[GlennG]

Grass is always greener kind of thing. I keep thinking that my perfect set up would be the 16-50 and 60-250, neither of which I have now. But those are pricey, and I've not justified that kind of money for a hobby. Still, those for me would perfect, rather than the 18-55 II, 17-70 f/4 and DA 40 limited, and the 55-300, though all of those have very good value, for what they are and cost.

[SpecialK]

If I was reincarnated as a manually-focusing photographer, I might start with the Rokinon series of 8/14/24/35/85.

[dcBear78]

When I originally bought my K-30 I wish I had bought it with the 18-135 rather than 18-55. But I corrected that with a good 2nd hand deal.

Other regret is I wish I had bought DA15 rather than Sigma 10-20 before they nerfed it with the HD version.

[LeRolls]

The following is my preferred kit:

FA 31
FA 43
FA 77
DFA 100mm Macro WR
DA 15
Helios 44-2

I have the DA 21, DA 40XS, DA 70, Sigma 16mm Fisheye, SMC Pentax 28mm F3.5, SMC Pentax-DA L 55-300mm and the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4. All of these lenses are really good but I hardly use them anymore and they're mostly collecting dust now.

[retroflex]

Wish I bought the 77 instead of the 43 since I am more into portraits now and already have 43mm covered. Anyone up for a trade?

Also wish I bought a decent flash instead of an ultra cheap Dörr DAF 42.

But on the other hand, both have given me great photos I wouldn't have got otherwise...

[Sandy Hancock]

I decided nearly two years ago to only get the good stuff. It the time the only premium lens I owned was the FA77.

On the way to my current stable, I have tried and sold FA50/1.4, DA40, DA70, DA20-40 (returned for refund), DA*60-250, SIgma 17-70 and Sigma EX 17-50/2.8. No doubt I have lost a few bucks on the way, but I got my DA15, DA21 DA*16-50 and DA*50-135 at insane prices from the US when the Aussie dollar was strong, so it's all good.

The only additions I can see on the horizon are the Sigma 18-35/1.8 and the new Pentax 1.4x teleconverter if it materialises.

I don't think I would want to change my journey.

[wildman]

what would you do for a "redo"?

keep my FA 35, Sig 105 macro, Sig 10-20 3.5, Ric 85mm 1.4,

Get the new Sig 18-250 zoom.

Then get out of this damn snow-bound house and start taking pictures.

[aurele]

I decided nearly two years ago to only get the good stuff.

I think this is probably what i should have done since the begining : only go for the glass you really need, without looking for all Bell and whistle.

I tried quite a bunch of lenses, some very fast (like the Porst 55/1.2, Kiron 28/2), cheap one (F35-70, tak F 70-210).
In the end i'm the most happy with the good but not to good spec wize (Da55, DA 35/2,4, Vivitar 70-210/3.5).

[monochrome]

There's what I should have done, what I would have done had I known then what I know now, and what I could have done but didn't do. But I probably would do exactly what I did, which was buy way too many lenses for what I actually do and lean far too heavily toward the collecting side of the hobby.

I shoud have just gotten the three FA Limiteds, one at a time, or the FA*28~70 and FA*80~200 zooms and FA*300, a TC - and nothing else. But the old ones are just too attractive to pass up.

[mecrox]

It's the time of year when I usually mull over throwing off the traces and trying something else. Would I be sorry to see any of my lenses go? Nope, with two exceptions: the smc-A 50mm f1.4 and the smc-M 120mm f2.8, ironically the oldest and least costly of the lot but the most enjoyable to use. I really don't want to part with either. Spending a year with these two and perhaps the 12-24mm, the DA* 55mm and one longer lens like the DA* 200mm might be interesting.

[seventysixersfan]

I would have just sucked it up and bought the FA 31mm from the outset, instead of trying to get a bunch of "poor-man" versions of it like my FA 35 and smc-F 28mm. I would have skipped the FA 50mm f/1.4 and gotten a DA* 55mm f/1.4. I would have bought a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 before they were discontinued. I would have skipped the DA-L zoom lenses that came bundled with my K-x, and gotten a body-only, then get a DA 16-45mm or Sigma 17-70. There are lots of second-guessing here and that's why this is a fun thread idea--thanks!

[Driline]

I would have just sucked it up and bought the FA 31mm from the outset, instead of trying to get a bunch of "poor-man" versions of it like my FA 35 and smc-F 28mm.

This was not a bad move on your part. Look at all the money you're going to save me from not repeating your mistakes LOL. The only lens I'm looking at now to purchase will be the FA 31 or possibly the new Sigma 18-35 should it's reviews prove worthy.

I've made 2 mistakes on my short journey of only one year on lens buying . One, selling my DA L 18-55 kit lens and then turning around and buying the DA II version instead because supposedly it was so much better. It is not.

And two purchasing the Pentax DA 18-135 and selling it shortly there after. Maybe it was a soft copy, maybe the reviews were right, that in fact this is a mediocre lens. I don't know, but I would rather have bypassed it and just purchased the DA*50-135 and been done with it.

[seventysixersfan]

I would have just sucked it up and bought the FA 31mm from the outset, instead of trying to get a bunch of "poor-man" versions of it like my FA 35 and smc-F 28mm.

Though I will say that I am very satisfied with the images I get while using my FA 35 and smc-F 28mm, and those two lenses combined are still a lot less money than a FA 31. But when I see what my FA 43 can do, especially compared to my FA 50 and DA 40, it makes me always wonder about getting more of the FA limiteds...

[stormtech]

Over the past 4 years or so, I bought and sold a lot of lenses - mostly bought used. This was the only way I could experience them all for myself to find what I like best. I don't regret this at all even though it did cost me some money to do it. I ended up with higher end lenses, but I don't think I would appreciate them as much now if I hadn't shot with the others.

A few times I sold lenses to help fund another lens that I wanted. This has back fired on me a few times and ended up buying said lenses again.

Lenses that I sold along the way that I bought again:

DA 10-17
DFA 50 Macro 2.8
DFA 100 Macro 208 WR

After all that, I am now very happy with my current line up with just one more lens to buy which will probably be the next Black Friday - DA* 16-50.

My current line up which I know are are keepers for me now:

DA 10-17
DA 12-24
DFA 50 Macro 2.8
DFA 100 Macro 2.8 WR
DA* 60-250
DA* 300

[normhead]

The only thing I'd do different would be the DA 18-135 as my kit lens.

The lenses I bought, in order of purchase.
18-55 and Sigma 70-300
10-17 fisheye
FA 50 1.7
DA 18-135
Tamron 90 macro
DA* 60-250
21 ltd
DA 35 2.4
A-400 ƒ5.6
Sigma 8-16
Sigma 70 macro.

Apart from not having a 31 ltd, I don't thick I'd change much. The Pentax 1.4 converter will make the A-400 obsolete, the 18-135 made my 18-55s obsolete. I wouldn't buy the Sigma 7-300 again unless I couldn't afford the 60-250 and Tamron 90 macro, but those lenses are a huge expenditure, the 70-300 is a nice cheap stop gap to get you from here to there, although it's since been made obsolete buy the Pentax 55-3000, a much better lens.

The one change I would consider would be Sigma 70-200 ƒ2.8 with matched 2x TC instead of the DA* 60-250, but I still think the 60-250 with 1:1.4 TC will be a better match. But that's the one choice I'm not really sure about.

The 31 ltd should I ever acquire one will replace the 35 2.4. Apart from that and adding a Rokinin 24mm tilt shift, I'm not currently contemplating any changes.