The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L and the Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED is the longer of the two lenses at 99mm. The Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L with a length of 27mm, is 72mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L's 64mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L weighs 155g, which means it is 410g (72%) lighter than the Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED which has a weight of 565g.
Filter Threads
The Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED:
Lens Mounts
The Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L has the Pentax KAF lens mount whereas the Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED has the Pentax KAF2 lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF Mount and , and for the Pentax KAF2 Mount.
Focal Range
Pentax FA 43mm F1.9 L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 43mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
64.5mm.
On the other hand, the Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED has a focal range of 16-50mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-75mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
