[Papa_Joe]

Tamron 17-50/2.8 - I bought it for indoor shooting with my istD*. It still works with my K70.
It has good performance wide open and is very versatile. It is often sold used in good condition.

There is the Sigma 17-50/2.8 as well.

[sergysergy]

Take a look at the Sigma 10-20mm. I have the later f/3.5 version and it's great.

I agree. That is what I use with the K-3.

[aslyfox]

. . . Leaves me with Sigma 10-20 I think, or 15mm DA (plus some light monopod maybe for darker museums?).

Thanks guys.

would the DA 21mm F3.2 Limited be wide enough ?

faster than the Sigma zoom and the 15mm Limited

______________

HD or SMC DA Limited?:

HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes
Introduction

At Photokina 2012, Pentax announced a brand new lens coating which they named the "HD Coating". This coating is slowly starting to replace the conventional "Super Multi Coating" (SMC) on high-end Pentax glass. According to Pentax, the new HD coating greatly reduces reflectance without making any sacrifices in terms of durability. This kind of coating isn't new to the industry, however: Pentax digital medium format lenses have been treated with a slightly less durable variant called Aero Bright coating ever since their debut, and other manufacturers have been using "nano" coatings on their premium lenses for several years.

The modern SMC coating that DA lenses have been using for about a decade now isn't the same as the SMC coating that Pentax originally launched in the 1970's. In fact, most DA lenses have been said to have a "ghostless" coating, so while we don't expect the difference between SMC and HD coating to be be a game-changer, it should certainly still be easy to observe. . . .



Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/hd-pentax-limited-primes/introduction.h...#ixzz6U3ymut6M.

[myrdinn]

I was lately visiting Armored Weapons Museum and found my 35mm 2.4 severely lacking. Both in speed and in wideness. It was great for detail shooting as they were highlighted, but when I tried to shot whole tank I realized that I need both to crank up my ISO to 1600+ (lightning was poor inside) and need to get away pretty far which meant lots of people in frame.

As I often visit museums I started to look for wide and fast lens. Ok, most have good lightning and stuff displayed is smaller then T-72 but still, having good lens is not bad.

Any ideas? Or is Sigma 18-35 f1.8 only option? I suppose I could live with f2.4-2.8 as stabilization in K-50 is great and if I really try I can get up to 1/2 second without blurring image (not that I like it - it's more hit/miss so to be avoided). And as I intend to by K-New as soon as it gets out I hope stabilization will get only better. But nothing more then 2.8.


I would love a prime, but that means legacy lenses and I rather avoid it. Not great fan of old lens on DSLR.

As long as I was using the K5, I was very happy with the Sigma 10-20 mm. It even was my favorite lens, much beter than the Pentax 17-70 mm. The Sigma was sharp and delivered beautiful colours.

But on the K1-II this lens is rather useless. I gives vignetting and delivers soft pictures. So now as a wide angle lens I'm using the Irix 15 mm, and I'm totally happy with it. It only has a manual focus system but on a wide angle lens that's no problem.

[Wasp]

if looking at a zoom, I second the recommendation of looking at the Sigma 10-20 but it is slower at F3.5

Read more at: Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

Indeed. The thing is, with an ultra wide angle one can get away with ridiculously slow shutter speeds. Compared to the 35/2.4 you lose about a stop in aperture but can make up two stops in shutter speed. So you come out slightly ahead. The extra depth of field is useful in a museum as well.

[dms]

very wide and a fisheye does better --after using software fisheye hemi--than comparable rectilinear lens. Actually a FF fisheye on an APS-C sensor is quite nice, and (w/ my 16mm FE on APS-C) is probably (not actually measured but my sense of it) comparable to about 15mm non-FE.

[CarlJF]

There’s plenty of choice for wider than 35mm.
On the cheap side, the good old 18-55 is good enough to bring back some memories, particularly if used mostly at its widest end. Very affordable and easy to find.
If you’re unsure of which FL you really want or need, it could also be a cheap way to try different ones before deciding if you need an UWA lens or if a more usual WA (around 16-18mm) would be enough.

[climbmountainway]

For the APSC format there are various 3rd party 14 and 15mm options. I use the 12-24 F 4 DA, stopped down one stop successfully inside museums. Most museums will not allow the use of a flash unit, but sometimes waiting for the walk through guards or reps to pass through one can get off a couple of flash shots (then drop the unit into a coat or vest pocket).. I mention flash because it sharpens up and often evens up exposure of all in the field of view (at a reasonable ISO sensitivity for details)..

Otherwise, camera support becomes a factor. Using my body stance, feet a USA 12 inches apart, employ a technique learned in the Nikon School of the 1970s: turn the camera upside down, pressing its back against the forehead, viewfinder upside down before the eye. Hold all steady, including self, compose (watching in the frame subject to level lines, to line up in the viewfinder compositional orientation), check exposure indicators, "click". With shake reduction taking a few shots as metered without a flash-- and going for the aperture you need -- will likely give you a sharp photo down to a shutter speed of a quarter second or so.

Other logic for low available light camera support also comes to mind. A monopod is good, or leaning one's body against the side of a doorway or solid vertical object on location, or crouching behind a chair or solid piece of furniture, and resting the camera solidly on top of it. Coming away without fuzzy pictures is always a good strategy for using time wisely.

[jeallen01]

if looking at a zoom, I second the recommendation of looking at the Sigma 10-20 but it is slower at F3.5
..
Read more at: Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
_

Sorry if this is repetition of posts made elsewhere, but I've got the even-older F4.5-5.6 version and that's worked well in museums (etc.) for over 10 yrs on various bodies from a Samsung GX-10 (AKA K-10D) right up to the current K-70 "walkabout" body - in the UK you can pick up a used one for around £220/€250 (plus post & packing), and then sell it on later for about the same price

[swanlefitte]

It is also a boat anchor in weight.

I find it equivalent to a brick of the same size. It might be the heaviest lens by volume.

I agree with Sandy that gaining stops of light with better iso on a new camera is the better choice. You get to keep the dof this way and the choice of workable zooms opens up.

[jeallen01]

I find it equivalent to a brick of the same size. It might be the heaviest lens by volume.

I agree with Sandy that gaining stops of light with better iso on a new camera is the better choice. You get to keep the dof this way and the choice of workable zooms opens up.

That's one of the main reasons that old f4.5-5.6 Sigma is still a great lens on my K-70

[Wasp]

Otherwise, camera support becomes a factor. Using my body stance, feet a USA 12 inches apart, employ a technique learned in the Nikon School of the 1070s: turn the camera upside down, pressing its back against the forehead, viewfinder upside down before the eye. Hold all steady, including self, compose (watching in the frame subject to level lines, to line up in the viewfinder compositional orientation), check exposure indicators, "click". With shake reduction taking a few shots as metered without a flash-- and going for the aperture you need -- will likely give you a sharp photo down to a shutter speed of a quarter second or so.

Now that sounds like one weird a nifty trick! I will definitely give it a go.

[Pedrodelta]

Sigma 8-16mm. Unbeatable indoors and in aircraft museums. Yes it is slower than your ideal so maybe consider some support such as a monopod to assist you. Oft times a compromise is needed when wide & fast can't be had in one package.

Just my 10 cents. Good luck anyway...

[pres589]

Pentax 11-18 if the price of admission isn't an issue. Haven't used it myself but I believe reviews were quite positive about this lens wide open. DA 15 is one stop slower but much more affordable, especially used, and a really nice focal length for a crop Pentax body. This I do have and it's great for this sort of thing.


Wildcard: Samyang 10mm f2.8. Seems sharp from f2.8 and I think it's a bit smaller than the 14mm. I have the 14mm and I wouldn't want to bring it around with me in a museum because I don't like changing lenses than much and the thing is pretty large.

[Apet-Sure]

Probably the best museum I have been to is the Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

+1 on this. Awesome place if you are into aviation. I accidentally touched/stroked an SR-71 because I was so in awe of it, even though there are lots of signs that say 'Don't touch the planes!'. A cute little Lieutenant came over and told me to keep my sticky mitts off it. I apologized sincerely.