Originally posted by K57XR Not much experience with Macro but the DFA100WR comes into mind.
The optics are beautiful, the handling less so. Unless your focus point is right on the object and you're fairly close to begin with, you run the risk of very noisy focus hunting. Thank God for quick-shift, which will get you most of the way, then you touch up with AF.
Portrait work with the 100 Macro is probably not on for crop cameras, as it has the field of view on crop of a 150mm lens, just too tight for most portraiture, especially indoors. It may find a new niche in that respect on the K-1.
Originally posted by TER-OR The FA50mm macro is an option to do both, though it's still not wide-angle. For that you'd want something like the Sigma 28mm macro.
The 35mm DA Macro Limited is my go-to lens when I need ultra-close shots of non-moving subjects but still need a wide field of view. Granted if you want an even wider macro, then yes, the Sigma may be the way to go - but the Pentax has a built-in hood, and now that the original SMC version has been replaced by an HD-coatings variant, you may be able to find one on the cheap.
Fast and cheap is 50mm f/1.8 DA lens; plastic, but nice plastic and really nice optics for a mind-bogglingly low price. Just long enough for portraits on the crop cameras (75mm FOV equivalent). I own it and love it.
Fast and expensive is the DA 55*; half a stop faster, considerably more expensive but also WR, and hopefully better optical quality to go with it - you'd have to talk to someone who owns both to see if the difference is worth it for you.
If you think a K-1 is in your future, it seems the DA* 55mm is not quite optically a full frame lens at all apertures (heavy vignetting at some f-stops); the 50/1.8 may be slightly better in this regard. The D-FA100 WR is, of course, definitely a full-frame compatible lens, and the WR makes it a good match for current Pentax DSLRs.
I used the DA21 a lot around Melbourne, Australia recently, and that let me suck in a nice spread of my surroundings. The DA15 drinks in even more, of course, but people, dogs etc. tend to get minimised and blended into the picture; IMO it really isn't a people lens unless you're specifically trying to photograph a lot of them in a very small space. It is currently one of my least-used lenses, but there are times when I've found nothing else in my collection will do and then this gets reached for. Consider carefully and do not buy in haste.