[TedW]

I have the 15mm limited and love it. It is very artistic with great colors and you can point it right into the sun if need be.

I always assumed wide was better for landscapes but I have been discovering that going the opposite direction can get great results. This picture was taken with the older version of the Sigma 70-300mm lens I bought on the marketplace here for $60. So don't get locked into thinking only wide is the way to go. I'm not positive but I believe this was taken around 100mm.

[normhead]

I start with my DA 18-135, zoom to the framing I like and select the prime that goes there, choosing from the DA 21, DA 35 2.4, FA 50 1.8, SIgma 70 2.8 and if I want longer, DA*60-250. Because those are the lenses I own. I'd also say my SIgma 8-16 is pretty much indispensable.

DA 18-135


Sigma 8-16


21 ltd.
[

35 2.4


40XS


FA 50 1.7


Tamron 17-50


Tamron 90 macro


DA*60-250


A-400


Sticking with modern glass, and even some older glass, it's hard to find a lens that will ruin an image, it's all about having good glass in the focal lengths you use most. After all, the lens just has to not ruin the image. Not cropping and making use of your whole sensor is almost more important than what modern lens you use.

Almost every lens I own sooner or later gets used for landscape. You just need to make a plan, buy good quality optics and start with what you use most.

[Rondec]

I agree that you can use longer focal lengths. It has a way of compressing things in a nice way.

FA 77

[Sandy Hancock]

As Norm has just shown, just about any lens can be used to make a great landscape.

That said, the DA21 is probably my favourite. It is tiny, has great flare resistance and colour rendition, it's plenty sharp enough from f/5.6, and the focal length gives a field of view which just seems to fit with how I see a scene.

[normhead]

As Norm has just shown, just about any lens can be used to make a great landscape.

That said, the DA21 is probably my favourite. It is tiny, has great flare resistance and colour rendition, it's plenty sharp enough from f/5.6, and the focal length gives a field of view which just seems to fit with how I see a scene.

And at it's size, there is absolutely no excuse for leaving it home. It's a lens that should always be with you.

[Bob from Aus]

However the landscapes I take that I like the best is using my 50-135. I even have a favorite taken with a 500 prime. I find the wider the lens the more difficult it is to get a good composition. My suggestion when taking lands capes is to use your wide angle and then take a short telephoto and fire at any smaller composition you can isolate. Then on your computer see which photos have the best punch.

If you are one of these people who have the talent to take an hour or more to get the perfect composition this will obviously not work for you.

[tuco]

As Norm has just shown, just about any lens can be used to make a great landscape.

That said, the DA21 is probably my favourite.

Really nice work.

I agree, so many focal lengths can make for a good landscape lens. It all depends. And let's not forget today it is pretty easy to also do a couple shot pano if, say, your 21 wasn't wide enough and you didn't bring a wider one along.

[robjmitchell]

Different lenses seem to excel in different lighting conditions. The DA lenses (in my case 14 and 21) produce more saturated colours and lend themselves to day time photography. The FA ltd have a warmer cast that looks great at sunrise/sunset. The sigmas I have used have a yellowish cast that seems to produce lovely green tones, great for mossy waterfalls and such.
Choosing a landscape lens is therefor not that easy. Often other considerations come into your choice such as flexibility, weight, build, WR and so on. I've chosen to go with mid level zooms when I need versatility and high quality primes for enjoyment!

[ghiaauto]

I agree that you can use longer focal lengths. It has a way of compressing things in a nice way.

Wow, your pictures look fantastic. They are so sharp! Are these taken by FA77?

what about DA15, FA31? are they sharp like this?

Now i'm thinking of lens that can produce very sharp pictures like the ones you posted here.

I fell in love with it XD

I have DA50 F1.8 being shipped to me . will it be sharp like this?

If 77mm can do like this, I think 50mm can also do like this. XD

[Rondec]

Wow, your pictures look fantastic. They are so sharp! Are these taken by FA77?

what about DA15, FA31? are they sharp like this?

Now i'm thinking of lens that can produce very sharp pictures like the ones you posted here.

I fell in love with it XD

I have DA50 F1.8 being shipped to me . will it be sharp like this?

If 77mm can do like this, I think 50mm can also do like this. XD

I think the 50mm is quite sharp. The one thing I would do is get a decent lens hood to go with it (I don't think it ships with one). I'm old school and tend to shoot at f8 and hyperfocal distance -- a little tougher to do with longer focal lengths. I really would shoot with the kit lens a little bit and see what focal lengths you like, though. Then, you can get primes to fill in. I think the DA 35 f2.4 would also be fine from a landscape standpoint and a whole lot cheaper than the FA 31 limited, which is quite expensive.

[ghiaauto]

I think the 50mm is quite sharp. The one thing I would do is get a decent lens hood to go with it (I don't think it ships with one). I'm old school and tend to shoot at f8 and hyperfocal distance -- a little tougher to do with longer focal lengths. I really would shoot with the kit lens a little bit and see what focal lengths you like, though. Then, you can get primes to fill in. I think the DA 35 f2.4 would also be fine from a landscape standpoint and a whole lot cheaper than the FA 31 limited, which is quite expensive.

using the kit lens first is a good idea but I have a question about why FA31 or DA15 are so expensive compared to DA35 F2.4? is it because they are limited? or the sharpness? what makes them so special and of course expensive

[Rondec]

using the kit lens first is a good idea but I have a question about why FA31 or DA15 are so expensive compared to DA35 F2.4? is it because they are limited? or the sharpness? what makes them so special and of course expensive

The limited lenses have an all metal build, are pretty small and are designed to have great rendering of out of focus areas. The DA 35 f2.4 and DA 50 f1.8 have a lot of plastic used in their construction and probably aren't quite as nice when it comes to rendering. Sharpness will be good on most primes, particularly stopped down a little.

Before you jump in and get a limited lens, look at some of the threads that demonstrate the type of photos people take with them. Remember as well, that some of what you see is skill in capturing light and framing subject. There are folks here who can make a coke bottle look awesome...

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/86234-15mm-limited-controls-my-mind-club.html

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/59538-fa-limited-club.html

[ghiaauto]

The limited lenses have an all metal build, are pretty small and are designed to have great rendering of out of focus areas. The DA 35 f2.4 and DA 50 f1.8 have a lot of plastic used in their construction and probably aren't quite as nice when it comes to rendering. Sharpness will be good on most primes, particularly stopped down a little.

Before you jump in and get a limited lens, look at some of the threads that demonstrate the type of photos people take with them. Remember as well, that some of what you see is skill in capturing light and framing subject. There are folks here who can make a coke bottle look awesome...

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/86234-15mm-limited-controls-my-mind-club.html

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/59538-fa-limited-club.html

Wow, I've seen the photos you uploaded on both threads. They are absolutely amazing both 15mm and 31mm. I really wanna be able to take some photos like that too. Can you tell me what camera did you use? I have a K3, can it do like that too? and what about filters, do you use any?

[northcoastgreg]

Then let's say which lens is the sharpest one! XD thanks

Most of the better sort of lenses (constant aperture zooms and primes) are going to be sharp enough. What I look for in a landscape/seascape lens is microcontrast and color rendition. Flare resistance is important because veiling flare can reduce contrast.

The ideal landscape lens would be a high end "slow" lens, like the DA 15 f4. With landscapes, you don't need, and really don't want, a fast aperture lens, since fast aperture lenses tend to have more glass, and more glass tends to mean less flare resistance and worse light transmission (which can affect color rendition), along with greater weight and cost. Unfortunately, manufacturers tend to regard slow glass as "budget" lenses, and so sometimes they use lower quality glass and skimp on the coatings of their slower lenses. Hence I've run across scores of Canon and Nikon landscape shooters trudging around with big, expensive f2.8 zooms, because those are the best zoom lenses available on those platforms. Pentax, on the other hand, has the best selection of high quality slower APS-C lenses. Some photographers complain about the "slow" apertures of the DA limiteds, but they're great for landscape work. Among the slower Pentax zooms, I would recommend the DA 10-17 f3.5-4.5, the DA 12-24 f4, the HD DA 20-40 f2.8-4, the DA 17-70 f4, DA* 60-250 f4 and the FA 20-35 f4. Other than the DA 10-17 and maybe the DA 20-40, these zooms will be more flare prone than the limited primes, but otherwise, in more subdued light they're plenty sharp and contrasty enough for landscape work. The f2.8 zooms can produce stunning images as well, although obviously the f2.8 is not needed for landscape work and the added weight of the fast lens is hardly welcome in the field.

[ghiaauto]

Most of the better sort of lenses (constant aperture zooms and primes) are going to be sharp enough. What I look for in a landscape/seascape lens is microcontrast and color rendition. Flare resistance is important because veiling flare can reduce contrast.

How can I know which lens has a good flare resistance? thank