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What's the one lens that you can't live without for your K5?

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armanius

armanius

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I'm seriously considering getting a K5, although I need to sell off some of my old gear first. Just got an A55 not too long ago. I like it, but I plan to give it to my father who really likes to use live view. I figure that the K5 will give me better IQ anyway, and still in a fairly compact body. I like the way you can customize the K5, and that there are plenty of direct access buttons. And weather proof is a plus too.

My first thought is getting the K5 body only, and get the 18-135. The 18-135 looks like a pretty good all around lens, although not too many reviews for it. Nice focal range, and it's weather proof. But one of the things that really attracts me to Pentax are all the limited primes, although I find it odd that they are not weather proof. Because I like the 50mm focal length, the 31/1.8 sounds pretty good.

I like to shoot candids, portraits, street. Occasionally some landscape and architecture.

For the K5, what are y'all's "must have" lens? And particularly for someone with the interests that I have. For exampmle, for the Oly 4/3 stuff, the "must have" lenses are the 12-60/2.8-4 and the 50/2. For micro 4/3, it's the 20/1.7. For Sony ... well ... I am not familiar with it enough, although I have the Zeiss 16-80 and two primes 35/1.8 and 50/1.8.

Thanks for reading, and your help and thoughts are deeply appreciated.

--
Armanius
Total Noob Photographer
 
armanius said:
I'm seriously considering getting a K5, although I need to sell off some of my old gear first. Just got an A55 not too long ago. I like it, but I plan to give it to my father who really likes to use live view. I figure that the K5 will give me better IQ anyway, and still in a fairly compact body. I like the way you can customize the K5, and that there are plenty of direct access buttons. And weather proof is a plus too.

My first thought is getting the K5 body only, and get the 18-135. The 18-135 looks like a pretty good all around lens, although not too many reviews for it. Nice focal range, and it's weather proof. But one of the things that really attracts me to Pentax are all the limited primes, although I find it odd that they are not weather proof. Because I like the 50mm focal length, the 31/1.8 sounds pretty good.

I like to shoot candids, portraits, street. Occasionally some landscape and architecture.

For the K5, what are y'all's "must have" lens? And particularly for someone with the interests that I have. For exampmle, for the Oly 4/3 stuff, the "must have" lenses are the 12-60/2.8-4 and the 50/2. For micro 4/3, it's the 20/1.7. For Sony ... well ... I am not familiar with it enough, although I have the Zeiss 16-80 and two primes 35/1.8 and 50/1.8.

Thanks for reading, and your help and thoughts are deeply appreciated.

--
Armanius
Total Noob Photographer
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You should know about pentaxforums.com/forums/. It has a great used gear forum and a great setup to read reviews on lenses.

The best that money can get you for your type of photography (I'm in to street as well, I don't know much about pentax's zooming lenses) are the FA Limited lenses (lenses made for film but also work as well on digital). The FA31 1.8, FA43 1.9, and the FA77 1.8. Pentax's DA line is made specifically for digital cameras. There's a 21mm and 70mm version you should check out.

The lower budget primes are very capable, especially the FA 50mm 1.4 which is praised among a lot of pentax users. The FA 35 as well is a nice performer, I own both and you really get your money's worth. The F 28mm is a good lens if you need a low end wideangle.
 
jope88 said:
The lower budget primes are very capable, especially the FA 50mm 1.4 which is praised among a lot of pentax users. The FA 35 as well is a nice performer, I own both and you really get your money's worth. The F 28mm is a good lens if you need a low end wideangle.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Since you can't get as good of deals on the FA 35mm any more, the DA 35mm/2.4 that came out recently is a good substitute (it and the FA 35mm perform pretty similar above f/2.8).

My favorite lenses for Pentax are:

DA Limiteds, because they are small and light and unique to Pentax and nicely built

FA Limiteds, because they are larger aperture, still small for the aperture, and nicely built.

and the DA* 60-250mm f/4 because it is sharp from f/4, has beautiful bokeh for a zoom, and has a very usable range on APS-C.

The only sealed primes are the DA* 55mm f/1.4, DFA 100mm WR Macro, the DA* 200/2.8, 300/4, and maybe something else I am forgetting.

They have other good lenses too, but the limited series lenses are unique.

Eric

--
I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object
be what it may - light, shade, and perspective will always make it
beautiful. - John Constable (quote)

See my Blog at: http://viking79.blogspot.com/ (Weekly)
Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28177041@N03/ (updated daily)
See my PPG Shots: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/erictastad (8/31/09)
 
I find myself using the DA 12-24 alot. It's a great lens - very sharp. Wish I had a K-5 to mount it to...
--
DarylK
 
The question is a bit hypothetical because if I wanted to restrict myself to just one lens I wouldn't use a DSLR - the new Fuji X100 would be my choice.

Of the range of lenses I use on my K-5 the one I use most is the DA35/2.8 macro limited. If I were buying new today I'd consider the Da35/2.4 as an alternative - always assuming that I'd still have a different lens (as I now have) for macro work.

I spent the first 25 or so years of my photograhic life with fixed lens caneras od about 45-55mm FF equivalent length so using 35mm on APS-C comes naturally to me. If I want something wider I want really wide so for that I use the Sigma 10-20/4-5.6. I have longer lenses at 50, 70, 105 and 200 all of which are indispensible for things I shoot but if something happened that really forced me to pick one it would be the 35.
--

---

Gerry


First camera 1953, first Pentax 1983, first DSLR 2006
http://www.pbase.com/gerrywinterbourne
 
Pentax has a lot of lenses that one can not live without. It all depends upon what you like to photograph. If you like macros then the DA35 Ltd Macro or the DFA100 WR Macro would be must have lenses. If you like to do landscaped than maybe the DA15 Ltd or the DA12-24 would be the wide angles that you would want. If you do wildlife then the long lenses like the DA*60-250 or DA*300 would be the lenses you might consider. If you like portraits then the DA*55, DA70 Ltd or the FA77 Ltd would be the lenses for you. For normal lenses the FA31 would be an excellent low light normal lens. If you are doing events then maybe the DA*16-50 and DA*50-135 would be lenses that you might wantto consider.

The DA18-135 is so new that I hven't heard much about it. It seems to be better than the kit lens. The focal length range would be very useable. The WR treatment would be nice. The DA*18-135 paired with the FA31 Ltd for low light would be a nice combination.

Dave
--

 
HI there Armanius

I know all the conventional wisdom is for the (lovely) pentax limited prime lenses, and I have a couple myself (35 and 100 macro)

My copy of the ordinary kit kens (18-55) is seriously mediocre - it might of course just be my copy. I had 3 copies of the DA* 16-50, which was nice, although the quiet focusing was rather lugubrious . . . but each of them was decentred.

However the 18-135 you were considering is a great lens - it's good and sharp at all apertures and all focal lengths, the stonking high ISO of the K5 means that the slow speed isn't really much of an issue. It's small, nicely made (plenty of metal, solid and substantial), weatherproof, focuses very quickly, and is a really good range.

I also have an A55 (nice camera) which my son uses now as I prefer the K5.

Why not go for the versatile 18-135 to start off with, and then start collecting the primes as you need them.

all the best

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk
 
Thanks for the thoughts DLBlack! The idea of getting both the 18-135 and 31/1.8 has also crossed my mind. In fact, the K5, 18-135 and 31/1.8 have been sitting in my Adorama "basket" for about a week already. That will be a pricey trio though. And need to sell some stuff first ... anyone interested in Oly 4/3 stuff? :)

---
Armanius
Total Noob Photographer
 
Jono Slack said:
HI there Armanius

Why not go for the versatile 18-135 to start off with, and then start collecting the primes as you need them.
Click to expand...
my adcice as well, if too costly try out the un-WR sigma 18-125 of any of the superzooms.
Dual purpse as it is
  • the one lens that covers most
  • you will find out what focal lengths you mostly use and you can base your final decison on that...
--




Jono Slack said:
The difference between genius and LBA is that genius has its
limits.
  • Janneman ( adaptation of the Kings quote from Albert Einstein)
Click to expand...
 
@Gerry - Thanks for the explanation about why no WS in the Ltd series.

@SGary - Very nice collection of photos. Good detail for sure.

@Jono - Thanks for the tidbit on the 18-135 and your experience w/ the other Pentax zooms. Doesn't seem like too many people have used the 18-135 yet. So your thoughts are very much appreciated.

--
Armanius
Total Noob Photographer
 
So I've decided to get the K5 and 18-135 for flexibility. But I'm going to get a second lens that will double as an indoor/low light lens and portrait + street lens.

From what I read and saw, the 31/1.8 and 43/1.9 are two of the best lenses in the Pentax line up. I like the 31, because the EFL on an APS-C is about 50mm, and I like that focal length. But the 43 is smaller, lighter, AND cheaper. But the 62mm length is ... confusing to me! :)

For people who use or have used either of both lenses, how do they stack up against each other IQ wise and AF speed-wise? Is the 31 $400 better than the 43?

Thanks for everyone's input and thoughts.

--
Armanius
Total Noob Photographer
 
Big Ga said:
Jono Slack said:
I prefer the K5.
Click to expand...
Has it really taken 7 years eh?

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022&message=10521889&changemode=1
Click to expand...
Sure looks like it!

I've had my darling K-5 for a while (which seems to fill your 7 year bill very well), and my FA43 just a little while, and it has quickly become a favourite, along with the wife's FA77 (amazingly sharp, and compact, lens), my Tamron 70-200/2.8 (a wonderful lens except at 200) and the wife's DA15 (or the Tamron 10-24 - a big lens but light in weight). I seem to prefer primes, even manual ones, if available ;-(!

My DA21 is small, but fairly slow (f3.2) and still needs to be stepped down quite a bit for good results, the even slower kit lens can occasionally produce very good results, and the wife's DA50-135 is WR, and built like a tank, so it weight a bit. I prefer my non-WR Tamron 70-200, I must say, but both are utterly sharp most of the range, and has nice bokeh.

For macro I use a Tamron 90, or a Leitz 50 enlarger lens (on an 39mm adapter and an adjustable length extension tube), or a reversed FA50 (using the same tube, and a reversing ring). Even the Tamron 10-24, with a Canon closeup lens on, is useful for macro work.
--
tord (at) mindless (dot) com
 
My FA43mm Limited is my current go to lens for the shots I seem to be taking of late. Sunsets and Portraits. I tend to go through phases of what I shoot though, so when I cycle back to macros I imagine my Sigma 105mm will get more of a run.
--

Dale

 
I usually use primes and the ones I take with me are:

Zenitar 16 Fisheye
FA35/2
F50/1.7

The Fa35 is a great lens but the Zenitar is actually better.
--
Variance is Evil!
 
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