[eddie1960]

Thanks for the feedback all! I will definitely check out www.cameralensrentals.com/.

The FA 43mm caught my eye right out of the gate as this is pretty fast and would give me a focal equivalent close enough to 50mm.

I could probably swing the FA 43mm and FA77mm right out of the gate if I decide to liquidate my Canon kit. Image quality is always my #1 priority but I'm also going for compact/light. I'm going to do some more digging on lenses to if I can find size comparisons of the FA 77 vs DA70. I was set on renting the DA70 but most people have told me to go for the FA77 so I'll see if I can include one in my rental kit.

Thanks again for all of the help/advice.

I hate to be the one to point it out but don't forget the crop factor since you've been shooting FF . a 43 will be like a 65.5 on a FF camera for FOV (just in case you didn't think of that)

the 31 is pretty close to a perfect normal (the 43 is a perfect normal on film or FF BTW)

Enjoy the kit (the 77 is really a stellar lens - it is the first on my list of the 3, the 31 is second unless a FF body drops then i may want) the 43 with that body before the other 2

[pykers]

Thanks eddie1960. Yes, I am aware of the crop factor...but I appreciate your concern. I have the please of shooting FF at the moment, but all of my prior DSLRs where crop bodies. While I do love shooting FF, it does have it's drawbacks. For example, if you use anything other than top quality glass, you are going to pay for it in your prints. FF cameras have a way of making lenses reveal their weaknesses very quickly. I think I'm willing to trade DOF for a kit that weighs less than half of my current kit.

[eddie1960]

Thanks eddie1960. Yes, I am aware of the crop factor...but I appreciate your concern. I have the please of shooting FF at the moment, but all of my prior DSLRs where crop bodies. While I do love shooting FF, it does have it's drawbacks. For example, if you use anything other than top quality glass, you are going to pay for it in your prints. FF cameras have a way of making lenses reveal their weaknesses very quickly. I think I'm willing to trade DOF for a kit that weighs less than half of my current kit.

Just had to check Ive seen people buying 5D2 locally who are buying their first DSLR so they may not even be aware. the extreme DOF of a 1.4 85 on ff has very limited use in any case so that is an easy trade off IMO, the big advantage i see is stopped down to an apsc equivalent DOF the FF should be sharper because it isn't being shot wide open where most lenses are at their weakest (some very expensive leica's excepted)

[mikeSF]

welcome pykers!

Looks like you have a good plan in place.
BTW, i rent from cameralensrentals and they are excellent! I did rent that FA*28-70 last summer and it was a good one.

i wish i knew more about Canon to offer some comparative advice but general thought is that if you love to shoot primes, Pentax will keep you quite happy. The zooms are there too but the really great ones may be harder to come by.

have fun

[slackercruster]

Your wish is is xlnt!

I have the 70 and 15, both outstanding lenses.

[pykers]

Thanks Mike. I think I'm going to rent a few lenses and the K-5 from them this weekend. I'm thinking the FA43 and FA77...I may get the DA40 just to compare it to the FA43.

[Clicker]

Welcome to the forums, your wishlist would be half the weight of your current gear....you'll notice the weight missing on your walks, you'll also notice how well the colours pop on your screen and it'll dawn on you"this isn't FF"

[pykers]

Renting the K-5 with the FA 31 and DA 35mm Macro (wanted to compare DA to FA) this weekend. I'll report back with my thoughts.

[Ken T]

I've noticed that the Pentax 100mm f/2.8 Macro stayed on my camera most of the time since I got it 2 years ago .

[pykers]

Hi Ken! I'm considering the DA 35mm macro but I'm not sure how much I'll actually use the macro capabilities of this lens. It may be better for me to put that $ towards a lens that I know I'll use like the FA 43 or the DA 40. If I do decide to go for a macro, I think I would go for something like the 100mm f/2.8.