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05-26-2015, 01:36 PM   #1
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What are the lenses that work best with K3

Can somebody suggest 2-3 good lenses that work best with K3...that will cover 10/11mm to 200/300mm. Are Tamron lenses good?

05-26-2015, 01:43 PM - 1 Like   #2
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I'd have to cast a vote for the extraordinary DA* 60-250mm.

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05-26-2015, 01:49 PM   #3
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DA * 60-250, Tamron 17-50 ƒ2.8, FA 50 1.7. if I can only have 3.

And Tamrons are the easiest cheapest way to get low cost really functional glass. The issues are build quality tends to feel a little cheap and the defective on arrival rate tends to be a little high, but once you have a good one (after possibly returning one or two), you've got a keeper. With something like the Tamron 17-50, Tamron 70-200 and Tamron 90 macro... you've got a great line up for minimum cost.

Last edited by normhead; 05-26-2015 at 01:54 PM.
05-26-2015, 01:57 PM   #4
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Comes down to budget. Aforementioned 60-250 is really well-regarded. The Sigma 10-20 UWA lenses are both popular choices. If you were looking for great image quality, you wouldn't be looking at any of the super zoom stuff to get out to 300, so that would be more along the lines of a DA 300. A nice 17-50 coupled with a 60-250 would cover the normal end of what you're looking for. A K-3 + the quality of the 60-250 would let you crop to a quality 300 range.

If image quality doesn't need to be top notch, you could do a 10-20 UWA, and one of the 18-250 (or 18-270) lenses.

05-26-2015, 02:01 PM   #5
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2 zooms
DA* 16-50
DA* 60-250


or 2 FF zooms
FA* 28-70
FA* 80-200


(because once you start with primes, you can't keep from LBA )
05-26-2015, 02:05 PM   #6
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Sigma 8-16, DA 16-50, DA 60-250, assuming you want the full gamut of focal lengths. If you can skip 10-11, replace the Sigma with the DA 12-24. I have also heard good things about the Tamron 28-75 so you could replace the DA 16-50 with that lens if going with the DA 12-24. First option covers 8-250 except 50-60. 2nd covers 12-250 except 24-28. I have owned all but hte Tamron and they're all good. The 16-50 needs stopping down a little at the wide end, but you're not typically trying to shoot 16mm at f2.8 anyway.
05-26-2015, 02:05 PM - 1 Like   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by kkgiyer Quote
Can somebody suggest 2-3 good lenses that work best with K3...that will cover 10/11mm to 200/300mm. Are Tamron lenses good?
I still really think the DA12-24mm f/4 is excellent. I also use the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8. The DA* 60-250 mentioned would be in my kit if I wanted to spend the money for it. Until then, the 55-300 serves me well.

05-26-2015, 02:06 PM   #8
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My kit currently is DA 12-24, DA*16-60 and DA*60-250
05-26-2015, 02:09 PM   #9
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FA Limited for a start. They work fabulously well on the K-3.

05-26-2015, 02:28 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by kkgiyer Quote
Can somebody suggest 2-3 good lenses that work best with K3...that will cover 10/11mm to 200/300mm. Are Tamron lenses good?
Check out our staff lens picks:

Recommended Pentax Gear 2015 - Gear Guides | PentaxForums.com

Can't go wrong with these!

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05-26-2015, 03:00 PM   #11
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You have some good recommendations from other members.....I'll piggy back on the DA*16-50 (some reviews are damning, but I like mine) and the DA*60-250. As for the Tamrons, I get lots of use out of my 28-75 and think it does a great job for the price. I'd also second the recommendation for the FA50 1.7.
05-26-2015, 03:22 PM   #12
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DxoMark also have a test report on the best lenses for the K-3:

Best lenses for the 24-MPix Pentax K-3: Recommended primes and zooms - DxOMark
05-26-2015, 04:22 PM   #13
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Regarding Tamron lenses, the majority of the relatively few lens models Tamron still sells today for Pentax are previous-generation left-over designs, so the question "are Tamron lenses good" can't be applied equally to Pentax vs. Nikon or Canon (or some selected other brands.)
05-26-2015, 05:32 PM   #14
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What you mean to say is Tamron isn't releasing new lenses. They still have some very good lenses available for Pentax. Calling them left-overs seriously makes it sound like there's something wrong with them. I guess we should call the FA LTDs "leftovers." What can you do in the face of such an attitude? Some of the best glass ever made are "leftovers." Some of the new stuff is less than stellar. I don't rate lenses based on how old their design is. There are other criteria that are much more relevant.
05-26-2015, 08:22 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by kkgiyer Quote
Can somebody suggest 2-3 good lenses that work best with K3...that will cover 10/11mm to 200/300mm. Are Tamron lenses good?
Welcome to PentaxForums! Let us know a little more so we can make a recommendation that works for you. What types of photography do you prefer doing? Do you have prior DSLR experience? What's your approximate budget? How important is weather resistance to you? I'm going to assume you want zooms for versatility.

Ultrawide: Tamron 10-24. I like mine. It's reasonably sharp (no ultrawide zoom will be tack-sharp) and, even though all ultrawides have distortion, the 10-24's distortion shows as stretching in the corners rather than a fisheye effect (it's a matter of personal opinion but fisheye looks unappealing to me). The Pentax 12-24 and Sigma 10-20 are also viable options. All 3 have reviews on the forum.

Normal: Pentax DA* 16-50. It's the "fastest" (wide aperture) zoom for low light and is weather resistant. Tamron and Sigma have similar zoom lenses but they are not weather sealed.

Telephoto: 2 ways to go here. The Pentax DA* 60-250 is the far superior lens, but it's a difficult decision because the Pentax 55-300 is so good for its price and very compact.
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