[BruceBanner]

hahaha I actually had the trio before selling the other pair! I love doing macro, but just never had time for it. So rather than having it sit around and collect dust, I decided to let it go to someone else to use. I personally didn't have issues with its focus. I've tried both versions too. The new WR one is a very very nice lens, but yeah, I prefer the 77 for portraits to be honest.

The 28-105 was definitely a silly mistake. It was a beautiful lens with quick focus. I'm now stuck with no WR lenses!

I was the same, and in typical Bruce fashion decided to throw caution to the wind and buy a HD DA 20-40 for my WR needs, it actually works pretty good on the K-1

HD DA 20-40 on K-1 (Full Frame Mode) | Flickr

I didn't get a full frame camera to shoot in crop! :P haha

I really do appreciate the trio and perfectly fine to use them, however, some days when I'm out with the kids, it's just so much easier to have a zoom lens you can rely on. And that 28-105 is the lens to do just that. So I've definitely convinced myself to get it back on my lens roster. I'm still going to keep the three sisters though!

Ha! True! I never feel the Crop mode is really useful on the K-1, and the ONE lens that I own that I would really like to be able to use in crop mode (Sigma 10-20) just doesn't work at all on my K-1 (weird connection issues, AF doesn't work etc etc).

The trio were meant for FF, they lose a lot of their magic in crop mode and on crop sensor bodies imo.

It's raining this morning, I have a job to do (not a family shoot or anything but a different kinda photography assignment), so today I will be using the 20-40 as well as possibly my mad WR ALL LENS set up

[Munki]

that may be true, however, i find that the versatility of the 1.8 (or faster) far trumps any advantage that the 28-105 offers. especially in low light, and also in traveling.

though the 28-105 does cover a HUGE range, but i find that after dark, unless you REALLY crank up the ISO and bring a tripod or something, shooting with it can become a pain.

where as shooting the 3 amigos in crop or whatever, gives you that added benefit. i rather get the shot, than miss it due to a slower lens.

but thats just my opinion

I'm not saying the 28-105 will be a complete replacement for the trio. I'm noting its merits as an alternative for when the weather is a bit dodgy and you need the WR.

I was the same, and in typical Bruce fashion decided to throw caution to the wind and buy a HD DA 20-40 for my WR needs, it actually works pretty good on the K-1

HD DA 20-40 on K-1 (Full Frame Mode) | Flickr



Ha! True! I never feel the Crop mode is really useful on the K-1, and the ONE lens that I own that I would really like to be able to use in crop mode (Sigma 10-20) just doesn't work at all on my K-1 (weird connection issues, AF doesn't work etc etc).

The trio were meant for FF, they lose a lot of their magic in crop mode and on crop sensor bodies imo.

It's raining this morning, I have a job to do (not a family shoot or anything but a different kinda photography assignment), so today I will be using the 20-40 as well as possibly my mad WR ALL LENS set up

Mate that umbrella is genius! Have you got a work log on how to make one?

[texandrews]

Zeiss 50mm makro-planar f/2 .ZK. It is the big brother of 35mm macro ltd in every way. Longer option 100mm WR Macro. I just swapped 15mm Irix and few Fuji WR primes for Pentax 15-30mm WR zoom as well which is my 2nd copy. First one died when I slipped on the rocks few years ago. This combination, 15-30, Zeiss 50MP and 100mm WR is optically class A+ for Pentax K-1 system.

On the wide side I have Samyang 12mm Fisheye ordered but it has not arrived yet. It will be my 3rd copy as I already had one for Nikon and another for Pentax.

I'm interested in your views about the 15-30 vs the Irix 15. I too now have both. I haven't done a discriminating test yet comparing them. I was pretty pleased with the 15 from the standpoint of distortion, but got the 15-30 when it was discounted to its lowest level ever. Since then I also picked up the 25 for the 645Z, and so I haven't used the FF and UWA's for the work I got those lenses for since I can now get close with my Z. I'm perhaps looking to pare down my lens collection now.

[MJKoski]

Well I wrote a review in the lens review section but I guess no-one liked it when I explained in detail why. In short, the Irix has plain horrible field curvature and cannot be used to shoot sharp image of night sky wide open or even near wide open. You either get a frame where center and edges (yes edges) are somewhat okay OR mid-field which is somewhat okay. Not both.

Also, the field curvature of the Irix is further amplified at close distance which is explained plain wrong in most reviews (softer results than @ infinity). It is not that simple. Instead, the imaging field turns to sphere near camera and focus stacking must be used to get sharp results all the way to frame edges at a distance of meter or so.

Tamron 15-30 design runs circles around Irix and has much lower field curvature, better flare resistance and overall resolution at all apertures @ 15mm. That did it for me.

[BruceBanner]

I'm not saying the 28-105 will be a complete replacement for the trio. I'm noting its merits as an alternative for when the weather is a bit dodgy and you need the WR.


Mate that umbrella is genius! Have you got a work log on how to make one?

Well I wrote a review in the lens review section but I guess no-one liked it when I explained in detail why. In short, the Irix has plain horrible field curvature and cannot be used to shoot sharp image of night sky wide open or even near wide open. You either get a frame where center and edges (yes edges) are somewhat okay OR mid-field which is somewhat okay. Not both.

Also, the field curvature of the Irix is further amplified at close distance which is explained plain wrong in most reviews (softer results than @ infinity). It is not that simple. Instead, the imaging field turns to sphere near camera and focus stacking must be used to get sharp results all the way to frame edges at a distance of meter or so.

Tamron 15-30 design runs circles around Irix and has much lower field curvature, better flare resistance and overall resolution at all apertures @ 15mm. That did it for me.

I'll take some pics of it later. Word of warning tho, I wouldn't advise really shooting or leaving it on for long in the hotshoe. The K-1's hotshoe is most definitely Pentax's Achilles heel, I have seen countless users show images of the hotshoe that has completely come away from the camera body, effectively ruining the camera completely. Yes you can solder back on and epox, but really once its suffered trauma like that its value is gone and so is the WR. So to attach a brolly might should like a cool idea but even a gentle amount of wind could wreak havoc!

I use mine purely to just 'dock it' for things like lens swapping when the camera is tripodded, between takes I undock the umbrella and hold it. I might shoot with it on for some rainy portrait work but only if I felt the chance of wind was low.

I'll take some pics later today to illustrate the bits I used. It's still a work in progress. What I need to do is also have something that can easily dock onto the tripod and do the same thing without worrying about the hotshoe, using the hotshoe also negates the possibly of flash as well.

[Munki]

I'll take some pics of it later. Word of warning tho, I wouldn't advise really shooting or leaving it on for long in the hotshoe. The K-1's hotshoe is most definitely Pentax's Achilles heel, I have seen countless users show images of the hotshoe that has completely come away from the camera body, effectively ruining the camera completely. Yes you can solder back on and epox, but really once its suffered trauma like that its value is gone and so is the WR. So to attach a brolly might should like a cool idea but even a gentle amount of wind could wreak havoc!

I use mine purely to just 'dock it' for things like lens swapping when the camera is tripodded, between takes I undock the umbrella and hold it. I might shoot with it on for some rainy portrait work but only if I felt the chance of wind was low.

I'll take some pics later today to illustrate the bits I used. It's still a work in progress. What I need to do is also have something that can easily dock onto the tripod and do the same thing without worrying about the hotshoe, using the hotshoe also negates the possibly of flash as well.

Haha no worries. I probably wouldn't go full on shooting with it anyway, but it's still a neat idea. Yeah have heard some horror stories about the hotshoe coming off. Definitely don't want that!

[dave_roe]

My walk around lens is the 28-105mm. Works for most shots but still need to go a little wider.

My second choice is the 60-250mm and I have learned how to shoot to get around not making the mods to the lens.

[texandrews]

Well I wrote a review in the lens review section but I guess no-one liked it when I explained in detail why. In short, the Irix has plain horrible field curvature and cannot be used to shoot sharp image of night sky wide open or even near wide open. You either get a frame where center and edges (yes edges) are somewhat okay OR mid-field which is somewhat okay. Not both.

Also, the field curvature of the Irix is further amplified at close distance which is explained plain wrong in most reviews (softer results than @ infinity). It is not that simple. Instead, the imaging field turns to sphere near camera and focus stacking must be used to get sharp results all the way to frame edges at a distance of meter or so.

Tamron 15-30 design runs circles around Irix and has much lower field curvature, better flare resistance and overall resolution at all apertures @ 15mm. That did it for me.

Thank you.

[MJKoski]

Of course, filters are harder to get for 15-30. Or at least way more expensive. I bought 95mm Irix edge polarizer for the Irix lens which was not cheap either.

I will have serious problems trying to find infrared filters for the 15-30 and probably need to continue hunting for IR capable wide angle with small enough filter ring diameter. I do have Samyang 24mm T/S which can do IR stuff but it flares so badly that any direct or sideways coming light ruins the image.

[peggers]

My collection of lenses include Pentax FA 28-105mm, FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited, DA 55-300mm. I just bought a Pentax D FA 15-30mm lens which is still on the way.

the 55-300? How is it with the full frame?

[Ex Finn.]

the 55-300? How is it with the full frame?

Good question. I should try the combination tomorrow in FF mode.

[garywakeling]

I'll take some pics of it later. Word of warning tho, I wouldn't advise really shooting or leaving it on for long in the hotshoe. The K-1's hotshoe is most definitely Pentax's Achilles heel, I have seen countless users show images of the hotshoe that has completely come away from the camera body, effectively ruining the camera completely. Yes you can solder back on and epox, but really once its suffered trauma like that its value is gone and so is the WR. So to attach a brolly might should like a cool idea but even a gentle amount of wind could wreak havoc!

I use mine purely to just 'dock it' for things like lens swapping when the camera is tripodded, between takes I undock the umbrella and hold it. I might shoot with it on for some rainy portrait work but only if I felt the chance of wind was low.

I'll take some pics later today to illustrate the bits I used. It's still a work in progress. What I need to do is also have something that can easily dock onto the tripod and do the same thing without worrying about the hotshoe, using the hotshoe also negates the possibly of flash as well.

To protect the hotshoe you could always use one of those cheap L brackets with a cold shoe , popular in the 80s and 70s, now super cheap on eBay or at swap meets, it also gives a left side handle

[BruceBanner]

To protect the hotshoe you could always use one of those cheap L brackets with a cold shoe , popular in the 80s and 70s, now super cheap on eBay or at swap meets, it also gives a left side handle

Yeah, I thought similarly. Typically I am always tripodded under this rig, it's just a 'handsfree' way of keeping dry and lens swapping in the rain really, for the shot I undock the umbrella to stop raindrop vibrations or small wind lifting the umbrella and causing shifts in movement. It occurred to me that seeing as my camera actually has an L Plate on it under these circumstances that I should be able to rig something up to the L Bracket for the docking rather than hotshoe. Still... for those times it's pouring with rain and I want to do some FA77 portrait work in the rain, and there is no need for tripods or flash or lens swapping then this rig could actually work (provided weather is not to rough).

[DW58]

Mostly the 28-105 lately. 90% of the time.

[ivanvernon]

This is a hard question to answer, having about 100 lenses that can be fitted directly or adapted to the K-1. Instead, I will just highlight a batch of medium format lenses that I have been using on my K-1. These are the Mamiya C 645 lenses, originally developed for Mamiya 645 film cameras. I now have around a dozen of these lenses, including specialty lenses such as the 145mm Soft focus lens, the 80mm 1:1 macro lens, and the fastest medium format lens known ever to have been produced, the Mamiya C 80mm f 1.9, comparable some say to f 0.9 in 135 (K-1) format. These lenses offer great sharpness and rendering, great all-metal construction, and low prices. An adapter is available for less than $100.

The truth is, however, that my favorite K-1 lenses are the Pentax FA* 85mm f 1.4, the three amigos (31,43,and 77mm), and the Carl Zeiss 100mm f 2.8 planar macro.