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12-22-2013, 01:30 AM   #1
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Add on lenses

So I've been enjoying my k30 for almost a year now, and it came with he kit 18-135 wr lens. I've added a sigma 28mm f2.8 and a pentax 50mm f2, neither of which I'm terribly thrilled with but the prices were right, and a 60-300mm pro master tele zoom I haven't played with at all yet.

I'm thinking if I like the pro master, I should upgrade to the new wr 55-300 from pentax. What should I do on the shorter end of the scale to fill out my kit? Hoping to shoot the auroras more, as well as more poorly lit interior scenes (bands, family in at holidays, etc) as well as some landscape work.

12-22-2013, 02:07 AM   #2
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How short is the shorter end for you?

What was it about the Sigma 28 2.8 and Pentax 50 2.0 that you didn't like?

I have the Sigma 17-70 (2nd gen) which I'm very happy with. Had the Tamron 17-50 which I sold once I had it fixed under warranty. I'm waiting for the Sigma 18-35 1.8 to fill in my short end.
12-22-2013, 03:16 AM   #3
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The 18-135mm WR lens is a very good all-around lens. Considering your current lenses, and not withstanding budget, I believe that you would benefit from a fast prime lens. I believe that two top lenses would be the DA*55mm and the Voigtlander Nokton 58m f1.4. I have the latter and it is a superb lens in difficult lights, not just low light.

I shared a subjective comparison between the VL58mm and the legendary FA31mm Ltd at :

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/209251-fa31...mm-f1-4-a.html

You asked for ""Hoping to shoot the auroras more, as well as more poorly lit interior scenes (bands, family in at holidays, etc) as well as some landscape work". IMHO the VL58mm will fit the bill!

Hoping that the comment will help.
12-22-2013, 09:12 AM   #4
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I'd sell the K-30, but keep the 18-135 WR. My copy of this lens is very sharp.
I would then buy a K-5/II/IIs + the 55-300 WR.
If I could afford it I would buy a Sigma 10-20. I have the f4-5.6 DC EX version of this lens and it is brutally sharp.
With these (3) lenses and a K-5 the world of exciting photography is all yours.
Regards.

12-23-2013, 07:57 AM   #5
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Not really interested in a new body at this point, I'd rather invest in some glass first as the k30 does well for me though I'd love a k3.

I'm having a hard time catching my nephew with the older manual focus lenses. It would be nice to have faster glass too.

I'll look in to that sigma 18-35 and some of the faster primes.
12-23-2013, 09:58 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by skierd Quote
Not really interested in a new body at this point, I'd rather invest in some glass first as the k30 does well for me though I'd love a k3.
I'm having a hard time catching my nephew with the older manual focus lenses. It would be nice to have faster glass too.
I'll look in to that sigma 18-35 and some of the faster primes.
Skierd Sir, reports on the net indicate that the K-5 / II / IIs is better than the K-3 in many respects. And it is far far superior to the K-30. Also price wise today
a brand new K-5 II fell to $ 599.
I am a Zoom lens enthusiast and with the K-5's excellent high ISO performance never felt the need for fast f1.4 or f1.8 Lenses. Also I am very prudent and do not wish to waste money on a lens like the Sigma 18-35 f1.8. I amnot a Pro just an advanced Amateur.
I do have some fine digital f2.8 zooms and cheap legacy f 2.8 prime glass + a 50mm f1.4 "A" lens which meets my low light needs.
I am covered from 10 mm to 600 mm with some fine modern glass including macro, so I feel comfortable. None of them costed me over $ 500.
With this background I found it sound to let you know the choices.
My favourite lenses are: Tamron 28-75 f2.8, Pentax 18-135 WR, Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 DC EX in this order. I retired as an Advisor in the world's largest conglomerate and can buy the best glass but as I said I am very prudent and wish you do not waste money on an expensive "WANT" if you are not a PRO.
May the Force be with you.
02-24-2014, 01:31 PM   #7
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So I've been taking my camera out more and more this winter, finally getting a better feel for my needs. The 18-135 is a great walkaround lens and fits my needs probably 90% of the time. I've actually grown to like the little Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm... on my LX. For the few times I'm shooting at long distances, the 55-300 HD WR zoom is on my list unless the rumored to be forthcoming DA 135-380 zoom is a miracle worker at a reasonable price.

On the wide end, probably the wider the better. 18mm is close to wide enough, but I want a lens I can manually focus at infinity easier i.e. has a distance scale. I'm stuck debating between:
10-17mm Fisheye (available locally)
12-24mm DA
15 DA Limited (save the heft and size of the zoom, get a great prime instead?)

Can't help but lusting over the DA 40mm ltd and DA 21mm ltd too... not nearly as "necessary" since I have the 18-135 already, but damn nice and still available from B&H and Adorama respectively with the pre-HD coating and pricing...

02-24-2014, 08:15 PM   #8
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Those are all very good lenses. If I had the budget I'd probably be struggling over a similar decision, as well…

I'd just spend a lot of time on flicker and flickriver and see which lenses appeal mostly to your eyes, taking into consideration the type of shooting that you do…

Another lens that I think is stunning is the Sigma 12-24 - that is, if you are interested in adding a film camera to your setup, it's the widest non-fisheye lens in existence when using a full frame camera… and it looks good while at it. About the same price as the Pentax 12-24, maybe a little more expensive, and a bit slower, so if there's no interest in using it on film, the Pentax options are probably better.
02-24-2014, 08:41 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChristianRock Quote
Those are all very good lenses. If I had the budget I'd probably be struggling over a similar decision, as well…

I'd just spend a lot of time on flicker and flickriver and see which lenses appeal mostly to your eyes, taking into consideration the type of shooting that you do…

Another lens that I think is stunning is the Sigma 12-24 - that is, if you are interested in adding a film camera to your setup, it's the widest non-fisheye lens in existence when using a full frame camera… and it looks good while at it. About the same price as the Pentax 12-24, maybe a little more expensive, and a bit slower, so if there's no interest in using it on film, the Pentax options are probably better.
Keep in mind that if you are planning to use software such as Lightroom, you will have to manually specify that a non-Pentax lens was used. The EXIF info does not include non-Pentax lenses.
02-24-2014, 09:32 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by skierd Quote
I'm stuck debating between:
10-17mm Fisheye (available locally)
12-24mm DA
15 DA Limited (save the heft and size of the zoom, get a great prime instead?)
I have those. The 12-24 is the most versatile, I always recommend it for vacation travel. The fisheye is just that - more or less. The 15 is nice and compact, great FL for cars.

There are also a few 14mm f2.8's in the marketplace.
02-25-2014, 08:01 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by manishved Quote
Keep in mind that if you are planning to use software such as Lightroom, you will have to manually specify that a non-Pentax lens was used. The EXIF info does not include non-Pentax lenses.
Even though it doesn't show in my Adobe Bridge exif, All of my Tamrons or Sigma AF lenses are selectable for lens correction in both my Adobe ACR 8.3 and in Lens Correction with CS6, even the newest ones. The only one they aren't is in the adaptive wide angle feature. I presume that would be the case with the latest updates for Lightroom 4 or 5?

Last edited by Oldbayrunner; 02-27-2014 at 05:53 AM.
02-26-2014, 12:32 PM   #12
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I don't own a large collection of lenses and probably never will, don't like keeping lenses or much of anything that doesn't get use, so I assume I'd be able to figure out what lens I was using if its not in the exif data.

The 14 f/2.8 is intriguing too.... cheaper than the 15mm limited used, a couple hundred too much new.
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