[Cerebum]

+1 for the 10-17mm fish eye. You assume it is going to be a novelty until you do a sic with one. My four entries in my photographic society open digital comp are all fishy. It is also more than just a new focal length, the whole fish eye thing, once understood, gives you a big bag of new options

---------- Post added 03-07-20 at 09:47 AM ----------

Oh, you like primes, 70mm limited? Or if you fancy something quite funky maybe a late 50s aluminium Jena tessar. The 70mm limited in smc form is cheap and sharp, the alloy tessar "Vorwahlspringblende" (buy one just for the name ) is also capable of amazingness, and is as old as me

[Just1MoreDave]

One-stop shopping!

*PRICE REDUCED* DA 35mm Ltd + DA 70mm Ltd + DA 10-17 Fisheye - PentaxForums.com

[noelpolar]

Ok.... I've read all the posts and it all seems so simple to me now. You need a wood fired pizza oven.

[3by2]

One-stop shopping!

*PRICE REDUCED* DA 35mm Ltd + DA 70mm Ltd + DA 10-17 Fisheye - PentaxForums.com

I know. Very tempting to just say I'll take the lot!

Ok.... I've read all the posts and it all seems so simple to me now. You need a wood fired pizza oven.

Everyone needs a wood fired pizza oven!

[3by2]

So my M200 arrived today and I wasn't really expecting much from it, plus I was not expecting to like using manual focus and exposure again.

I am pleasantly surprised. IQ is better than I was expecting, not brilliant but perfectly acceptable and certainly better then 70-210 I had. Images are a little flat compared to the other lenses I have, however, I'm not sure that will matter too much, depends on the subject matter and what I can do PP. I will have to use it a bit and see. I'll have to get used to focusing again and checking the F stop in a more disciplined manner, I already forgot whehter I went up or down the scale on some of my test images. It definitely improves as you stop it down, need to do more testing. It doesn't like light subjects or shooting into a flat sky and one shot in such circumstances had bad CA. It's also F4, so I definitely need light or a tripod, that was obvious but overall, favourable and I'll keep it for a bit and see.

Here is my canine companion and all around sometime photographic muse on squirrel watch. It's a dull day and I missed the focus and got his nose not his eyes and probably had it on F4 but it's not bad, better than I was expecting for £30.

[3by2]

Well for completeness my da40 ltd arrived today. I dithered a bit before I pressed the button. Initial impressions are favourable. In comparison to the DA35/2.4 there isn't a huge difference. The DA40 does have a little bit more pop, it isolates things a little better then the 35 but the 35 might shade it a bit on sharpness and depth of certain colours. The bokeh on the 40 is better or rather the way it treats out of focus areas, it also doesn't seem to get fooled as easily as the 35mm on autofocus, wihich I thought I imagined with the 35 but a side by side test seems to indicate I didn't. Handling, feel and size is night and day though, the 40 is just lovely. I'll do a bit more testing to get the hang of its attributes and then the 35 will get sold off.

Not keeping the 200 either. I got some nice shots with it but it doesn't like contrast and that's a problem for how I want to use it, plus I'm not quite as sure the 200 perspective is something I need as much as I thought and I don't to carry a lens I won't need often, so I might re-think that end of the scale. Looking back through my images I decided a wider lens might be more useful, wider than the 21mm I have.

[aslyfox]

hmm

wider than your 21mm ???

there is, of course, the D A 15m limited, if you can find the SMC version, it is probably cheaper

HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes
Introduction

https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/hd-pentax-limited-primes/introduction.html?src=lrdb

as far as zooms

the Sigma 10-20 comes to mind, it isn't a " fish eye " lens

---

Last edited by aslyfox; 03-17-2020 at 10:50 AM.

[3by2]

hmm

wider than your 21mm ???

there is, of course, the D A 15m limited, if you can find the SMC version, it is probably cheaper



HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

as far as zooms

the Sigma 10-20 comes to mind, it isn't a " fish eye " lens

Yeah, I don't really know which way to jump now.

I think I might simply let need dictate the next lens. I.e. if I head off on safari I might buy a 70-200 zoom, or if I head to Kuala Lumpur I might get a wideangle, that kind of thing.

I basically have my most used lens range.

[normhead]

Your shooting habits are so different from mine, I'm just sitting with a bag of popcorn now, waiting to see what you end up with.

I think the biggest difference might be I hate lens changes.
My most used lenses are my 18-135 and 55-300 PLM on my K-3.
SO, I have absolutely nothing to say... (so why did it take 4 lines to say it? I dunno.)

I guess I should say, "your decision is important to me" or something like that.

The 10-17 is probably one of my least used lenses, but it sure is fun to take it out.
This one on a K-1

[aslyfox]

. . . I think I might simply let need dictate the next lens . . .

hmm

selecting equipment on the grounds of what is needed

sounds smart

maybe I should start doing that

[MossyRocks]

hmmselecting equipment on the grounds of what is neededsounds smartmaybe I should start doing that

Now stop with that crazy talk

[aslyfox]

Now stop with that crazy talk

I did say

" maybe "

and 3x2 started it

I feel the need to purchase something which will add to my photographic capability and take me from vaguely incompetent to mildly incompetent but I don't know what!
...
Basically I've reached the point where I don't need anything but would like something!

How about a course in art history at the local college or university?

[3by2]

I'm just sitting with a bag of popcorn now, waiting to see what you end up with

You could wait a long time, I'm a glacial decider. Whole continents will have moved before I buy my next piece of equipment!

I've still got to sell my 35 and 200. I took them off ebay when all this covid stuff kicked off. There seemed to be a lot of interest in the 200 by the numbers watching, which surprised me, I thought the 35 would be of more interest.

Anyway, I've also got a B&H voucher now, I've no idea what to get with that.

[MossyRocks]

I did say

" maybe "

and 3x2 started it

All is forgiven then.