[birdman59]

I have owned 77 for three times, 2 black and 1 silver. It is a great lens, but after a while, you will totally want to sell it.
Now I use FA 43, DA*55 or Super-Takumar 55 for potrait.
Actually you will find most of master pieces of potrait taken by 50mm standard lens.
FA 77 and FA*85 are two greatest auto-focus lens of Pentax, but they are too long that you cannot communicate with your model well. Only if you deal with a comercial work, then 85 and 135 is a great choice, otherwise, for casual shoot, 50mm and 55mm is a best choice.
As this is your first LBA, I recommend you 50/2.8 Macro.

Super-Takumar is another one I've never heard of until I started poking around Pentax Land. Is this a Europe or Far-East brand?(internet makes the world small!!)

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

Not familiar with Nokton...will have to investigate.

Check this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/18979-voigtlan...-4-review.html.

The Nokton is manufactured by Cosina in the same factory that makes the Zeiss lenses.

Before you go shopping, put the 55-300 on the KX and set it for a given focal length (55, 70, 85, 100). Shoot. See what focal length you tend to use, and which you feel are limiting.

I second that recommendation. Start with this, then ask for recommendation for a given focal length.

[Marc Sabatella]

Before you go shopping, put the 55-300 on the KX and set it for a given focal length (55, 70, 85, 100). Shoot. See what focal length you tend to use, and which you feel are limiting.

Absolutely agreed. Asking what's a good portrait lens without doing at least that much to narrow the choices down is kind of like asking "what's a good vehicle" without at least figuring out first how big you need it to be.

Assuming you find you like things closer to the 50mm end of the range, any of the 50mm primes will work fine - and see the lens review section of this site for tons of opinions and samples. Takumar, btw,is the name Pentax used to give their lenses before they started using the Pentax name. These are mostly screw mount lenses. see the article on this site explaining the various types of lenses (there is a very recent thread in this forum by Adam pointing to it).

If you like things a bit longer, the DA70 and FA77 are both grwat, and there are dozens of existing threads comparing them. If you'd like to go cheaper with manual focus, the M85/2 and the relatively new Samyang 85/1.4 (sold under a variety of names) gets good reviews by most - just search this forum for references.

Or if you'd prefer a zoom, the DA*50-135 is pretty much the ideal range.

[henryjing]

Super-Takumar is another one I've never heard of until I started poking around Pentax Land. Is this a Europe or Far-East brand?(internet makes the world small!!)

Before Pentax is called Pentax, the company used to be named ASAHI...And at that time, the lens was called Takumar. Takumar lens was exactly Pentax lens。。

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

Before Pentax is called Pentax, the company used to be named ASAHI...And at that time, the lens was called Takumar. Takumar lens was exactly Pentax lens。。

Pentax was initially a brand name used by Asahi on their cameras and on K-mount lenses. Takumar is an even older brand that was used on screwmount lenses and some bayonet lenses. At some point, Asahi adopted Pentax as the company name. But now it's a brand name again - the company owning it is Hoya.

[Ira]

Super-Takumar is another one I've never heard of until I started poking around Pentax Land. Is this a Europe or Far-East brand?(internet makes the world small!!)

Buy 'em now while you can still get 'em at "reasonable" prices!!!

A must for your bag, which a lot of people here will agree with me on, is the 50 1.4 Super Takumar or Super Multi Coated Takumar, M42 screw mount, requiring an adaptor.

Price range on eBay and KEH.com, as of today, $90 to $140.

The best money you'll ever spend.

[benjikan]

I purchased my Kx kit 2 months ago and have the 18-55 and 55-300 lenses with it. I know that the kit lenses are not always the highest quality, but so far have no complaints. I was wondering if someone could give me some suggestions as far as a good quality lens that I could use for portraits.

Thanks in advance.

I would suggest either the FA 50 1.4 lens or the Ltd 70mm 2.4 lens for portraits.

[Ahab]

I purchased my Kx kit 2 months ago and have the 18-55 and 55-300 lenses with it. I know that the kit lenses are not always the highest quality, but so far have no complaints. I was wondering if someone could give me some suggestions as far as a good quality lens that I could use for portraits.

Thanks in advance.

Who told you the Pentax kits are not the highest quality? If you look around here you can find some outstanding portraits taken with them. I would suggest in two months time you haven't learned what they are capable of. Give yourself more time and then you can determine what lens you might need, or not.

[Pentaxor]

Who told you the Pentax kits are not the highest quality? If you look around here you can find some outstanding portraits taken with them. I would suggest in two months time you haven't learned what they are capable of. Give yourself more time and then you can determine what lens you might need, or not.

probably what he meant was LTD prime lens quality. although I have to agree that the DA55-300 is underestimated. however, I can't say the same for the 18-55 since the 55-300 obviously outperforms it by a notch and a half. it is a very good performer though. the 55-300 can be excellent at most situations.

[Digitalis]

Also if you get the chance to get a Pentax 50mm f/1.2 either A or K versions: get it - there's isn't anything else on the market in Pentax K mount that matches it.

[Cosmo]

Who told you the Pentax kits are not the highest quality?

Kit lenses are never the highest quality, slow, soft wide open, distortion, poor build quality.

If they were the highest quality, then they'd be competing against Leica and Zeiss.