[FrancisK7]

Pendulum, you should consider acquiring a limited prime at some point down the line.

The FA77, FA43 and FA31 are legendary. The FA77 is a pride and joy, a true gem and glass that makes canikon shooters green with envy.

[amorificus]

The issue with the Takumar-F/A lenses is that they don't even have multi-coating. This is their "non-budget" brother which is a quite good lens even by modern standards:

Pentax-F 70-210mm F4-5.6 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

But with the Takumars, you can expect more flare and CA than with other lenses.

One note about the lens database: in a lot of places, we've removed the "SMC" prefix from lenses because of its redundancy. For older lenses, you can verify that it has SMC by looking at the full lens name in the table that contains the sub-ratings and averages.

Thank you Adam!
I feel like you have a lot of experience with pentax lenses. I just cancelled my purchase of the Takumar-F 70-200 before the seller shipped it and I will return the A 70-200mm as well.
So I'll most likely get an SMC Pentax f-70-210mm instead as you suggested. I also want to get rid of the old primes if I don't like any of them.

Then I'll just get a DA 35mm 2.4(my favorite focal length) and then just wait to get a 50mm 1.2

Thanks everyone for your replies, they really helped me.

The problem is not the money, it's finding one. They're very rare!

There's an M 50mm 1.2 on keh for about $400 right now. Or maybe the M is not as rare as the A.

I would dismiss the 1.2 altogether. You could get a FA 50 1.4 for about 250 bucks used on the marketplace. You'd have a solid piece of fast glass for a budget price and it will shine on that K5.
Conceivably, you could land the FA 50 1.4, Tamron 70-200 2.8 and DA 35 2.4 for a grand. The DA 35 is about 170 brand new. Leaving 500 bucks for a nice landscape lens...like the Sigma 10-20.
More importantly....you'd have reasonably fast lenses ALL with auto focus.
This range of lenses would have you covered in low light (50mm), indoors (35mm), telephoto in low light (70-200), and landscape.

If you didn't already know....the FA 31, 43 and 77 ltd's are the best we offer. But a little pricier than the above listed glass.

Awesome reply! thanks. I will definitely consider those lenses.
I almost bought the sigma, but according to reviews it was not as good as the Samyang. The samyang had very good ratings on almost all lens reviewing sites.

[Frogfish]

Well, I did read reviews before buying them. I bought them based on reviews and pictures taken with them. But, I can also return or resell those lenses. What takumar primes are you talking about????? I'm very interested in those. Could you please tell me which ones are good? Thank you.

I'm sure Mike will come back to you with a recommended list of Taks and prices ... if he does then take note because he has a wonderful set of Taks that he used to use almost exclusively and if you check out the Takumar thread here on PF you'll find many of his shots.

[Mike Cash]

I use a Limited one damned day and I'm never going to hear the end of it......

[amorificus]

Ok i tested most of the lenses on my new k-5 today and realized that I'd gotten too ahead of myself. I don't need so many lenses right now.

All the cheap primes I bought sucked. Not only is the quality bad, the lack of auto aperture is very annoying. The 17-70 is not that great either for its price. I think it's overpriced and it was somewhat soft at %100.

So I'm returning all of them except for the 14mm Rokinon(samyang).

Soon I'll get the tamron SP 35-80mm.
Then I just want to buy:

• Pentax F 70-210mm f4-5.6 (about $100)
• Pentax DA 35mm 2.4 ($170)
• Pentax smc A 28mm 2.8(~$90) - can anyone comment on this one? I'm not too sure about it.

and that's all. Maybe I'll pick up an 18-55 WR if a need a travel wr lens. But that's all I need right now. I need to spend more time taking pictures than buying lenses.

What do you think? Thanks in advance for feedback.

[twitch]

No point getting the A28 if you are also buying a DA35, they're too close.

I'd recommend a DA18-55, DA55-300, and one prime. I like the FA50/1.4 for value, I think the DA35 is too slow. I'd recommend a FA35/2 if you don't want a FA50. The other bonus is the FA series have aperture rings and are FF, something I didn't realize the importance of until later and now I'm having to convert my DA's to FA's where it makes sense.

[Frogfish]

No point getting the A28 if you are also buying a DA35, they're too close.

I'd recommend a DA18-55, DA55-300, and one prime. I like the FA50/1.4 for value, I think the DA35 is too slow. I'd recommend a FA35/2 if you don't want a FA50. The other bonus is the FA series have aperture rings and are FF, something I didn't realize the importance of until later and now I'm having to convert my DA's to FA's where it makes sense.

Not often I disagree with Twitch but I definitely do on the 28/35mm being close. That's a 25% difference in FL and a big difference in wide lenses (not for teles) so room for both in the bag (28mm as a landscape lens and 35 is more a walkaround).

I have the A-28 and to be honest I am totally unimpressed (still have it, will sell it), I bought a Contax Zeiss 28/2.8 to replace it and yes, it was more than 3 times the price but absolutely worth it ... it blows the A-28 away.

The F 70-210 is a good lens (I have one but rarely use it, fast but noisy AF but a sharp lens) but I'd also consider the 55-300 (NOT the DA-L version) as it is amazing value for money at not much more than the F 70-210.

That said looking through your posts and budget I'd say you may be better off going for quality rather than quantity otherwise you'll be on the path I took of constantly upgrading (and wasting both money and shots) until you find the lenses that satisfy your IQ needs. If that is the case then the 50-135 would be a great start and cover many focal lenses and then maybe an FA24/2 to give you an excellent, much wider, lens.

[Deiberson]

I have an smc A 28 that I've been trying to sell. HERE I'd take 70 bucks for it. But....If you don't think you need it....no big deal. I really haven't been trying to push it. I have had good luck with my copy but don't need the focal length as I already have it covered.

[CuriousEye]

hello Pendulum,
i am a Pentaxian since 05/2011 owning a 3978 series copy and am ever satisfied with it, no issues, as prime i would suggest you the DA 40 mm Ltd., i use it as walkaround lens and it satisfies me with wonderful sharp pictures..for street photography as well as for landscape pics recommendable.

Greeting from Austria,
Sascha

[amorificus]

Hello, Thanks everyone for your replies.

I decided to just return everything and get an 18-55 WR, 35mm f2.4,pentax f 70-210mm 4-5.6, takumar 55mm 1.8 and I'll also get a tamron SP 35-80. Oh and I'm keeping the samyang 14mm.

That will be plenty for my k-5 and k10d. I should take it slowly and start with those lenses and then upgrade later on.

[Mike Cash]

I have the A-28 and to be honest I am totally unimpressed (still have it, will sell it)

You and me both. I was thoroughly unimpressed with mine. I tried to sell it....and I almost never will part with camera gear once I have bought it....and had no takers. I have a general idea where it is, but if I go to look for it and it isn't there, I won't waste time hunting for it. Haven't used it in a looong time.

[Deiberson]

I don't know what your photographic experience is.....so take this with a grain of salt.
But if you were trying to get sharp pics and your using mediocre glass that is manual focus, this might be pilot error. Even the K-5 can't help you with this.
So now you have a bunch of lenses that you want to return and it looks like your trading them in for more mediocrity.

Why don't you rent one of the FA ltd's and see what you get with auto focus and fast glass. LINK It will cost you 30 bucks to play around with it for the week.

As others have also stated, I also chased this lens buying addiction for mediocre glass only to find I spent more money then I needed to in the long run. The best advice I got (for my shooting style) on this forum was...."Zooms...nothing above 2.8. Primes, Nothing above 1.8 and stay with something that is auto focus"

[Deiberson]

Start off with the 50 1.4......
Get one piece of glass at a time. As Frogfish said....Quality over Quantity.

[amorificus]

I know what you mean, but to be honest it's more about composition and photographer than the lens you use. Just look at the highest rated and most viewed pictures in the gallery. You'll be surprised to find a lot of 'mediocre' lenses at the top of the list (#1 is SMC takumar 55mm 1.8 'Blacksmith')

Besides most modern lenses are all decent and there isn't a dramatically HUGE difference in quality between DA and DA*.

AND how come the 35mm f2.4 is at the top of pentax lenses on dxomark.com??? way above the more expensive 16-50 and other expensive primes: DxOMark - Camera Lens Ratings

I'd rather practice on mediocre manual lenses than fully automatic and expensive primes. That way i will learn faster and be more intuitive in full manual mode.

[Deiberson]

Don't forget....some of those pics are PP. The draw to the blacksmith is certainly its composition but it also looks like he has 2-3 different strobes going on there. 1-2 of them gelled with CTO. Lots of burning as well.
I have the 35 2.4. I like it. But your also comparing a zoom IQ to a prime IQ. The prime will win most of the time. I'm just suggesting that the softness might be from movement and other factors that would come from lack of experience, not the lens. If you try a great lens and still have poor results, you'd be able to remove a factor from the equation before trading in your lenses again.

Good Luck.