[reeftool]

I have thought about the FF issue also and I still have film cameras too that I could use a lens on but I admit to not having shot a roll of film in 3 years. Other than the 18-55 kit which came with my camera the only DA I have purchased is the 10-17. With ultra wide angle lenses there isn't much choice. I'm kicking around the purchase of a 17-70, either the Pentax or Sigma. It's a size that I think would work well for me and I don't currently have anything between 55 and 70 mm that will fit on my Pentax. Sigma has a 24-70 that I believe is FF. I have a 24-70 in a Nikkor that worked pretty good for me but I would miss the shorter lengths. Looking back through all my shots I found I use the range between 18 and 24mm quite a bit and I am looking to use that size as a general walkaround.

The big question is whether the camera manufacturers will abandon the APS-C format. A lot of people have invested heavily in lenses for their DSLR's and there may be a consumer backlash if they abandon the format. Those of us who are older already had FF lenses for our film cameras. The younger and newer photographers are coming out of a digital P&S background and using even smaller sensors so the DSLR is a pretty big step-up. These are the ones the camera manufacturers have to be concerned about the most as they are going to be potential customers for the next 50 years or so. If they are smart, I would think they will be basing their decisions on which size format those customers are buying, not on what middle aged former film SLR shooters are buying. With FF, APS-C, 4/3, micro4/3 and a similar to micro 4/3 coming from Samsung, the size format issue isn't going away anytime soon.

[Nick Siebers]

And I am not sure the DA40 would qualify as "top dollar" when I bought it, but I haven't followed the recent price increases that closely. I have used the DA40 for many film shots without noticing any issues, but I am not necessarily the most discerning. Frankly I have used the DA18-55 for some film shots, keeping the focal length above 24mm, and they came out fine too. But all my other lenses are "full frame", and I would hesitate before buying a DA* lens or similar. (Mostly because my wife would kill me!)

[Venturi]

I now own only one APS lens and that is the DA12-24. I have replaced all the others, including the DA*50-135, with full 35mm "equivalents". For me it wasn't so much that I think eventually Pentax will release a full-frame 35mm DSLR - if they do, awesome - rather it is that I do shoot film almost as much as digital.
When I'm shooting solely for my own interests I almost always pick up the PZ-1 or Super Program and a roll of B&W. So having a unified kit that is fully useful on those cameras is very important.

I can't let the 12-24 go though. I honestly enjoy it more than I did the DA*50-135 and I truly loved that lens.

[StephenMerola]

Let me start by saying I take photos for fun and never plan to be a pro, but I am also into shiny new toys. It takes me so long to save for new lenses that I just cannot justify buying a lens that is not future-proof. Those DA lenses are AWESOME, but they are not for me (maybe the 200mm DA*). My lens collection is 100% full frame lenses and I plan to keep it that way...unless I win the lotto.

I have the following:

Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4
Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8
Sigma 28mm f/1.8
Sigma 180mm f/3.5 macro
Sigma 500mm f/7.2
Pentax Fa 50mm f/1.4
Pentax 645 120mm f/4 macro (in the mail as we speak)
Rokinon 85mm f/1.4

[soycory]

If pentax makes a FF evil camera, couldn't they still use these da lenses due to the closer distance from sensor to lens? All of the benefits of FF without new lenses.

[axl]

If pentax makes a FF evil camera, couldn't they still use these da lenses due to the closer distance from sensor to lens? All of the benefits of FF without new lenses.

I don't think this would work as cchanginng the lens - sensor distance (registration distance AFAIK) would upset the focusing

---
on the original topic.
I ddo too believe Pentax FF will come, though looking at Oly sticking with 4/3, who knows...
Anyway, for now I'm futureproof, i.e. all my lenses are FF designs (Sigma 24/2.8 AF, 31ltd, F50/1.7, Sigma EX DG Macro 105, Tamron 70-300, FA*300) or FF capable (DA40 - I wouldn't sell it anyway, simply beccause I love it too mucc). The only APSCc dedicated lens is my Signa 10-20 but I'm happy with it, so I hope Pentax FF camera, when it'll come out, will have user selectable APSC mode, so:
a) APSC lenses will be fully functional
b) you could "increase" the reach

Peter

[kristoffon]

I also think this way and so far I favoured full frame lenses. However I did decide to get the DA15 next on the assumption that when/if a FF body comes along I will KEEP my current K20D and add the FF body. Considering there's no FF equivalent to the DA 15 in the SIZE department, I can see myself favouring the smaller lens and crop body in a number of situations.

It's one of the reasons I bought the Sigma 100-300mm EX DG, ... (plus the Sigma had a longer and more useable reach).

That doesn't make much sense to me. 300 over 250mm is a pretty small increment in zooming power. Much more useful is to have 60mm over 100mm - you can always crop a bit of a 250mm pic to look like 300mm, but you can't "uncrop" a 100mm pic to look like a 60mm.

[axl]

.....


That doesn't make much sense to me. 300 over 250mm is a pretty small increment in zooming power. Much more useful is to have 60mm over 100mm - you can always crop a bit of a 250mm pic to look like 300mm, but you can't "uncrop" a 100mm pic to look like a 60mm.

I'd say it depends what do you really want.
If it's length you are after than you don't mind 100 vs 60 but the extra 50 on long end means that you don't have to crop all that much as with 250...

BR

[elkarrde]

...it covers a full frame sensor whilst the DA* 60-250mm doesn't

actually, DA*60-250/4 is a full-frame lens, despite it's DA designation. it fully covers 24×36 frame, with no dark corners - i tested it with P5 film camera.

[Big G]

That doesn't make much sense to me. 300 over 250mm is a pretty small increment in zooming power. Much more useful is to have 60mm over 100mm - you can always crop a bit of a 250mm pic to look like 300mm, but you can't "uncrop" a 100mm pic to look like a 60mm.

Well it makes perfect sense to me because I need as much length as possible, not to mention a non-tromboning lens. The sigma is also very sharp from f/4.

My 17-70mm gives me a very easy, functional and usable 40-70mm range whilst my Sigma covers the 100mm and upwards range.

[Big G]

actually, DA*60-250/4 is a full-frame lens, despite it's DA designation. it fully covers 24×36 frame, with no dark corners - i tested it with P5 film camera.

Are you absolutely sure about that? The sample shots i've seen exhibit unacceptable vignetting.

?????? DA?60-250mm???????

Which is also consistent with:

The DA* 60-250mm is not full frame but close (more): Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[jslifoaw]

I personally have mostly FF lenses too, but at least Pentax wasn't as stupid as Canon, whose APS-C mount is physically different and won't allow them to work on FF. Nikon and Pentax are set; DA lenses would work either fully, with lower resolution, or if they cover FF, then you don't even need to crop to 1.5x.

DA lenses won't go obsolete overnight, but if I have equivalent choices, I go with the FA lens.

[beaumont]

I have been asked recently by a number of people on the reason i sold my DA*40mm
So i have decided to start this thread to see how many, if any, people are thinking my way.
The Da series of lenses were made for APS sized sensors, which cover the full range of Pentax DSLR's some of these lenses are very expensive, some are cheaper. But they al are intended for use on APS sensors only. There are also the Sigma equivalent lenses made for these sensors which are called the DC series.
As we all know the FA series in Pentax, The DG series in Sigma are made for the Full Frame SLR or full Frame sensor.
Well my way of thinking is that ONE DAY Pentax WILL realese a Full Frame Sensor DSLR to rival the Canon, Nikon and Sony camera's out there and I for one will be upgrading from my K20D then and not before. Which makes good reason for me selling my DA lens and purchasing those capable of working correctly on that new model Full Frame Sensor.
It seems a lot of money to invest in DA* Lenses only for them to be unusable in the future, unless you stay with APS of course.
I must say though one exception would be the 10-20 or 12-24 (Da or Dc) as my 20-40 for the time being is not an ultra wide.
Thanks for reading

Good point, but it could also be said that it is a lot of money to invest in FA LTD's (which typically cost more than the DA LTD's) for them to only be used on the APS in the event that FF is not developed, or not purchased...

[JamieP]

I've only been shooting for the last few years and had been holding off on investing in lenses to see how the whole FF thing plays out. In fact my first thread here was seeking advice about FF vs. crop lenses.

I finally got off the fence and bought the DA 15mm and DA 70mm (which just arrived today). My rationale was that Pentax will continue to offer APS lenses and bodies for quite awhile and one of those bodies will soon be perfect for me. I think a body with the features of the K-7 and the high ISO performance of the K-x is just a matter of time. That setup with the size benefits compared to FF is ideal for me as a hiker / backpacker.

A side note- I'm surprised by the number of people who seem to be going for a FF lineup with Sigma lenses. I like Sigma lenses and hope to get the 100-300 in the next year (unless the mysterious Pentax super zoom emerges), but I always saw the great lens lineup as the main reason to stick with Pentax. I think if I was planning a Sigma lineup I'd be looking at a Canikon body.

[georgweb]

Jamie you're probably right in going for DA lenses and just using them and forget about the ifs and whens.

Me, I only have small format lenses except the kit lens. They are all manual 'full metal' lenses and go on any company's body except Nikon.

I also have some middle format lenses. These can be adapted with infinity on any small format or APS-C camera. My reasoning was that some day there will be affordable bigger sensor cameras for the masses (see the ever-announced but never come Pentax 645D).

Now I'm thinking the future will definitely be the mirrorless cameras - good reason to spend all my money in Leica M-mount lenses. The original Leica lenses as well as the Zeiss Contax G are the most legendary stuff you can ever get in manual focus land - fortunately the prices are so obscene I don't feel pressed to get them in a hurry :-)

Georg (the other)