[aleonx3]

Get an AF lens. I have M50/1.7 and FA43/1.9. Despite my love for M50 colors and sharpness (and I even prefer its flat rendering sometimes to more artsy 43) , lack of AF is a huge drawback in indoor, low light, [group] portrait setting (BTW, you might want to reconsider getting 50mm for group portraits, it's too narrow).
I haven't tried it but I believe DA50/1.8 would fit your needs and budget. DA35 even more.

There is no question that a fast lens would be a good fit for low light indoor shots. I can understand that for beginners, AF lenses would be most ideal, but for some, using the trap "catch-in" focus feature on the k-50 would be cheaper option and fun as well. There are also situations where an external flash would be preferred as well. IMHO, there are many options to choose....

[dakight]

I think Dakight's unlucky.

He posted the sort of stuff that some cultists do regularly around here, and got tarred by the same brush.

I'm hardly a cultist, just misinformed. I understand my error and it won't be repeated. As for the brush and the tar, well, I don't have much to say about that that's constructive so I'll just keep it to myself.

[clackers]

You know I'm saying you seem to have been unfairly blamed for the beliefs of others, right?

[Outis]

and by the way, I really want to shoot my images at ISO 100 but my hands are really that shaky and I got a cheap tripod that I could not carry everytime hence I get frustrated at all my night shots, indoors, and low light photography, in about 10 images I can only capture 2 good ones so I don't really know what I need to improve.

Honestly, I think I'd recommend you get a better tripod before you get a better lens. You can get excellent, relatively light, compact travel tripods in the $200 range. Since it sounds like you aren't really familiar with your current camera/lens combo, and you're not sure what you need to improve, but you're sure you have shaky hands, I think this would be the best bet. Even if you bought a new lens, it takes time to learn how to get the best image quality out of them. For instance, you have to balance getting an appropriate depth of field with the fact that not all lenses are equally sharp at all apertures, and if you have a zoom lens, it won't have the same properties at every focal length.

So, I'd agree with the people who said you should learn to use your current lens well before you buy anything else-- you can post the bad pictures here and ask for critiques of what the problems are. But, still, you might make your first purchase a tripod instead of a lens, depending on what the problems are.

[dakight]

You know I'm saying you seem to have been unfairly blamed for the beliefs of others, right?

Yes, I understood, and thanks. It's my own fault for going off half cocked. *smile* Even at my age there are lessons to be learned. With that I'll leave it be. Enough has been said about the matter.

[Kerrowdown]

The older lenses are attractive because they are apparently faster but when the crop factor is taken into account they really aren't

Wow... that was certainly news for me.

[clackers]

Wow... that was certainly news for me.

Okay, okay ... I think he's had enough tomatoes, Kerrowdown ... you can release him from the stocks.

[bass3587]

DA 50 1.8 and or DA 35 2.4 buy both if you can. Just my .02 cents

[johnyates]

to have a fast 50mm prime lens but the choices are that vast that I am very confused as to which I need to choose

AFAIK, there is no such thing as a *bad* 50mm lens. So take a look around at what is available to you, and pick the one you like the best.

[jcagara08]

Alright guys imma have to take all your words for it, yeah last night I went to my local Pentax dealear and tried out both the DA 50mm f/1.8 and the DA 35mm f2.4 prime lenses and here were my thoughts;

I love the 50, great bokeh at wide open f/1.8, even sharper at f/2-4! but it is just to narrow, but I love the bokeh of it and how fast my shutter speed can go without blurring the image at ISO 100 with camera in hand.

I like the 35, subject I mean FOV is even wider but is 3 stops slower so I guess it might blur my images more often than the 50 if I am constantly shooting at ISO 100 (my preferred level, don't shoot me) and I need a wider FOV than just 35mm yeah..But upon exploring further the functionality of my camera (while I was at the Pentax dealer and later at home) I found that if I set my ISO to AUTO from 100-3200 and dial set to TAv (which I am not so familiar of using), it yields good and acceptable results at least to me but that brings me to one realization;

I am constantly shooting images of single persons (the wifey in laws kids) or in groups usually indoors, low light, dining out, and nightscape photography too (buildings, lights, and whatnot).

I need a wider lens that is fast say 18mm up to 30mm @ f/1.4 - f/2.0 ( I know that sounds unrealistic but..)

Could it be that I might need the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 Art lens or I need to look somewhere else?

Is it worth exploring the vintage primes? (M42 till the 80's) Pentax lenses? Price is very affordable by the way and specs are laid out in a robotic way

no fungus, no scratches front and back lens, got caps, UV treated bla bla bla

Help me out guys please

[clackers]

I like the 35, subject I mean FOV is even wider but is 3 stops slower

It's about one stop slower. (Those settings you click through are partial stops)

As you found with the 50 at 1.8, you can get too little of your subject in focus.

For a portrait, you might want f4 or f5.6. No point getting some friends clear in a group shot and not others, either - it might require f8.

You've discovered TaV mode.

Decide the maximum aperture you need to cover your subjects' DoF.

Then choose a shutter speed high enough that in conjunction with good holding technique will minimize the blur of your subjects and the movement of your hands.

Let the ISO automatically increase to follow.

You can always post process for noise, you can't do much with a shot where you or the pet dog you're shooting moved.

This aperture-first approach is so useful many photographers shoot in Av mode.

If you get the camera to make these settings automatically it can't read your mind about depth of field and freezing motion. Remember, this is why you got a DSLR in the first place - to take control back from the phone.

By opposite strategy you may find in something like a low light concert with a fast lens that you'll set the shutter speed first to a minimum, then cap the ISO to keep noise down, and let the aperture get as wide as possible.

[jcagara08]

It's about one stop slower. (Those settings you click through are partial stops)

As you found with the 50 at 1.8, you can get too little of your subject in focus.
-FOV is too just too narrow, I love the bokeh

For a portrait, you might want f4 or f5.6. No point getting some friends clear in a group shot and not others, either - it might require f8.
-I should try that, noobie me always stay on f/3.5 on my 18-55mm LOL

You've discovered TaV mode.
-Yes and I love it, it could spoil my learning!

Decide the maximum aperture you need to cover your subjects' DoF.
-18-30mm perhaps? f/1.4-2.4 maybe?

Then choose a shutter speed high enough that in conjunction with good holding technique will minimize the blur of your subjects and the movement of your hands.
-Is 100-3200 fine enough? I don't want to see noise on the images and hell no I don't have PP skills yet! I only know how to resize crop rotate images as of now! LOL

Let the ISO automatically increase to follow.
-I guess I have to use AUTO ISO then with the specified range stated earlier, I was always wanting it at ISO 100 call me a hipster! LOL

You can always post process for noise, you can't do much with a shot where you or the pet dog you're shooting moved.
-Is that silkypix 6/7 program user friendly? I don't find it to be one, maybe Adobe Lightroom perhaps?

This aperture-first approach is so useful many photographers shoot in Av mode.
-Might cycle it with Tv and TAv mode then.

If you get the camera to make these settings automatically it can't read your mind about depth of field and freezing motion. Remember, this is why you got a DSLR in the first place - to take control back from the phone.
-yes I need to read the manual and learn more!

By opposite strategy you may find in something like a low light concert with a fast lens that you'll set the shutter speed first to a minimum, then cap the ISO to keep noise down, and let the aperture get as wide as possible.
-Yes I will do this once I get a fast prime lens soon

Responded to your tips above, thanks so much man!

is that 18-35mm f/1.8 Sigma Art lens worth it? I mean it can replace a number of primes for sure right?

[Na Horuk]

Pentax makes high quality, compact primes. If you need fast, you need to look at Sigma or other third party.
Sigma makes a relatively affordable 30mm f1.4 lens. AF and everything. They also make the zoom that you mentioned, 18-35mm f1.8. This zoom is revolutionary, in that it is so fast. Crop sensor zoom lenses faster than f2.6 are practically unheard of. That means you cannot find any similar lens from other brands.
That being said, keep in mind that wide angle lenses allow a slightly slower shutter speed before hand blur shows up. The general law from the film days is 1/focal length to avoid hand shake blur. A 500mm lens would need a shutter speed of 1/500 or faster; but a 28mm lens should be fine with 1/30. But this used to hold true back in the film days. With modern digital cameras, crop sensors, high pixel density, many of us prefer to multiply the focal length by two first. So, 28mm --> 1/60 minimum shutter speed.
Anyway, I think my 50mm f1.7 and 35mm f2.4 give me a quite nice, lightweight kit that I use even in low light - sometimes using a portable tripod (under 6" tall) or high ISO (my K-01, if I shoot raw, can make usable photos even at ISO 3200. Not perfect, maybe not good enough for Nat Geo, but good enough for me and my audience)

[Just1MoreDave]

-Is 100-3200 fine enough? I don't want to see noise on the images and hell no I don't have PP skills yet! I only know how to resize crop rotate images as of now! LOL

I see noise at 800 if I look hard at 100% on a big monitor, with all the camera noise reduction off (on my slightly different K-5 IIs). In Lightroom, that is just a twitch of the noise reduction sliders, 5 or 10 on a scale of 100, and the noise is gone. You'll probably see noise on the small camera LCD at 6400 or above with noise reduction off, and of course, 51200 looks like all noise. I think at 1600, you have to have some noise processing to be happy, either the camera settings or software. Good software can allow you to go higher. I don't mind 6400 at all. I'll go above that in extreme cases, like the lunar eclipse. Everyone has different limits, explore yours.

Responded to your tips above, thanks so much man!

is that 18-35mm f/1.8 Sigma Art lens worth it? I mean it can replace a number of primes for sure right?

It is too large, heavy and costly for me, but that's one zoom that really makes prime comparisons difficult. If you really need that wide an aperture over that range, primes are not that much smaller or better. It's worth it on that basis. I prefer my Pentax-F 28mm f2.8 - 185 grams, 49mm filters, pocket sized.

[clackers]

Responded to your tips above, thanks so much man!

is that 18-35mm f/1.8 Sigma Art lens worth it? I mean it can replace a number of primes for sure right?

Obviously it's an amazing achievement. There isn't a faster zoom in the world.


Pentaxians seem to be more obsessed by primes than Canonikonites, so it's compulsory to mention to you one lens that may do much of what it does, and perhaps a little more ... the FA 31 Ltd.


Are you a betting man? It's probably the favourite to take out that tennis-style tournament they're doing with lenses on this forum right now.