounces, and supports 49mm threaded filters. The barrel is aluminum and the lens is available in your choice of black or silver. We received the black edition for review. Our Experts ...

SMC Pentax-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited Lens Review

John Riley casts his expert opinion on the SMC Pentax-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited lens.

43Ltd is a great portrait lens as FA50/1.4 or A50/1.2. And as similar lenses Pentax is sharp, with great color rendition and has a beautiful bokeh. Additionally, it is compact and well built. Highly recomended.

A wonderful lens, but it's not really worth the money. Almost the same price as a Leitz lens and with similar qualities, both mechanically and optically. If you (like me) enjoy well built stuff it could give you the extra luxurious joy that makes you bring your camera that extra time, if you only...

Pentax's FA43: One of the nicest lenses you could own.

A few years back Pentax sought to inspire enthusiasts by introducing a line of "Limited" lenses.

Expensive But Excellent for Low Light

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Amazing

Can't fault it, it's perfect for macro jobs, also good for sitting across the bar and taking pictures of your mates from afar. Detail is amazing, the ONLY downside is sometimes the focus struggles, but that's why I use manual anyway!

A Pleasant Surprise

"I mostly shoot film cameras from the 40s to 70s, but recently acquired a used Pentax DSLR and suddenly found myself needing a bag of some sort to cart everything around in while out trekking about. I felt as though spending over 100.00 on a bag was a bit...

It became my favorite lens.

A very good Pentax SMC P FA 43 mm F/1.9 Lens (Silver). A very good Pentax SMC P FA 43 mm F/1.9 Lens (Silver). A very good Pentax SMC P FA 43 mm F/1.9 Lens (Silver). A very good Pentax SMC P FA 43 mm F/1.9 Lens (Silver).

The Finest AF Lenses

These are film-era lenses with screw-drive autofocus. Pretty quick but make a slight noise.The older SMC coating is also prone to fringing wide-open in high contrast situations. Luckily there's a PP adjustment in your Pentax body to help minimize.Quirks aside, they quite possibly capture the most...