Please help complete my kit lens

SolarCat · 10-01-2016, 04:18 PM

One of the nice things about Pentax is the ability to use old lenses on modern cameras.

My suggestion would be to acquire an older lens without the bells and whistles of the newer lenses. Pick a lens that looks "fun" to you... Something that will inspire you to want to use it to your full potential.

Mine is a fun macro zoom I absolutely love to use for flowers, bugs, and other close up details. Every lens setting has to be set manually, forcing me to learn to use my camera to its full potential. I strive to take pictures worthy of this lens.

Having a lens like this helps keep me motivated, and stops me from relying too much on Pentax's collection of automatic settings. If you want to be the best photographer in the Philippines, I am thinking that is the sort of lens you need to add to your collection next.

As a bonus, they tend to be a lot cheaper than the modern lenses, too. You can get a lot of mileage out of a small but smart investment. Just make sure to find a lens that really speaks to you, instead of just a random antique!

**Des** · 10-01-2016, 06:29 PM

Taking up the suggestion by @SolarCat, if you want to shoot wildlife you could try one of the manual-focus 300mm primes, instead of a consumer zoom like the 55-300. E.g.
TAIR 3A / 300A 300mm, F4.5 Lens Reviews - Russian and Zenitar Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
SMC Pentax 300mm F4 Reviews - K Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
SMC Pentax-M* 300mm F4 Reviews - M Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
That would really challenge you to hone your manual focusing skills! And using manual exposure would be a learning experience too. These were top class lenses in their day and can give excellent result when used with skill (better than you could get with a 55-300 or other consumer zoom), but are much cheaper than their recent-model counterparts.

Another MF alternative would be this: Tokina AT-X SD 100-300 f/4 Lens Reviews - Tokina Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

These lenses would also be a useful introduction to using relatively heavy lenses.

One more cheap tip for wildlife. Get one of these - it works brilliantly with the K-3: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/22-pentax-camera-field-accessories/256288...-extender.html

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10-01-2016, 04:18 PM	#16
SolarCat New Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 18	One of the nice things about Pentax is the ability to use old lenses on modern cameras. My suggestion would be to acquire an older lens without the bells and whistles of the newer lenses. Pick a lens that looks "fun" to you... Something that will inspire you to want to use it to your full potential. Mine is a fun macro zoom I absolutely love to use for flowers, bugs, and other close up details. Every lens setting has to be set manually, forcing me to learn to use my camera to its full potential. I strive to take pictures worthy of this lens. Having a lens like this helps keep me motivated, and stops me from relying too much on Pentax's collection of automatic settings. If you want to be the best photographer in the Philippines, I am thinking that is the sort of lens you need to add to your collection next. As a bonus, they tend to be a lot cheaper than the modern lenses, too. You can get a lot of mileage out of a small but smart investment. Just make sure to find a lens that really speaks to you, instead of just a random antique!

10-01-2016, 06:29 PM	#17
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,424	Taking up the suggestion by @SolarCat, if you want to shoot wildlife you could try one of the manual-focus 300mm primes, instead of a consumer zoom like the 55-300. E.g. TAIR 3A / 300A 300mm, F4.5 Lens Reviews - Russian and Zenitar Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database SMC Pentax 300mm F4 Reviews - K Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database SMC Pentax-M* 300mm F4 Reviews - M Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database That would really challenge you to hone your manual focusing skills! And using manual exposure would be a learning experience too. These were top class lenses in their day and can give excellent result when used with skill (better than you could get with a 55-300 or other consumer zoom), but are much cheaper than their recent-model counterparts. Another MF alternative would be this: Tokina AT-X SD 100-300 f/4 Lens Reviews - Tokina Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database These lenses would also be a useful introduction to using relatively heavy lenses. One more cheap tip for wildlife. Get one of these - it works brilliantly with the K-3: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/22-pentax-camera-field-accessories/256288...-extender.html