[Kerrowdown]

neither do I have the money to buy another body

It would be a complete overkill

changing your lenses may cost you that certain moment

switching lenses in the dark between a lot of people is a thing I am not too fond of as well

I think as the the good Docrwm has stated "Sounds like you've answered your own question", in this instance the zoom sounds like the one for you.

[soalle]

Ok I found another one where the seller lives in the same city as me. Price for this one is 599€ (around 80 Euro cheaper then the other one!) Now we're talking almost same prices (550€ vs 599€ - DA 70 Limited vs DA* 50-135). At this price point I am really leaning towards the DA*... What do you think about the prices?

This is a very good price for the 50-135 if it is in good working and cosmetic conditions! Most of all if you consider that in Europe is much tougher to find such good prices...

[Croneberg]

Hey guys!

Just wanted you to know that i met the seller today to check out the lens and even though it is three years old, you could easily mistake it for a new one. Not a single scratch! The focus is SPOT ON!!! I read a lot of reviews - a LOT. And almost every one stated, that the focus is accurate but slow. As I wrote earlier I do have the DA 40mm Limited which is said to have one of fastest autofocus in the whole Pentax lens lineup. I did not do any scientific tests but what I can say from shooting with the SDM today, is, that at least in my eyes the DA* is just as fast and more accurate than the Limited. On the limited the focus hunts back and forth sometimes and only locks on target after going back and forth. The SDM just locks on without any kind of hesitation.

After shooting with it for almost an hour, I was sure: I did the right thing! This lens is bloody fantastic. It's sharp even wide open and after stopping down to f/4.0 it's RAZOR-sharp! It is sharper then the DA 40mm Limited and I just love the colors. They are warm, contrasty and just beautiful. The weight is there, but I think it really helps me stabilizing the camera at longer focal lengths. I had no strap with me and even after an hour of running around with the K-5 and the DA*, it was not bothering me at all!

Here are some shots from the hour of walking around (I absolutely love the bokeh!):











+

I also think this lens is great for candid shots because of the longer focal length and the distance you can keep to your subjects.

The only thing which I noticed after getting home today, is that the SDM sometimes makes very faint high-frequent (twitter-)noises. I read on other forums that this is normal and almost all Pentax SDM lenses do this. I can only hear it indoor if it is very silent so I am really not bothered by it at all actually.

Price paid was 590€ due to the like-new condition and the guy who sold it to me was very nice too. Got the original packaging, the "sleeve" in which the lens comes, and a UV-filter from Hoya (Hoya Super Pro-1). I have to do a short comparison in the next time - with and without UV-filter. I think I am going to let it on the lens for now, though.

Thanks again for all your input! It really helped me to decide.

[Docrwm]

Hey guys!

Just wanted you to know that i met the seller today to check out the lens and even though it is three years old, you could easily mistake it for a new one. Not a single scratch! The focus is SPOT ON!!! I read a lot of reviews - a LOT. And almost every one stated, that the focus is accurate but slow. As I wrote earlier I do have the DA 40mm Limited which is said to have one of fastest autofocus in the whole Pentax lens lineup. I did not do any scientific tests but what I can say from shooting with the SDM today, is, that at least in my eyes the DA* is just as fast and more accurate than the Limited. On the limited the focus hunts back and forth sometimes and only locks on target after going back and forth. The SDM just locks on without any kind of hesitation.

After shooting with it for almost an hour, I was sure: I did the right thing! This lens is bloody fantastic. It's sharp even wide open and after stopping down to f/4.0 it's RAZOR-sharp! It is sharper then the DA 40mm Limited and I just love the colors. They are warm, contrasty and just beautiful. The weight is there, but I think it really helps me stabilizing the camera at longer focal lengths. I had no strap with me and even after an hour of running around with the K-5 and the DA*, it was not bothering me at all!

Here are some shots from the hour of walking around (I absolutely love the bokeh!):











+

I also think this lens is great for candid shots because of the longer focal length and the distance you can keep to your subjects.

The only thing which I noticed after getting home today, is that the SDM sometimes makes very faint high-frequent (twitter-)noises. I read on other forums that this is normal and almost all Pentax SDM lenses do this. I can only hear it indoor if it is very silent so I am really not bothered by it at all actually.

Price paid was 590€ due to the like-new condition and the guy who sold it to me was very nice too. Got the original packaging, the "sleeve" in which the lens comes, and a free UV-filter from Hoya (Hoya Super Pro-1). I have to do a short comparison in the next time - with and without UV-filter. I think I am going to let it on the lens for now, though.

Thanks again for all your input! It really helped me to decide.

Congratulations. I hope it serves you well for years to come.

[Croneberg]

Congratulations. I hope it serves you well for years to come.

Thanks! I hope that as well.

[paulelescoces]

I have both the 50-135 and 70... I find the 50-135 to be spectacular and have got many great shots, truly excellent for portraits so I am sure you will be very happy with it... Its only downside its its relative size compared to the DA70 which means the 50-135 more often than not gets left at home... I am now living with the 15-35-70 combo which I love and strongly considering offloading the zooms (16-50 & 50-135), image quality of the 50-135 is equal to the DA70 in my eyes although at the moment I actually find the DA70 more practical from a size perspective (helps when you perfect quick lens changes when the need arises).

[Croneberg]

I have both the 50-135 and 70... I find the 50-135 to be spectacular and have got many great shots, truly excellent for portraits so I am sure you will be very happy with it... Its only downside its its relative size compared to the DA70 which means the 50-135 more often than not gets left at home... I am now living with the 15-35-70 combo which I love and strongly considering offloading the zooms (16-50 & 50-135), image quality of the 50-135 is equal to the DA70 in my eyes although at the moment I actually find the DA70 more practical from a size perspective (helps when you perfect quick lens changes when the need arises).

That is a combo I thought a lot about before I've chosen to go with the DA* 50-135mm - with your 35mm being a 40mm in my case though. The 15mm Limited is the next lens on my buying list, but I think it has to wait a while now. As for the DA 70 Ltd. I think I'll wait until I find a used FA 77 Ltd in good condition and for a reasonable price. (I don't know why but I love the look of the silver FA 77...)

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Last edited by Croneberg; 04-17-2013 at 04:03 PM.

[paulelescoces]

I can definitely recommend the Da15 as almost everyone else on the forum... it did take me a few outings to get used to it, however now it is probably my most used of the 15/35/70 trio.

[Rondec]

One lens to consider if you like the DA *50-135 would be the DA *55. It isn't as long as either the DA 70 or the FA 77 and in my mind that is a good thing on APS-C. I really like the FA 77s rendering, but it just is a little long for a crop-frame camera. DA *55 feels about perfect for portraits in a prime.