Originally posted by stafford588
Hi everyone,
I'm looking to purchase some nicer lenses in the near future. So far, I only have the two kit lenses offered by Pentax: the DA 18-55mm f/3.5 and the DA 50-200mm f/4. These lenses are great for beginners, but now I'm ready to take the next step. I almost exclusively use my lenses for portrait/people photography. What would be the next step up from the kit lenses, without going overkill? I would like to keep my costs down while still preserving quality and speed. I'd also like to avoid third-party and MF lenses. Does anyone have a specific lens model in mind that would suit my needs? Will I be blown away by the quality difference between my new lens and my current kit lenses? I've never really used a high-quality lens before, so I don't know any different. With that being said, what makes a "high-quality" lens? Are the kit lenses worth keeping after I upgrade? You input is greatly appreciated.
Oh, I almost forgot. Is there a suggested focal length to use for my style of photography. I heard somewhere that it falls somewhere between 85mm and 100mm, but, then again, I see other photographers using focal lengths above and below this suggested range. Can anyone explain? Could it have to do with image distortion?
SORRY FOR SO MANY QUESTIONS! MY HEAD IS SPINNING WITH THOUGHTS.
We all have heads spinning with the possibilities of the Pentax equipment (or anyone else's for that matter).
I have taken a couple of sample protraits with the DA* 50-135. This lens covers all the portrait focal lengths (35mm equivalent, 75 - 200), has a very nice look to the images, and is fast enough to use ambient lighting.