[Skymist]

That's also nice and fast. what is your experience in low light with it?

Like all fast lenses it softens a bit as you open it up, but only a moderate amount. It doesn't get nearly as soft as my Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F/1.4. I actually don't open the 43mm up too often because the K-5 is such a great camera at high ISO that I just shoot TAv and let the ISO take care of the low light, keeping the lens at F/3 or F/4. But I did find a shot at about F/2, 1/50s using the K5 and 43mm F/1.9. WB might be a tad off because room is half fluorescent and half tungsten lit. Also it's about an inch front-focused - focus is on her fingertips.



The lens makes some of the sharpest flash snapshots I've ever taken. This below is with K-5, Pentax SMC-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited, 1/100s, F/4, built-in flash, ISO 800, autofocus.

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Last edited by Skymist; 05-28-2011 at 02:34 PM.

[psychdoc]

Rent lenses? I've never heard of such a thing. Where do you rent them?

Does that run any risk of getting dirt into the camera?

I have images of Bowling Shoes in my head.

You can rent lenses from cameralensrentals.com

Dirt in camera comes from dust in the air when changing lenses. I dont think the bowling shoes comparison is something to worry about.

The DA 35mm macro lens is a great lens but not good as a walkaround because it many situations it hunts for focus. This is due to it being a macro lens.

[napawino]

With the 16mp sensor, I would imagine a person with the shorter lenses could make some decent "telephoto" shots by cropping.

It's been a while since I had my K10. I had to sell all my gear a while back for financial reasons, and never really got much more into it than snapshots of family and pets. I knew once things changed a bit, that I'd get another Pentax. Now, I plan on making it a passion, and not just a once in a while thing.

[germar]

Another vote for the FA 43 Limited. It was the last of the three FAs I bought, and as an owner of a DA40, I thought I would not be impressed. Gosh, I was totally wrong! This focal length is truly "normal" to my eye, the rendering is amazing and while the DA 40 is very good and very sharp, the 43 gives me "art."

A great, useful focal length unless you need very wide or very long. It is fast, and the images are second to none.

That investment is one most shooters would not regret.

Best

[napawino]

The K-5 kit just arrived. Battery is on the charger. The manual is open...

[TER-OR]

Rent lenses? I've never heard of such a thing. Where do you rent them?

Does that run any risk of getting dirt into the camera?

I have images of Bowling Shoes in my head.

I have rented from CameraLensRentals.com - Canon, Nikon and Pentax Lens Rentals. several times and the service is outstanding. It's definitely worth renting expensive lenses for special occasions and trying lenses you think you might want to buy. I just rented the 21mm for a couple weeks, and liked it but for the events I attended I think the 35mm macro would have been better suited. At least for one of the events, the other was good with the 21mm. It's really wide, though, great for landscapes and indoor pictures but limited.

I bought the 16-45 and think it's much better than the kit lens. I'm fully satisfied with it as a walkaround zoom.

After walking around all weekend with the 21mm lens, though, I'm sold on the attraction a pancake holds...it's like a totally different camera which doesn't get caught on things.

[aquila8]

I think that 18-135 wr is lens for street and walkaround.
It is just compact wide lens.