[utak]

Todd: The OP made comments about premier lenses not being worth while buying and so to him I stated that the time may come when he actually needs one may have little choice.

Totally agree with the second half of this. But my comments were directed at people who have recently bought into Pentax and find the premier lenses escalating out of their price range. To them I'm trying to say:

1. There are other options, new and old, zoom and prime that will give you great photos;

2. Some of Pentax's premier lenses are getting rather long in the tooth, so don't feel guilty about not paying a large amount of money right now for some premier lenses that have had zero new investment/development up-grades for numerous years (except for Japanese outsourcing of production);

3. Find the right focal length(s) for you and focus on those. Then buy a premier prime when you know what you really want - unless money is no option, in which case go for the lot.

Take the DA35mm Limited. Great lens, great results, but this lens is the wrong focal length for me personally - how I've learned to do macro (just a bit further away), what focal length I like for landscapes (wider) and what kind of lens I like for walking around (wider and/or longer). I'd highly recommend it to others who asked "what about a top quality 35mm?", and the results are stunning but I wouldn't buy another if mine got lost. That's my inane view that excellent lenses may not be excellent for every buyer.

And finally Point 4; the wind-up I wrote in a hardly disguised way into the OP. Pentaxians - actually not just Pentaxians - are fiercely and admirally loyal to their best, most expensive lenses, occassionally to the point of blindness (no PF here). I for example think the SMC Takumar 55mm 1.8 is the most jewel like, perfectly engineered, greatest value for money lens ever made by anyone, even Leica, even better than the 'legendary' 1.4; I have three variations, but on the rack I'd admit it is probably, maybe not 100% perfect, but I'd have to be close to the end.

Of course lens buying is both a rational and emotional thing, and a guilty pleasure, and all the more fun for that. And there's always the re-sellers market if you make a mistake.

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Last edited by utak; 05-06-2013 at 02:55 PM. Reason: CYA

[kakapo]

Years back when I had a Canon Rebel DSLR, I had the 50mm f1.8 which is known to be very sharp for its low price. I was very happy with it, but out of curiosity bought the cheapest of all L lenses - 70-200 f4 zoom, to see if L series lives up to what's been said about them. And there was quite big a gap in image quality. The L was clearly superior in contrast and color rendering. Like it was said here many times, that improvements in IQ of course did nothing to improve my photography skills. But it did make it easier and more enjoyable.

[magkelly]

I have 3 or 4 really decent digital zooms that I rely on and that I can actually get decent shots from even for work. I also have a number of older MF Pentax and Vivitar zooms and primes that I love and that I use mostly for my own work when I have time to work more slowly. I wish I could afford more by way of digital primes but lenses that expensive just are not in my budget. Most of my lenses, not all, but most are fully capable of giving me some really nice shots, under the right conditions, and with me manually inputting in the settings I wish to use. I hardly ever use program mode for anything and I really do believe that is a good part of why I actually tend to get the results I like whether it's with a modern moderately priced zoom or with a vintage lens. I don't just trust the camera to get it right most of the time. I don't let it try unless I am in a big hurry and literally do not have the time to stand there and put in the iso, the aperture, the shutter speed et all myself. There are good zooms out there and there are crappy primes though and I've definitely had some experience now with both.

I've never had the luxury of working with a $500 plus digital prime. But I am now currently borrowing a rather pricey WR zoom (One that doesn't have all that great of a rep supposedly...) that is definitely capable of knocking my far less expensive Tamrons and my kit lens right out of the ballpark. I'm stunned by how good this lens is compared to the ones I have. How accurate, and how fast it is to focus. I've only used it on the K-7 that came with it so far (That's mine for a few months too! :P) but I also mean to try it on my K-x this weekend just to see if it's as fast on there. As far as I am concerned though this little gem is likely worth every penny of the 1K it's actual owner probably paid for it new and I cannot see why anyone would consider it a so-so lens compared to what I am used to. I think it's a pretty posh lens and I can see why it's got a much heftier price tag than anything else in my kit. Something is definitely different at this price level and this is a zoom. Working with this lens makes me wish I could afford a few higher end digital primes. If a zoom, which is supposedly inferior to a prime can be this good at that price point it really makes me wonder how a prime at that price point might work....

[Driline]

But I am now currently borrowing a rather pricey WR zoom

Which one if I may ask?