[rpedra10]

1) I recently bougth the K5. It came with two lenses (SMC PENTAX DA 18-55MM F3.5-5.6 AL WR and SMC PENTAX DA 50-200MM F4-5.6 ED WR). I

have been reading reviews about these lenses and they aren't very good so I am planning to replace then.

2) Also, I am very keen on macro photography and I am planning to buy a macro lens as the lenses that came with my camera aren't ideal for macro

photography. My first choice is the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 Macro and my second choice is the smc Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited. My

budget is to spend no more than £250. I found a website selling the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 Macro for £244.58. I tought perhaps I could find a 2nd

hand lens which are better than the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 and for similar price. Can anyone tell me whether the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 is a good

macro lens and where I can find 2nd hand lenses for Pentax.

3) To fulfil my ambitions as a photographer I need one day to day lens, one telephoto lens (to take shots of surf) and one macro lens Very tight

budget!!)

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Last edited by rpedra10; 07-01-2012 at 05:04 AM. Reason: Better information

[jase036]

You can find all you need right here on Pentax Forums; just head over to the lens database to check out the reviews on the different macro lenses, and you can check on the forum's marketplace for great deals on 2nd hand lenses

[Maplebuddy]

I suggest that you review some of the photos that you have taken and judge the quality of the lenses you have for yourself. What is it about your shots that is unacceptable? We can all get caught up in reading other users' comments on other lenses. The kit lenses that you have may not be the best that Pentax has to offer, but neither are they the worst. We all strive to improve the quality of the gear we use over time, but the lenses you have are far from bad, they are just not the best.

As for the macro lenses you mention, I had the 50mm, but now have the 35mm as well as the 100mm macro. I much prefer the 35mm because it gives a more "normal view" as is great as a walk around lens. For macro work though you are not likely to use the 35mm for quick moving, and skittish bugs, bees, etc. as you need to get too close. It is a bit easier with the 50mm but is considerably better with the 100mm (you don't have to get as close to wasps, hornets, etc). The 100mm also moves you into the telephoto range when considering the 1.5X equivalent.

Just don't be discouraged by the lenses you have. For many instances, they are quite fine.

Cheers!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

[JohnX]

You really ought to try the 'kit' lenses before you sell them. You'll find many users won't agree with you; the 18-55 is regarded as one of the best kit lenses and the 50-200 is considered very under-rated. You won't get too much for them either; 18-50 - £20-30, 50-200 maybe £50-60. AND - they're both WR!

As to macro, depends what you're shooting. The 35 and 50 are great for still life macro, or general purpose 'normal' (35) or short tele-photo (50) lenses, but the working distance will be too short for insects, etc.

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Last edited by JohnX; 07-01-2012 at 07:37 AM.

[sterretje]

1) I recently bougth the K5. It came with two lenses (SMC PENTAX DA 18-55MM F3.5-5.6 AL WR and SMC PENTAX DA 50-200MM F4-5.6 ED WR). I have been reading reviews about these lenses and they aren't very good so I am planning to replace then.

Yes, kit lenses are not in the same league as the FA Ltds and Sigma/Tamron 70-200

I suggest that you review some of the photos that you have taken and judge the quality of the lenses you have for yourself

I totally agree.

2) Also, I am very keen on macro photography and I am planning to buy a macro lens as the lenses that came with my camera aren't ideal for macro photography. My first choice is the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 Macro and my second choice is the smc Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited. My budget is to spend no more than £250. I found a website selling the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 Macro for £244.58. I tought perhaps I could find a 2nd hand lens which are better than the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 and for similar price. Can anyone tell me whether the smcP D-FA 50mm f2.8 is a good macro lens and where I can find 2nd hand lenses for Pentax.

See the lens review section ( SMC Pentax-D FA 50mm F2.8 Macro Reviews - D FA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database ). Other lenses to look at are the Sigma 105mm macro and the Tamron 90mm and obviously the Pentax 100WR. Macro often requires manual finetuning of the focus, so MF lenses can not be excluded from your list of possible candidates. Also see riorico's article on cheap macro here on pentaxforums ( https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-lens-articles/152336-cheap-macro-b...lose-work.html )
Assuming you're from the UK, SRS has second hand section ( http://www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk/g/34/Used-Equipment.html ). And check ebay, craigslist etc.

3) To fulfil my ambitions as a photographer I need one day to day lens, one telephoto lens (to take shots of surf) and one macro lens Very tight budget!!)

Difficult to say, my day-to-day lens is the FA31Ltd Do you want zoom or prime? And how tight is a tight budget. I suggest that you use your current equipment and see where / what is not fulfilling your expectations. For day-to-day prime, look at the DA(L)35/2.4 which will not break the bank. For day-to-day zooms, check the Tamron 17-50/2.8 and Pentax DA16-45 (no longer produced) and DA17-70. For telephoto, the DA55-300 is very well regarded (DA-L version also exists and is cheaper but you need to buy a lens hood).
For macro you can consider the DA35Ltd that can double as a day-to-day lens; possibly a bit slow in focusing due to the long focus throw of macro lenses. With regards to macro, I like to add that you can use a Raynox adapter on e.g a telezoom.

[epqwerty]

The kit lenses arent terrible but they arent in the same league as the ltd or much more expensive counterparts.

Id suggest you spend a little bit of time before you write them off; compared to nikon and canon kit lenses the pentax is regarded at the top. It is plenty sharp for most average work.

As for macro lenses the ltd da is very very sharp but expensive and has a shorter length. If you are planning insect shots id go for the 50 or 100mm.

Id dont get the comment of "To fulfil my ambitions as a photographer I need one day to day lens, one telephoto lens (to take shots of surf) and one macro lens Very tight"

[rpedra10]

To fulfil my ambitions as a photographer I need one day to day lens, one telephoto lens (to take shots of surf) and one macro lens. (Very tight budget to acquire them!!)...this is what I meant...sorry fellow...

[AussieTrev]

As for a macro lens, yes check out the lens reviews, check the photos uploaded in the macro section. My wife has the Sigma 105 and is a very good lens and it is used by many of the photographers in the macro section. Remember also it is the skill f the photographer, not the gear. Practice, practice and more practice. View as many photographs by other respected photographers as well and you will keep learning and improving.

[rbefly]

Hello Rpedra10, Welcome to the Forum!
I agree with the previous comments about hanging on to your kit lenses; No, they're not the sharpest lenses money can buy, but they're far from the worst.
Many users take them on hikes, outdoor treks and places where a more expensive lens might be at risk to damage.
For a good entry macro on a tight budget, I recommend the old "M" series Pentax 100mm f/4.0 Macro. About $100-$150 USD and fairly easy to find on eBay and elsewhere.
This is a SHARP lens, slow manual focus action (essential for close-up work) and beautiful color rendering. Manual focus is normally fine for macro, A/F doesn't always "find" the best focal point or agree with the user's judgement.
The DA 35mm f/2.4 AL is a very good walk-around lens and sharp as well. Perhaps the best bargain in DA lenses to date.
A few more choices for you,
Good Luck!
Ron

[epqwerty]

I'll second that the DA35 f2.4 is a fine lens but I shot with it today outdoors at a parade (Canada Day Parade!) and it was too short for that. So depending on your shooting habits it may or may not fit your bill.

My suggestion on a tight budget would be
DA 16-45 F4 paired with either the D-FA 100mm Macro or DA 55-300.
You should be able to pick up all these for <$550

However, tight budget on my terms and in your terms maybe completely different definitions.

The 100mm will cover your telephoto and macro lens. and if the 100mm will not get you enough reach you still have the 50-200mm for some extra reach. The 100mm will get you some more working distance for macro shots. The 55-300 gives you plenty of versatility but doesn't get you macro. Unless......

Raynox DCR-150 adapter?? People do get good results from them. I myself have tried it on my Sigma 70-300 and I can get some good shots. I have subsequently moved over to extension tubes and can get better results as I can fire my flash. My Sigma with Raynox always got in the way.

[Marc Sabatella]

I concur - the 18-55 is more than good enough to be your everyday lens, even if it isn't as good as some other $600 lens. Similarly, the 50-200 is more than good enough to be anyone's basic telephoto lens, even if it isn't quite as good as some other $800 lens. BUt if you're on any sort of budget at all, there is no point replacing those - just get yourself a cheap manual focus macro lens, or else one of the devices that can turn any lens into a macro (Raynox 150/250, extension tubes, etc).

[mee]

Another option IF your budget is very tight I'd spend around 35GBP on a set of second hand Auto Extension Tubes >60mm in total length and another 35 GBP on an old SMC M 50mm f/1.7

Your shots will be a bit larger than 1:1 and you can always use the 50mm as a normal lens without the tubes. The only negative to this is your focusing will be completely manual. That said, when shooting so close you will more than likely be adjusting focus by wiggling the entire camera back and forth by a few millimeters so I find auto-focus is only handy for getting you into the ballpark anyways.

oh and a Flash with a softbox is also a very handy idea with macro shots... The extension tubes will create a lot of darkness in your viewfinder.. so unless you are shooting in full sun, you'll probably want a flash and a means of softening it. Actually, you'll probably want the flash and softbox even with an actual macro lens.

[rpedra10]

Which extension tube or Raynox would you recommend for the K5?

[epqwerty]

Extension tubes are pretty much standard sizes 12 24 36? Something like that. All brands are equal as they are just a hollowed out tube. If you can get the electrical contacts that would be nice for auto aperture. Only thing to look for s tat the tubes inside are nit refkective as this will cause issues with light

As for the raynox adapter there are two choices the 150 and 250. The 250 gives more magnification while the 150 is less but with the 250 the working distance is less. For the 50-200 kit lens id go with the 250. If you are getting the 55-300 or anything beyond the 180mm focal range id strongly suggest the 150 as it will be very hard to control with the 250.

[Marc Sabatella]

When it comes to choosing a macro adapter, camera does not matter - what matters is the lens you plan to use. Shorter focal length length lenses can achieve sufficient magnification with tubes, longer focal lengths would require inordinate amounts of tubingd. The situation is reversed with closeup lenses like the Raynox 150 & 250 - longer focal lengths do fine with the less powerful but more 150; shorter focal lengths require the more powerful / less flexibile 250. You definitely want to read up on how these things work.