[Duplo]

If I were to start all over with my lens collection again...

Hmm... the FA43 and DA21 are given.

The DA14 and FA77 would round off the kit nicely.

I would be without a macro, but so be it...

[heatherslightbox]

This is a hard one, since I pretty much like all the lenses I currently have. If I had to cut back to 4 lenses, it would most likely be the following 4:

DA16-45
DA55-300
FA50 1.4 or 1.7 or FA43/1.9, if I had the cash available(I currently have the A50/1.7)
DA35 macro or Sigma 105/2.8 macro--for a macro, the Sigma would be more practical, but I really like my DA35, so it would be a hard call.

Heather

[timo]

18-55 kit because it is light and surprisingly good
Sig 17-70 - useful range - a bit large
FA50 for fast
FA135 for longer
DA21 as first reserve

That would cover it if I had to have only four (+ a reserve sneaked in). I'm not saying these are the one I use most now - others which find their way onto the camera according to circumstances are the 12-24, DA21, FA28, K105 2.8 and 55-300. I've got various other manual lenses, but they don't get much use (more useful in theory than in practice) although I love them when I do use them.

If the main criterion was, say, ease of carrying around, from the lenses I have I would choose Zenitar, DA21, FA50, FA135 - but I am one of those people who, despite trying not to, ends up changing primes too often in the field, and the flexibility of zooms over the wide/normal range wins for me, despite all the counter-arguments, which I understand. I'm not a great tele shooter, so the FA135 would probably win out either way because of its speed. The restricted aperture of the 55-300 can be a pain when the light is not great.

[troyz]

Hmmm. . . The first three are pretty easy:

Tamron 28-75 2.8 -- for pictures of people (especially people that don't want to wait for me to swap lenses )
Voigtlander 125/2.5 -- for macro, telephoto, and situations where I want shallow DOF
Pentax FA 31/1.8 -- a fast normal prime.

The fourth has to be a wide -- right now I'd say Pentax DA21/3.5. But ultrawide is fun too. Maybe the Pentax 12-24/4.0?

If the Tokina 11-16/2.8 were available in Pentax mount I'd buy it in a second!

[georgweb]

I would go with Malo1961/Martin, "Just plain simple high quality MF".

Like Roentarre said, "Sometimes it is more important to identify what focal length is most frequently used instead of having the whole collection of lenses."

I'm a manual 50-100mm non-macro guy and I'm willing to obey to the diva-lens, so here goes:

SMC Pentax-FA 77/1.8 ltd. (haven't got one but like what I see here and on the flickr)
Asahi Optical SMC Takumar 1.4/50 (got it, love it, true allround lens)
CZJ Sonnar 180/2.8 Zebra P6>M42 (low light stage photos, on tripod - I'm not a birder either)
Zeiss Distagon ZK 2.8/21 (if it's anywere near the old version, haven't got one)
Georg (the other)

[heliphoto]

As I continually try to establish my own personal lens road map, I find that my needs/wants often change. When I first started with the DSLR, I was drawn primarily to focal length, now I find many desires are based on lens speed. I like the idea of a great macro, but realize that most of my shots are of the kids, therefore a macro is not needed. I find the Fisheye to be a fun, creative lens, but it's use is (as is probably to be expected) infrequent.
From the begining, I've felt that I should probably only have 4 lenses, maximum. Although I am very happy with the performances of the few lenses that I have, I have had second thoughts on where the lenses "fit" in my ever changing roadmap. For example, I love the versatility of the 18-250. While it is a great outdoor zoom, it is not fast enough for indoor shots such as the kids music concerts. Therefore, if I could do it all again, I would probably not choose this lens.
As a result, I thought I'd ask the question...If you could do it all over again...starting from scratch...which 4 lenses would you choose?

Great topic, and I could have almost written it with a few exceptions...

The exceptions:
I don't leave home without the 10-17, as it's so small, and you can have a lot of fun with it. And, I pretty much hated my copy of the 18-250 above about 150mm. Slow and muddy looking... Speed is my goal now, and with my new Sigma 24-60/2.8, and very new Tamron 70-200/2.8, and of course a Pentax-A 50/1.7, I've got speed. I like it!

You should really consider the Tamron 90mm/2.8 Macro as a great portrait lens and as a bonus a great macro lens... It's really fantastic.

I love MF lenses too and primes are great, so for a while I was collecting them, but as I travel constantly in the summer (on a plane at least once a week), I couldn't bring the whole quiver, and they sat unused too much, so I'm pairing them down to the must keep classics.

I'm in the process of deciding what to keep in my bag at all times, and so far it's...

• Pentax DA 10-17mm Fisheye (I'd love to have the 12-24 or the future tamron when we see what it's all about).
• Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8 EX DG
• Pentax-A 50 f/1.7
• Tamron 70-200 f/2.8

Now, the ones I'm vacillating on:

• Sigma 24mm f/2.8 "Super-Wide II" - great lens, sharp wide open, great bokeh, but it's already covered by the 24-60 (bokeh not quit as nice there), and it flares like a mo#$%#@er!
• Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro - great for macro / portraits, but I don't concentrate on either that much.
• Sigma 50-500 BIGMA! - Heavy, bulky, but will I miss it too much when it's gone? 200mm is pretty short for me as a long lens .

Well the above rambling is more for my benefit than yours, so thanks for giving me the excuse to commit my thought to bits... It helps (a little).

[Nick Siebers]

Sifting and winnowing, sifting and winnowing. I think if I had only these lenses, I would be no less happy with photography than I am now. Maybe more so, as choice often brings discontent.
Tamron 24mm F2.5
DA 40mm F2.8
Tamron SP 90mm f2.5

I would have to decide between my DA18-55; the K80-200; the A 50 1.7; the F 35-70; or even my tokina mirror 500mm as my fourth. Hard to say - I am still learning my gear, playing with the more extreme stuff, and discovering what I really use.

[schmik]

Like Heliphoto, these two very rarely get left out of the bag:
Pentax-A 50 f/1.7
Pentax DA 10-17mm Fisheye

I'd consider an FA 50 1.4 too (never tried one) Manual focus on the little K100d screen is tricky... especially in low light and of moving subjects.

Strangely I really like my Pentax-A 35 -70 Macro. The quality of the pictures is great and MF is nice for macro.

I'd also like a fast long lens, at least a 300 and at least f/2.8.

mike

[tomtor]

The order I think would make most sense to buy them in:

1. DA18-55
2. M100/2.8
3. DA40
4. M28/2.8

Actually, although I use my M28 far more than I use my DA50-200, I might still pick up the latter first, because I would probably regret not having longer telephoto more than I'd regret not having the "fast" 28.

Are you cheating? The 50-200 is not in your list of four

[Mike Cash]

Only four?

The Takumar 35/3.5, 55/1.8, and 85/1.9 (or 1.8)

Tamron 28-75/2.8 for those times I just gotta have zoom and autofocus.

[dazman]

Either Tamron 10-24 f/3.5-4.5 or Pentax 12-24 f/4 (waiting on release and review of Tamron)
DA 35 f/2.8 Ltd Macro
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8
DA*50-135 f/2.8
+ teleconverter if thats allowed.

[Sebbe_J]

Current lineup
da 18-55
fa 31ltd
fa 77ltd
sigma 70-300
A 50/1.7

If I could do it all over again, I would prob not get the sigma, since I found out that I don't use it as much as I thought I would. Maybe wait and save some money and get a faster telezoom, like 50-135/2.8, or a used fa 80-200/2.8.

I'm very satisfied with my limiteds, even though I had thoughts of getting the 43ltd and DA 21ltd instead of the 31, mostly due to it's size.

Another idea is also to replace everything with SMC-M-lenses, since the build-quality of those are just amazing.

[Syb]

If I were to sell the whole bunch, except four, I would keep - in order of focal length:

1. DA35/2.8 ltd macro
2. Sigma 105mm/2.8 EX DG Macro
3. K135 /2.5
4. A*300/2.8

These are the lenses I use most frequently. I am a macro freak that loves to do tele work as well...

Besides that, I would fight for keeping the K10d plus:
1. the macro bellows,
2. the Metz 32MZ-3 flash and accessories
3. the teleconverters SMCFA1,7x and A1,4L
4. The grip DG2.

Now, If I were to start all over again; I would buy:
1. DA35/2.8 Macro
2. Sigma 105mm/2.8 EX DG Macro
3. FA135/2.8
4. FA*300/2.8

So the main difference is a little bit more autofocus. That's not because I don't like to focus manualy, it is basically because I hope to get some shots because of the faster focusing AF provides (compared to MF).

I might btw choose for a LX body instead of a K10d. (and then, after some months, adding the K10d, too. Am I the only one to dream of that?

[raider]

Easy...

Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8

Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8

and a fast fifty...any one will do really and they come in many variants.


Has me covered very well from 12-200mm and the fifty for low light situations.

This is my preferred combination too! I would have got the DA12-24 had it be the same price as my DA14. I have the Tamron 28-75 as well and now saving for a 70-200 f2.8. the FA50 i have is a bonus. Apart from this, i think the lens combination is complete.

[K Logan]

I agree with roentarre. I often find myself drooling over certain lenses and then when I do an EXIF study of my most frequently used focal lengths, I find that I use my 31 about 50% of the time and my 50 and 77 about 20% each and the remaing 10% scattered across various other lengths using my 18-250, with them mostly concentrated in the 50-135 range. I have seriously considered swapping my 50 and 77 for the 50-135 on numerous occasions, but have yet to do so. I think I like the metal primes too much. So if I were to do it all over again, I'd keep what I have - it's worked well for me for a year now: 31, 50, 77, and 18-250.