Originally posted by zkarj I have the Tamron 90mm 2.8 as well, which along with the Pentax 50mm 1.4 is all I will ever likely want for a wide aperture.
Sure, I'd like a wide aperture on a much longer lens for the light gathering abilities, but aside from expense the hyperfocal distance for 300mm at f/2.8 is 1.62km! At the necessary f/11 for the 55-300's sweet spot, it's a more respectable 406m which is not far off my usual subject distances.
The longest fast lens I have is the Tamron 70-200mm 2.8, but I don't actually use it all that often as it's pretty bulky, and I only typically need it wide open for portraits.
I did use it exclusively at the last Classic Fighters in 2019, although not wide open.
I also have the DA* 50-135mm 2.8 which has a more useful zoom range for portraits on APS-C in addition to being WR.
If portraits were my primary purpose for a photographic expedition, I'd likely take just this lens, however it is heavy, so not my choice as a multi-purpose lens.
The FA 35mm 2.4 is actually a really nice general purpose lens that's nice and compact. It's wide enough for a lot of landscapes, and has a fast enough aperture for nice portraits, although it would be even better with WR and quickshift. The DA 35mm 2.8 Limited macro is a little slower but has quickshift, and macro which I actually use quite a lot, so might be the closest to the ideal prime for me.
Originally posted by zkarj Besides which, the KP's sensor along with DxO's magical RAW processing substantially reduces the need for light.
DxO's noise reduction certainly is impressive, and as you've mentioned about hyperfocal distance, you actually need a long lens stopped down a bit to get any DOF even if it is a fast lens.