David,
I own the F version and I understand your getting rid of it. I have not
used it in quite a while. This all stems from a print I had made from a
slide and once the lab confirmed that their equipment was in proper
working order I realized that the image was soft, as in not as sharp as
I was used to from my other lenses.
My 28mm needs are met with both K-mount and screw-mount; though I do not
usually shoot this focal length since I usually shoot my 31 and 24. I
do usually shoot the M42 28mm when added to my lens selection when out
and about due to its size.
Sitting here admiring my '83 Bianchi that is back in working order,
César
David Oswald wrote:
I've resisted buying this lens for some time. My ability to fight off
lens lust on the FA28 can be attributed to the following thoughts:
* On 35mm Film: I prefer 24mm as a general purpose wide angle.
* On digital: 28 isn't wide, but it's not quite standard either.
What is it?
* f/2.8 isn't fast for a nearly standard (for digital) prime. It
should be f/2.
But then opportunity conspired with funds and weak resistance, and the
next thing I knew I bought one on eBay. It arrived yesterday, and I
have to admit I'm really pleased with the new enablement. I've
already put it through its paces.
I find that on my *ist-DS, 28mm IS a useful focal length. The more I
think about it, the more I realize that I always felt 50mm (on film)
to be a little too 'tight' for a standard lens. The 28mm focal length
on digital feels just a little less confined, and turns out to be
quite a comfortable focal length to 'set and forget'.
f/2.8 is fast enough under most conditions, especially on digital
where ISO800 is usable.
I once owned the 'F' version of this lens but didn't much care for it.
That was back in my film days, and as I mentioned earlier, I didn't
find the focal length all that useful to me, plus it didn't seem all
that sharp. Now with the FA, in my limited use, I find the FA to be
sharper and to offer smoother bokeh. I like that.
For someone looking for a fairly inexpensive but good quality standard
lens for their digital SLR, I think the FA28 should definitely be in
the running. Yes, the FA35 is faster, and offers a field of view (on
digital) closer to what people consider 'standard'. But the 28 offers
a little broader field of view which can be quite nice too. And it's
often available at just over half the cost of the 35 f/2.
