[NecroticSoldier]

Hey guys I am new here, and new to photography. I am a student currently... but I am very interested in getting a new lens later. I currently have a K1000 (wanted a K2 ;() with a 50mm f/2 I believe. I really like taking nature shots, so what do you guys recommend? there are still some stores around that sell K mount lenses. I like wide angle lenses... but probably need a zoom also. There might not be the ultimate lens though...

[Ben_Edict]

"Nature shots" really is a wide field and can involve basically anything, from ultra wide angle lenses to extreme tele photo lenses. In order to give you sensible advice, you should be more specific, like what exactly do you want to photograph?
– landscapes
– big animals from short distances,
– small animals/birds from a distance
– insects
– flowers etc.

You should at least have an idea, when you use your 50mm lens, whether this does not give you a wide enough view, or whether you need more "magnification".

Ben

[NecroticSoldier]

Oh sorry, sorta new to this. What I meant was Landscapes! Uhh... I need a wider view more than magnification, but magnification would be nice too, but not as in need as a wide angle lens or something.

[tokyoso]

Oh sorry, sorta new to this. What I meant was Landscapes! Uhh... I need a wider view more than magnification, but magnification would be nice too, but not as in need as a wide angle lens or something.

kit lens 18-55 is pretty decent. you can set it on a tripod and take different exposures of the same scene or shoot in raw and work on a good post processing software.

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Last edited by tokyoso; 02-22-2010 at 04:37 PM.

[NecroticSoldier]

Hmm I'll look into it. I have heard that the 28/2 lens is good too but it may not be as flexible. How about Sigma lenses? they have a few at the store. Right now I have a SMC Pentax-a 1:2 50mm and the reviews are quite bad for it ;(.

[tokyoso]

Hmm I'll look into it. I have heard that the 28/2 lens is good too but it may not be as flexible. How about Sigma lenses? they have a few at the store. Right now I have a SMC Pentax-a 1:2 50mm and the reviews are quite bad for it ;(.

you can buy a kit zoom lens very cheapily, figure out what focal lengths you like and then sell that kit lens later. most of time you get your original money back.

[NecroticSoldier]

Been searching right now... can't seem to find any... do you know where to get this kit lens?

[tokyoso]

Been searching right now... can't seem to find any... do you know where to get this kit lens?

oh wait, my bad. you have a K1000 ! thought you said K10D.

Better grab some coffee first, early in the AM here. LOL

[NecroticSoldier]

oh wait, my bad. you have a K1000 ! thought you said K10D

;( awww it's okay.

[Marc Sabatella]

BTW, I'd recommend a book on basic phtography to come up to speed on terminolgoy and so forth. You've used the terms "zoom" and "magnification" in ways that are not really correct - in both cases, to mean simply "telephoto". I don't think anyone here had any trouble understanding you, but you'll need to know the correct use of these terms in order to know what search terms to use in Google or in order to understand the articles that a search might turn up. For example, "wide angle" and "zoom" are *not* opposites, nor is "magnification" something that can't be achieved with a wide angle. It's perfectly possible for a lens to be wide and *and* zoom *and provide great magnification, but not be telephoto at all. And yet it's clearly telephoto you are talking about when you use the terms zoom and magnification.

[NecroticSoldier]

Oh, that's embarrassing... hmm zoom is a type of lens... right? and I gotta look in my book to find out the proper definition of magnification. I'm sorry. This should have been posted in the beginner's Q and A. ;/

[pbo]

I'd recommend picking up a moderate wide angle - say, a Pentax-M 28/3.5. Very sharp, relatively wide. See if it's wide enough for you - if not, then you'll probably need something wider - but 28mm is about the point where lenses start getting more expensive.
The lens I recommended is a prime lens (i.e. not a zoom lens), but it's quite compact - if you take it and your 50mm together on a shoot, they'll probably take less space than any zoom really.

[Kirivon]

For shooting with a K1000 I would stick with prime lenses. Most zoom lenses from that era weren't particularly good, whereas many of the primes remain excellent to this day. Modern day zooms are of course much better, but you will be paying a lot of overhead for functionality (AF, Auto aperture) you cannot use.

I would probably pick up a K or M 28 f/3.5 and a 135 f/3.5. The two lenses can be had for 50-70 bucks apiece, and with your 50 you'd have a compact lens trio that would cover all your bases. Just make sure you are getting a K or M mount, as those lenses are very commonly found in takumar m42 form. You can use M42 lenses with an adapter, but they will not meter correctly on the K1000 (I found this out the hard way).

[NecroticSoldier]

For shooting with a K1000 I would stick with prime lenses. Most zoom lenses from that era weren't particularly good, whereas many of the primes remain excellent to this day. Modern day zooms are of course much better, but you will be paying a lot of overhead for functionality (AF, Auto aperture) you cannot use.

I would probably pick up a K or M 28 f/3.5 and a 135 f/3.5. The two lenses can be had for 50-70 bucks apiece, and with your 50 you'd have a compact lens trio that would cover all your bases. Just make sure you are getting a K or M mount, as those lenses are very commonly found in takumar m42 form. You can use M42 lenses with an adapter, but they will not meter correctly on the K1000 (I found this out the hard way).

Thank you! Yeah I like the sound of a 28 hmm... I can only find a 2.8... that is alright, right? My the store nearby sells it for about 150$, there is also a takumar pentax MF 28 F2.8. Yikes... can't find a 135 at the store... probably have to try ebay or something. Thanks for the info! Also thanks pbo!

[Nick Siebers]

You might enjoy trying a 35-70mm zoom. Both Pentax-A versions are quite good, and they will let you shoot "close-ups" of flowers and such, costing less than $100 (usually $50 or less).

Don't sweat the "bad rating" on the 50mm f/2 - that is still a very nice lens, and can do a lot.