[monochrome]

@Aslyfox You have plenty of time. If you thoughtfully buy used in the Marketplace and pay attention to specials on new lenses you can try each of the Limiteds - FA and DA - and sell whatever you decide you don’t like for little or no loss. You could even allocate a few hundred dollars to this project and keep rolling it over, lens by lens. I did that for years and years.

For many years I bought and sold on eBay, reinvesting actual profit in keepers. That’s harder to do today, but really, it is only because I had a windfall that I have so many lenses. It surely isn’t necessary. I just started keeping / stopped selling them.

You can buy, try, and sell - it’s actually a lot of fun.

[aslyfox]

@Aslyfox You have plenty of time. If you thoughtfully buy used in the Marketplace and pay attention to specials on new lenses you can try each of the Limiteds - FA and DA - and sell whatever you decide you don’t like for little or no loss. You could even allocate a few hundred dollars to this project and keep rolling it over, lens by lens. I did that for years and years.

For many years I bought and sold on eBay, reinvesting actual profit in keepers. That’s harder to do today, but really, it is only because I had a windfall that I have so many lenses. It surely isn’t necessary. I just started keeping / stopped selling them.

You can buy, try, and sell - it’s actually a lot of fun.

as long as I stay on the good side of the wife

anything is possible

it is even possible that I might learn something about cameras, lenses and photography

I say again

anything is possible

with a little luck and help from friends like those in the forums

[mnhoj]

This is a great thread.
Sums a lot.

In fact, great community here.

[Des]

This is a great thread. Sums a lot.

Including the iconoclasm and diversity of views and experiences that characterizes PF!

[aslyfox]

Including the iconoclasm and diversity of views and experiences that characterizes PF!

This is a great thread.
Sums a lot.

In fact, great community here.

frankly I am amazed at the 1,600 plus views of this thread since it started noonish my time on January 1

[microlight]

It's a good thread, that's why!

@Mike: out of interest, I did a quick 'brick wall' test (actually because of the weather, our ironing board, the cover of which is white with equidistant blue spots, which made a good repeating pattern) of my 20-40 on a tripod at 40mm wide open. I made sure that it was perpendicular vertically and horizontally, confirmed in live view by all of the spots across the frame showing up in focus at the same time, as opposed to the movement of the focus peaking highlights across the frame as you change focus, if it's not. Yes, some easily-correctable barrel distortion, but I couldn't really detect field curvature of the type discussed above.

EDIT: wow, almost incomprehensible. Too much coffee this morning!

[BigMackCam]

It's a good thread, that's why!

@Mike: out of interest, I did a quick 'brick wall' test (actually because of the weather, our ironing board, the cover of which is white with equidistant blue spots, which made a good repeating pattern) of my 20-40 on a tripod at 40mm wide open. I made sure that it was perpendicular vertically and horizontally, confirmed in live view by all of the spots across the frame showing up in focus at the same time, as opposed to the movement of the focus peaking highlights across the frame as you change focus, if it's not. Yes, some easily-correctable barrel distortion, but I couldn't really detect field curvature of the type discussed above.

EDIT: wow, almost incomprehensible. Too much coffee this morning!

That made perfect sense to me

Well, individual perception of sharpness aside (and appetite for some softness), where I noticed it most (from memory) was in landscape shots at the long end, stopped down to around f/8 and focused at distance. In these shots, I noticed that the field of acceptable sharpness was noticeably different the further I looked from the centre of the frame, and it was more or less equal on both left and right sides, which ruled out any significant tilt.

You might take a look at part of a thread I contributed to, here: DA 20-40/2.8-4.0 Limited Sample Request - Page 3 - PentaxForums.com

[Rondec]

I think the big thing about the limiteds comes down to a combination of size and build. You just don't find many lenses out there that are as small as the DA and FA limiteds, but with all metal construction.

The big calling card of the DA 15 is its flare resistance.






The DA 40 is really small but still sharp, corner to corner.





The FA 31 I like on full frame, not as much on APS-C, but it has very nice rendering overall.



The FA 77 is really nice with regard to its rendering of out of focus areas.





At the same time, I really like rendering from very big lenses (like the DFA 15-30 and DFA *70-200) and the DA * primes like the 200 and 55 give excellent results. The 15 mm on APS-C is about the perfect landscape lens from my perspective and if Pentax came out with a DA 15 limited equivalent for full frame (say, 20mm f4 with good flare resistance and decent edge to edge sharpness) that would be about perfect.

[audiobomber]

PRIMES

Kino Precision Japan Kiron 28mm F2 MC P/KA
SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 XS
SMC Pentax-DA 50 mm F1.8
SMC Pentax-D FA 100 mm 2.8 macro

_________________________

ZOOMS

HD Pentax DA 16 - 85mm F3.5-5.6 wr
SMC Pentax DA 18-55mm al F3.5-5.6
SMC Pentax-DA L 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED
HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW
HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5 - 5.6 ED DC AW
___________________________

HD Pentax -DA af rear converter 1.4 AW

so as far as a " need " for more lenses, there isn't a tremendous amount of " hurry " to fill any gaps

"Limited" in the lens name does not necessarily mean better than non-limited. I rarely use my DA 40mm Limited because the FA 35 has greater resolution and is a stop faster. The 40mm does sometimes produce slightly more saturated looking images but I can equalize in post or add a polarizer in the field and get even more saturated colours.

My DA 15mm Limited is great for flare, but was not as sharp in the borders as my old 16-45, as shown in this test (images are full size, take a while to load):
Album Archive - Comparo

I carry my DA 15mm when I'm shooting primes only, or to supplement the wide end of my 18-135mm. I don't carry the 15mm when I have my Sigma 17-50 because there's not enough difference in FOV, and similar to the other comparisons above, the Sigma is sharper and faster, not as good with flare (though not bad).

The obvious gap in your kit is anything in super-wide focal lengths. The new 11-18 f2.8 should be good, or a Sigma ultra-wide zoom or Samyang prime. Some of the Samyangs cover full frame. The DA 10-17 fisheye is a nice lens, if you like a fisheye perspective, and works in FF at the long end.

[hadi]

i'm curious as to how the da 15mm is on the k1.
traveling extensively, the 24-70 and the rokinon 14mm add a LOT of needless weight.
i like the versatility that the 24-70 offers. and the 2.8 is great for night time/astro photography. but i can forego that if it sheds at least 3-5 lbs from my gear.
i can get rid of the 24-70 and the rokinon 14mm and get a 15mm da, and a few other primes and i should be set.

or maybe get some WR lens as a walk-about lens in case for rain. but use primes for everything else.

[aslyfox]

there are some threads to review to determine how DA lenses work with the K 1's full frame mode

DA lenses on Full Frame: Test Shots thread - PentaxForums.com

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/31629-da-lenses-...thread-11.html

and how other lenses series will work

Pentax K-1 Lens Compatibility Guide - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/photo-articles/pentax-k-1-lens-compatibility-guide.html


Pentax K-1 Review - Available Lenses | PentaxForums.com Reviews

https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/pentax-k-1-review/available-lenses.html

it doesn't appear that the DA 15 will work with the K 1 in full frame mode

[hadi]

there are some threads to review to determine how DA lenses work with the K 1's full frame mode

DA lenses on Full Frame: Test Shots thread - PentaxForums.com

DA lenses on Full Frame: Test Shots thread - Page 11 - PentaxForums.com

and how other lenses series will work

Pentax K-1 Lens Compatibility Guide - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

Pentax K-1 Lens Compatibility Guide - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com


Pentax K-1 Review - Available Lenses | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Pentax K-1 Review - Available Lenses | PentaxForums.com Reviews

it doesn't appear that the DA 15 will work with the K 1 in full frame mode

and that is understandable. but if it sheds that many pounds off of my back, then i can shoot it in crop mode and be fine with it. but just wondering how the 15mm da reacts on a k1



EDIT: i just realized that sigma has a 15mm 2.8 that is a full frame that compatible with the k1. and its a small lens too.

[Paul the Sunman]

i'm curious as to how the da 15mm is on the k1.

The DA15 almost works on the K1 in 1x1 mode. The extreme corners are dark.

[mnhoj]

and that is understandable. but if it sheds that many pounds off of my back, then i can shoot it in crop mode and be fine with it. but just wondering how the 15mm da reacts on a k1

EDIT: i just realized that sigma has a 15mm 2.8 that is a full frame that compatible with the k1. and its a small lens too.

I owned a Sigma 15mm back in the day.
Small and sharp but a fisheye. Could make a difference in your decision.

[SpecialK]

I bought the 15/21/40/70 all at one time (so I would not have to agonize over choices and priorities). They were very nice, and very small. However, I have seen many, many more shots (and took a few) that were very impressive which did not use any of those lenses.