Lens regrets?

Paul the Sunman · 03-30-2021, 02:11 PM - **1 Like**

Have you ever bought a lens that you later thought you wouldn't have bought if a subsequent (shortly after) release had been out at the time? For example:

I would have bought the DFA 70-210 f/4 rather than the DFA* 70-200 f/2.8 if it had been available at the time, but I'm glad that I didn't.

Fill in your own case:

I would have bought the XXXX rather than the YYYY if it had been available at the time, (but/and) I'm (glad/sad) that I (didn't/didn't wait).

And perhaps tell us a little about your reasons.

**FozzFoster** · 03-30-2021, 02:22 PM - **1 Like**

I was really choked when the K-70 had come out. Only because I had just purchased a K-S2 a handful of months earlier.
They are both 'entry-level' cameras, but the K-70 actually has a big step up from the K-S2:

PixelShift II
4 more MP
14-bit RAW
Noise reduction accelerator unit
Extra stop of shake reduction
'hybrid' AF in live view and video
better buttons and grip

I was still really glad for the K-S2 and learned SO much about photography from that very capable camera... but the K-70 is just a wee bit better and it made me totes jelly.

Anyway, after my K-S2 died after some 50,000 shutter actuations, I wasted no time picking up a K-70 for myself

Wheatfield · 03-30-2021, 02:26 PM - **6 Likes**

I would have bought several bottles of good Scotch rather than the DA*60-250.
The Scotch would have worked as intended, and probably for a longer time.

**RedRuff** · 03-30-2021, 02:45 PM

I bought a Sigma 100-300 f4 "cheap" (It wasn't - I just didn't know any better at the time) because it had faulty autofocus but had an aperture ring - Great! I can use it on my film cameras...

...except the focus ring goes the "wrong" way. I used it once and it's sat of a shelf since.

**luftfluss** · 03-30-2021, 04:02 PM - **1 Like**

Every lens has been an opportunity to learn.

Paul the Sunman · 03-30-2021, 04:09 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by luftfluss

Every lens has been an opportunity to learn.

I heard a story some years ago about a young guy in Britain who got a tattoo consisting of Chinese characters. I don't know what he thought it said. One day he and his mates went to a Chinese restaurant, and when the waitress saw it, she burst out laughing. She was reluctant to translate, but eventually they imposed on her: "At the end of the day, this is one ugly boy."

He went back to the tattoo parlour in a rage, but found that it was no longer there.

**ramseybuckeye** · 03-30-2021, 04:42 PM

In 2016 I bought the Sigma 17-50 2.8, it was sharp but nothing special. I liked it, nice lens and all, but I had no idea that the HD DA 20-40 Ltd was so good and covered basically the same range. Three and a half years later I bought the 20-40 for the weather sealing for a trip, and was blown away by the IQ. It was obvious I would no longer use the Sigma, so it was sold on.

**ramseybuckeye** · 03-30-2021, 04:45 PM

Originally posted by luftfluss

Every lens has been an opportunity to learn.

Love that tattoo, they have got it here:

Michael Piziak · 03-30-2021, 06:45 PM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

I would have bought several bottles of good Scotch rather than the DA*60-250.
The Scotch would have worked as intended, and probably for a longer time.

I am ROFLMAO at that comment!!!!
But rest assured, the DA*60-250 didn't give you a hang over and make you feel bad for an entire day!

trixtroll · 03-30-2021, 07:06 PM

The regret I have for buying kit lenses with (two) camera bodies pales in comparison to giving away (nearly) all my manual focus lenses about 10 years ago.

Looking at the eBay pricing on the 35 and 50mm primes is making me sick....I could have sold them to buy a decent bottle of bourbon.

ChristianRock · 03-30-2021, 08:31 PM - **1 Like**

To me it's always been the case of buying the lens I can buy now, rather than the lens I really want but can't afford.

And honestly, I think I can't really complain at all. I usually find the cheaper alternative is more than good enough for the job at hand.

Sandy Hancock · 03-30-2021, 10:07 PM - **2 Likes**

I see buying a lens as more like an extended rental. If it doesn't work out for you can usually sell it for relatively little financial loss.

So no regrets here, but I have a multitude of lenses I really should move on to more appreciative homes

**BarryE** · 03-31-2021, 12:15 AM

Yes, I bought lenses that I regretted, but then I changed my mind about them as I personally changed focus and direction. Moi fickle? Not really, it's just that I have always discovered later, as my photo thoughts changed/developed, that the lens I thought was a mistake, actually turned out to be useful. So I tend to keep them rather than sell.

on6702 · 03-31-2021, 02:55 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Paul the Sunman

Have you ever bought a lens that you later thought you wouldn't have bought if a subsequent (shortly after) release had been out at the time? For example:

I would have bought the DFA 70-210 f/4 rather than the DFA* 70-200 f/2.8 if it had been available at the time, but I'm glad that I didn't.

Fill in your own case:

I would have bought the XXXX rather than the YYYY if it had been available at the time, (but/and) I'm (glad/sad) that I (didn't/didn't wait).

And perhaps tell us a little about your reasons.

When I was living in Tokyo for a few years I used to enjoy visiting their camera shops and I have a few slight regrets:

1) when it came to purchasing my first wide angle lens, I found second-hand versions of the sigma 10-20 and pentax 12-24 at almost identical prices sitting next to each other in the same store. I purchased the sigma, ultimately deciding that the 10mm FOV would be useful but I often wonder if the pentax lens would have been a wiser buy in terms of superior image quality, inherent compatibility and long term financial investment.

2) I never got around to visiting Pentax Square in central Tokyo, the demonstration centre for all things Pentax. I kept meaning to go but never actually did it.....

3) I cheaply purchased a k55/1.8 which turns out to lens haze likely due to element separation when I already had a good quality m50/1.7 . The k hardly gets used and I don't feel comfortable selling it on due to the haze.

Oliver

Wasp · 03-31-2021, 03:08 AM

After getting a Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 in K mount, I liked it so much that I got a Samyang 85mm f/1.4 in NX mount. Using a K mount adapter on a Samsung body was a schlepp. It is an all manual affair, including the aperture. Hoping to gain electronic aperture control, I sprang for the Samyang. It turned out that the new lens had no electric contacts to speak to the body. It brought absolutely no difference in functionality. I should have known better but there was no info on the NX version of the lens anywhere on the intwerwebs.

03-30-2021, 02:11 PM - 1 Like	#1
Paul the Sunman Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,843	Lens regrets? Have you ever bought a lens that you later thought you wouldn't have bought if a subsequent (shortly after) release had been out at the time? For example: I would have bought the DFA 70-210 f/4 rather than the DFA* 70-200 f/2.8 if it had been available at the time, but I'm glad that I didn't. Fill in your own case: I would have bought the XXXX rather than the YYYY if it had been available at the time, (but/and) I'm (glad/sad) that I (didn't/didn't wait). And perhaps tell us a little about your reasons.

03-30-2021, 07:06 PM	#10
trixtroll Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 403	The regret I have for buying kit lenses with (two) camera bodies pales in comparison to giving away (nearly) all my manual focus lenses about 10 years ago. Looking at the eBay pricing on the 35 and 50mm primes is making me sick....I could have sold them to buy a decent bottle of bourbon. Last edited by trixtroll; 03-30-2021 at 07:20 PM.

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03-30-2021, 02:22 PM - 1 Like	#2
FozzFoster Custom User Title Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Alberta Photos: Albums Posts: 6,806	I was really choked when the K-70 had come out. Only because I had just purchased a K-S2 a handful of months earlier. They are both 'entry-level' cameras, but the K-70 actually has a big step up from the K-S2: PixelShift II 4 more MP 14-bit RAW Noise reduction accelerator unit Extra stop of shake reduction 'hybrid' AF in live view and video better buttons and grip I was still really glad for the K-S2 and learned SO much about photography from that very capable camera... but the K-70 is just a wee bit better and it made me totes jelly. Anyway, after my K-S2 died after some 50,000 shutter actuations, I wasted no time picking up a K-70 for myself

03-30-2021, 02:26 PM - 6 Likes	#3
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	I would have bought several bottles of good Scotch rather than the DA*60-250. The Scotch would have worked as intended, and probably for a longer time.

03-30-2021, 02:45 PM	#4
RedRuff Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 145	I bought a Sigma 100-300 f4 "cheap" (It wasn't - I just didn't know any better at the time) because it had faulty autofocus but had an aperture ring - Great! I can use it on my film cameras... ...except the focus ring goes the "wrong" way. I used it once and it's sat of a shelf since.

03-30-2021, 04:02 PM - 1 Like	#5
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Every lens has been an opportunity to learn.

03-30-2021, 04:09 PM - 1 Like	#6
Paul the Sunman Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,843 Original Poster	Originally posted by luftfluss Every lens has been an opportunity to learn. I heard a story some years ago about a young guy in Britain who got a tattoo consisting of Chinese characters. I don't know what he thought it said. One day he and his mates went to a Chinese restaurant, and when the waitress saw it, she burst out laughing. She was reluctant to translate, but eventually they imposed on her: "At the end of the day, this is one ugly boy." He went back to the tattoo parlour in a rage, but found that it was no longer there.

03-30-2021, 04:42 PM	#7
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 17,291	In 2016 I bought the Sigma 17-50 2.8, it was sharp but nothing special. I liked it, nice lens and all, but I had no idea that the HD DA 20-40 Ltd was so good and covered basically the same range. Three and a half years later I bought the 20-40 for the weather sealing for a trip, and was blown away by the IQ. It was obvious I would no longer use the Sigma, so it was sold on.

03-30-2021, 04:45 PM	#8
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 17,291	Originally posted by luftfluss Every lens has been an opportunity to learn. Love that tattoo, they have got it here:

03-30-2021, 06:45 PM	#9
Michael Piziak Closed Account Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,815	Originally posted by Wheatfield I would have bought several bottles of good Scotch rather than the DA60-250. The Scotch would have worked as intended, and probably for a longer time. I am ROFLMAO at that comment!!!! But rest assured, the DA60-250 didn't give you a hang over and make you feel bad for an entire day!

03-30-2021, 08:31 PM - 1 Like	#11
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	To me it's always been the case of buying the lens I can buy now, rather than the lens I really want but can't afford. And honestly, I think I can't really complain at all. I usually find the cheaper alternative is more than good enough for the job at hand.

03-30-2021, 10:07 PM - 2 Likes	#12
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	I see buying a lens as more like an extended rental. If it doesn't work out for you can usually sell it for relatively little financial loss. So no regrets here, but I have a multitude of lenses I really should move on to more appreciative homes

03-31-2021, 12:15 AM	#13
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653	Yes, I bought lenses that I regretted, but then I changed my mind about them as I personally changed focus and direction. Moi fickle? Not really, it's just that I have always discovered later, as my photo thoughts changed/developed, that the lens I thought was a mistake, actually turned out to be useful. So I tend to keep them rather than sell.

03-31-2021, 02:55 AM - 1 Like	#14
on6702 New Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Photos: Albums Posts: 16	Originally posted by Paul the Sunman Have you ever bought a lens that you later thought you wouldn't have bought if a subsequent (shortly after) release had been out at the time? For example: I would have bought the DFA 70-210 f/4 rather than the DFA* 70-200 f/2.8 if it had been available at the time, but I'm glad that I didn't. Fill in your own case: I would have bought the XXXX rather than the YYYY if it had been available at the time, (but/and) I'm (glad/sad) that I (didn't/didn't wait). And perhaps tell us a little about your reasons. When I was living in Tokyo for a few years I used to enjoy visiting their camera shops and I have a few slight regrets: 1) when it came to purchasing my first wide angle lens, I found second-hand versions of the sigma 10-20 and pentax 12-24 at almost identical prices sitting next to each other in the same store. I purchased the sigma, ultimately deciding that the 10mm FOV would be useful but I often wonder if the pentax lens would have been a wiser buy in terms of superior image quality, inherent compatibility and long term financial investment. 2) I never got around to visiting Pentax Square in central Tokyo, the demonstration centre for all things Pentax. I kept meaning to go but never actually did it..... 3) I cheaply purchased a k55/1.8 which turns out to lens haze likely due to element separation when I already had a good quality m50/1.7 . The k hardly gets used and I don't feel comfortable selling it on due to the haze. Oliver

03-31-2021, 03:08 AM	#15
Wasp Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pretoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,660	After getting a Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 in K mount, I liked it so much that I got a Samyang 85mm f/1.4 in NX mount. Using a K mount adapter on a Samsung body was a schlepp. It is an all manual affair, including the aperture. Hoping to gain electronic aperture control, I sprang for the Samyang. It turned out that the new lens had no electric contacts to speak to the body. It brought absolutely no difference in functionality. I should have known better but there was no info on the NX version of the lens anywhere on the intwerwebs.