[jboyde]

I don't know if its a small case of LBA but I've been going through my lens inventory and I've been wondering if I'm better off replacing a couple of them.

The DA 50-200 and the FA50 are off the table and the M 40-80mm I'd like to keep. But I wonder about the others. Do I NEED the A-50mm? Is it good to keep the Sigma 70-210 as a manual focus backup? What I'd like to do is get something like the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 to replace the kit lens simply for the wider apertures and (possibly?) better sharpness.

I'd hate to spend money just to wind up having redundant lenses. That's why even though I want to get the Vivitar 85mm 1.4 I've stopped myself since the FA50 does more than fine. And is the DA 16-50 so much better than the kit or the Tamron?

And since I don't mind manual focussing that also leaves me with M and A lenses to ponder over. AUUUGH!

Help!!

[axl]

In your place I'd definitely sell the Sigma and the A50 probably too (unless you like it for some special rendering or something, or it's not f1.2).
As for DA*16-50. It's not just about sharpness or contrast etc, 2 things that it has over any other lens in that sector are SDM and weathersealing. If those are important for you then go for it, if not you'll be happy with Tamron.
Both (DA* and Tamron) have 1 huge advantage over kit: f2.8! It makes a big difference.

BR
Peter

[Lowell Goudge]

I have never sold anything, as a result I have 19 lenses, but...

except for my 2 power zooms SMC-FA 28-80 and 28-105 which kind of sit by themselves and don't get used, the end result is I have essentually Lens 2 kits. MF and AF. To go with this I have my K10D with a split screen for the MF kit, and my newly aquired K7 for the AK fit

What you will note is that except for the vivitar zoom in the MF kit, the MF kit is all fast primes and the AF kit is fast zooms, but none of the MF lenses is slower at any focal length than my AF zooms. This is how I have managed LBA to a minimum. If I see a lens, it has to be longer faster or wider than what I already have, or I will take an SMC lens over a non SMC at the same speed (i.e. really good quality).

AF Kit

Sigma APO 10-20F4-5.6 EX DC
SMC- Pentax Kaf-J 18-35 F3.5-4.5
Tamron XR Di 28-75 F2.8
Sigma APO 70-200 F2.8 EX
Sigma APO 1.4x and 2x Teleconverters.

MF Kit

Tamron 24mm F2.5
Tamron 28mm F2.5
SMC Takumar 35mm F2 (M42)
SMC 50mm F1.4
Vivitar Series 1 85mm F14
SMC-M 100mm F4 macro
SMC 105mm F2.8
SMC 135mm F2.5
SMC 300mm F4
VIvitar MC 400mm F5.6
Vivitar Series 1 (version 1) 70-210 F3.5.

From an image quality point, the only really suspect lenses are the Tamron adaptalls and the 400mm Vivitar.

Note I also have a 1.7x AF TC which I do use on the 300F4 as a second good long lens (to augment the sigma 70-100 zoom with a 2x TC