[pschlute]

I haven't used mine for portraiture yet. That's why I said my choices might change in a few months

If you are referring to the FA* 85mm 1.4 there is no finer portrait lens. There is a reason why 20 year old copies sell for hundreds of pounds or dollars.

[kiwi_jono]

Wow thats always tough as, probably like most people, the lens I need changes by season and mood for that matter.

One of my issues is I often go walking with my gear so I would pick a set of gear thats relatively compact / light (so that I always take it with me)...
* FA 31 limited - awesome landscape lens, lovely rendering
* FA 43 limited - general purpose FL, fast enough, light,nice rendering, great starbursts when I'm night shooting (don't want to be without it)
* DFA 28-105 - relatively compact, WR, pretty good IQ, useful for longer FL landscape shots, good enough for the minimal number of portraits I do too

[.a.t.]

Imagine you could have any three, and only three, Pentax lenses to use for a year. . .

Since this is a fantasy thread, I chose three lenses I'll probably never even see, much less own.


SMC Pentax-M 35mm F1.4

SMC Pentax-A* 200mm F4 Macro ED

SMC Pentax-A* 1200mm F8 ED [IF]

[Kerrowdown]

Just three lenses, your pick?

That would be my lightweight travel set up... Good Lady Pentax-A 20mm F2.8, Special Lady Pentax-A 50mm F1.2 and Lady Luck Pentax-A*135mm F1.8

[Sidney Porter]

K3.What's in my bag? Non pentax my 3 "bests"
8mm f3.5 fisheye
17-50 f2.8
70-200 f2.8

I would probably replace the fisheye with a 10-20, 12-24 or something if I had it.

The issue is none of those are wr. 18-55 and 50-200 are my wr options. Which are critical based on the weather.

I assume I can bring extension tubes

Imagine you could have any three, and only three, Pentax lenses to use for a year. No restrictions on just one camera, however. Which lenses would you pick?

(Thinking...)

(Thinking...)

(Thinking...)

Now that you've chosen, here's my ideal three lenses- and two cameras:

DA 15 Limited- a wide wide 22 eq. on the K3, easy to carry and afford and fun to use
FA 31 Limited- mount it on the K-1 and forget about it. Crop to 47mm as required.
DA 50-135- it lives on my K3 now, seems like a perfect lens so far (75-202 eq.)

There's nearly a 10x focal length range covered by three lightweight lenses of top Pentax quality, weighing 1219 grams altogether. If I need something longer, I have a DA 300. If it's wet, a DFA 28-105, also my one-lens solution for either camera.

Any other proposals? I know we'll hear about the Three Amigos, but I need more range.

-

Well, first HD PENTAX-FA35mmF2, HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105 mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR & HD PENTAX-DA 55-300 mm F4-5.8ED WR, so just three lenses I do not have, but that have PENTAX in their name.

[tvdtvdtvd]

Presumably the point of this exercise is to choose any three lenses I don't yet own but perhaps lust for or am otherwise curious about????
As already pointed out, the OP chose three lenses and then augmented with 2 more, thus no real constraint on general usuability.....
So, based on my interpretation, I would say:

SMC-A 200/4 Macro. I do a LOT of macro but this is a lens I will likely never own. Used examples are very pricey. Should it ever get rereleased
it will likely be very, very pricey. Yet I lust for it and would love to try it some day. Tops on my list.

HD DFA 50/1.4. I will never purchase this lens of my own volition. It's just too damned big and bulky for my tastes. But I'd be keen to play
with it for a bit; just long enough to enjoy its quality but just shy of being thoroughly disgusted by its Nero-esque largeness.

Third choice, hmmm, nothing I really feel I >need<. Something highly specialized, like the SMC 17/4 fisheye could be a lot of fun. Though
very attainable it is yet another lens I'm not likely to purchase, so why not a free play thing for a year.

[timb64]

DA16-85WR

DA55-300WR

.....and .........umm......... that just about covers most of my needs!

[gatorguy]

HD DFA 50/1.4. I will never purchase this lens of my own volition. It's just too damned big and bulky for my tastes. But I'd be keen to play
with it for a bit; just long enough to enjoy its quality but just shy of being thoroughly disgusted by its Nero-esque largeness.

It's really not that bad even on a K1. Kinda like holding a very short 70-200 2.8

[FozzFoster]

My DA*11-18mm, the new DA 16-50 PLM (when it's out), and my DA 55-300 PLM
All using the new APS-C flagship and battery grip (when they're out)

[mikeSF]

Fun, I'll play:

FA77
FA31
645 DFA 90/2.8 (the details are so good!)

[selfnoise]

Hmm.

Definitely the DA 35 Limited. It's probably the lens I use the most. Need to have one macro anyway and it's sharp and versatile. Plus I could use it as a video lens on my G85.

Then the 70 limited. Small size, reach, lovely rendition.

Then it's got to be either the 15 or 21. I think I would ultimately go with the 21. I really like the 15 but it's very much a limited use lens. That's the hardest one for me though.

I would miss the 40 limiteds size and focusing speed, as well as it's sort of nice smooth rendering, but it's too close to the 35 to stay.

Those are the only lenses I use regularly anyway, so that's that!

[SSGGeezer]

FA*80-200 F/2.8, DFA 150-450, Sigma 21-35 F/3.5-4.2 I might change out the Sigma if the new DFA 21 was available!. (I would.) I surprised myself by going with three zoom lenses, but the DFA 1nd * lenses are so good, it doesn't matter and the Sigma is just very useful while still having a FF capable image circle as well as good IQ.

[photoptimist]

Well I'd have to pick the holy trinity: 15-30 f/2.8, 24-70 f/2.8, and 70-200 f/2.8. That covers the focal length range I want.

But those three lenses tip the scales at over 3.5 kg (8 pounds) and wouldn't fit in my waist pack!

Those three far out mass the collection of older smaller primes (20, 24, 28, 50, 100, 135) plus a zoom or two that I usually carry and enjoy so much.

[W412ren]

Well it would have to be:

A20/2.8
A35/2
A*85/1.4

Why would you want anything else?