[Ron Boggs]

All lenses are the best prime lenses...most, if not all of us have personal shooting cycles that tend toward one lens perspective or another. If you haven't noticed yet, you will eventually find that one lens or another in your kit will be the one that either stays on the camera for days on end or is the lens you select more often than any other...and then a month or year or decade later, your favorite "go to" prime lens is another altogether different choice.

That's why so many of us buy a few killer primes whether Limiteds, FA*'s, A's or whatever. It's not just the various shooting situations that dictate the best prime lens, but it's our own personal style and view at that given time in our photog development. After all, this sport is very much about tying our artistic bent at any given moment with our technical means to exercise art.

Sorry I didn't narrow the quest for the "perfect prime" but experience suggests that you'll want to buy more than one lens to fulfill your photographic "best" needs.

[tclausen]

I have those two lenses as my only Limited Primes and they are very sharp. There seems to be a division of opinion as to whether the 77mm or the 70mm is the best Limited lens in that 'portraiture' category.

I know I wrestled with getting either one, finally decided on the 70.

In the end I don't think you can go wrong with either.

No, I think that you can't go wrong with either of the 70mm Ltd or 77mm Ltd, but there are differences that are in favor of the 77mm, and there are differences in favor of the 70mm. I actually have both.

The 77mm is faster - and that makes a difference in some situations, be that either a brighter viewfinder or just enough light to coming through to focus (auto or manual focus, either way, needs light) in otherwise difficult situations. The 77mm is a "full frame" lens also, in case that matters.

The 70mm is much more compact, so easier to slip in a pocket or in the camera bag. It also supports "quick shift" focus, which is that after the AF has completed focusing you can turn the focus ring to fine-tune.

If I had to chose one from among these two, then I would pick the 77mm. This, in part, as I am addicted to faster lenses, it's (almost) an obsession for me - but also as I /subjectively/ feel that I get more pleasing bokeh (rendering of out of focus areas) with the 77mm, and that I almost get a "3D effect" from that lens for what /I/ do - which isn't portraits, I haste to add.

For portraits, based on what I have seen (and I do not do portraits, can't figure it out), I'd be inclined to agree with lesmore49 that the 70mm probably has the edge: that lens being slightly slower isn't an issue in that context (portraiture requires lots of controlled light), and the rendition from the 70mm that I've seen is spot-on.

So, as lesmore49 wisely indicates, there's a lot more to a lens than just the focal length and other such mechanical measures....

[Northern Soul]

I use my 50mm Mf1/.7 for everything now, pretty much. If I want a wider shot I take a few and stitch them together with Hugin.

The lens was £7 and is more than sharp enough. Food for thought?

[docsbo]

I use my 50mm Mf1/.7 for everything now, pretty much. If I want a wider shot I take a few and stitch them together with Hugin.

The lens was £7 and is more than sharp enough. Food for thought?

Makes great pictures on my Pentax MX too !

[Kerrowdown]

study the photos you already have and find the ones you really like; then note the focal lengths

If you have Lightroom, this exercise is a breeze by questioning the lens metadata section.

[Allison]

If you really want to start with an all-in-one prime, my suggestion is the 43. I have youed it for everyday, landscape, portraits...basically everything. as your LBA kicks in you fill find yourself buying the 77, 31 and the 15 to make sure you have everything covered. I would probably own the 15 myself except I already own the 16-50 and the 12-24, but now that I am thinking about it, there is always room for another.

[NitroDC]

A 40 or 43mm prime is your best bet as an all-in-one. 50mm is a little too tight sometimes for me.

Otherwise you can look at a zoom like the 16-50, or get two primes (31mm or 15mm for landscape, 70/77 for portraits)

[Driline]

If you really want to start with an all-in-one prime, my suggestion is the 43

A 40 or 43mm prime is your best bet as an all-in-one

Well now, I think we're all in agreement

[prime.partisan]

40mm is still too tight for me. 28mm is much more versatile. A perfect compromise for all in one would be 35mm.

[tclausen]

40mm is still too tight for me. 28mm is much more versatile. A perfect compromise for all in one would be 35mm.

No, the perfect compromise between 40mm and 28mm would be the 31mm Ltd.

[Na Horuk]

Portrait and landscape in just one focal length? Probably the DA 40mm ltd, FA 43mm ltd, or DA* 55mm, since these can be used for both, at least to some extent. Thing is, for portrait you probably want something between DA* 55mm (kind of made for portraits) up to 77mm ltd (legendary Pentax lens). For landscape you probably want wide angle, 10mm to 35mm.

[Kerrowdown]

No, the perfect compromise between 40mm and 28mm would be the 31mm Ltd.

I'm just doing it all wrong and using my new lady (20 mm) for everything.

[prime.partisan]

No, the perfect compromise between 40mm and 28mm would be the 31mm Ltd.

Well I have problem calling 31mm Ltd a compromise in any shape or form

[tclausen]

Well I have problem calling 31mm Ltd a compromise in any shape or form

Touche!

The existence of the 31mm Ltd was my /sole/ reason for buying a Pentax body back-when.....so I can hardly disagree with you here. It's still my most used lens (& it looks cool on the K-01)

[Allison]

No, the perfect compromise between 40mm and 28mm would be the 31mm Ltd.

Or you could do what I did...I have a 28, 31, 35, and the 43...I have found a need to keep them all.