My Favorite Lens: Pentax FA 77mm Limited
By TOUGEFC in Favorite Lenses on Oct 22, 2011
Many people already know what my favorite lens is, and its not hard to guess either, all one has to do is look at my photostream and sets and see what lens dominates them all!
I love everything about this lens, the focal length, the build, size, how it renders skin tones and portraits, its deadly sharp wide open. It can be used for just about anything. I use it more than any other lens in my collection, I mainly use it for taking candids and portraits, and I use it to shoot weddings too, heck I almost shot a whole wedding with just the FA77!
Its a lens that never fails too deliver.
I even bought it to my own wedding!
All shot at f/1.8.
My Favorite Lens: the Pentax DA 18-250mm
By hcc in Favorite Lenses on Oct 22, 2011
What's your favorite lens?
My favourite lens is the DA18/250mm. Manufactured by Tamron, it was sold also as Tamron 18-250mm. The lens is a great performer over the focal length range. It i very well-liked by Pentaxians including professionals. The lens is in fact considered by many as one of the best all-around lenses across all brands icl. Canikons, Oly & Co.
While no longer manufactured, the DA18-250mm/Tamron 18-250mm can be found quite regularly on the 2nd hand market. See the Pentax Marketplace, KEH, and Adorama (Used equipment).
Why is it your favorite lens?
The DA18-250mm is my fav lens because of its flexibility and focal length range, its decent IQ over the focal length range and its compactness. I owned 2 megazooms P&S before buying by K-7 and the DA18-250mm is the ideal lens to replace my megazooms. With a 12x (18-250mm range), it is the perfect all-around zoom, and I get some great shots with it. I love the compactness. Mounted on the K-7, it fits nicely into a small toploader bag.
In addition of its versatility, the lens is very sturdy and has been used by several Pentaxians in harsh weather. For example in the snow, in mud, rain, sand,... I shoot often in foul weather including wind storms on the coasts, subtropical rainstorms, muddy and dirty conditions.
The lens has two weaknesses: zoom creep and low light. The zoom creep can be very simply solved. The low light conditions are challenging for most zoom lenses and I often complement my DA18-250mm by a fast prime (VL58mm f1.4 in my case) for dusk and dawn.
What do you use it for?
Anything. Especially when I travel interstate and overseas, I need to carry a small luggage and the DA18-250mm mounted on the K-7 is the perfect all-in-one combo.
I like the versatility of the length which focal length range covers both wide angel (18mm) and tele (250mm). As such I use the lens for landscape, actions (waves, surfers, birds in flight, aircrafts, cars), family shooting, ...
How often do you use it?
The DA18-250mm has been used for nearly 70% of all my K-7 shots, and nearly 95% of all my overseas shots.
When I need to travel with one body+lens combo, the DA18-250mm is my first choice. I have a small top-loader bag to carry my K-7 + DA18-250mm combo, together with the battery charger, a cleaning cloth, a wipe and a spare memory card. Easy to carry.
Did you buy it over any other lenses?
The DA18-250mm was my first lens. I bought my K-7 new (body only) and the DA18-250mm was my first and only lens for a few months. Today, I would do the same: get the DA18-250mm was my first lens ahed of any other lens.
As such I see my DA18-250mm as my best lens investement
My Favorite Lens: the Pentax DA 21mm Limited
By bdery in Favorite Lenses on Oct 22, 2011
When I think about that question, the lens that always comes to mind is the DA21 Limited.
It's not my most-used lens. It's not my sharpest even though it's close. It doesn't have the smoothest bokeh. It's not my widest nor my longest lens. It's not my fastest lens.
But the colours, oh the colours! The colours I get when using this lens are amazing. It seems to expand the dynamic range of my camera somehow. I can always spot the pictures taken with that lens without looking at the EXIF data. It just has that little something.
The focal length and size also make it a formidable lens to carry if I can't/don't want to bring multiple lenses. The AF is extremely reliable and fast (especially for an f3.2 lens) and the quick-shift, even though seldom used, if a neat feature. The aesthetics of the lens are also up there with the best.
The lens gets used for general (and especially low-light) walkarounds, for landscapes and often for night panoramas. Sometimes I use it for wide studio views but it's almost too sharp for this use. It makes a great low-light team with the F50 f1,7 and if needed the DFA 100 WR macro.
I now have a very well balanced kit, with excellent lenses covering various purposes. But the DA21 Limited is probably the one I look at the most lovingly.
My Favorite Lens: the Pentax K 200mm F2.5
By 8540tomg in Favorite Lenses on Oct 22, 2011
What's your favorite lens?
When you have a number of lenses if is difficult to pick one as the favourite but if I had to keep just one lens it would be my K 200/2.5.
Why is it your favorite lens?
So many things come to mind. At f 2.5 it is the fastest 200mm Pentax ever made. That extra speed makes it useful for indoors shots in auditoriums, gyms etc. The extra speed also makes it very bright in the viewfinder. This brightness is always there, unlike slower lenses, and it helps me focus in dim light. Come to think of it this helps focusing in any sort of light. Build quality, as with every K series lens I have seen, is fantastic. It balances perfectly on my K10 as well as my K2 film camera. While there is some CA wide open this clears up past that point and the lens is very sharp and contrasty. On a more subjective level it just “feels” right. Hard to quantify “feel” but when you experience it you know it is right. You know you have a great optic in your hands and you try to live up to your equipment.
What do you use it for?
I use it for sports, wildlife, gyms and other other indoor shots. Once in a while I use it for portraits.
How often do you use it?
It is always in my bag and sees frequent use.
Did you buy it over any other lenses?
No. I saw one in the early 1980s. I had a chance to buy it and hesitated. Of course someone else jumped in and snatched it up. I didn’t see another one for twenty years. This time I didn’t hesitate.
A few sample photos:
Rugby
Son Jimmy's Indoor concert
Wildlife - click on this one for a larger image. Note the detail in the feathers. This is one sharp lens.
My Favorite Lens: the Pentax M 50mm F1.7
By GabrielFFontes in Favorite Lenses on Oct 22, 2011
My favorite lens is the Pentax-M 50mm F1.7. Yeah, I know its a simple and cheap lens, but that doesn't matter. You can create stunning super-sharp images with it. But it isn't all about sharpness. The solid metal feeling leaves no doubts : its built like a tank. I can use it for anything, and when i attach it to my camera, then this lens become my eye. And its a superhero eye!
This little tank can be used for anything. I can walk around with it with no problems, take some portraits, use for street photography...anything! I bought on eBay for $40. I couldn't have spent the money better. The manual focus is amazing. When you hit the shutter button, and review the pic you know its yours. You made that. Manually. (well, not entirely, but that's ok).
Texture. That's it.
Raining colors.
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