[ManUtd]

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Howdy,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some suggestions/advice on selecting my first set of prime lenses. I have a k10d and would like to shoot indoors without a flash (museums, etc) and would like to get one or two to get me started. I've looked and some online stores and many of them seem to be back ordered. thanks for help.

skip

[Sigmoid]

Howdy right back atcha'

1. Go to the nearest pawn shop
2. Select any manual focus 50mm f1.4 K or A mount
3. Test it around the house, especially wide open
4. If step '3' is sucessful, try it at the museum
5. If step '4' is unsucessful, forgedaboutit...no lens is fast enough for the conditions you are working under.

Sig

[MrApollinax]

Howdy right back atcha'

1. Go to the nearest pawn shop
2. Select any manual focus 50mm f1.4 K or A mount
.
.
.

Wow, if were only that easy for me here in MN!

ManUtd,

Here are a few questions for you:

1. Auto-Focus or Manual Focus?
2. Were have you been looking up until now?
3. What price range are you looking at?

These questions will help us point you in the right direction. However Fast glass is usually not cheap, especially if brand new. So unless you find a great deal locally buying a new fast lens will cost you some money.

[audiobomber]

Howdy,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some suggestions/advice on selecting my first set of prime lenses. I have a k10d and would like to shoot indoors without a flash (museums, etc) and would like to get one or two to get me started. I've looked and some online stores and many of them seem to be back ordered. thanks for help.

skip

I shot in a museum with a FA 50mm F1.4 once and an A 28mm F2.8 another time. I found the 50mm a bit too long for most shots. The 28mm FOV was ideal but a wider aperture would have been nicer. An FA 35mm F2.0 should be just about ideal. Maybe add a 70mm for longer shots and portraits or a D FA 100mm macro for head shot portraits and 1:1 macro capability

[beaumont]

Assuming that you have a kit lens, look at the focal length of the majority of your pictures (or favorite pictures). This might be the length you are looking for. Or you may often wish you had a longer length than the kit provides?
Once you determine the desired focal length, decide if macro is a requirement, and the desired speed. While speed is nice, it may not be a deal breaker if you are using a tripod or stationary subject and can vary your ISO.
Then check the lens reviews on this data base, and search previous threads for info.
Finally, don't hesitate to start a thread for feedback about specific lenses that you are considering (as we all like to "showcase"our good results.)
If the budget allows any/all of the LTD's are a very nice way to go.
Good luck!

PS Once you know there are some good prices to be had at Prodigital 2000
http://stores.ebay.ca/Prodigital2000_Pentax_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ13QQftidZ2QQtZkm

[ManUtd]

Dan,

just the advice I was looking for. As for the shops that carry pentax stuff, here in NH i'm severely limited. The local Ritx treats pentax like the plaque and Hunts has everything of back order, so I don't have many options outside of going to BH or adorama. I was wondering what your opinion is on the 35 f2 vs the 40 ltd.

skip

[ManUtd]

Right now I've got a sigma 18-125 and a pentax 100-300. I would say most of the time I will use the sigma from 50 to 100, for the kids, but when I'm at a museum, I usually keep it as wide as possible since everything is so cramped. The 35 f/2 looks like an excellent option. I would like to actually try these out but no local shop carries pentax gear. so that's why i'm here asking for practical real world opinions on how they perform. thanks

skip

[paolojackson]

Be sure to check the lens review database.

If price was not an issue, I would go straight for the FA/DA limiteds. The DA40 can be had for $200. The first prime I bought was the FA 50/1.4. Very good for the price. One of the faster, wider lenses is the DA 14/2.8. I own a FA 77 ltd which I think is superb, but it may be too long for what you need.

[tybeck]

You can do it these types of shots with fast lens. I've had much less success hand held with zooms, even pretty fast ones one like the Tamron 28-75/2.8. That is the focal length range that I find the most useful for close work. For myself I favor the FA 31mm Limited and the FA 77mm Limited. Don't see any reason why you couldn't use the FA 50/1.4 or the DA 35/2 macro (or something similar), I haven't tried them with this type of shooting. All the shots below were taken between f/1.8 and f/3.5 at 200-800 ISO at the Maryhill Museum a this past summer. All here hand held with shake reduction on and a mix of auto and manual focus on a K10D. The ISO 800 ones needed a touch of denoising. All where shot RAW and got some minor adjustments. Even at these speeds and with shake reduction you need a steady hand under normal museum lighting conditions. I'm still practicing and maybe 60% of my shots turn out well under these conditions.

Full info, larger pictures and a few other shots here.

FA 31mm/1.8 Limited

f/1.8 1/10s ISO 200

f/1.8 1/50s ISO 200

f/3.5 1/30s ISO 200 (trying to get a wider depth of field)


FA 77mm Limited (here I could not get as close to the exhibit)

f/2.5 1/20 ISO 800

f/2.5 1/60 ISO 800

[audiobomber]

I was wondering what your opinion is on the 35 f2 vs the 40 ltd.

I don't own either, but you could search this site and find tons of informed opinions. It depends to some extent on what else you intend to buy. You said two primes and museum shooting. IMO the 40mm be a touch too long, and it's one stop slower than the 35mm. Both are well priced, and both are excellent lenses in their own way.

Another option would be one of the many legacy 28mm 2.8's. I found this an ideal FL for museum shooting. There are a bazillion of them in the used market for not much money if you don't mind manual focus, not so many with AF.

Several people on hiere like the Sigma 28mm 1.8. It would likely be even more suitable than the 35 for shooting in a museum (FL and speed). As far as comparing it to the 35mm, again, you could do a lot of research on this forum.

[Kerrowdown]

I'm guessing the faster the better, just a quick thought, is photography allowed in these places?

[ManUtd]

i was planning on going to the MET and the Clositers in New York. they both allow photography just without the flash. I was just trying to get peoples opinions and suggestions on what would be a good start and what they have found to be useful.. thanks

skip

[Marc Sabatella]

I really like the DA40 since it is so unobstrusive, and at ISO 1600 it's fast enough - most museum exhibits aren't particularly fast moving. If you're really concerned about speed, then by all means, the FA35 is well-loved by many, too. Either would make a fine first prime, I think.

Except I also concur with the first suggestion of visitn goyur local pawn shop. Manual focus 50's are still pretty ubiquitous. The f/1.4 might be harder to find and a little more expensive, but the f/1.7 is quite common and runs under $50. It's a great focal length for tight shots but of course not so hot with wider shots. But manual focus 28's are also pretty easy to come by. You could get an M28 and M50 for under $100 combined. the 50 would literally be at any pawn shop; the 28 you might have to go to ebay or KEH for.

[rparmar]

I would say 35mm is not going to be wide enough and sometimes not 28mm either. But I would pack my 28mm f/2 and be redy to shoot at f/2.8.

Often no lens is fast enough in a museum. That's when you need a monopod and something like the DA16-45. It solves the FOV problem. You can shoot it wide open at f/4 with good quality, and that's only a stop less than the f/2.8.

[asdf]

Howdy,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some suggestions/advice on selecting my first set of prime lenses. I have a k10d and would like to shoot indoors without a flash (museums, etc) and would like to get one or two to get me started. I've looked and some online stores and many of them seem to be back ordered. thanks for help.

skip

Beware that when shooting wide open, even if your subject is in focus, the image may not be the sharpest, which could be desired by your female model, but not necessarily by an inanimate painting or sculpture that doesn't care. I'm not talking about DOF here. Supposedly, modern lenses get sharpest at around f/5.6-8. Moreover, vibrations caused by the mirror slap and the shutter degrade sharpness. You can try using mirror lockup and a tripod--you'll at least eliminate the vibrations caused by the mirror. If you're shooting impressionist art, then perhaps, sharpness is not an issue.