[connor.nolan]

Hello!
I currently have a K-5 with 18-135 3.5-5.6 lens. I would like to pick up a normal length prime in addition to the setup I already have. I will be doing mainly travel photography and I typically like to shoot a lot of street photos. Also, I would like something that is fast enough to get decent results in low light. Would the 35 2.4 be the best bet for these criterion? Feel free to suggest others too. My budget is $450 at the very maximum. I am not opposed to buying used. Thanks for the help!

[jimr-pdx]

The DA35 and DA50 are both very talented low-light lenses; for street the 35 would likely be the better focal length but I'm not a street shooter myself. If you can manage without all the electronic focus/exposure assistance, that $450 can also get you a nice 24/28mm manual lens. I've never found a poor 28mm in any brand so far, and 24mm gets you the film equivalent of 35mm semi-wide shots. Another way to get there would be a DA21 plus manual 35/50mm lenses, if you tend to like wider views for travel.

[luftfluss]

The 35/2.4 is fab. Heck, for $450 you might be able to get both the 35/2.4 and a used DA 70/2.4 Ltd.

[VoiceOfReason]

Hello!
I currently have a K-5 with 18-135 3.5-5.6 lens. I would like to pick up a normal length prime in addition to the setup I already have. I will be doing mainly travel photography and I typically like to shoot a lot of street photos. Also, I would like something that is fast enough to get decent results in low light. Would the 35 2.4 be the best bet for these criterion? Feel free to suggest others too. My budget is $450 at the very maximum. I am not opposed to buying used. Thanks for the help!

TBH at that price point you can get both the 35 f/2.4 and a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. Of course if you're stuck on a prime I'd look for a used Sigma 30 f/1.4 and get a used DA50 f/1.8 to go with it and still be in budget.

[Erd§]

For that kind of budget, I'd try to find a used FA43 ltd, that is if you don't feel that 43mm is too long for street shooting. It's a brilliant little thing with excellent IQ and having a max aperture of f1.9, good low-light capability. You just have to watch out for a bit of CA in high contrast situations. While the 35 2.4 punches well above its weight (small, sharp, light, inexpensive, great IQ, etc), to me, there was something about the images it produced that I didn't particularly like....and although I owned it for a couple of years, to this day, I was never able to put my finger on what that was. Others swear by it. YMMV.

[Jasecat]

I'd look for two lenses - a nice F28/2.8 or FA28/2.8 (I have the F, and love it) and an FA 50/1.4 (hopefully my next purchase). Used, the 28mm should be around $150-$200 and the 50mm just over $200.

[dms]

I suggest one of the classic 50mm f/1.7 or f/1.4 pentax lens. Take your pick: the smc m f/1.7 for about $50. thru the FA version--they are all the same optics. Or the f/1.4 which comes in anything from super takumar to FA, with (supposedly) a minor tweaking of the optics w/ the A thru FA version.

[bpv_UW]

If 43 isn't too long for your style of street shooting, get an Fa 43. If it is, get an F 28/2.8 and an F 50/1.7 (and have some $ left over).

Brandon

[K57XR]

Both DA35/2.4 and DA50/1.8 are fantastic lenses. I had both but sold the 50 since it was rarely used and I have another prime covering that FL. The 35/2.4 was my general walk-around on a K-5 before switching to the 16-50 zoom. Now the 35 resides on (and fits like a glove) on my wife's K-r. I had a Vivitar 28mm/2.8 at one point which is a very good lens but sold it to fund the 35/2.4. I do on occasion miss having a 28mm prime.

For $450 you can get both the DA35/2.4 and DA50/1.8 used at BH and still have change for a Pentax-F 28mm/2.8 currently sitting in the marketplace - and still have change. YMMV but for me 28mm and 35mm are far enough gap to have both.
Cheers!

[Jasecat]

Here is a link to the F 28 that K57XR mentioned:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/296413-sal...5-shipped.html

Seems good for $175.

[no694terry]

you can go back and look at your old photo Exif/details and see what mm range you shot at most often in those situatons.

Although theres nothing really wrong with the 18-135, it perfectly sharp when held steady. I'm personally look for something wider to carry around like a 10-24 or 10-20

A Tamron 17-50 F2.8 is an affordable lens that takes great photos. I had one and miss it

[pathdoc]

Of course if you're stuck on a prime I'd look for a used Sigma 30 f/1.4 and get a used DA50 f/1.8 to go with it and still be in budget.

That combination has a lot of merit. Depending on how much time OP had to go looking, he might even find a used FA50/1.4 at the right price, which would give him a truly fast and nicely spaced prime combination.

If he's in a hurry, though, I'm pretty sure he could score both the 35mm and 50mm plastic fantastics for under his maximum new-in-box (if he wanted the warranty protection), and he would not be doing badly at all. That's a good fallback position for him if time is short (ETA or if all the options we're presenting become too much to think about, LOL!!).

[sterretje]

I'm personally look for something wider to carry around like a 10-24 or 10-20

Covering the wider side was already mentioned in another thread that was started by OP. It started basically the same asking about primes and ended with a whole variety of options, mostly at the wider side.
I think this time OP wants specifically advise on a prime

[no694terry]

hows Pentaxs pricing been? I remeber years ago you could get those plastic fanstastics at great deals on sale. Then Pentax came in and "fixed" the pricing and I quit looking at them.

if i were by a prime today, it would either be a DA50 f1.8 or a Tamrom 90mm F2,8 Macro

[connor.nolan]

Looks as though I will be purchasing the f 28 2.8 from either eBay or from the listing on the forum, whichever is cheaper. Looks like an excellent lens for the price. I may also try to pick up a 50 1.4 or 1.7 at a later date, but I think the 28mm will suit me well at the moment. Thanks for the help everyone!