Question: which one should I let go?

senree · 02-15-2010, 03:50 AM

I just sold all of my lens and bought a DA 35mm Macro. After few days, I saw a pretty good second hand FA 50mm macro and F28mm F2.8 with pretty decent price, so i bought both of them.
I am gonna go to work on a tropical island. I assume I will be taking a lot of widerange picture and also close up macro pictures for the beauty of the nature.

so, carrying 3 lens might not be a good idea for me to travel around? (or maybe it is considering these three are not really that heavy?)
What is your suggestion? If you are in my situation, which one would you let go? and/or which one will you add in?

I am thinking letting 28mm go and get in a 12-24mm to cover the wide range area? (just sold my 10-17mm) would be a good idea.

**Matthew** · 02-15-2010, 05:27 AM

These lenses will all slip into a large loose pocket and if you are in light tropical clothing you will need one on each side to balance you up. With one on the camera, the three lens set should be perfect, although...
None of them is really wide angle on a Pentax digital and you are not giving yourself any real tele options, so perhaps you should just drop them all to me and start again.

Ben_Edict · 02-15-2010, 05:57 AM

I also think, the 28mm does not make too much sense, given that you have a good 35mm lens. I would go for something much wider and the Pentax 12-24 is probably a wise choice. I personally would also go for a longer lens, because this matches my style and yours may be very different.

I would also consider, if travelling light is important to you, to simply use a 18-200 or so super-zoom and add the 50mm macro.

Ben

bdery · 02-15-2010, 06:09 AM

The FA macro is an amazing lens. I don't know about the 35 but let's assume it's about as good. It's probably a more convenient lens, and it's smaller. The 28 mm seems like a duplicate, so maybe this is the one I would leave at home.

jeffrey r · 02-15-2010, 06:32 AM

If I were going to keep it simple in your situation from what I have, I'd probably do my Tamron 17-50mm zoom, DA 35mm Macro, and Pentax 50-200mm (though I'd probably want my DA 70 also). Maybe one of my Pentax 50mm primes, but that's just for the speed, since I'd have 50mm covered twice already. In your case, for the wide end, I'd do something like the Tamron 17-50, Pentax 16-45 or 16-50, or one of the real wide zooms like the Pentax 12-24 or Sigma 10-20. No real need for you to bring the 28mm if you have the DA 35, but you'd definitely want wider.

pxpaulx · 02-15-2010, 10:29 AM

I don't think 3 compact primes would be too much to carry around. If anything though, the 35mm seems to me to be the odd one out (though I am sure it could hold a warm place in your photographic heart!). To me, an ideal DSLR 3 lens setup would be the 50mm macro, the 28mm and at the wide end either the 15mm f4 or 21mm f3.2 (considering you had the fisheye and are therefore not a stranger to wide angle, the 15mm might make more sense). Just throwing another setup out there!

GeneV · 02-15-2010, 10:54 AM

Originally posted by pxpaulx

I don't think 3 compact primes would be too much to carry around. If anything though, the 35mm seems to me to be the odd one out (though I am sure it could hold a warm place in your photographic heart!). To me, an ideal DSLR 3 lens setup would be the 50mm macro, the 28mm and at the wide end either the 15mm f4 or 21mm f3.2 (considering you had the fisheye and are therefore not a stranger to wide angle, the 15mm might make more sense). Just throwing another setup out there!

If one can afford it, the ideal IMO is the DA ltd lineup without the 35. DA 15-21-40-70. The 40 takes almost up no room, so this is pretty close to the same as the 3 lens. If you had to have macro, sub the 35mac for the 40 but that would leave it at four. You could possibly leave out the 21 in that scenario, but again, that is a small one so you aren't saving much space or weight.

Prairie Dog · 02-15-2010, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by senree

I just sold all of my lens and bought a DA 35mm Macro. After few days, I saw a pretty good second hand FA 50mm macro and F28mm F2.8 with pretty decent price, so i bought both of them.
I am gonna go to work on a tropical island. I assume I will be taking a lot of widerange picture and also close up macro pictures for the beauty of the nature.

so, carrying 3 lens might not be a good idea for me to travel around? (or maybe it is considering these three are not really that heavy?)
What is your suggestion? If you are in my situation, which one would you let go? and/or which one will you add in?

I am thinking letting 28mm go and get in a 12-24mm to cover the wide range area? (just sold my 10-17mm) would be a good idea.

What I have learned is that I take better pictures when I am not distracted with a choice of lenses and burdened with pockets full of stuff. If it were my situation, the DA35MM Macro sounds like the one I would take and leave the rest behind.

sterretje · 02-15-2010, 11:28 AM

I would leave the 35 at home. Your 50 gives you the macro capability and the 28 can function as the more universal lens.

On the other hand, lots of us started of with only a 50mm in the film days. So that would mean the DA35 only on your APSc body.

Hmm, more difficult than I thought. However I think that I would still opt for the 2 lens solution as the 28mm is slightly wider (and have the 28mm as the default lens on the camera).

senree · 02-15-2010, 02:17 PM

Ya, I am using 3 lens just to cover 28-50 range, it does seem too small of a range. Not tele enuf and not wide enuf. coz I still have some spare money, if i go for 15mmltd and 100mm WR, then which one will you bring out with you? 35 or 50? (guess 28 is out quite early in this convo)

sterretje · 02-15-2010, 07:54 PM

15, 28, 100 for a three lens setup as I prefer the slightly wider lens.

zenspector · 02-15-2010, 08:03 PM

I've got the DA15, FA43 and FA77. Pretty fine kit for travel or any use. Cheers

enoxatnep · 02-16-2010, 12:11 PM

I'd go for the 15, 35 Macro, and 100 Macro WR. Here's why:

You said you'd like macro capability and you already have it in the 35mm LTD which also serves as a remarkable all-purpose lens. It's a much more practical focal length than the 50mm Macro and the 28mm lacks macro.

You'll also get macro and telephoto capabilities with the 100mm Macro WR; I find the 35mm Macro capabilities to be limited when you want 1:1 macro and don't want to be a centimeter from your subject!

For the wide end, I absolutely love my 12-24 f4; linear distortion is nearly non-existent, i.e. straight lines stay pretty straight! But for the sake of weight the 15mm or 21mm would be your best bets. But if you want wide, the wider the better, so go with the 15mm.

Unfortunately, this set-up leaves a pretty big gap between 35mm and 100mm. Not sure what to suggest in this case without you having to haul another lens around.

02-15-2010, 03:50 AM	#1
senree New Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 5	Question: which one should I let go? I just sold all of my lens and bought a DA 35mm Macro. After few days, I saw a pretty good second hand FA 50mm macro and F28mm F2.8 with pretty decent price, so i bought both of them. I am gonna go to work on a tropical island. I assume I will be taking a lot of widerange picture and also close up macro pictures for the beauty of the nature. so, carrying 3 lens might not be a good idea for me to travel around? (or maybe it is considering these three are not really that heavy?) What is your suggestion? If you are in my situation, which one would you let go? and/or which one will you add in? I am thinking letting 28mm go and get in a 12-24mm to cover the wide range area? (just sold my 10-17mm) would be a good idea.

02-15-2010, 05:27 AM	#2
Matthew Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Hawkesbury Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,896	I'd stick with the primes These lenses will all slip into a large loose pocket and if you are in light tropical clothing you will need one on each side to balance you up. With one on the camera, the three lens set should be perfect, although... None of them is really wide angle on a Pentax digital and you are not giving yourself any real tele options, so perhaps you should just drop them all to me and start again.

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02-15-2010, 05:57 AM	#3
Ben_Edict Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SouthWest "Regio" Photos: Albums Posts: 3,309	I also think, the 28mm does not make too much sense, given that you have a good 35mm lens. I would go for something much wider and the Pentax 12-24 is probably a wise choice. I personally would also go for a longer lens, because this matches my style and yours may be very different. I would also consider, if travelling light is important to you, to simply use a 18-200 or so super-zoom and add the 50mm macro. Ben

02-15-2010, 06:09 AM	#4
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	The FA macro is an amazing lens. I don't know about the 35 but let's assume it's about as good. It's probably a more convenient lens, and it's smaller. The 28 mm seems like a duplicate, so maybe this is the one I would leave at home.

02-15-2010, 06:32 AM	#5
jeffrey r Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 337	If I were going to keep it simple in your situation from what I have, I'd probably do my Tamron 17-50mm zoom, DA 35mm Macro, and Pentax 50-200mm (though I'd probably want my DA 70 also). Maybe one of my Pentax 50mm primes, but that's just for the speed, since I'd have 50mm covered twice already. In your case, for the wide end, I'd do something like the Tamron 17-50, Pentax 16-45 or 16-50, or one of the real wide zooms like the Pentax 12-24 or Sigma 10-20. No real need for you to bring the 28mm if you have the DA 35, but you'd definitely want wider.

02-15-2010, 10:29 AM	#6
pxpaulx Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 2,867	I don't think 3 compact primes would be too much to carry around. If anything though, the 35mm seems to me to be the odd one out (though I am sure it could hold a warm place in your photographic heart!). To me, an ideal DSLR 3 lens setup would be the 50mm macro, the 28mm and at the wide end either the 15mm f4 or 21mm f3.2 (considering you had the fisheye and are therefore not a stranger to wide angle, the 15mm might make more sense). Just throwing another setup out there!

02-15-2010, 10:54 AM	#7
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by pxpaulx I don't think 3 compact primes would be too much to carry around. If anything though, the 35mm seems to me to be the odd one out (though I am sure it could hold a warm place in your photographic heart!). To me, an ideal DSLR 3 lens setup would be the 50mm macro, the 28mm and at the wide end either the 15mm f4 or 21mm f3.2 (considering you had the fisheye and are therefore not a stranger to wide angle, the 15mm might make more sense). Just throwing another setup out there! If one can afford it, the ideal IMO is the DA ltd lineup without the 35. DA 15-21-40-70. The 40 takes almost up no room, so this is pretty close to the same as the 3 lens. If you had to have macro, sub the 35mac for the 40 but that would leave it at four. You could possibly leave out the 21 in that scenario, but again, that is a small one so you aren't saving much space or weight.

02-15-2010, 11:09 AM	#8
Prairie Dog Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Photos: Gallery Posts: 109	Originally posted by senree I just sold all of my lens and bought a DA 35mm Macro. After few days, I saw a pretty good second hand FA 50mm macro and F28mm F2.8 with pretty decent price, so i bought both of them. I am gonna go to work on a tropical island. I assume I will be taking a lot of widerange picture and also close up macro pictures for the beauty of the nature. so, carrying 3 lens might not be a good idea for me to travel around? (or maybe it is considering these three are not really that heavy?) What is your suggestion? If you are in my situation, which one would you let go? and/or which one will you add in? I am thinking letting 28mm go and get in a 12-24mm to cover the wide range area? (just sold my 10-17mm) would be a good idea. What I have learned is that I take better pictures when I am not distracted with a choice of lenses and burdened with pockets full of stuff. If it were my situation, the DA35MM Macro sounds like the one I would take and leave the rest behind.

02-15-2010, 11:28 AM	#9
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	I would leave the 35 at home. Your 50 gives you the macro capability and the 28 can function as the more universal lens. On the other hand, lots of us started of with only a 50mm in the film days. So that would mean the DA35 only on your APSc body. Hmm, more difficult than I thought. However I think that I would still opt for the 2 lens solution as the 28mm is slightly wider (and have the 28mm as the default lens on the camera).

02-15-2010, 02:17 PM	#10
senree New Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 5 Original Poster	Ya, I am using 3 lens just to cover 28-50 range, it does seem too small of a range. Not tele enuf and not wide enuf. coz I still have some spare money, if i go for 15mmltd and 100mm WR, then which one will you bring out with you? 35 or 50? (guess 28 is out quite early in this convo)

02-15-2010, 07:54 PM	#11
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	15, 28, 100 for a three lens setup as I prefer the slightly wider lens.

02-15-2010, 08:03 PM	#12
zenspector Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 32	I've got the DA15, FA43 and FA77. Pretty fine kit for travel or any use. Cheers

02-16-2010, 12:11 PM	#13
enoxatnep Closed Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The edge of nowhere, Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 467	I'd go for the 15, 35 Macro, and 100 Macro WR. Here's why: You said you'd like macro capability and you already have it in the 35mm LTD which also serves as a remarkable all-purpose lens. It's a much more practical focal length than the 50mm Macro and the 28mm lacks macro. You'll also get macro and telephoto capabilities with the 100mm Macro WR; I find the 35mm Macro capabilities to be limited when you want 1:1 macro and don't want to be a centimeter from your subject! For the wide end, I absolutely love my 12-24 f4; linear distortion is nearly non-existent, i.e. straight lines stay pretty straight! But for the sake of weight the 15mm or 21mm would be your best bets. But if you want wide, the wider the better, so go with the 15mm. Unfortunately, this set-up leaves a pretty big gap between 35mm and 100mm. Not sure what to suggest in this case without you having to haul another lens around.