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03-11-2018, 08:47 AM - 1 Like   #1
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LBA aftermath: What lenses for Geneva International car show

Hello Fellow Pentaxians,

After a long and intense LBA time, I am now taking to much time to select lenses...Last year I went there with 15mm ltd (5% of pictures), 20-40 (85% of pictures) and FA*85 (10% of pictures).

Tomorrow I will go to the show with my K-3 but, I don't know what lenses I should take (Max 2 of them),

I have now (Autofocus lenses as I my eyes are going bad with age):

Primes:
15, 21, 35 ltds / FA*85 / HD 1.4)

Zooms:
16-50 / 18-55 / 20-40 / 50-200 / 60-250

I will shoot handled only
I mostly hesitate between the 16-50 and the 20-40 for one of my two max lenses

please help and advice!
J.

PS a shot with the 20-40 and the FA*85


Last edited by Jome; 04-16-2018 at 03:23 AM.
03-11-2018, 08:59 AM   #2
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The 16-50 along might be adequate, based on last year's statistics.

For the 10% you did with the FA* 85, what aperture setting did you use? If you needed f1.4 for thin depth of field then bring that as a 2nd lens. If you were stopping down to f4 and smaller to get more in focus, just use the 16-50 and crop a little.
03-11-2018, 09:14 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by DeadJohn Quote
The 16-50 along might be adequate, based on last year's statistics.

For the 10% you did with the FA* 85, what aperture setting did you use? If you needed f1.4 for thin depth of field then bring that as a 2nd lens. If you were stopping down to f4 and smaller to get more in focus, just use the 16-50 and crop a little.
Thanks for your answers, With the 20-40 I was around F4.5 and 2.2 with the FA 85.
My hesitation is due to the performance of the 16-50 in balance with the 20-40 just 1/2 or 1 stop down. What do You think?
03-11-2018, 09:30 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jome Quote
My hesitation is due to the performance of the 16-50 in balance with the 20-40 just 1/2 or 1 stop down. What do You think?
I have both the 15 and the 16-50. Between those two, I'd choose the 15, even though it's not as fast as lens. It's IQ is stunning.
For the show though, personally, I'd bring the 20-40 for the bulk of the work, and the 85 for detail work, and just keep is simple.

03-11-2018, 09:35 AM   #5
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imo it is more a matter of weight/space vs range.
Last time I was there I had 18-135 as a walkaround and 85 as a second choice.
At this time I didnt have my RX100 yet but now I would just take the latter to carry as less as possible
03-11-2018, 10:04 AM   #6
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I used to shoot cars mostly with the 15, then I started using the 21 more often. On full frame I go mostly with the 28, and some 50. I would say the 16-50 would cover most needs.

Last edited by SpecialK; 03-11-2018 at 10:11 AM.
03-11-2018, 11:40 AM   #7
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The problem with the statistics is that they reflect the lenses you took. You had to change lenses to go wider than 20 or narrower than 40 - so you made do with what was on the camera at that time most of the time unless forced to swap. While I think the 16-50 suffers a bit wide open at the wide end, the shots you made were not wide open and the delta between my 20-40 and 16-50 isn't that high at 20mm. The biggest advantage of the 20-40 over the 16-50 is the weight/size. In your case if you shed the 15 and the 85 and only took the 16-50 (cropping to fill the void from the 85) I think you would be happy.

If you had the DA 70 I might say DA 15, DA 20-40 plus DA 70 - but given your lenses I think leaving everything behind but the 16-50 is a good idea.

03-11-2018, 12:07 PM   #8
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I've done quite a few car shows and I find wide is the best way to go. It's crowded and you need to get up close to get shots. I use my DA 15 mostly with my Sigma 17-70C along. I also bring my DA 10-17. Yeah, it is a little distorted but if used with a little creativity, it does a great job, especially with older cars and customs up close. Looking at the lens list, I would choose the DA 15 and 16-50. Since I don't have the 20-40 or the DA 21, I can't really comment on how I might use them. I wouldn't bother with any long zooms or longer primes at all unless you expect the show will be poorly attended. The crowd kind of chooses your shots and they could care less about you and your camera. With a wide lens, you can get closer than they can with their phones.

To add one more thing, my DA 15 is the SMC version and the flare resistance along with those beautiful starbursts make this my go to lens for outdoor car shows.
03-11-2018, 06:16 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jome Quote
Thanks for your answers, With the 20-40 I was around F4.5 and 2.2 with the FA 85.
My hesitation is due to the performance of the 16-50 in balance with the 20-40 just 1/2 or 1 stop down. What do You think?
My copy of the 16-50 has some halos and flare wide open at f2.8 when bright lights are pointing into the lens. Not bad, but not great either. At f4.0 it becomes much better. My limited car show experience is that lighting isn't an issue - bright lights are aimed at the car not at the spectators - there may be reflections but it's not a big problem.

The DA15 is a near perfect lens in terms of handling flare. You didnt' use it much last time, though, so it might not be worth bringing this time.

Crazy idea: The DA15 is a great lens if you can get close enough and there aren't too many people to get into the frame. Go to the car show early on a weekday when it may be less crowded, and try shooting exclusively with the 15 to practice with one of the best Pentax lenses. Bring the 16-50 or 20-40 just in case 15mm isn't a good focal length for that show.
03-11-2018, 07:41 PM   #10
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I'd go for the 16-50 and add the 85 if you want. I'd want the versatility of the 16-50 - there are a lot of shots I can see, like dash detail etc., where you want the extra reach over just having the 15. And as mentioned, crop or take the 85 and then also have the thinner DOF if you want it.
03-12-2018, 01:19 AM   #11
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Is the exif correct on your images? I'm amazed that you have so much depth of field on the Morgan shot at f/4.5! The car's grill and the writing on the wall both look to be in focus.

I know wide(ish) is generally favoured for car shows, but as I've said before, I like to have something quite long to home in on small detail.
03-12-2018, 01:39 AM   #12
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If you're happy with the results from last time, why not take the same three lenses?

Personally, I'd take the four primes. I have them all. 15-21-35-85 with a macro and f/1.4 option is a pretty potent combination.

---------- Post added 12-03-18 at 07:11 PM ----------

I just noticed you've decided to only take two lenses.

First, why?

But if you're resolved on that policy, taking the 16-50 and 85 makes more sense to me.
03-12-2018, 05:44 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
If you're happy with the results from last time, why not take the same three lenses?

Personally, I'd take the four primes. I have them all. 15-21-35-85 with a macro and f/1.4 option is a pretty potent combination.

---------- Post added 12-03-18 at 07:11 PM ----------

I just noticed you've decided to only take two lenses.

First, why?

But if you're resolved on that policy, taking the 16-50 and 85 makes more sense to me.
If you already attended to this kind of show, you for sure know that it is crowded, too hot, and any additional item you have to carry is a problem for such a long day. Even a jacket is too much...
03-12-2018, 03:56 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by fsge Quote
If you already attended to this kind of show
I've shot all day music festivals in crowds of >30,000 in 46ºC heat. Three bodies and maybe ten lenses.
Carrying only one body and three primes is luxury
03-13-2018, 07:27 AM   #15
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Thank You All!

Finally I went there with the 16-50 and the FA 85. As I was with my wife, I was not able to take a lot of stuff with me (and I am not masochistic to take too much of it ).

We walked for about 5 hours and I took about 850 pictures (with one battery). The white balance was a little challenging especially with blue and purple cars.

Some cars were on turning pads and moving too fast (No, I wasn't allowed to go along them).

Anyway, it was just great and as said Reeftool, even with the 16-50, You can go narrower than the crowd with smart phones.

As it was Monday, the crowd was only accumulated around Porche and Ferrari. That left us more space for other brands .

Here are just 2 samples (I will create a gallery later - don't hesitate to give some feedback!):

Last edited by Jome; 04-16-2018 at 03:23 AM.
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