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

High quality of construction; Compact; Built on lens hood; High quality results; Fast maximum aperture

High Price

Perhaps the very best normal you can buy.

The review here argues over fractions of a percent in distortion and worries about Vietnamese manufacturing; A photographer who actually uses the FA43 will succumb to the pleasures of a top-class lens with magical imaging.

Price -- but compared to Zeiss, Voigtlander and Leica it is reasonable and worth every penny; Especially as the alternatives do not support auto-focus

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!

This is the second of the three Limited lenses from Pentax, originally designed for film and aiming to be of the highest manufacturing and optical standards. The 43mm was actually the first to be released, alongside the MZ-3 film SLR in 1998.

This lens is absolute gem. I have both FA50 and FA35 and I was eager to see what will the FA43 be like. It leaves the FA50 in dust and even has a bit edge of appeal against the FA35.

excelenent contrast and bokeh

little bit of CA

Pentax smc FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited is one of the only four FA lenses from the company's film era that are still being manufactured and sold nowadays. The lens was the first one to bear 'Limited' designation and despite its rather high price tag, ~US$500, remained quite popular among users.

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Durable; High Quality

Expensive

Similar to its cousins (DA 40mm f/2.8, FA 50mm f/1.4) the Pentax SMC-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited is a very good performer with a few weaknesses. At f/1.9 the contrast and resolution is somewhat soft but beyond the quality is superb and probably as good as it gets on the K10D.

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

Wonderful rendering; Fantastic build quality; Compact, light, and a pleasure to use

Lens cap can only be mounted when hood is attached

This lens is the brother of the 77mm and it has the "3d effect." Color rendition and contrast are great. The lens build quality is top notch all metal. Very happy with this lens and the ideal normal length in my opinion.

Build quality; color rendition and contrast