I have a small budget of around $200-400 (would like to stay in the $300-350 if possible) to purchase a new/used lens. Below is the type of photography I do, and what I am looking for in a new lens.
I currently have a DL and K100 that I use equally. I have 2 Kit 18-55 lens, Tamron 70-300, SMC M 50 f1.7, and a Old M 35-200 Macro Lens (The M lenses get minimal use), and a AF360.
70% of my photography consist of indoor photos of my 10 month old daughter with the Kit Lens and AF360 Flash. So far results have been great. I like to do natural lighting, but the kit lens is a little slow for this. I have used the M 50 f1.7 and had decent results, but the manual focus makes it tough to keep up with my daughter.
20% of my photography consist of outdoor family outings and weekend adventures. We live in the mountains, so this consist of alot nature walks and such under the tree canopy and along the river. The majority of my work here is with the 18-55, but I occasionally break out the 70-300. I find the 18-55 to be to short on the zoom end, and the 70-300 is to long.
The other 10% ranges from Cave photography to wildlife in our local parks. The majority of this is with the 70-300 on the long end and the 18-55 for the wide end.
What I am Looking For
-A faster lens for indoor natural lighting.
-Something around 2.8 to give shallow DOF when I get experimental.
-Auto Focus speeds that are decent. I understand in this price range its only going to be OK.
-More zoom range than the Kit Lens
-Hopefully a semi macro to allow for close focusing of flowers and such.
-A ALL-N-One Walk Around lens to replace the Kit Lens I have.
-Would like to be as wide as the 18-55, Can go with a zoom lens that starts around 28 if I had to.
Lens I have looked At
-Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4.5
-Sigma 18-125 f3.8-5.6 (slower than I would like)
-Sigma 28-70 f2.8 (Like this, but wish it was WIDER)
-Tamron 17-50 f2.8 (out of my price range, but looks GOOD)
-Tamron 28-105 f2.8 (New Old Stock)
What ever I choose I want it to be a lens that I can got and order or buy. The last thing I want is to decide on the perfect lens and then not be able to find it. New or Used is OK with me.
Ahhh, that old conundrum, join the club, but add in a wish for landscape usage, in fact for me swap you landscape and indoor % and you get my current situ, except that it will probably become your % in less than 9months time !.
The options as I see them (I have a DA12-24 too though)
a) a 16-45, I have found 45mm a tad short indoors but it's superb edge to edge at f4, great for wide view landscapes, a very good versatile lens, I can recommend it personally. only f4? - invest in some good raw post processing software and use higher ISO ?
b) a new tamron 17-50/2.8 ? filter is 67mm, good reviews though, poss 50 a bit short ?
c) a tamron 28-75/2.8 - not quite wide enough indoors ?, but longer is nice ?
d) a tamron sp 24-135/3.5-5.6 - quality ??
e) a sigma 24-60/2.8 - discontinued now but well liked over at pentaxforumsDOTcom
f) sigma 24-70/2.8 - seems expensive and an inconvenient filter size too IIRC
g) a sigma 17-70/2.8-4.5 but 72mm filter (quite a few pentax lenses are are 49, 67 or 77mm filters)
h) a pentax 28-105 but these don't have rave reviews IIRC
i) a pentax 28-70/4 - optically OK IIRC and quite cheap, but any better than DA18-55II ?
j) pentax FA*28-70/2.8 - too pricey I fear, besides it's silver !
k) pentax DA17-70/4 v.similar optical quality to the 16-45/4 apparently and the FL range seems to make sense.
what we really want is the mythical 16-60/70/75 constant f2.8 to solve all our problems
just my 2d, enjoy your decision, have a look at dofmaster.com too
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