[Lowell Goudge]

In terms of what you own and use, I think everyone who has been shooting for a long time has probably more than the minimum.

When I started out, (long long time ago) I had a 50mm lens (relitively slow F2), I added a 70-210 Vivitar Series 1F3.5 zoom, and a Tamron 24mm F2.5. That was the basic kit.

I found for nature shots, the 210 wasn't long enough, and although I tried Teleconverters, the early ones were not up to it.

I added a 400mm F5.6, specifically for nature.

My collection stayed that way for a long time, and I used them all. (althoough I began to recognize the 24mm wasn't wide enough.

Eventually I happened upon a 50mm F1.4 used, and snapped it up. and the 50mm F2 has sat ever since.

Somewhere along the way, I picked up a 100mm F4 macro, because ti was much better than the Series 1 lens at macro shots, and with extension tubes could do better than 1:1

So my basic film kit was 5 lenses, and it stayed that way for a very long time (almost 10 years)

When the PZ-1 came out, I bought it, along with the 28-105 FA power zoom lens.

I also bought the 1.7xAF TC, and used that with my 70-210, because it gave me 105-350mm with some measure of auto focus. Now i am at 6 lenses. Shortly after, I happened upon my SMC 300 F4, which I determined would work with the 1.7x AFTC and give me 500mm at F7. (I'm at 7 lenses now)

I stayed that way until I bought the *istD. It came with a full frame 18-35mm lens, and although it is an FA-J lens, it works on the PZ-1 so it solved the problem of an ultra wide. On digital 18 is not ultra wide, but try it on film, and you'll understand why people are buying sigma 10-20's and pentax 12-24's. (now I'm at 8 lenses), but then LBA struck. I decided after almost 20 years, I wanted a better zoom (and look out because the series 1 is no slouch), so I got a sigma 70-200 F2.8 and 1.4xTC. (this makes 9 lenses)

I have since added, a sigma 10-20 and stopped shooting film (lens #10), a tamron 28-75 F2.8 (lens #11) to replace my old 28-105 F4.5-5.6 picked up a pentax 28-80 F3.5-4.5 power zoom for $10 just for fun (lens #12) and have also picked up 2 fine manual focus primes, a 105mm F2.8 and 135mm F2.5 (lenses 13 and 14)

At this point, the only lens I dont really use is the 400mm F5.6

I use the primes for portraits, the 135 is a great nature walk around lens, and even the tamron 24mm has found new life with a .45x front end multiplier as an 11mm semi fisheye.

When I travel, I will limit myself to 3 or 4 zooms, ranging from 10mm to 75mm (or 200 mm if I want to take the sigma). For other things or purpose trips I pack what ever I think I want.

The only reason I don't use the 400mm is that the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 and a newly aquired 2x sigma TC is just as good, but having never gotten rid of anything, I just don't see getting rid of it just yet.

I think as a new owner, you are probably confused or bewildered by people who have even larger collections of lenses, but just remember, camera bodies come and go, but if you have an apporach to this as a system, and a camera maker like pentax that has worked very hard to keep things compatible, lenses are almost forever. Also remenmber, I didn't go out and get all this over 1-3 years. I gathered it up after 25 years, purchasing for the most part quality lenses. Many of them on the used market. My advise to you is to go slowly, purchase carefully, get lenses that at first complement each other, and then go for specific items when you have a need (i.e. want) for them.

[drabina]

I have the Sigma 17-70mm and Sigma 70-300mm lenses. Right now (since I upgraded kit lens to the Sigma 17-70mm) I use the first one almost exclusively. It covers 95% of my needs as a good walk-around lens. Longer telephoto lens is good for chasing my kid. I also have dedicated 50mm manual focus macro lens but I haven't played with it too much.

So I mostly use the 17-70mm lens which is good performer but not stellar as some other f/2.8 lenses. But for me it is enough. At least I do not have 10 lenses from which 8 collect dust in the closet

[clawhammer]

For me, I use whatever is easiest to get the shot. I also shoot mainly wide-angle, so the DA 14 and FA 20-35 spend a lot of time on my camera. The FA 50 comes out for portrait work, and occaisionally I'll get out my long lenses, but not all that often.

[Talisman39]

I'm a big believer in using a small number of lenses and getting to know them well. Through experience I've also come to the conclusion that you should build your lens collection slowly, especially if starting out (unclear if the OP is new to SLRs or just to the K10). I bought too many lenses too quickly, and found I was only using a couple of them. I sold the rest and then upgraded to better versions of the lenses I was using. It's hard to know ahead of time how you will use the gear, so while it's tempting to load up and be ready for anything, in reality this is a more expensive route.

[Torphoto]

my 35mm Fa and 70mm ltd gets the most use now, I am waiting for the 17-70 and 60-260 F4 tho.

[rparmar]

My advise to you is to go slowly, purchase carefully, get lenses that at first complement each other, and then go for specific items when you have a need (i.e. want) for them.

Good advice and a nice narrative to go with it. I am a research fiend and also not very happy unless I have exactly what I need. I tend to find the faults with imperfect mass-produced gear rather rapidly, and like many have different shooting patterns to accommodate. So I needed to get several lenses in rapid succession after the kit purchase late January. I wish that purchasing one lens every few years was going to cut it for me, but no. And I was constrained by funds from buying "the best".

That's how I ended up with the collection in my sig, which gives me a 16-45mm walk-around, a fast 43mm and a telephoto/macro 100mm. I use the 28mm reversed onto the kit lens for odd super-magnification fun, so I really do use all of my lenses... no waste here!

If I was rich I would have the 31mm instead of the 43mm and the 77mm instead of the 100mm, with a couple other lenses too. But this will do me for now. I must say though that three lenses was the minimum purchase to make me feel like my kit is covering the bases.

Strangely I use the 43mm least of all, since I cannot get used to the longer working distance. And I often pack the Vivitar just so I can practice manual focusing.

[maxwell1295]

I'm in the process of paring down my LBA list of lenses. I find that I use my 35-70mm about 40% of the time, my 50/1.7 about 30% of the, and A70-210mm about 20% of the time. That leaves 10% for all the other lenses combined. I'm seriously considering keeping the 3 lenses I listed above plus my 24mm and add something in the 85mm range for portraits and such. A 400-500mm tele lens is also something I'm looking to add.

[stevebrot]

The short answer is...I use all of them. The long answer is that a lot depends on the kind of shooting I am doing.

My film kit remains the same as it was the day I put it together back in the early '80s. Since it was intended for backpacking, all the lenses were chosen for compactness and weight along with IQ.

35mm Film Kit:
Tamron 28mm f/2.5
Tamron Adaptall-2 70-150mm f/3.5
Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7

Of the three, the 28 has been on the camera the most. (Excellent general landscape lens on 35mm format.)

With the purchase of the K10D last spring, the kit has changed somewhat. I have been doing a lot more macro stuff and am branching out more in terms of focal length.

K10D Digital Kit:

Pentax-DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Tamron Adaptall-2 70-150mm f/3.5
Sigma MACRO 50mm f/2.8 EX DG
MC Jupiter-9 85mm f/2

Swapped in periodically:
Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7
Pentax-M 200mm f/4
Bellows-K (paired with my old Pentax-M 50mm)

From within this kit, most pictures have been with the 18-55 (lots of really nice one too), but I have gotten some memorable images from each of the basic four. At this point, I want to put a special plug in for two old-school lenses. Given a little care, the J-9 is capable of incredible things. Ditto for the old 70-150.

Last, but not least...Coming in the mail:
MC Zenitar 16mm f/2.8
Pentax-FA 35mm f/2

Why the two new wide angles? I like primes and need some compact glass for days when I need more speed, less bulk, and a step up in IQ than what the kit lens supplies. As mentioned earlier in this thread, there is real value to going out with a single prime and finding subjects to match the focal length and the lens' strengths.


Steve

[TourDeForce]

Gotta throw in my $0.02

Steve, you may want to consider the updated DA 18-55 AL II models if you use the kit lens that much.

I just picked up a DA 18-55 AL II to replace the kit lens & DA 40 ltd that I sold. I'm really happy with it & will likely have that as my everyday knock around lens. Good focal range to play with & the improvements over the original kit lens are OBVIOUS - even on a 6MP K100D like mine. Well worth $120 you can get them for...

Before the new lens arrived, the f 1.7 50mm A series prime was on my camera right out of the bag. Great lens. Wish I could've kept the 40mm, but I'm an old-timer that doesn't mind manual focus & the old 50mm was far more than adequate - IMHO it is better than the 40 Ltd, particularly for the kind of photography I enjoy.

Don't know what my next purchase will be. I have a gap between 55mm and 80mm right now, but I'm in no hurry to pick up more glass. Gonna experiment with the old Vivitar 135 this coming week.

[moxfyre]

As a K10 newbie, I'm currently very busy on planning my lens setup

I was thinking about three sets of lenses:

- "Quality" set (aim: IQ+good range): Ultra Wide angle Zoom, 24-60 f2.8, Fast Tele Zoom like 70-200 f2.8
- "portability" set (aim: small/lighw.): kit 18-55 and a Superzoom or Tele Zoom like 70-300 4-5.6
- Primes set (aim: available light/bokeh): 28, 50, 70 or 100(macro), all very fast

My question is, does it make sense to have so many lenses with overlapping focal ranges?
What are your experiences? Am I going to use, say a Superzoom or cheap tele while I have a fast Tele Zoom? Should I pick a macro lens or will extension tubes be fine? Do you really take the primes with you very often? Which combinations of lenses are in your bag when you go for a trip?

I have owned my K10D (my first DSLR!) for about 4.5 months... I love it, but am on a tight budget (grad school ).

I have the kit lens, an A50/1.7, an A70-200/4 beercan MF zoom, a Tamron A70-300 Di LD AF, and recently acquired a Vivitar 500mm mirror lens, a Sigma 28-80 AF standard zoom, and an FA 28-200.

I use the kit lens all the time! I am very impressed with (minus its low-light performance). Sometimes I bust out the A50/1.7 for low-light stuff, but I usually don't have time to. I also love the Tamron 70-300 Di LD. I am planning to sell the Sigma 28-80 AF zoom, and the beercan, and I expect the 28-200 will come in very handy as a "walkaround" lens for outdoor tourism.

Really, the only thing I wish I had was a faster standard zoom. I've been lusting after the Sigma 17-70/2.8-4, the Tamron 17-50/2.8, or the Tamron 28-75/2.8. Can't really decide which one... do I really need that extra stop at the long end, or would I rather have the wide angle?

[ranamar]

The lens I use the most?
My DA* 16-50 that I am selling tomorrow...Beautiful Lens, but I don't use it even close to its potential.
I am going to africa this summer, and I want to learn how to shoot primes.
From now on, I will be "stuck" with a FA-50 1.4 or a 35 2.8 on a pentax me super or k10d. Hopefully, this should teach me how to use artistic shots, instead of snapshots, because I will have to think about framing instead of just zooming around.

[247nino]

ive used my tamron 24-135mm the most,

aside from that it was a mix of

a28/2.8
fa50/1.4
17-70
f70-200

[247nino]

The lens I use the most?
My DA* 16-50 that I am selling tomorrow...Beautiful Lens, but I don't use it even close to its potential.
I am going to africa this summer, and I want to learn how to shoot primes.
From now on, I will be "stuck" with a FA-50 1.4 or a 35 2.8 on a pentax me super or k10d. Hopefully, this should teach me how to use artistic shots, instead of snapshots, because I will have to think about framing instead of just zooming around.

oh noes!!! framing, please be sure to take a long prime with you and a TC, is your 16-50 a winner? i want one

[Eliasson]

I mostly use the FA* 24/2 or FA 28/2.8 as walkaround lenses. I try to use the FA 50/1.4 as much as i can, specially at party´s and places with lot´s of people.
Early mornings and late afternoon´s for landscape´s i use the old SMC 24/2.8.

I´d like a long tele with larger aparture than the DA 50-200, but i can´t afford anything else at the moment.

Conclusion, the FA* 24/2 is my most used glass.

[aegisphan]

Conclusion, the FA* 24/2 is my most used glass.

Glad to see another fellow likes the FA* 24/2. It's certainly on my top 3 most used ones. The lens has some sort of magic that I like it better than my 31LTD. Of course, FOV-wise, it's less restricted and much better for walkaround.

I plan to reduce my collection down to what I really shoot often. At the moment, except for the Tokina 90 macro and the Distagon 28, the others on my list got their fair share of usage. But I don't see myself needing an extreme WA anymore, so the DA has to go.