First prime lens

Mentium · 11-21-2016, 12:17 PM

Hello all. My first post here having bought a K1 a couple of weeks ago. With it I bought a D FA 28-105mm zoom lens, which seemed to be a good all rounder and I am happy with that. However I am struggling a bit with what other lenses to get. Funds will only allow one every two or three months, so I want to choose carefully.

I do a lot of landscape photography but I also like street shots and interesting compositions - not so much action for the most part. So any suggestions for a decent quality prime would be very welcome I'm thinking 50mm perhaps, but I am new at this! Ideas please?

(Edit: By the way the lens forum said it was not accepting more threads at this point - this the post here)

normhead · 11-21-2016, 12:25 PM

My favourite lens on my K-1 right now is the FA 50 macro 2.8. I also have an FA 50 1.7 for low light situations.

I'm guessing the DA 50 1.8 or DA 35 2.4 would work as well for starter lenses.

Unless you want to skip the lunacy and just go strait to the 31 and 43 and 77. Depends on how much you have to spend every 2 or 3 months.

**lithedreamer** · 11-21-2016, 12:31 PM

I'd recommend the FA 31mm Limited for your needs. It's a nice wide-angle for landscapes, and should give you some interesting compositions for street photography if you keep your mind open. On the other hand, the 43mm was born for street photography, and can still be cortorted to work for landscapes. The 43 is much cheaper, and will give you an impression of the FA Limiteds.

**RobA_Oz** · 11-21-2016, 12:38 PM

Welcome to Pentax Forums and congratulations on your new K-1.

Choosing a fixed FL lens depends not only on your subject, but also on your shooting style, not to mention your budget. You could do worse than work your new 28-105 for a couple of months, and see what distribution of focal lengths you have favoured.

The options, though, are fairly clearly established for K-mount users. If you are willing to look beyond new lenses, or at manual-focus lenses, the available range is greatly expanded, particularly at the wide end. Have you looked at the lens database here?

If you're settled on a new 50mm lens, you have a several good options in Pentax with the FA50/1.4 and the DA*55/1.4. I understand the DA50/1.8 also covers the full 35mm frame. However, if you're still considering other focal lengths, then my suggestion would be to do your research on your own shooting habits first.

Mentium · 11-21-2016, 01:18 PM

Thanks all. It is a bit of a minefield and it seems there is no 'one' answer. Will explore the advice so far - and check out the database.

narual · 11-21-2016, 02:37 PM - **3 Likes**

Depends on your budget, obviously. If it's pretty open, just do what Norm said - get the 3 amigos, and maybe the 50 and 100mm macros. What order to get them in? Well, what are you finding lacking in your zoom, and what do you like to do? And if they have to be autofocus, I suppose - there are loads of fantastic manual lenses out there for cheap (you can get a Pentax-M 50mm/1.7 for under $100, and a 50mm/2.0 for almost nothing (they come attached to most old pentax film cameras sold on ebay or shopgoodwill. Sometimes the 1.7 is there instead; and you can find 28mm/2.8 lenses possibly even more easily than 50s. I got a third party one for $5 at my local camera shop's used desk.).

But if you want a great AF lens for portraits? Get the 77mm limited first.

Prefer wider views for street photography and the like? The 31mm limited.

Somewhere in between, a little wider than a 50, maybe a bit more interesting? The 43mm limited.

Macro of things that don't move and are easy to light from the side? 50mm macro

Macro of things that do move or are far away or require lighting from a more acute angle? 100mm macro (also good for portraits).

But yeah, there's no one answer. it's like asking "what kind of car should I get" to people who don't know what your budget and needs are... or even if they do, you'll still get a variety of answers.

But hopefully they're interesting or useful.

Shooting with a single lens every day for a month is a good way to learn it really well, though - there's a monthly group for people who want to do that as a personal challenge: Daily Challenge (By Month) - PentaxForums.com and a number of other challenges/mini games of that nature here: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories - PentaxForums.com

---------- Post added 11-21-16 at 04:39 PM ----------

I personally, knowing what I know now, would get the 31mm limited first if it was in budget. But that's on the K-3. On the K-1, I might get the 43mm limited, since that's pretty close to the 31mm limited's field of view on the K-3.

surfar · 11-21-2016, 02:59 PM

GET the plastic fantastic 50mm f1.8, first reason is its the cheapest prime...2nd reason is its light...3rd reason 50mm is a great focal length......4th reason,its fast enough.

Start at the bottom of the tree and go up(price wise)

IF, the budget allows get the 35mm f2.4....reason is to keep the 50 company!

**lithedreamer** · 11-21-2016, 03:04 PM

Originally posted by surfar

GET the plastic fantastic 50mm f1.8, first reason is its the cheapest prime...2nd reason is its light...3rd reason 50mm is a great focal length......4th reason,its fast enough.

Start at the bottom of the tree and go up(price wise)

IF, the budget allows get the 35mm f2.4....reason is to keep the 50 company!

These are popular lenses, but don't feel like you have to go for them, OP. I didn't, I'm never picking them up, and I've never been happier.

Saltwater Images · 11-21-2016, 03:14 PM - **1 Like**

A fast prime is always a welcome addition to almost any camera bag. There are the Limited's 31/43/77 which will cost a lot more but will be cherished for eternity. There are FA fantastic plastics 35 & 50 which will also deliver dynamite image quality. There is the superb DA* 55 which has a stellar reputation although some complain about it's AF speed. The D FA 50 macro is also a brilliant piece of glass.

My suggestion to you is to set your 28-105 on a fixed focal length and shoot at that length for a week. Was 31 too wide? Did 77 feel too narrow? Was 55 a little better than 50? Figure out what focal lengths you like and go from there. Your next questions will then be what's important. Is fast AF something you want? Is a very shallow depth of field important?

It's up to what you like and what suits your shooting style.

surfar · 11-21-2016, 03:16 PM

Originally posted by lithedreamer

I'm never picking them up

They are the lowest priced and they are great value...obviously the price would be higher for metal mounts.I don't own the 35 because ive got the 40 ltd and I consider it too close in fl...

The 50mm f1.8 shoots a long way above its price,it was on special last week in US...

Op, I suggest you read the lens reviews....if you want to shoot manual you can get K,M,A series and they do very well.

**Tas** · 11-21-2016, 03:21 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Mentium

Hello all. My first post here having bought a K1 a couple of weeks ago. With it I bought a D FA 28-105mm zoom lens, which seemed to be a good all rounder and I am happy with that. However I am struggling a bit with what other lenses to get. Funds will only allow one every two or three months, so I want to choose carefully.

I do a lot of landscape photography but I also like street shots and interesting compositions - not so much action for the most part. So any suggestions for a decent quality prime would be very welcome I'm thinking 50mm perhaps, but I am new at this! Ideas please?

(Edit: By the way the lens forum said it was not accepting more threads at this point - this the post here)

I'm a big fan of primes, and it's smart to start considering a prime purchase. What I like about primes is the way they force your eye to see at a specific focal length. I regularly take only one lens out with me, whether it be a 21mm, a 35mm a 100mm or whatever. This means that when I'm out and looking for subjects my eye is looking for a scene to match that focal length. I think this approach helped me to learn to see scenes and identify compositions more effectively.

I have a number of primes so the big question comes before I go out; what lens do I take? Maybe I'll take two? But which two? As has been suggested, it wouldn't hurt to do some research whilst relying upon the 28-105mm. Looking at previous images will help you narrow down those focal lengths you use most often and target a lens that you are most likely to get the most out of as a prime. If you regularly think, gee this lens isn't wide enough, and you keep thinking this, then you know you need to start targetting lenses wider than 28mm. If you have some shots at 50mm, but a lot of shots around the 80-90mm focal length, then again you know that a short telephoto should suit your style better.

If you want to get a prime in your bag in the short term, the DA50 is a good suggestion as it's inexpensive and provides a good start point to determine what your preference is. Will you prefer wider than 50mm, or something longer? Wider gives you options from about 11mm up to 43mm. Longer is 55mm to 135mm. After that you get into some specialist (Fisheye) or long telephoto lenses.

I'd also recommend you use sites like Pentax Forums and Flickr to view images as there's a lot to see and ususally you can see the focal length too. Just take notes on what you find the most appealing. This can also be helpful for choosing a specific type of lens (eg around 50mm Pentax has DA50, FA50, FA50 macro and the DA*55).

The next question already mentioned is whether you prefer auto focus over manual focus. I like manual focus personally, but this doesn't suit everyone. If you're cool with it the Pentax options in legacy glass is extensive and opens up many more options for you, along with more contemporary designs from Samyang/Rokinon, Irix, Laowa.

One last thing to consider is the Pentax lens road map has identified several new primes to be released in 2017. I don't need any more lenses, between 15-450mm, but I'm actually quite excited about what Ricoh/Pentax have planned with these lenses. One thing I'd suggest is these could be really stunning lenses, they could be like the FA Limiteds or more like the DA*/D-FA* series. Maybe a combination of these two styles? As they'll be the first FF primes from Pentax in many years, I think these lenses are going to be something special. But who knows?

Anyhoo, good luck with the prime hunt.

Tas

Adam · 11-21-2016, 03:35 PM

Originally posted by normhead

I'm guessing the DA 50 1.8 or DA 35 2.4 would work as well for starter lenses.

The DA 35mm is mostly fine, but the DA 50mm really struggles with vignetting on FF. I'd avoid it.

In any case, a great camera body calls for a great lens. As far as value is concerned, Samyang's 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 100mm offerings are quite good without breaking the bank. I'd look into those:
Samyang Lenses for Pentax: Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

surfar · 11-21-2016, 03:40 PM

Originally posted by Tas

the Pentax lens road map has identified several new primes to be released in 2017

Originally posted by Tas

I'm actually quite excited about what Ricoh/Pentax have planned with these lenses

Your not Robinson Crusoe!

**pres589** · 11-21-2016, 06:40 PM

If I had a K-1, I'd look really hard at the DA 40XS for street shooting. Just wider than normal, tiny, and does very well at avoiding flair. Bokeh is kind of crazy at times but overall I really like the shots I've seen from it on full frame.

**lithedreamer** · 11-21-2016, 06:49 PM

Originally posted by pres589

If I had a K-1, I'd look really hard at the DA 40XS for street shooting. Just wider than normal, tiny, and does very well at avoiding flair. Bokeh is kind of crazy at times but overall I really like the shots I've seen from it on full frame.

Is the size/weight advantage significant over the 43mm? Also, the sample photo search only has photo with that camera/lens combo, can you point me to a thread?

11-21-2016, 12:17 PM	#1
Mentium New Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 6	First prime lens Hello all. My first post here having bought a K1 a couple of weeks ago. With it I bought a D FA 28-105mm zoom lens, which seemed to be a good all rounder and I am happy with that. However I am struggling a bit with what other lenses to get. Funds will only allow one every two or three months, so I want to choose carefully. I do a lot of landscape photography but I also like street shots and interesting compositions - not so much action for the most part. So any suggestions for a decent quality prime would be very welcome I'm thinking 50mm perhaps, but I am new at this! Ideas please? (Edit: By the way the lens forum said it was not accepting more threads at this point - this the post here)

11-21-2016, 03:35 PM	#12
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,593	Originally posted by normhead I'm guessing the DA 50 1.8 or DA 35 2.4 would work as well for starter lenses. The DA 35mm is mostly fine, but the DA 50mm really struggles with vignetting on FF. I'd avoid it. In any case, a great camera body calls for a great lens. As far as value is concerned, Samyang's 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 100mm offerings are quite good without breaking the bank. I'd look into those: Samyang Lenses for Pentax: Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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11-21-2016, 12:25 PM	#2
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,448	My favourite lens on my K-1 right now is the FA 50 macro 2.8. I also have an FA 50 1.7 for low light situations. I'm guessing the DA 50 1.8 or DA 35 2.4 would work as well for starter lenses. Unless you want to skip the lunacy and just go strait to the 31 and 43 and 77. Depends on how much you have to spend every 2 or 3 months.

11-21-2016, 12:31 PM	#3
lithedreamer Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,799	I'd recommend the FA 31mm Limited for your needs. It's a nice wide-angle for landscapes, and should give you some interesting compositions for street photography if you keep your mind open. On the other hand, the 43mm was born for street photography, and can still be cortorted to work for landscapes. The 43 is much cheaper, and will give you an impression of the FA Limiteds.

11-21-2016, 12:38 PM	#4
RobA_Oz Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,191	Welcome to Pentax Forums and congratulations on your new K-1. Choosing a fixed FL lens depends not only on your subject, but also on your shooting style, not to mention your budget. You could do worse than work your new 28-105 for a couple of months, and see what distribution of focal lengths you have favoured. The options, though, are fairly clearly established for K-mount users. If you are willing to look beyond new lenses, or at manual-focus lenses, the available range is greatly expanded, particularly at the wide end. Have you looked at the lens database here? If you're settled on a new 50mm lens, you have a several good options in Pentax with the FA50/1.4 and the DA*55/1.4. I understand the DA50/1.8 also covers the full 35mm frame. However, if you're still considering other focal lengths, then my suggestion would be to do your research on your own shooting habits first.

11-21-2016, 01:18 PM	#5
Mentium New Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Thanks all. It is a bit of a minefield and it seems there is no 'one' answer. Will explore the advice so far - and check out the database.

11-21-2016, 02:37 PM - 3 Likes	#6
narual Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,988	Depends on your budget, obviously. If it's pretty open, just do what Norm said - get the 3 amigos, and maybe the 50 and 100mm macros. What order to get them in? Well, what are you finding lacking in your zoom, and what do you like to do? And if they have to be autofocus, I suppose - there are loads of fantastic manual lenses out there for cheap (you can get a Pentax-M 50mm/1.7 for under $100, and a 50mm/2.0 for almost nothing (they come attached to most old pentax film cameras sold on ebay or shopgoodwill. Sometimes the 1.7 is there instead; and you can find 28mm/2.8 lenses possibly even more easily than 50s. I got a third party one for $5 at my local camera shop's used desk.). But if you want a great AF lens for portraits? Get the 77mm limited first. Prefer wider views for street photography and the like? The 31mm limited. Somewhere in between, a little wider than a 50, maybe a bit more interesting? The 43mm limited. Macro of things that don't move and are easy to light from the side? 50mm macro Macro of things that do move or are far away or require lighting from a more acute angle? 100mm macro (also good for portraits). But yeah, there's no one answer. it's like asking "what kind of car should I get" to people who don't know what your budget and needs are... or even if they do, you'll still get a variety of answers. But hopefully they're interesting or useful. Shooting with a single lens every day for a month is a good way to learn it really well, though - there's a monthly group for people who want to do that as a personal challenge: Daily Challenge (By Month) - PentaxForums.com and a number of other challenges/mini games of that nature here: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories - PentaxForums.com ---------- Post added 11-21-16 at 04:39 PM ---------- I personally, knowing what I know now, would get the 31mm limited first if it was in budget. But that's on the K-3. On the K-1, I might get the 43mm limited, since that's pretty close to the 31mm limited's field of view on the K-3.

11-21-2016, 02:59 PM	#7
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,137	GET the plastic fantastic 50mm f1.8, first reason is its the cheapest prime...2nd reason is its light...3rd reason 50mm is a great focal length......4th reason,its fast enough. Start at the bottom of the tree and go up(price wise) IF, the budget allows get the 35mm f2.4....reason is to keep the 50 company!

11-21-2016, 03:04 PM	#8
lithedreamer Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,799	Originally posted by surfar GET the plastic fantastic 50mm f1.8, first reason is its the cheapest prime...2nd reason is its light...3rd reason 50mm is a great focal length......4th reason,its fast enough. Start at the bottom of the tree and go up(price wise) IF, the budget allows get the 35mm f2.4....reason is to keep the 50 company! These are popular lenses, but don't feel like you have to go for them, OP. I didn't, I'm never picking them up, and I've never been happier.

11-21-2016, 03:14 PM - 1 Like	#9
Saltwater Images Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Newfoundland Photos: Gallery Posts: 501	A fast prime is always a welcome addition to almost any camera bag. There are the Limited's 31/43/77 which will cost a lot more but will be cherished for eternity. There are FA fantastic plastics 35 & 50 which will also deliver dynamite image quality. There is the superb DA* 55 which has a stellar reputation although some complain about it's AF speed. The D FA 50 macro is also a brilliant piece of glass. My suggestion to you is to set your 28-105 on a fixed focal length and shoot at that length for a week. Was 31 too wide? Did 77 feel too narrow? Was 55 a little better than 50? Figure out what focal lengths you like and go from there. Your next questions will then be what's important. Is fast AF something you want? Is a very shallow depth of field important? It's up to what you like and what suits your shooting style.

11-21-2016, 03:16 PM	#10
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,137	Originally posted by lithedreamer I'm never picking them up They are the lowest priced and they are great value...obviously the price would be higher for metal mounts.I don't own the 35 because ive got the 40 ltd and I consider it too close in fl... The 50mm f1.8 shoots a long way above its price,it was on special last week in US... Op, I suggest you read the lens reviews....if you want to shoot manual you can get K,M,A series and they do very well.

11-21-2016, 03:21 PM - 1 Like	#11
Tas Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Brisbane, QLD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,202	Originally posted by Mentium Hello all. My first post here having bought a K1 a couple of weeks ago. With it I bought a D FA 28-105mm zoom lens, which seemed to be a good all rounder and I am happy with that. However I am struggling a bit with what other lenses to get. Funds will only allow one every two or three months, so I want to choose carefully. I do a lot of landscape photography but I also like street shots and interesting compositions - not so much action for the most part. So any suggestions for a decent quality prime would be very welcome I'm thinking 50mm perhaps, but I am new at this! Ideas please? (Edit: By the way the lens forum said it was not accepting more threads at this point - this the post here) I'm a big fan of primes, and it's smart to start considering a prime purchase. What I like about primes is the way they force your eye to see at a specific focal length. I regularly take only one lens out with me, whether it be a 21mm, a 35mm a 100mm or whatever. This means that when I'm out and looking for subjects my eye is looking for a scene to match that focal length. I think this approach helped me to learn to see scenes and identify compositions more effectively. I have a number of primes so the big question comes before I go out; what lens do I take? Maybe I'll take two? But which two? As has been suggested, it wouldn't hurt to do some research whilst relying upon the 28-105mm. Looking at previous images will help you narrow down those focal lengths you use most often and target a lens that you are most likely to get the most out of as a prime. If you regularly think, gee this lens isn't wide enough, and you keep thinking this, then you know you need to start targetting lenses wider than 28mm. If you have some shots at 50mm, but a lot of shots around the 80-90mm focal length, then again you know that a short telephoto should suit your style better. If you want to get a prime in your bag in the short term, the DA50 is a good suggestion as it's inexpensive and provides a good start point to determine what your preference is. Will you prefer wider than 50mm, or something longer? Wider gives you options from about 11mm up to 43mm. Longer is 55mm to 135mm. After that you get into some specialist (Fisheye) or long telephoto lenses. I'd also recommend you use sites like Pentax Forums and Flickr to view images as there's a lot to see and ususally you can see the focal length too. Just take notes on what you find the most appealing. This can also be helpful for choosing a specific type of lens (eg around 50mm Pentax has DA50, FA50, FA50 macro and the DA55). The next question already mentioned is whether you prefer auto focus over manual focus. I like manual focus personally, but this doesn't suit everyone. If you're cool with it the Pentax options in legacy glass is extensive and opens up many more options for you, along with more contemporary designs from Samyang/Rokinon, Irix, Laowa. One last thing to consider is the Pentax lens road map has identified several new primes to be released in 2017. I don't need any more lenses, between 15-450mm, but I'm actually quite excited about what Ricoh/Pentax have planned with these lenses. One thing I'd suggest is these could be really stunning lenses, they could be like the FA Limiteds or more like the DA/D-FA* series. Maybe a combination of these two styles? As they'll be the first FF primes from Pentax in many years, I think these lenses are going to be something special. But who knows? Anyhoo, good luck with the prime hunt. Tas

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11-21-2016, 03:40 PM	#13
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,137	Originally posted by Tas the Pentax lens road map has identified several new primes to be released in 2017 Originally posted by Tas I'm actually quite excited about what Ricoh/Pentax have planned with these lenses Your not Robinson Crusoe!

11-21-2016, 06:40 PM	#14
pres589 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Wichita, KS Photos: Albums Posts: 4,529	If I had a K-1, I'd look really hard at the DA 40XS for street shooting. Just wider than normal, tiny, and does very well at avoiding flair. Bokeh is kind of crazy at times but overall I really like the shots I've seen from it on full frame.

11-21-2016, 06:49 PM	#15
lithedreamer Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,799	Originally posted by pres589 If I had a K-1, I'd look really hard at the DA 40XS for street shooting. Just wider than normal, tiny, and does very well at avoiding flair. Bokeh is kind of crazy at times but overall I really like the shots I've seen from it on full frame. Is the size/weight advantage significant over the 43mm? Also, the sample photo search only has photo with that camera/lens combo, can you point me to a thread?