[6BQ5]

Simple. Go for the 43mm Limited. It screams film!

[CreationBear]

I don't have nearly the experience as most of the other posters in your thread, but if you're looking for rendering that's a bit "different," I might put the K55/1.8 and A50/2.8 macro on your radar--in fact, a lot of the "classic" K-series lenses (e.g. the 35/3.5 and 28/3.5) might come closer to your aesthetics than, say, the DA Limited's.

[stefanor]

Check out my Flickr photostream! : >click here<

nice kid !! :-))

[interested_observer]

Thanks everybody !!!

After many many years of all manual settings at this point I would like to experience the thrill of autofocus and maybe also aperture priority Wow !!!

So I think that I'll start with a short tele like the 77mm ... later, I know, I'll begin to look on the bay for beautiful old manual lenses.

I was just going to touch on this. The first real question is if you want/intend to use autofocus? Which you just answered. That is pretty much the initial dividing line. With that answered, where you want to look then is primarily Pentax (FA and D FA lens groups) and Sigma lenses, since they offer and support auto-focus. Since you want prime lenses, that pretty much leaves you with selecting focal lengths.

You really can't go wrong with your initial choice of the 31, 43 and the 77. The 77 for portraits is an excellent first choice. Since 31 may be too wide, the 43 might be your widest lens. Then there is also the 100mm Macro, that excels are pretty much everything.

[stefanor]

But what about the DA* 55mm ?

[VoiceOfReason]

If I were doing a prime only kit it would be the Pentax A 15, FA* 24, FA 31 ltd, FA 43 ltd, DA* 55, FA 77 ltd, DFA 100 Macro, FA 135, DA* 200, DA*300, and 1.7 AFA. It would be expensive, but would work well for the K1.

[stefanor]

... It would be expensive, but would work well for the K1.

Wow !! just a LITTLE TOO expensive for me :-)))

[UncleVanya]

DXO OPTICS has great film presets. They are available separately or in a package with the optics pro software.

---------- Post added 09-20-16 at 10:43 AM ----------

If I were doing a prime only kit it would be the Pentax A 15, FA* 24, FA 31 ltd, FA 43 ltd, DA* 55, FA 77 ltd, DFA 100 Macro, FA 135, DA* 200, DA*300, and 1.7 AFA. It would be expensive, but would work well for the K1.

A more modest option would be starting with a 24mm manual focus, picking up an FA35 f2, the F or FA 50 (1.4 or 1.7), the FA 77 which you already mentioned, an F, FA, or DFA 100 (wr optional), a 200mm f/FA/da*, the f/FA/da* 300...

Or a less prime centric option:

F 24-50, f/FA 50 1.7, FA 77, f 70-210... But I'm sure there are more combos out there even better.

[LensBeginner]

I agree- these days, most of those effects should primarily come from PP. I'd get a nice sharp prime with an aperture that suits your creative needs

I disagree...
First of all "film look" is a combination of different factors pertaining to different aspects of the picture taking process: I would include vignetting (light falloff), colors (light transmission), flare (light scattering) etc. etc. etc.
IMHO there's no way to turn a picture entirely into a "film-like picture", so to speak, only with PP, or at least from my point of view you can only fake that.

It's a bit like mic simulators... those piece of software that try to match the rendering of a specific mic, irrespective of which mic was used during the recording... in that case every mic has its own peculiar features that change, for instance, with the placement of the sound source WRT the mic axis... the simulator doesn't know which sources where on-axis and whic ones where off-axis (and by how many degrees), since all the information is mixed together.

It works the same way for, e.g., in-focus/OOF transitions, since the depth information becomes mashed into the picture and can't be retrieved... lenses like the SMC-M 100/2.8 and the modern XS 40/2.8, which have very smooth transitions between IF/OOF areas can't be magically mutated into something else, and vice versa.

Of course if the OP only wants a generic semblance of the "film look", then PP can give that and then some.

[redcat]

By the way the 31mm is my favorite lens on the K-1! the 77mm goes second for fantastic portrait shots!

if you can afford, there is no other better options than these 2, my favorite is 77mm for portrait and 31mm for landscape or environmental portrait great color of the film era and silky smooth background blur when you need it ! absolutely perfect for nostalgia seeker ^^ the only draw back : the price, that's all.

[stefanor]

Thanks again to all of you ... valuable and inspiring answers !

anyway i'm not searching for nostalgia nor retrò effect but only for a very good prime lens with a touch of natural and genuine look.

[LensBeginner]

Thanks again to all of you ... valuable and inspiring answers !

anyway i'm not searching for nostalgia nor retrò effect but only for a very good prime lens with a touch of natural and genuine look.

That should be easier

BTW do not limit your search at "lenses"... keep in mind that most portrait lenses (virtually all 50mm, for instance) are optimized for sharpness at abou f/5.6, while wide open you have some softness, especially at the corners of the image.
That's because it's not such a good thing to be clinically sharp when it comes to portraits, and the subject is virtually never at the edges of the frame, while some corner softness will help focusing the viewer's gaze on the subject.

So it's not only the tools, but how you use 'em

[stefanor]

That's because it's not such a good thing to be clinically sharp when it comes to portraits

I know what you mean .... (P67)