[daacon]

Thank God everyone here is so patient with yet another "which lens should I buy question" at least I tried to keep the title intersting


A little background as to my issue - I first considered a DSLR back in 2004 - I purchased the K100D about 2 months ago. Since that purchase have goggled , read numerous reviews (some great ones here) and I guess I don't want to wait another 3 years to make a purchase. I am committed to Pentax Glass (mounts) and will upgrade the Body at some point later when I get more competent and outgrow the K100D.

I immediately purchased the Sigma DC 18-135MM f3.5 -5.6 and the Sigma 70-300mm DG f4 - 5.6 Macro. I had planned on using the Sigma DC 18-135 as a walk around lens - but a little disappointed with the low light capabilities and speed.

I had a few other posts about buying the Pentax DA 14mm F2.8 lens for a good price - but waived on that as it is a great lens - not sure Wide Angle is what I am looking for. Considered the Pentax SMC-DA 16-45mm F4.0 but not sure about F4 (I am a novice but learning aperture/ISO/ White Balance/ DOF / etc) and how it will perform in low light.

The other nugget of knowledge I have picked up here is primes versus zooms and that is a debate with no clear winner just fans on either side.

So what I am looking for I guess is a fast lens - Autofocus - for my K100D that is a good all purpose lens. I like the Sigma DG for close ups for now can live with the flaws (price was great though!). I like to take candid shots at baseball games, vacations and travel that range from people, places and things - can be in bright daylight or dusk or indoors even. Not big on macro photography at this point but may be later. Current camera case has enough space for two lenses and I suspect the 70-300 for now will always be one of them.

I know no one lens fits all - but based on the rather vague criteria above what would you recommend - For starters I was thinking about the Sigma Sigma AF18-50mm F2.8 EX - something in that range and speed. Others already highly recommended the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro (prime)

While price is always a consideration - I had previously committed to spend around $700 so that is what I am still looking at. In another post I did get some great feedback - but I had not really given any criteria on what type of photography I like to do now and what my issues are - so not really a duplicate thread - lets just say a close cousin.

Thanks for reading and any feedback offered - hard to believe I have been married over 20 years !

[silverbullet]

Funny you should post this now. I was going to post on you other thread to ask if you bought the 14mm. I've been trying to convince myself that I do(n't) need the 40mm that the same seller has listed!

Chris

[roscot]

May I offer a bit of advice?

Before you go plunking down your hard earned LBA money, learn what focal lengths and exposure settings you tend to use. Keep using your 2 Sigmas for a while, and analyze your shooting tendencies.


This is a link to a little freeware program called Exposure Plot. It is a neat little thing that will graph out, for you, focal length usage, ISO, and aperture setting usage. I have found it invaluable.

vAndel.nl - The Wega2 site

Once you figure out your tendencies, you can focus in (pardon the pun) on what range and speed lenses you should be looking at, and spend your money more wisely.

Hope this helps

[Wethphotography]

If you have $700 as your limit, I would recommend either:
1. waiting for the DA *16-50 f2.8 to be released (though the street price is about $800.

2. Buying the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 XR DI and a Pentax FA 50 f1.4. The Tamron is about $400+/- and the Pentax 200$ _+/- I have both and they are great lenses. The Tamron is a great walk around lens that is fast enough in most lower light situations. The Pentax of course is even better for low light photography.

[Jonas B]

daacon: Is that DA14 still available? For all sakes, can you just pick it up and ship it to me? I'll PayPal you instantly, the price, shipping and any other expenses involved! Please PM me if this is possible...!

thank you,

[daacon]

daacon: Is that DA14 still available? For all sakes, can you just pick it up and ship it to me? I'll PayPal you instantly, the price, shipping and any other expenses involved! Please PM me if this is possible...!

thank you,

PM sent - Good Luck

[daacon]

May I offer a bit of advice?

Before you go plunking down your hard earned LBA money, learn what focal lengths and exposure settings you tend to use. Keep using your 2 Sigmas for a while, and analyze your shooting tendencies.


This is a link to a little freeware program called Exposure Plot. It is a neat little thing that will graph out, for you, focal length usage, ISO, and aperture setting usage. I have found it invaluable.

vAndel.nl - The Wega2 site

Once you figure out your tendencies, you can focus in (pardon the pun) on what range and speed lenses you should be looking at, and spend your money more wisely.

Hope this helps

I completley understand the sound reasoning and Logic behind this advice and agree with it whole heartly in Principle - hahaha - It is reasoning like this that beats me up and was a huge contributor to the delay in byuing a DSLR in the first place (am I using all the features of the Advanced PS ? no ... does a DSLR have video no ...do I need a DSLR no ....) But have no regrets buying this one and truly enjoy it !

So I am trying to be a little more adverterous - and yeah I am going to get burnt now and again - and I may never upgrade or use all the potential of what I have.

All that said for no logical ryme or reason - I am committed to buying at least one new lens haha - can't explain it beyond what I have already said - I seem to justify wants vs needs better these days (perhaps it is my teenagers teaching me hahaha) - or just as I get older I figure why not ?

Thanks for the sound advice though - likely not to follow it (oh I will check out the links though thanks!)

---

Last edited by daacon; 04-19-2007 at 01:49 PM.

[daacon]

Funny you should post this now. I was going to post on you other thread to ask if you bought the 14mm. I've been trying to convince myself that I do(n't) need the 40mm that the same seller has listed!

Chris

I hear ya - I actually had to go downtown Edmonton yesterady - almost wanted to stop and and just buy it !!! But talked myslef out of that one ... Score one for reason - but 'cause I want it' is comming back for more !

[daacon]

If you have $700 as your limit, I would recommend either:
1. waiting for the DA *16-50 f2.8 to be released (though the street price is about $800.

2. Buying the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 XR DI and a Pentax FA 50 f1.4. The Tamron is about $400+/- and the Pentax 200$ _+/- I have both and they are great lenses. The Tamron is a great walk around lens that is fast enough in most lower light situations. The Pentax of course is even better for low light photography.

I like option 2 maybe start with the Tamron - let me see what outragious price it is here in the great white north (and yes it did snow here today - crap!)

[kbrabble]

Personally, I would go with the Sigma 17-70, especially if you will be doing much shooting indoors. The Tamron 28-75 is an excellent lens from the pictures I have seen, but 28mm is a bit on the long side for doing much indoors. If you need something faster to go along with it, the FA 35/2 or 50/1.4 would both be excellent choices. The 35 is a great normal les on the K100D, and the 50 works great as a portrait lens, but again, is a bit long for many indoor shots.

[Wethphotography]

Kbrabble makes a good point about the Tamron being a little long for indoor shots. But, I find I can use it for 70% of my indoor shooting. Large groups of people can be a problem, and I then use the Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 with an external flash. While chaning lenses can be a hassle, I really like the image quality of the Tamron 28-75.

B&H Photo Video has the 28-75 f2.8 for $380 US.

[daacon]

Personally, I would go with the Sigma 17-70, especially if you will be doing much shooting indoors. The Tamron 28-75 is an excellent lens from the pictures I have seen, but 28mm is a bit on the long side for doing much indoors. If you need something faster to go along with it, the FA 35/2 or 50/1.4 would both be excellent choices. The 35 is a great normal les on the K100D, and the 50 works great as a portrait lens, but again, is a bit long for many indoor shots.

17-70 is interesting ... I will also be attending a couple of school productions in a theater where the lighting will be bad (this is high school previous production I have seen were very well done) - not sure where my seats are but no flash photograhy of course. I manged to get a few decent ones with a PS before (lumix 12x Optical Zoom). The 17-70 would offer me a better zoom , good indoors , decent outdoors (my exitisting lenses are good in daylight) ummmmmm soo many choices so few $$$$

[kbrabble]

The 17-70 is great outdoors too...

[roscot]

All that said for no logical ryme or reason - I am committed to buying at least one new lens haha - can't explain it beyond what I have already said - I seem to justify wants vs needs better these days (perhaps it is my teenagers teaching me hahaha) - or just as I get older I figure why not ?

Thanks for the sound advice though - likely not to follow it (oh I will check out the links though thanks!)

LOL, I completely understand. That is what LBA is all about - and you seems to have it Bad.

Good luck.

[daacon]

The courtship is over : Pulled the pin a few hours ago on a

Tamron 28-75 f2.8 XR Di LD ASP IF MACRO Lens for Pentax

I will look for something later on the wide end and more Zoom Zoom Zoom - I guess I wanted a more general purpose - fast - low light capable lens - It was tough call between this and the Sigma but whatcya gonna do - I have seen good reviews for both and reviews pointing out flaws of both - I expect it be what I paid for - is it is not a $80.00 lens not is it a $4k lens

I'll be happy I am sure - mistakes at my level (and most of us even if we don't want to admit it ) are operator error - does this get any easier with the next lens ?? haha .. DA* ......ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm