[wibbly]

if you want to talk about a compact kit i think that's hard to beat. the k70 with the da40ltd is going to be incredibly compact for a walkabout, and you can still have 4 lenses with you in a case not much larger than a water bottle.

[builttospill]

FA 31, FA 43, and FA 77. And earplugs or an mp3 player.

Here's why I recommend the above lenses: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/59538-fa-limited-club.html

[leekil]

As others have suggested, try listening to some of the Pentax primes that have metal bodies. The sound will be different than the plastic lenses you didn't like the sound of.

[jddwoods]

i just can't see the "quiet" in all caps being a total killer for choosing the da limited set. screwdrive isn't like an airhorn, i think you just hear it that way

for all low light stuff, all walkabout stuff, for all landscape stuff, architecture stuff, portrait stuff, pretty well most things besides sports and wildlife....




you won't find a more compact more broad reaching and most of all affordable setup than this from anyone...

Nice looking set, I am looking into getting that case for my DA limiteds. One should not overlook the fact that the DA Limiteds all have quick shift where you can turn the focus close to target then let the autofocus finish. The noise with the DA limiteds when using quick shift is insignificant in most places. This is especially true for the wider versions such as the DA 15 and DA 21 where the autofocus throw is too short to get that dentist drill perception.

---------- Post added 10-07-16 at 06:52 AM ----------

Get the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 along with the K-70, IMO. The latter actually exhibits noticeably less noise at higher ISOs than the K-S2 or K-3 even, so you should be good to go by pushing the ISO when needed.

As for silent primes, there aren't that many around sadly. The Sigma 30mm might be the best option, if you can get your hands on a good copy.

Do you think the Sigma 17-70 is a better choice than the DA 16-85 if F2.8 is not needed? I am on the fence between these two, my priorities are sharpness, quiet autofocus and weather sealing.

[ChristianRock]

Basically I have 3 or 4 types of photography I will do mostly:

Daytime landscape

Pentax DA 15mm Limited

Evening/nighttime city shooting

Pentax 20-40mm f/2.8-4. It's small/light enough and the range is short enough/good enough quality that it pretty much qualifies as a prime in my book With modern cameras, you can go to ISO 3200 easily, and even 6400 cleans up well in post. So f/2.8 is good enough for most uses.

Astrophotography (basic, not planning to go for tracking mounts and such)

Samyang 16mm f2

Some occasional bird/animal shooting (at telephoto distance)

Pentax DA 55-300mm

The noise really makes me question going the Pentax way, and I don't see any good alternatives for the 50mm 1.8 and the 35mm 2.4.

Get the K-3 instead of the bodies you are thinking about, and you will get a bit quieter and faster (albeit not totally quiet) AF.

[UncleVanya]

Here's a shot or two with the DA Limited 20-40

Night - handheld @ f/4.5 for improved DOF (The idea was to get the sign sharp and the people playing reasonably sharp. Still need more PP on this one I think. I want the sign brighter.)


Inside at Dusk @ f8 for improved DOF across the multiple subjects (probably excessive DOF but I was worried about getting the fiddler in the picture to be sharp as well as the last person on the left in the same shot...):

[reh321]

.....
Sure manual focus is a solution for the screw-drive noise, especially considering MF is needed for astrophotography anyway. But for most other low light city stuff I'd really want autofocus.

The noise really makes me question going the Pentax way....

I used Pentax 1979-95, but moved to Canon when I went to AF, because I liked their USM lenses so much better than the screw-drive; I recently came back to Pentax because of the bodies. Those who have stuck with Pentax for a number of years just don't understand how screw-drive can unnerve the rest of us. My K-30 was kitted with an 18-55mm screw-drive lens, but almost immediately I bought an 18-135mm DC solely to be able to use in-lens AF for most of the pictures I take. I expect to buy a K-70 soon, specifically so I can then replace my 55-300mm screw-drive lens with the new 55-300mm PLM variant - in fact, I may buy them at the same time. That would leave the 10-20mm Sigma lens as the only screw-drive lens in my bag. I believe Pentax is moving to some kind of in-lens motor in every lens, but that will take time. In the meantime, the advice above this is probably as good as you're going to get as far as minimizing screw-drive noise is concerned {you should be aware that, as of the current time, a major drawback of the K-3 is that it is not compatible with the KAF4 lenses, which may include most with in-lens motor in the future}

---

Last edited by reh321; 10-07-2016 at 01:47 PM.

[scottmasterton]

Get the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 along with the K-70, IMO. .

Ditto

[narual]

fast, small, lightweight, autofocus, relatively cheap and QUIET primes

You can't have all those things in one lens. Not from any company.

err... sure you can.
AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

f/1.8 is as fast as the fa 31mm ltd
it weighs 200g vs 345g for the limited
it's $200 brand new, vs about $1000,
and it's silent autofocus

[Sandy Hancock]

err... sure you can.
AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

f/1.8 is as fast as the fa 31mm ltd
it weighs 200g vs 345g for the limited
it's $200 brand new, vs about $1000,
and it's silent autofocus

Well there you go. I guess the OP should buy a Nikon

[narual]

Well there you go. I guess the OP should buy a Nikon

Hey, you're the one who said "not from any company"

[UncleVanya]

Hey, you're the one who said "not from any company"

He also said f1.4 in the post so perhaps that's the disconnect - between what is fast and what is merely quick.

[lithedreamer]

Have my eyes set on buying a recent Pentax DSLR, but I need some advice on lens choices to really convince me to go the Pentax way (as opposed to going MFT).

Welcome! We can be a bit of a rowdy bunch, but I think I can find you something that will make you happy.

Basically I have 3 or 4 types of photography I will do mostly:

1. Daytime landscape
2. Evening/nighttime city shooting
3. Astrophotography (basic, not planning to go for tracking mounts and such)
4. Some occasional bird/animal shooting (at telephoto distance)

Keep in mind that 35mm and 50mm lenses you found are the 'bargain barrel', so to speak. They produce fine results from what I've seen, but you're making some serious compromises. You've found some lenses to work between for genre 1, so let's consider the others.

2) Try the 20-40mm Limited. The DC motor is amazingly quiet; excellent construction (makes me want one, I just don't have a use for it); decent aperture range while light-weight, and can be had cheaply enough if you shop around [there are a couple used on B&H for $500]. The focal length range is perfect for street shooting, even if I prefer the 40 or 43 limiteds for that work.

3) I really recommend you check out the Vixen Polarie tracker. Don't bother with the accessories, just the tracker, a tripod and a second ballhead will do wonders for your astrophotography. There are plenty of lenses in this range... perhaps the Samyang 14mm [$329]? Manual focusing is the rule for astrophotography anyway.

4) I actually like the 50-135mm or the 100mm Macro for this purpose, but most birders prefer a longer zoom. How about the 55-300 PLM [$400]?

[chrisfer]

The Sigma 30mm is a very good lens. I have no issue, AF is accurate, not slow without hesitation, but I only use central spot AF. Also at f1.4 you must do with purple fringing.
The 20-40mm is a superb zoom, without purple fringing, flare, or AC. Sharp with an excellent rendering.

Apparently they are samples variations with these lenses, you must buy in a place you can easy change them...

[sarge]

i just can't see the "quiet" in all caps being a total killer for choosing the da limited set. screwdrive isn't like an airhorn, i think you just hear it that way

for all low light stuff, all walkabout stuff, for all landscape stuff, architecture stuff, portrait stuff, pretty well most things besides sports and wildlife....



you won't find a more compact more broad reaching and most of all affordable setup than this from anyone...

That case is a great option to carry the DA Limited set.