[jersey]

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.

---

Last edited by Sandy Hancock; 08-03-2020 at 05:24 AM. Reason: naughty word

[SpecialK]

I had a Sigma 30 that I thought of as my museum lens, though I when I shot armor it was outdoors with the 12-24 :-)

[hcc]

On an APS-C, I have used the DA15mm and DA10-17mm in museums. The DA15mm Ltd give great shots, excellent IQ and very clean. But the fisheye (10mm) of the DA10-17mm is useful for aircrafts IMHO.

My 5 cents.

[Le Fanfoué]

On an APS-C, I have used the DA15mm and DA10-17mm in museums. The DA15mm Ltd give great shots, excellent IQ and very clean. But the fisheye (10mm) of the DA10-17mm is useful for aircrafts IMHO.

My 5 cents.

Hi, on my K1-2, the FA 20-35 makes the job, a very good lens.

[Wasp]

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

I also have a Samyang 8mm fisheye but using it indoors is an acquired taste. You can defish it in Darktable e.a. but there is no free lunch here. You lose some sharpness and weird shapes appear, especially in the corners.

[pepperberry farm]

if you're looking for crop-sensor lenses, try the DA14/2.8 - superior optics and faster than the DA15.....

[aslyfox]

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

Description:

This is a super-wide angle lens with a relatively bright F3.5 maximum aperture throughout its zoom range. The lens is in particular suitable for indoor shooting and landscapes. The image format is APS-C and it has a wide angle diagonal viewing range of 102.4-63.8°. The lens has a built-in HSM autofocus motor and offers no provision for screw-drive autofocus.

The lens incorporates an inner focusing system and is constructed with two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and an SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element. Further more it has four aspherical lens elements to help correct for distortions.

The minimum focusing distance is 9.4" (24cm) throughout the entire zoom range, which yields a maximum magnification ratio of 1:6.6.

Judging from the field of view specified by Sigma this lens is closer to being a 12-23mm lens than being a true 10-20mm lens.

This lens was preceded by the slower Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC reviewed here.

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

______________________

if a prime, I join in the recommendation of the DA 14mm

Description:
The DA 14mm is one of the earlier DA lenses and it is still the widest prime available from Pentax. It offers fast speed and a large angle of view.

it is currently in production so not a " legacy " prime lens


Read more at: SMC Pentax-DA 14mm F2.8 ED [IF] Reviews - DA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

[Serkevan]

if you're looking for crop-sensor lenses, try the DA14/2.8 - superior optics and faster than the DA15.....

A Samyang 14/2.8 would be as well a good option, no? On APS-C the IQ should be very good (...on a good copy).

On that note, if one *really* wants everything in the frame, the Sammy 10/2.8 will certainly work for a relatively low price...

If you're really serious and have to have zoom, look at the review of this one: HD Pentax-DA* 11-18mm F2.8 ED DC AW Reviews - DA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
I say, "really serious" because it's really expensive. It's a superb, really wonderful lens.

You could get Irix 11mm and 15mm "Blackstone" prime lenses, either or both, for a lot less, and they're wonderful lenses, too.

[jersey]

@dlh - I know, and I still fight with myself. But it's like 1600 USD in Poland, with average payment being around 400. Sure, I can afford it but still somehow rubs me wrong way to pay so much for a hobby


14mm is unavailable in Poland, unless second hand and even then it is rare in good condition. And could not find a shop that will ship it to Poland. Same for Irix as I never saw this lens anywhere. And Samyang is no-go - I got one for my NX Samsung camera and it was mess, was replacing it few times unless got a relatively good one.


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

Thanks guys.

[ramseybuckeye]

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 rather shitty 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.

Every museum is different, on their lighting, space, layout, and what they let you bring in. Probably the best museum I have been to is the Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. They are very photographer friendly, they allow tripods, and it is spacious so you can get out of the way of other people. If you get this option you can also use an ND filter if you need to, and possibly keep people out of the frame if you want to. You might also be able to get away with a beanbag to prop the camera on. Some museums are too small to use a tripod, and then you'll need faster glass. With the KP and DA 20-40 Ltd I have been able to shoot at night handheld, but the K-50 is not quite as good in the dark. You have lots of good suggestions above, 14mm, 15mm, various ultra wide zooms.

The photo below was shot with the K-30 and Tamron 10-24, it's not a great shot, but shows what 10mm can get in the frame. I have pics from the same museum up to 50mm, it all depends on the subject, space, and your position.

[Sandy Hancock]

A camera with better high ISO performance would be a good start. The K-70 or KP for instance.

I have used the KP a fair bit in museums like the Uffizi in Florence, the Vatican, and the Louvre and D'Orsay in Paris. The DA21 and FA31 got a lot of use, and ISO's ranged from 100 to 3200 with manageable shutter speeds.

The Sigma 18-35 would no doubt be useful, but it would draw a lot of attention due to its size, and the weight would be a drag for me.

[jersey]

I aim for K-New when it goes out, so I will not replace camera now. But I may aim for a bit slower lenses, perhaps. And live with K-50 performance for now.

[BarryE]

The Irix 15mm has been mentioned. I'll second that. I've used it for many real estate commissions on K-1, so it will work a treat on cropped and if you were ever to go full frame ...

[Kozlok]

I’ve recently bought the Sigma 18-35, and it is a very nice lens. It focuses well on my K70, but worse on my KS2, so you may have to focus in live view to get it to work reliably. It is also a boat anchor in weight.