RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: 40mm 135 FF Shootout: EF 40 Vs FA 43 Vs FA645 45

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

40mm 135 FF Shootout: EF 40 Vs FA 43 Vs FA645 45

Above Left to Right: Canon EF 40/2.8 STM, Pentax FA645 45/2.8, Pentax FA 43/1.9 Limited; Tested on a Canon 5D3 135 Full Frame Body. (Remark: Both Pentax lenses of mine were made in Japan.)

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RiceHigh/library/5Ds/40mm_Shootout?sort=4&page=1

Apertures from f/2.8 to f/11 were tested per lens, at nearly the same time and for the same infinity scene. Of course the image settings in the camera were kept the same.

Original full-size pictures are available for download in each individual picture page. So, go measurebate yourself for all the differences! Feedbacks are welcome for your findings, if any! :-D

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twil · 616 weeks ago

OK - so who wins at f2.8 ?

1 reply · active 616 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 616 weeks ago

I think it is my FA43. What do you think?

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Kim · 616 weeks ago

At f2.8, in the center of the image the FA43 is sharper. But it is clearly worse than the 40 on the borders. May be new glass is better than older ones.
What about color rendering?

Is your mention "made in Japan" meant to say that they are better made or that they are older version and might not have profited from recent improvements, if any (for example in the coating)? I know about your dusty DA70.

1 reply · active 616 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 616 weeks ago

From my own various experiences, Pentax lenses that were made in Japan do have better image quality and more favourable image characteristics, in addition to better QC and "tidiness".

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zosX · 616 weeks ago

These measurebating posts make my head hurt. So many missing comparisons like bokeh, CA, oof rendering, color rendition, flare, etc...etc. Landscapes only tell you how sharp the lens is across the frame. That isn't the whole story by far. I would have expected the 645 lens to excel, but I guess that is not the case. I've been too that 67 glass is better, but I don't know how true that is.

11 replies · active 616 weeks ago

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zosX · 616 weeks ago

Told not too...sorry

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RiceHigh 110p · 616 weeks ago

Why lens tests are meaningless? Read this quoted old article by Mike Johnston:-

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/opinion/html...

And, the 67 and 645 are meant to be better, but provided that the image circle is matched. But in this case it is NOT as the lens image is CROPPED.

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zosX · 616 weeks ago

thanks for the link rice. that was a great read!

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RiceHigh 110p · 616 weeks ago

So, lens tests are always meaningless and there is no point to read! ;-)

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zosX · 616 weeks ago

;)

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lilo · 616 weeks ago

I agree with zosX. The fotographed scene doesn't tell me much. The light is not quite magical to say the least, no out of focus area is present, no highlights, no shadow areas. I can see that the 40 has a lot of falloff in the corners at 2.8. But aside from that? Impossible to judge the color rendering in such a washed out picture. In my opinion, this was a total waste of time.

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Anonimity is Great · 616 weeks ago

Be glad it exist. This is one of the reason I kept coming back here. No other site I know of ever tested lenses like this, that is different mount on one camera. Mostly I disagree with Rice, but this is where he must be given credits!

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lilo · 616 weeks ago

Good thought. It makes me wonder why I come back here occasionally at all. It is not a "test" like the one above that grabs my attention. I guess it is more the sensationalist/pessimist style that has some enternainment value. You might now argue why I wasted my time by adding a comment to this rather than going out and creating photographs. I don't know, it gets philosophical...

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RiceHigh 110p · 616 weeks ago

Truly speaking, my site has all the stuff that different people like to read or not, but they do visit. That's why it is popular, no matter how. That's call productive and better marketing!~ ;-p

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John · 616 weeks ago

Also note that the design of the 645 45mm lens is different. That one is made as a wide-angle lens for the 645 frame.

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RiceHigh 110p · 616 weeks ago

Yes, we all know, the image circle sizes are different. That's why cropping is not a good idea to start with, as always!

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Vladislav · 615 weeks ago

Can anyone list any $150 lens (current street price for a new Canon EF 40mm) with even close IQ? I mean: ANY focal length, ANY camera, ANY lens? Sure, Canon 40mm is not perfect (no lens is), but to keep it real: this would have to be the best ever IQ per $ from any manufacturer.

1 reply · active 615 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 615 weeks ago

Yes, the IQ of this first Canon EF pancake lens is really astonishing. It exceeds much than expected for the resolution part alone!

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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

40mm 135 FF Shootout: EF 40 Vs FA 43 Vs FA645 45

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