[ManuH]

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Like BDery all my lenses are used (all my lenses have at least one entry in my PPG) and have a purpose. The only case when I had two lenses covering the same use was when I had the Pentax 12-24/4 and the Sigma 10-20mm. And even in that case they had each a different use (Sigma for extreme wide and low CA, Pentax for more general purpose).

There are some lenses that I don't use much anymore but it's because they're backup and their resale value is so low anyway... (DA L 18-55mm, Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8-4 and an old manual Tamron 80-210mm).

[Ash]

I was thinking this thread title could've been started by the Mrs!

Well, are you wearing all your shoes?

Not usually all at the same time.

[mattb123]

I use all of mine but some not very often.

I have a K-x and used to have a ME Super. I had a 135 f/2.5 M than I never used because it was big, heavy, and kind of a pain on digital IMO. So I sold that to raise money for my newest acquisition, a DA40. Whenever I get a new lens I leave it on the camera for a couple of weeks just to get to know it. I'm in that stage with the 40 now.

I have:
DA15mm Ltd f/4
DA40mm Ltd f/2.8
SMC A 50mm f/1.7
DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (kit)
DA L 55-300mm f/4-5.8 (kit, but acquired separately on eBay)

I also have a Vivitar 2x Macro focusing TC that is really nice in combination with the 40 or 50 as a Macro. Having that swayed me to the 40 instead of the 35 Macro so I could save some money and get the smaller package.

I definitely use the 55-300 the least. I think it has the worst IQ of the bunch (although I'd still consider it "ok") and I just don't shoot at the tele end of things that much.

I'm really enjoying the 40 and have a feeling that could end up being my most used lens in the near future. It's also so nice and compact. I like that.

[grainbelt]

I really only use the 10-20, DA 35, and 55-300

The FA 50 1.4 and I don't really get along, and I sold the Tamron 90mm Macro to buy the DA 35. The 18-55 doesn't do anything the 10-20 or 35 can't do better, so I rarely use it.

My film stuff is rarely used, but I love it all too much to part with any of it. A 28 2.8, M 40 2.8, A 50 1.7, M 100 2.8. All useful in their own way, since the 40 is tiny, the 28 is wide, the 50 is normal, and the 100 does portraits.

[Ira]

I own at least 7 pairs of underwear, and even those with big holes in them get used from time to time.

[robbiec]

I have these:
Primes:
Super Takumars 28 f3.5, 35 f3.5, 85 f1.9
Pentax SMC K 55 f1.8
Pentax SMC M 50 f1.4
Pentax SMC FA 50 f1.4
Vivitar 28 f2.8 CF (Komine)
FA Limiteds 43 f1.9, 77 f1.8

Zooms:
DA 16-45 f4.0
DA 55-300

The girl friend uses the zooms generally and mostly if I go out these days I just take the 43 and 77. The FA50 seems to be permanantly on the Z1 P and the 28 & 35 share their time on the Sportmatic. I use the 55 and 85 for when i'm feeling especially photographic and just want to experiment. No love for the Vivitar (don't like its colours) and the M50 is totally overshadowed by the K55.
Topics like these are great I think cause it makes me look into my photo drawer and pull out some lenses.

[panoguy]

The only thing that fits in the lensmount that I never use? The body cap.

Seriously, I had a Sigma 10-20 for a few months and only used it 3 or 4 times - and that was enough to sell it. Had some nice MF Zeiss lenses and they didn't "do it" for me and now they're gone (well, except the Flektogon - it will never go!).

[RioRico]

I own at least 7 pairs of underwear, and even those with big holes in them get used from time to time.

Too much information. Shall I tell you about my socks? Some are older than some members here.

But I digress. As I've mentioned before, I bought my K20D just over two years ago, with a DA10-17, DA18-250, and FA50/1.4. But then I went hog-wild on eBay, buying much manual glass and just three more AF's: FA100-300, DA18-55, and (an act of lunacy) a Lil'Bigma 170-500 APO DGL. All of those are basic kit, except often I just don't feel like hauling the Lil'Bigma.

Some of those eBay MFL's were included in "lots" of various gear, where I went for one lens and intended to sell everything else. Haven't sold anything yet. Darn. I'm waiting for the economy to improve, and that's the story I'll stick with. With some lenses I thought, "Hey, it'll be fun to see how good it is, and it's cheap." And some were (and are) just more painful learning experiences.

Do I triage the glass? Sort of, into rough "carry-and-use" categories: 1) almost certainly, 2) fairly likely, 3) pretty unlikely, and 4) where did it go? And the first three niches may change daily. Some lenses are almost "walking wounded" -- a 24/2 and 25/3.5 whose apertures are stuck wide open, but I like the images they produce anyway. And while I'm pretty likely to carry my fastest lenses, I also favor some (cheap) slower glass that's tack-sharp.

I don't think of myself as a collector. I'm not trying to obtain "the entire set" of anything. As many as possible of Taks, Meyers, Ennas, good Vivs, and Russians, but not ALL of them, no. So I have a dozen 50-58's to compare, and a dozen 24-28's, and I'm still trying to decide which are the absolute best, and when and where. And I tell myself that someday I'll sell the losers. Sure, that could happen...

"The God of Industry supplies his worshippers with objects
and can only exist on condition that his gifts are gratefully accepted.
In the eyes of an Industrialator the first duty of man
is to collect as many objects as he can." --Aldous Huxley

[Russell-Evans]

I do have to sell something to fund new purchase. Maybe I will sell the DA 50-200mm and get P-TTL flash.

Buy one of these for $26.
QUANTARAY QTB-9500A BOUNCE SWIVEL ZOOM MINOLTA TTL - eBay (item 290443866285 end time Jul-10-10 08:51:28 PDT)

Yes, I know it says Minolta, but you don't need the module and will be replacing it with a module for Pentax for $15.

NEW Quantaray Flash Module QDA-P 531660710 For Pentax - eBay (item 310168628186 end time Jun-12-10 14:00:01 PDT)

The auto module on the K10D works like this: You put the camera into TV mode making sure you have set ISO to be on one or the other e-dials in the custom menu setup. You put the flash into auto mode and set the level to the blue f2.8 level if f2.8 is were you want ISO 100 to start. The yellow is f4, and the green is f5.6. Setting the flash to yellow means ISO 100 starts at f4 and setting the flash to green means ISO 100 starts at f5.6. The flash will read the ISO from the camera and then set the aperture accordingly. The only thing left is to set the shutter speed. If you want to include ambient light, set the shutter speed low enough to include it, otherwise set the shutter speed somewhere between 1/60 and 1/180. Really and truly this is a specular way to work with a flash on the camera, all for around $40.

Thank you
Russell

I have seven mistresses and I rotate through them . . . . .

Oops, wrong forum.


Anyway, what I do is to slap on a different lens everyday.

[Eagle_Friends]

I got a 18-55 white kit, a A 50mm f2, M 200mm f4, DA 40, DA 55-300, and just bought a DFA 100mm WR. I used all my lens, but I do tend to use the DA40 and the DA 55-300 most. Now the DFA 100mm will join that group. =]

[KxBlaze]

I use all of my 4 of my 5 lenses (a 18-55, 28-105, 70-300 and a prime 50). The one that gets no use is a 28-80 that I found at a thrift store for $10, but at the rate I am buying lenses I am sure more and more of my future or current lenses will go unused. I have a bad case of LBA. I was brand new to photography 3-4 months ago and have bought more than a lens a month.

[RioRico]

I use all of my 4 of my 5 lenses (a 18-55, 28-105, 70-300 and a prime 50). The one that gets no use is a 28-80 that I found at a thrift store for $10, but at the rate I am buying lenses I am sure more and more of my future or current lenses will go unused. I have a bad case of LBA. I was brand new to photography 3-4 months ago and have bought more than a lens a month.

A lens a month? You call that LBA??? For a few months on eBay I bought an average of a lens a day. Now the money is gone but the lenses are still here. Hint: They were (mostly) old manual lenses. They were mostly cheap. They stare at me now.

Hell does not start with an "H", it starts with an "E" and ends with and "H" and displays art within its realm.........................Anyone??????

EartH, eh?

[Ken T]

A lens a month? You call that LBA??? For a few months on eBay I bought an average of a lens a day. Now the money is gone but the lenses are still here. Hint: They were (mostly) old manual lenses. They were mostly cheap. They stare at me now.



EartH, eh?

Same here .

[TaoMaas]

I'm curious...for those who say that each of their lenses has a specific purpose, did you start out with no lenses and bought things as needed? Or did you have an extensive set of lenses and sold/bought things to get down to your current kit?