Looking for advice on optimal use of overlapping zooms

Your situation of looking to improve your lenses without increasing your costs is a familiar one and also quite restrictive.

Perhaps the Pentax DA 55-300mm is worth a look? It has a lower zoom factor which almost invariably increases image quality and minimises lens issues. The 16-45mm is excellent and the only upgrade path from there involves spending more $.

If you really want a leap in IQ then perhaps replace the Tamron with a used DA* 50-135 and converter. The incredible IQ of the DA* 50-135mm will make up for the fact that it's short of 300mm.

That's helpful. I was also looking for recommendations for change in practice. Can I assume that over the range up to 45mm, the Pentax will be sharper just because it has a smaller range? Would there be other, perhaps more subtle, differences? Since my photography is reactive, rather than planned, I suspect I see things differently depending on which lens is on the camera. The most dramatic difference is in looking more aggressively for architectural detail when I have the telephoto. I suspect I could get more out of what I have by using them more intelligently.

You're right in the implication that it's at the telephoto end I feel the need for more sharpness.

julianw wrote:

That's helpful. I was also looking for recommendations for change in practice. Can I assume that over the range up to 45mm, the Pentax will be sharper just because it has a smaller range? Would there be other, perhaps more subtle, differences? Since my photography is reactive, rather than planned, I suspect I see things differently depending on which lens is on the camera. The most dramatic difference is in looking more aggressively for architectural detail when I have the telephoto. I suspect I could get more out of what I have by using them more intelligently.

You're right in the implication that it's at the telephoto end I feel the need for more sharpness.

Being a reactive photographer - that will change btw - it's important to stick with one set of gear or one general setup like a wide angle zoom and mid-tele zoom. It will soon become apparent what you're missing and you can aim to fill those gaps. If you change your gear around too much before you know what you're really looking for, a lot of $ is wasted with buying and selling. Ask me, for I know this.

The best way is to get out there and settle into a groove slowly. If you try to typecast yourself, it won't feel right.

And reacting to circumstances differently depending on which lens is on the camera is fine. If I want a quick shot of something, I'd rather have the wrong lens than the right lens and no shot due to swapping.

Let me ask, do you need every mm covered?

emem wrote:

...

So many choices - so little money!

And... so little time.

Cane wrote:

Let me ask, do you need every mm covered?

Of course, I can always crop in the post-processing, which I often do anyway. Composition is a large part of my aesthetic, and I fine-tune. In fact, I often pull out just a part of the full exposure. So, I can do with a gap. I did have a mindset to not leave a gap, mostly to avoid so much post-exposure cropping, but I find I do it anyway. Certainly if I get a gain in sharpness, it offsets the cropping loss.