In response to the 15mm thread, and to provide you with some more lens porn, here's my two cents' worth:
IMO the FA* 85mm (or any Pentax 85mm for that matter, the Takumar is great too) is just an amazing lens. Seriously. I've found that I can use it for any task:
- For landscapes, it's wide enough to be able to capture the essence of a view, while long enough to prevent the photo from being a mere 'documentation'
- For portraiture, the bokeh is unbeatable
- For close-ups, it's tack-sharp and very fast, which is a boon (wish it went down to a MFD of 0.5m rather than the 0.85, though- that would be my only complaint).
- For tele shots, in nearly every case it's long enough to sufficiently capture what you want
So there's my rant as far as the ideal focal length goes.
Moving along...
It's insanely sharp, the bokeh is amazing below F2.8, and it looks pretty. It's not too heavy, and can easily be held on a K-7 with the grip (unlike the FA* 28-70mm zoom, FA* 80-200mm zoom, or DA* 60-250mm zoom). It's fast, and gives you the flexibility you need, when you need it. It's small enough to fit into the same Tamrac strap case as my 20-35mm zoom (without the hood). Finally, the hood means business, but it's still small enough to be reverse-mounted and stored conveniently in your bag. All this means that this lens is my permanent companion! Oh, and did I mention that the AF was lightning-fast?
I've also finalized by travel kit for this summer:
K-7 + Grip + Extra SD card (in case I forget my primary one in my card reader at home)
DA 35mm Limited Macro (primarily for use as a wide-angle. Call me crazy, but keep in mind that I think that 85mm is nearly ideal for landscapes)
FA* 85mm
FA* 200mm F4 Macro (primarily for macro shots, as well as tele's when that extra reach is really needed).
Conclusion:
Get this lens while you can and sell off everything else!
If I were to pick a single lens out of my cabinet right now, this would without a doubt be it (unless, of course, I took the F* 250-600, sold it, and bought 3 85mm's for the money)!!
And now for the fun part:
Adam
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