Nice to be here, new at this.

Terri · 08-07-2008, 09:40 AM

Hi! I'm Terri.

I have a Pentax K100D. and a 18-55mm pentax lens. It is my first SLR and I love it. I am having so much fun with all of the learning.

I am activley researching for the purchase of my next lens. I am looking for something that is going to give me the zoom and speed I need on the motocross race track as well as the ability to photograph in the lighting of the hockey rink. (Yes I want my cake and I want to be able to eat it too.) Well I am looking for the best bang for my buck. I am usually a mid range buyer. I beileive you get what you pay for therfor I don't like to buy low end. But at the same time I do have a budget and unless I am making money from the camera I will not be purchasing the highest end either.

I have my eye on a couple of lenses but I am open to suggestions from others as I have only just begun this search.

Thanx
-Terri

*ChipB* · 08-07-2008, 10:14 AM

Welcome to the forum Terri. You're already exhibiting symptons of LBA - join the crowd!!

As a suggestion, if auto-focus is not a mandatory option, you might consider some of the older MF lenses - that way you might be able to get a faster telephoto for you $$. Enjoy!!

pasipasi · 08-07-2008, 10:57 AM

I bought A-series 70-210 zoom with constant f/4 aperture for about 65 euros, which should go for even cheaper in Canada I think. F/4 is just one step slower than f/2.8 which is hell of a lot more expensive.

*rparmar* · 08-07-2008, 11:28 AM

If you need auto-focus and auto-exposure and want to stick with the current range of Pentax lenses, the DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 zoom is excellent and fast. I am not sure whether you'd call $700 mid-range. Also I couldn't say if would be long enough for your applications.

The DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 gives you twice the range at half the price, at the cost of one to two stops less light.

Terri · 08-08-2008, 06:18 AM

Thanks for all of the advice guys. I guess I am feeling very over whelmed. I had at first thought about borrowing some lenses from my mother's older film Nikon. But the more I thought about that I decided I was only going to confuse myself trying to learn the conversions and stuff from film to digital. (at the moment I am focosing an all the other new information that is filling my head) aperatures, shooting speeds, film speeds, white balance etc... I am learning it but it is like a second language that I need to think about whenever I practice it.
I realise that my digital camera will do alot of things for me that make taking fantastic shots easier. But I am a little stuborn and spent the first 7 months only working in manual mode. Trying to learn something with trial and error.
Any way to make a long story short there is so much to learn about the lenses before I run out and buy one. I might just try to resist until income tax time and save my $$$ for something really more expensive.
I sopose I should carry on any lens shopping questions in the propper forum.
Thanks again for the advise. This is a fantastic website. I think I am going to enjoy being around here. I have been spending my time looking at everyones photos and checking out what kind of lenses where used to make the shots.
Thanks for the WELCOME.
Terri

*rparmar* · 08-08-2008, 06:59 AM

There is a lot to learn... that is the fun!

Digital makes it easier if you shoot in raw. Forget about white balance, sharpening, colour etc. Concentrate on the aperture/depth of field, shutter speed and framing. This simplifies things immensely!

Saving for something really good makes sense to me, especially if you really know what you want.