Based on the FA Limited Lens series, renowned for their meticulous attention in every detail, the black HD Pentax-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited lens from Pentax is a normal-length prime well-suited for everyday shooting applications. Its bright f/1.9 maximum aperture excels in low-light conditions and also affords greater control over depth of field for isolating subject matter. An eight-blade rounded diaphragm also contributes to a smooth and pleasing bokeh quality. This lens features a PENTAX high-grade HD coating for exceptional image rendition, which controls ghosting and flare to realize high contrast imagery with accurate, neutral color balance, plus protective SP coating on the front lens surface to repel dust, stains, and debris. The barrel, hood, and cap are all made of high-grade aluminum, meticulously machined for an attractive appearance and beautiful texture, and the lens barrel features a mount pointer made of Shippoyaki enamelware.
- K-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
- Aperture Range: f/1.9 to f/22
- High-Grade PENTAX HD Multi-Layer Coating
- 7 Elements in 6 Groups
Pentax FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited Overview
Pentax FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited Specs
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Pentax FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited Reviews
A K-1's Best Friend
It took me a while to get around to this lens, despite the fact that it's right up my alley: ~40mm-ish focal length and pancake size. It's not even the first FA Limited lens I bought for my Pentax K-1 mark II. The first was the HD FA 31mm F1.8 Ltd, which is a bit larger and heavier than I am used to in a prime lens, but not overly so for a fast wide-angle. The 43mm f1.9 Ltd is the first lens of the Limited series, produced back in the film days for autofocus Pentax 35mm cameras (like my Z-1p). Its small size, moderately fast aperture and classic, functional design show that it was intended as a street, snapshot, documentary lens, and it fills that role exceptionally well. Focus speed isn't the best (the K-1 was never a speed demon in terms of AF either), but with a perfectly usable focus scale it can be zone-focused quite well, if you're in a fast-moving street photography situation and need a boost. I've also found myself using this lens often on my recently-purchased K-3 mark III Monochrome. The focal length works out to around ~65mm, which takes this slightly wide normal lens to a very mild telephoto. I used a 50mm on APS-C for years back when I had my first DSLR, and this lens is more forgiving than a fifty cropped, while still giving a bit more of that compression you expect with a telephoto. The effect is subtle, only a little more than the amount you get with a nifty fifty on full-frame. The Limited lenses were designed to really speak to photographers who value character and classical photo optics. Being so, they're not designed for corner-to-corner sharpness. In fact, this lens was designed to allow for a somewhat curved plane of focus, so that the center will being sharper focus than the edges. This gives your subject more of what's called 3D pop than most modern lenses, except for some which are usually telephotos. Of course, it also means that you'll want to compose with your subject near the middle. This effect is greatest wide open, and gradually disappears as you stop down. If you shoot at f8-f11, you can expect very good sharpness across the frame, because make no mistake, this is a very sharp lens with an excellent, if old, optical formula. Outside of the Leica M mount, there aren't very many lenses being produced today which are both sharp yet also characterful. Most of the time, modern lenses go for lots of glass, tons of corrections, and clinical sharpness. You aren't getting that here - you're getting something that's arguably much more exciting.
Very enjoyable lens
Works extremely well for head and shoulder shots Mostly using apperture priority with varying ISO to get the shutter speed. Very nice soft old film lens effects are easy to reproduce.