A Lens For My Wife

figmental1978 · 04-13-2009, 10:13 PM

Originally posted by domfijac

FA 50mm F1.4. Save the rest for another lens later. At US200 can't go wrong. Read the reviews, you'll like it

If it were $200 USD in Japan, I would have got it a long time ago but it's just over $300 USD here, about the same price as the DA 40.

sychen · 04-14-2009, 12:23 AM

If I was in your shoes, I would go the DA 40mm route.

For the birth of my son, I wanted a fast but not too long lense. I choose the FA 31mm. The room was dim and after the birth I got my moneys worth just right there. I could of gone the Sigma 30mm f1.4 but it didn't appeal to me at all.

Since then.. I have used a mixture of the 31mm/40mm/ and 16-50mm for my baby shots... they all work well.

For your budget and no definitive requirements for very low light work.. I would say the DA 40mm is great... You wife will appreciate how easy to handle your camera is as it is so tiny and she just might suggest you get the 15/21/70 combo to complete your set

Another thought is for the DA35mm Macro... bigger about the size of the 31mm but with close focus. I use DA 40mm with extension tubes when required.

Cheers
Shang

Mechan1k · 04-14-2009, 12:31 AM

There's a number of nice little lenses out there.
The DA40 seems to be winning though ... and I have seen some amazing images from it.

Although I am not sure if it has been mentioned ... but from what I have seen from quite a few posts here on PF ... the FA43 is the Image quality KING (I think it is better than the FA31 going on what I have seen).

I have the FA50 ... and it is a nice little lens for the price really. I have taken some nice little portraits of my nieces with it (prior going to my Super Taks).

It's a diemma though. I can see that I won't be in any pics with my upcoming baby (due any day now) .... unless it is with a P&S

My equipment for the hospital though is K10D + Super Tak 55mm f/1.8

figmental1978 · 04-14-2009, 01:35 AM

There's an as new FA 50 for about $180 in the marketplace which I've inquired about and it's right here in Japan...is this a sign? I was getting excited about the DA 40 / 70 combo though. I"ll talk to the boss, see what focal length she digs.

Mechan1k, I took all my babies photos with my m42 lenses, I think it was the helios 44-2 or the Takumar 55. It's a little frantic in there and dim, so my opinion is to crank the ISO and stay in one position so you don't have to re-focus much. I also shot at 2.8 because 1.8 was way too thin. Good luck though.

Last edited by figmental1978; 04-14-2009 at 01:43 AM.

Mechan1k · 04-14-2009, 02:03 AM

I am not allowed to take the K10D into the labour ward

Just the Mother-in-Law's Cybershot (which has a half decent Macro option on it that I have been testing with half decent results.
Although I am allowed to use it afterwards.

xjjohnno · 04-14-2009, 02:43 AM

Well my darling loved one is a sucker for those aluminium and zebra striped German lenses like the old Meyer Optiks, Carl Zeiss Jena and Iso Gottingen lenses. They are the ones she won't complain about me buying because they look so pretty. For that budget you could end up with a few lenses.

geauxpez · 04-14-2009, 02:57 AM

My vote -- Tamron 28-75/f2.8 and pocket the rest of your budget money for more m42 lenses. I got mine last summer for portraits and such for my daughter (she is 13months old now) that's my "go to" lens. Just brilliant. Why not prime? Because when you have a baby you get visitors...LOTS of visitors and you can't choose where you shoot from. Any situation could be an impromptu portrait situation and you need flexibility. Sure, it's a chunk of a lens, but it's on my camera 90% of the time and 85% of my photos are baby photos.

Here's a TON from last weekend.

Mechan1k · 04-14-2009, 03:03 AM

Hee hee .... I pretty much used a similar lens on Easter weekend as well
Was using my Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 most of the weekend for my nieces (both 2 and a half yo).

Very flexible ... also used my Tamron 90mm Macro for a lot of outdoor shots and close-ups as well.

But the 28-70mm is a good all-round lens.

figmental1978 · 04-14-2009, 04:06 AM

Has someone slipped my wife LBA drugs or something? She's just told me that the quality of our daughter's memories are worth the cost and has upped the budget...she's willing to go for both the 40 / 70 combo which will cost about $750 USD but is this the right way to go? Is there a better combo out there?

Andi Lo · 04-14-2009, 04:58 AM

For someone that doesnt want to fiddle with aperture or ISO, I think changing lenses is even more of a chore. Maybe you can give her the DA 40 to use and keep the manual 50s/70 combo to yourself? For "picture including dad" 40 would be a more reasonable length than 50 or 70, and DA 40 is so small that it's basically a semi-P&S so it should be perfect.

That said if it's for my personal use, I'll have the Tammy 28-75 over the others for people shots. Unless camera size is an issue, where the DA 40 owns just about everything.

estudleon · 04-14-2009, 05:57 AM

2 or more subjects pic, 35 or 50 mm. (PRO tak 2/35, NIKKOR no AI 2/35 or 1,4/35)

Individual pic jupiter-9 for soft and good pics, and tak 3,5/135 or CZJ 3,5/135 for more detailed portraits.

Marc Sabatella · 04-14-2009, 11:41 AM

If you've already got a bunch of 50's and 35's, then the 70 is the "obvious" choice it would seem to me (unless you choose to go for the 77 instead) when it comes to satisfying your own ulterior motive. On the other hand, I suspect your wife would find the 40 more generally useful. The two together seem like they'd do the trick nicely - although the whole changing lenses thing versus dealing with bulky zoom (28-75/2.8) thing is worth running by *her*. Of course, feel free to spin it however you like to get the answer you want to hear :-)

axl · 04-14-2009, 12:25 PM

Here's another vote for DA40. Excellent lens for the money, very fast focusing, stunningly sharp, great flare resistance, and most of all very good all around lens. You can use it for pretty much everything you can think of!
I'm sure your wife will enjoy it. My wife however prefers zooms...

BR

Damn Brit · 04-14-2009, 12:33 PM

I'm going to be in the same position as you - babywise in a couple of months so congrats and maybe you can give me some tips.

I've also been looking at the 40 and 70 (or both) but I'm veering toward the 70 and getting the Voigtlander 40.

From your point of view, I think the 70 would be better. If your wife wanted to practice manual focusing, the 40 isn't going to be any good and at the same time, the 70 would at least give you the option to MF.

Andi Lo · 04-14-2009, 01:01 PM

Originally posted by Damn Brit

If your wife wanted to practice manual focusing, the 40 isn't going to be any good and at the same time, the 70 would at least give you the option to MF.

.. someone that doesnt want to try to understand aperture?

If anything this would be an advice for him

figmental likes his manual focus taks alright.

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04-13-2009, 10:13 PM	#16
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	Originally posted by domfijac FA 50mm F1.4. Save the rest for another lens later. At US200 can't go wrong. Read the reviews, you'll like it If it were $200 USD in Japan, I would have got it a long time ago but it's just over $300 USD here, about the same price as the DA 40.

04-14-2009, 12:23 AM	#17
sychen Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 120	If I was in your shoes, I would go the DA 40mm route. For the birth of my son, I wanted a fast but not too long lense. I choose the FA 31mm. The room was dim and after the birth I got my moneys worth just right there. I could of gone the Sigma 30mm f1.4 but it didn't appeal to me at all. Since then.. I have used a mixture of the 31mm/40mm/ and 16-50mm for my baby shots... they all work well. For your budget and no definitive requirements for very low light work.. I would say the DA 40mm is great... You wife will appreciate how easy to handle your camera is as it is so tiny and she just might suggest you get the 15/21/70 combo to complete your set Another thought is for the DA35mm Macro... bigger about the size of the 31mm but with close focus. I use DA 40mm with extension tubes when required. Cheers Shang

04-14-2009, 12:31 AM	#18
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	There's a number of nice little lenses out there. The DA40 seems to be winning though ... and I have seen some amazing images from it. Although I am not sure if it has been mentioned ... but from what I have seen from quite a few posts here on PF ... the FA43 is the Image quality KING (I think it is better than the FA31 going on what I have seen). I have the FA50 ... and it is a nice little lens for the price really. I have taken some nice little portraits of my nieces with it (prior going to my Super Taks). It's a diemma though. I can see that I won't be in any pics with my upcoming baby (due any day now) .... unless it is with a P&S My equipment for the hospital though is K10D + Super Tak 55mm f/1.8

04-14-2009, 01:35 AM	#19
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	There's an as new FA 50 for about $180 in the marketplace which I've inquired about and it's right here in Japan...is this a sign? I was getting excited about the DA 40 / 70 combo though. I"ll talk to the boss, see what focal length she digs. Mechan1k, I took all my babies photos with my m42 lenses, I think it was the helios 44-2 or the Takumar 55. It's a little frantic in there and dim, so my opinion is to crank the ISO and stay in one position so you don't have to re-focus much. I also shot at 2.8 because 1.8 was way too thin. Good luck though. Last edited by figmental1978; 04-14-2009 at 01:43 AM.

04-14-2009, 02:03 AM	#20
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	I am not allowed to take the K10D into the labour ward Just the Mother-in-Law's Cybershot (which has a half decent Macro option on it that I have been testing with half decent results. Although I am allowed to use it afterwards.

04-14-2009, 02:43 AM	#21
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	Well my darling loved one is a sucker for those aluminium and zebra striped German lenses like the old Meyer Optiks, Carl Zeiss Jena and Iso Gottingen lenses. They are the ones she won't complain about me buying because they look so pretty. For that budget you could end up with a few lenses.

04-14-2009, 02:57 AM	#22
geauxpez Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Atlanta Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,196	My vote -- Tamron 28-75/f2.8 and pocket the rest of your budget money for more m42 lenses. I got mine last summer for portraits and such for my daughter (she is 13months old now) that's my "go to" lens. Just brilliant. Why not prime? Because when you have a baby you get visitors...LOTS of visitors and you can't choose where you shoot from. Any situation could be an impromptu portrait situation and you need flexibility. Sure, it's a chunk of a lens, but it's on my camera 90% of the time and 85% of my photos are baby photos. Here's a TON from last weekend.

04-14-2009, 03:03 AM	#23
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	Hee hee .... I pretty much used a similar lens on Easter weekend as well Was using my Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 most of the weekend for my nieces (both 2 and a half yo). Very flexible ... also used my Tamron 90mm Macro for a lot of outdoor shots and close-ups as well. But the 28-70mm is a good all-round lens.

04-14-2009, 04:06 AM	#24
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	Has someone slipped my wife LBA drugs or something? She's just told me that the quality of our daughter's memories are worth the cost and has upped the budget...she's willing to go for both the 40 / 70 combo which will cost about $750 USD but is this the right way to go? Is there a better combo out there?

04-14-2009, 04:58 AM	#25
Andi Lo Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,924	For someone that doesnt want to fiddle with aperture or ISO, I think changing lenses is even more of a chore. Maybe you can give her the DA 40 to use and keep the manual 50s/70 combo to yourself? For "picture including dad" 40 would be a more reasonable length than 50 or 70, and DA 40 is so small that it's basically a semi-P&S so it should be perfect. That said if it's for my personal use, I'll have the Tammy 28-75 over the others for people shots. Unless camera size is an issue, where the DA 40 owns just about everything.

04-14-2009, 05:57 AM	#26
estudleon Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 228	2 or more subjects pic, 35 or 50 mm. (PRO tak 2/35, NIKKOR no AI 2/35 or 1,4/35) Individual pic jupiter-9 for soft and good pics, and tak 3,5/135 or CZJ 3,5/135 for more detailed portraits.

04-14-2009, 11:41 AM	#27
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	If you've already got a bunch of 50's and 35's, then the 70 is the "obvious" choice it would seem to me (unless you choose to go for the 77 instead) when it comes to satisfying your own ulterior motive. On the other hand, I suspect your wife would find the 40 more generally useful. The two together seem like they'd do the trick nicely - although the whole changing lenses thing versus dealing with bulky zoom (28-75/2.8) thing is worth running by her. Of course, feel free to spin it however you like to get the answer you want to hear :-)

04-14-2009, 12:25 PM	#28
axl Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Nove Zamky, Slovakia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,183	Here's another vote for DA40. Excellent lens for the money, very fast focusing, stunningly sharp, great flare resistance, and most of all very good all around lens. You can use it for pretty much everything you can think of! I'm sure your wife will enjoy it. My wife however prefers zooms... BR

04-14-2009, 12:33 PM	#29
Damn Brit Guest	I'm going to be in the same position as you - babywise in a couple of months so congrats and maybe you can give me some tips. I've also been looking at the 40 and 70 (or both) but I'm veering toward the 70 and getting the Voigtlander 40. From your point of view, I think the 70 would be better. If your wife wanted to practice manual focusing, the 40 isn't going to be any good and at the same time, the 70 would at least give you the option to MF.

04-14-2009, 01:01 PM	#30
Andi Lo Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,924	Originally posted by Damn Brit If your wife wanted to practice manual focusing, the 40 isn't going to be any good and at the same time, the 70 would at least give you the option to MF. .. someone that doesnt want to try to understand aperture? If anything this would be an advice for him figmental likes his manual focus taks alright.