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Pick your Prime setup... if you had to pick one of these travel Kits

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limited_bokeh

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  1. 1
DA 15mm, DA 40mm, DA 70mm, 100mm Macro WR
  1. 2
DA 15mm, 43mm Limited, 77mm Limited
  1. 3
DA 15mm, Pentax FA 50mm 1.4, DA 70mm, 100mm WR

I currently have the 15 ( love it )... the 50 1.4, and the 100 WR. Trying to fill out my range a bit before vacation. I feel like I have a big gap between 15 and 50.. so I thought of selling the 50 and getting the 43.. or 40.. but with the 40 I lose a bit of depth of field control. I like the macro as well, but I don't shoot as much macro as other subjects....

So which setup would you take for a vacation trip. People, landscapes, and street will be 90% of what I shoot on this trip.

Thanks for the feedback....
 
I got my travel kit to be

DA 15, 21, 40, 70.

I tend to use 15 and 40 more often.
 
My travel kit is

DA15, DA21, DA35 Macro and DA70

I use DA21 the most but wish I had a 24mm lens.
--
David, an Australian living in the Highlands of Scotland.
 
All three of your proposed setups have major gaps between wide and portrait ... 40mm on APS-C is longer than you might think; the 50 is an obvious portrait choice. I'd propose the DA15 - FA35 - DA70 - you've got your wide, normal, and portrait; the FA35 would be the workhorse in this setup, for me at least. With the DA70 getting the least work outside of the studio.

-Andy
limited_bokeh said:
  1. 1
DA 15mm, DA 40mm, DA 70mm, 100mm Macro WR
  1. 2
DA 15mm, 43mm Limited, 77mm Limited
  1. 3
DA 15mm, Pentax FA 50mm 1.4, DA 70mm, 100mm WR

I currently have the 15 ( love it )... the 50 1.4, and the 100 WR. Trying to fill out my range a bit before vacation. I feel like I have a big gap between 15 and 50.. so I thought of selling the 50 and getting the 43.. or 40.. but with the 40 I lose a bit of depth of field control. I like the macro as well, but I don't shoot as much macro as other subjects....

So which setup would you take for a vacation trip. People, landscapes, and street will be 90% of what I shoot on this trip.

Thanks for the feedback....
Click to expand...
--
My Website
http://www.andrewallenphoto.com

My Pentax Street Gallery - Arranged By Lens Used
http://photobucket.com/andy_allen
 
All three of your proposed setups have major gaps between wide and portrait ... 40mm on APS-C is longer than you might think; the 50 is an obvious portrait choice. I'd propose the DA15 - FA35 - DA70 - you've got your wide, normal, and portrait; the FA35 would be the workhorse in this setup, for me at least. With the DA70 getting the least work outside of the studio.

-Andy
limited_bokeh said:
  1. 1
DA 15mm, DA 40mm, DA 70mm, 100mm Macro WR
  1. 2
DA 15mm, 43mm Limited, 77mm Limited
  1. 3
DA 15mm, Pentax FA 50mm 1.4, DA 70mm, 100mm WR

I currently have the 15 ( love it )... the 50 1.4, and the 100 WR. Trying to fill out my range a bit before vacation. I feel like I have a big gap between 15 and 50.. so I thought of selling the 50 and getting the 43.. or 40.. but with the 40 I lose a bit of depth of field control. I like the macro as well, but I don't shoot as much macro as other subjects....

So which setup would you take for a vacation trip. People, landscapes, and street will be 90% of what I shoot on this trip.

Thanks for the feedback....
Click to expand...
--
My Website
http://www.andrewallenphoto.com

My Pentax Street Gallery - Arranged By Lens Used
http://photobucket.com/andy_allen
 
Kyogle said:
My travel kit is

DA15, DA21, DA35 Macro and DA70

I use DA21 the most but wish I had a 24mm lens.
Click to expand...
That is pretty much what I would want. I currently only have the DA70 and the 35/2.4 (not the Ltd). I definitely want to add the DA15 eventually, and like you I would prefer a 24mm to the DA21.

--
-- Joe S.
'The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God.' ~ Euclid

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/josephschmitt
 
My backpack includes a 15mm, 35mm, 50mm, 100mm and 200mm. I've never encountered a gap I can't fill with a few steps, or a critter I couldn't capture with a little stealth.

The 35mm, even though a macro, is stellar at close and medium distances, with outstanding detail. I never do it, but it is what I'd mount for street shooting.

The DFA 100mm is the finest portrait lens I've ever used, with rich, smooth rendering and beautiful flesh tones.
The 50mm is my least used lens.
The 15mm may be the best lens I've ever owned. It's sprinkled with magic dust.
There are a couple other lenses I'd like to have, but none I really need.

--

In the end, the only things that matter are the people we help and the people we hurt. http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/ronkruger
 
I have the DA15, FA31, 43, 77, 100WR, 200.
Trying to find the 300 f4, with no luck.
 
The only reason I shied away from the 35mm limited is because I have read that the 35 is poor at infinity. The other options being the 31 ( might be out of my price range at the moment ).. and the 35 2.4 ( not big on plastic build, but not out of the question ).

Where I will be shooting, all focal lengths could very well be used for landscape shots close to infinity. Zion National Park, Bryce, Monument Valley.
 
DA 15mm f4 -> 22mm equivalence
Sigma AF 24mm f2.8 -> 36mm equivalence
FA 35mm f2 -> 52.5mm equivalence
FA 50mm f1.4 -> 75mm equivalence
AFA 1.7x TC + 35mm -> 89.25mm equivalence
AFA 1.7x TC + 50mm -> 127.5mm equivalence

Thank you
Russell

--
http://waorak.tripod.com/
 
DA 15 is a no-brainer. Has to be there for wide end.
Next for me will be FA 31. Most used, every day focal length.
Third I have is DA 70, which is classic 105 equivalent.

The one I am missing, and would be a good to have for special occasions - wildlife, vacations etc is a 200/f2.8.

cheers,

Abhi
--
flickr http://www.flickr.com/abhishekiam
 
limited_bokeh said:
The only reason I shied away from the 35mm limited is because I have read that the 35 is poor at infinity. The other options being the 31 ( might be out of my price range at the moment ).. and the 35 2.4 ( not big on plastic build, but not out of the question ).

Where I will be shooting, all focal lengths could very well be used for landscape shots close to infinity. Zion National Park, Bryce, Monument Valley.
Click to expand...
Although some claim the 35mm Limited is good at infinity, it isn't. It is good almost to infinity, but just doesn't quite make it. Part of the reasons is that the sweet spot is f-7.1. Some say that it is because it is a close focus (macro) lens, but that doesn't make sense to me, because the DFA 100mm Macro is great at infinity.

Anywhere just short of infinity, however, and the 35mm Limited is hard to beat, even by the venerable 31mm.
--

In the end, the only things that matter are the people we help and the people we hurt. http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/ronkruger
 
limited_bokeh said:
  1. 1
DA 15mm, DA 40mm, DA 70mm, 100mm Macro WR
  1. 2
DA 15mm, 43mm Limited, 77mm Limited
  1. 3
DA 15mm, Pentax FA 50mm 1.4, DA 70mm, 100mm WR
Click to expand...
Of those you mention, #1, although in fact I find 40mm a bit too long for general wandering around.

Having just picked up a DA35 (the plastic one) I think I might put that in instead of the 40.

My prime travel kit would be DA15, DA21, DA35 or 40, DA70. (I would put the FA50 and the M100 in my suitcase and leave them in the hotel, except when I anticipated a need.) Of those the 35, conventional FL though it is, would get the most use. DA15 is too wide for routine use, although essential when you actually need it, for indoor architectures say (for landscapes I would be happy to take several with the DA21 and stitch them.)

(All that said, and OT, I would be happy with a two lens solution, the DA15 and the FA24-90, but that's a different story ...)

--
tim
 
Interesting... I have been considering a Pentax K-5 with a prime set up and going through the numbers myself... closest I can tell, I would ultimately want:

15, 31, 77, 100, perhaps with some combo of the 50*, 200/2.8 or 300/4, and 8-16 and 18-135 thrown in.

My thoughts concerning primes (leaving the travel lens and weather proofing aside)

15, 31, 77 are top ranked primes in their class, all relatively small. 21 is nice and wide, 31 is around normal (like a 50) and 77 is for portraits. I like macro and the weatherproofing of the 100 is too much to turn away... BUT... if you are not going with the 100, or prefer a focal length of 35 for macro, AND you are not going for the 31, then

15, 35 macro, 70 or 77 makes perfect sense. I understand the general rule is doubling the numbers (as long as your comfortable with about 110 being your longest focal length), and these are all quality lenses.
 
Ideally you'd want the 31 in there.

If only there were an affordable DA 28/2...
 
limited_bokeh said:
The only reason I shied away from the 35mm limited is because I have read that the 35 is poor at infinity. The other options being the 31 ( might be out of my price range at the moment ).. and the 35 2.4 ( not big on plastic build, but not out of the question ).
Click to expand...
I'm talking about the FA35; it can still be found new and used online - roughly $400 US. You lose a bit of build quality and macro for a stop of speed - and the FA35 is notoriously good at f2. It's less than half the price of the FA31 as well.

-Andy
limited_bokeh said:
Where I will be shooting, all focal lengths could very well be used for landscape shots close to infinity. Zion National Park, Bryce, Monument Valley.
Click to expand...
--
My Website
http://www.andrewallenphoto.com

My Pentax Street Gallery - Arranged By Lens Used
http://photobucket.com/andy_allen
 
24mm, 35mm, 85mm, 135mm, 200mm, 300mm along with (at least) two(2) bodies ...
.
.
.
.
.of course, that was before the ugliness of "dust on the sensor" :D

and, yep, it was bloody heavy :)

Cheers,

Jack
--
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY DOCUMENTARY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kkHKP4Gnd0

( UPDATED NOV 16th )MY BLOG.... http://www.nakedmanonawire.blogspot.com

MY EMAIL ADDRESS IN IS MY 'VIEW PLAN'

It's amazing what one can do when one doesn't know what one is doing :)
 
...that should be the bulk of what you need. i am happy with just my 15mm and 70mm for most shots. if you want to add something to that in the middle, then a 35mm should suit quite nicely. the 35/2.4 is a budget way, the 35/2.8 macro is good for landscapes, but bokeh can be hard-edged at portrait distances. the 31/1.8 is ideal. the 40/2.8 is a great option too. the 43/1.9 is a great landscape lens, but i feel it can be a bit harsh in background rendering wide open, so i'm not sure i'd take it over the 40mm da limited, which i consider to be an excellent option for you since it comes between the 15mm and the 100mm nicely.

i feel your 100/2.8 macro should keep you going beyond the need for a 77mm or a 70mm.
 
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