[tncasual]

So I "won" an auction for a K1 plus three older lenses. Now, I guess I'm a Pentax shooter...

I have been a hobbyist micro-four thirds shooter going on 6 years now. I am a regular over on the mu-43.com forum. I really like my mft gear, it is compact, easy handling and makes me happy with its results. Look over on Flickr, if you would like.

But, I have been looking for a companion system that could do some of the things that mft couldn't. I wanted something for landscapes that has better dynamic range, something better for astrophotography, and capable of higher quality, larger prints. Some of the gear I was looking at was the Sigma DP Quattro H, Nikon Z, Panasonic L mount, Fuji X and GFX and Pentax K1.

Well, now I know which one won out. I am excited to play with the Astro Tracer function. Also, I regularly use m42 and Leica R lenses on my mft. I will most definitely look to adapting those to this camera, too.

One question, though: What is a good, versatile, AF, landscape lens that doesn't break the bank? It looks like many have good things to say about the 28-105. Is that a good option?

Also..

What have I done?

[JensE]

Welcome! Great choice for your intended use, I would say. An of course, to join this forum

One question, though: What is a good, versatile, AF, landscape lens that doesn't break the bank? It looks like many have good things to say about the 28-105. Is that a good option?

Yes, mine is a reliable workhorse across its range. Depending on your style, the wide end (28mm) may be a bit narrow sometimes. The 24-70mm f/2.8, while much bigger, heavier and more expensive, may be the better choice if 24mm to 28mm is a range that you frequently would use. But actually looking at your pictures, I suspect you'd be happier with the more compact lens.

[jatrax]

Welcome @tncasual!
For astro and landscape the K-1 is rather hard to beat.

What lenses did you get with the K-1? Even older, they might be quite serviceable for your needs.

For landscape lenses well it depends on what you like to shoot. For years my most used 'landscape' lens was the DA*60*250, but I live in the west with long distances.

The DFA 28-105 is an excellent lens, I would say it holds its own with the DFA 24-70 but of course the 24-70 is f/2.8. The DFA 15-30 f/2.8 and the DFA 24-70 f/2.8 are my kit for most purposes. That covers the bulk of my needs and the DFA 150-450 when I need to go longer.

[maw]

What have I done?

1. You did the right thing, I' m joking of course.


2. Best wishes for registering to pentaxforums,

3. I bought it after buying K1 same story no?

Versatile it is to all intents and purposes, it is light, has a fast and silent autofocus and also a good quality, if compared to the range of focal lengths it covers, maybe not very bright f/ 3.5 - 5.6
reminds me the Canon EF 24-105 I had, many users complained but then bought it.

Anyway I recommend it is a good handyman, you shouldn't regret it.

Ciao Mario

[C_Jones]

Welcome to Pentax Forums.

[PJ1]

What have I done?

Think of it as like asking a super model on a date with no real expectation that she would say "Yes".

Welcome to the Forums. I am sure you will not regret it. @jatrax has covered the main choices. I have a Sigma 24-60/f2.8 but that is an older lens. Great if you can live without an aperture ring (I prefer my lenses with them) but very sharp and it sometimes turns up at a good price.

[MarkJerling]

So I "won" an auction for a K1 plus three older lenses. Now, I guess I'm a Pentax shooter...

I have been a hobbyist micro-four thirds shooter going on 6 years now. I am a regular over on the mu-43.com forum. I really like my mft gear, it is compact, easy handling and makes me happy with its results. Look over on Flickr, if you would like.

But, I have been looking for a companion system that could do some of the things that mft couldn't. I wanted something for landscapes that has better dynamic range, something better for astrophotography, and capable of higher quality, larger prints. Some of the gear I was looking at was the Sigma DP Quattro H, Nikon Z, Panasonic L mount, Fuji X and GFX and Pentax K1.

Well, now I know which one won out. I am excited to play with the Astro Tracer function. Also, I regularly use m42 and Leica R lenses on my mft. I will most definitely look to adapting those to this camera, too.

One question, though: What is a good, versatile, AF, landscape lens that doesn't break the bank? It looks like many have good things to say about the 28-105. Is that a good option?

Also..

What have I done?

Welcome aboard!

[aslyfox]

. . . I wanted something for landscapes that has better dynamic range, something better for astrophotography, and capable of higher quality, larger prints. . . .

welcome to the forums

you will find friendly members and a lot of knowledge here

this series of articles ( 6 total ) might be of interest

Astrophotography Part 1 of 6: Planning the Shoot - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

if interested in " experienced " gear, don't forget the marketplace

it can be sorted by country

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/?security...d+States&all=1

and I would recommend that you buy the ebook

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/donations/?ebooks=1&loginrequired=1#sub18

[ramseybuckeye]

Welcome and congrats on the new camera. I don't have a K-1 but I don't believe you could have made a better choice for both landscapes and astro, since it has all that built in. For you M42 lenses all you need is the Pentax Adapter K, which is pretty pricey new these days, usually there are some used ones available, once in a while you can buy a cheap used camera with one attached, that's pretty lucky though. There are third party adapters, but some need a tool and get stuck easy, and some don't allow infinity focus, the genuine Pentax one is perfect. Any of your M42 lenses should do well as landscape lenses when the composition is right. If you haven't figured out the Pentax model code, DFA are the newest full frame lenses, built for digital (and most are weatherized which can be designated as WR or AW). FA and F are autofocus full frame that were developed in the film days, DA is digital designed for ASPC sensors, though some cover full frame, A lenses are FF pre autofocus but with in body aperture control. M and K are FF fully manual lenses. And yoy already know the Takumars. You may know all of this but it gave me something to do waiting for some photos to download from the camera, they are done now, so welcome again and have fun.

[gatorguy]

Think of it as like asking a super model on a date with no real expectation that she would say "Yes".

Funny...
I did that back in my younger days. She had parked near a club where he shouldn't have and her car was towed. I happened to be outside and moved mine just in time, parked two cars away from hers.

Had no idea who she was when she walked out with friends and immediately went into "where's my car!!" mode. I told her what happened, offered to drive her to the impound lot, and one thing leading to another we dated for two weeks. There was really nothing special about me other than "nice" but she said every other guy was too afraid to ask her out and she was impressed I would.

Funny story two: She set me up with her equally attractive roommate since she was going to be traveling for a month or more and the roommate and I dated for another few weeks.

It never hurts to ask

[tncasual]

Welcome @tncasual!
For astro and landscape the K-1 is rather hard to beat.

What lenses did you get with the K-1? Even older, they might be quite serviceable for your needs.

For landscape lenses well it depends on what you like to shoot. For years my most used 'landscape' lens was the DA*60*250, but I live in the west with long distances.

The DFA 28-105 is an excellent lens, I would say it holds its own with the DFA 24-70 but of course the 24-70 is f/2.8. The DFA 15-30 f/2.8 and the DFA 24-70 f/2.8 are my kit for most purposes. That covers the bulk of my needs and the DFA 150-450 when I need to go longer.

The previous owner seemed to be able to only afford cheapish older lenses, a Vivitar 28/2.8, Pentax M 50/2, and Five-Star 35-75/3.5-4.8. I bring to the table the Super-Takumars 28/3.5, 50/1.4 and 105/2.8. I also have a some Leica-R glass that I may buy the Leitax mount for if I find I like the camera enough to keep it long term. These are the Elmarit-R 28/2.8, Summicron-R 50/2, Macro-Elmar-R 100/4 (in both bellows and helicoid versions.)

My most used lenses in mft are the 12-40/2.8 which gets the brunt of my use. Next is probably the 60/2.8 Macro and 100-300 for wildlife. For landscapes it is mainly the 12-40 and the Kowa Prominar 8.5/2.8. Of course multiply by 2x to get the full frame equivalent (8.5=17, 12-40=24-80, 60=120, 100-300=200-600)

[tncasual]

Also, thanks for the warm welcome.

[dbs]

Hi TN
Welcome
How do you accidently win an auction ?
A fine win you had at that.
There are plenty of threads for you to meander through and find which lenses may serve you well.

Dave

[MrB1]

One question, though: What is a good, versatile, AF, landscape lens that doesn't break the bank? It looks like many have good things to say about the 28-105. Is that a good option?

Yes - if you can manage without the wider apertures. Consider that many landscapes are routinely shot at f/8, f/11 or f/16 anyway.
Yes - unless you want to shoot directly with shorter focal lengths. However, for static scenes, you could shoot several images at an optimal focal length, and easily stitch them in software to make a high pixel-resolution composite wide-angle image.

As a matter of interest, data provided on the ephotozine site for the D-FA 28-105 and the D-FA 24-70 (two and a half times the price) suggests the superiority of the former, from f/8 to f/16 and over their common f-range (28-70).

Philip

[nite-sky]

First of all, I'm new to the forum and want to say, "Hi" to everyone. Now for the reason I am here:

I have have been using Pentax for many years now (first camera SF-10, then PZ-1), and I recently entered the astrophotography world. I currently use a K3 with astrotracer, and so far a good portion of my night shots come out with the stars being shaped like ")" and the images are blurry. I am not sure what the problem is, so I've been experimenting with different things. F stop, focal length, ISO, tripod weights, different lenses, mirror lock up.....

Is there something I am missing? I do have to admit, that some of the lenses are much better than others, but even still, I am not able to get clear pictures of the nebulas and galaxies. I've tried exposures of 30 seconds to 5 minutes, and I usually get the same results. I even purchased the Samyang 14mm 2.8, bt sent it back because I thought it was a lens issue, but now I'm not so sure. It's very frustrating.

I sent a request for help to Pentax, still waiting on a reply, but I am certain I will get a better reply and solution to this problem right here, among the ones that use Pentax equipment.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you are able to help, I really appreciate it.

Photo attached for reference:

K3 with astrotracer
Tamron 70-300 @300mm
F11
3200 ISO