[FenderGirl]

Ok, so I still consider myself a beginner even though I've had my K5 for some years now. I put photography down for a bit due to school and family, etc.
I was gifted a 500 gift card to BH and I am itching to buy another lens. I have been reigniting my love for photography and have been playing around with my old lenses and falling in love again. Because I figured I'm not going to get an opportunity like this (a 500 dollar boost!!) again in the near future, I want to maximize this and get a great lens.

So here's what I have now:

^ Pentax 18-55 kit lens
^ Pentax 55-300 lightweight telephoto (the cheaper one)
^ Sigma 28-105 3.8
^ an old Sears 135 2.8 with the Macro function
^ Pentax FA 50 1.4
^ Pentax A 50 2.0
^ Pentax M 50 1.7

So im thinking about one of the "Three Amigos" not sure which one but I really like the pics I've seen with the FA 77
Also considering a 100mm Macro lens (I have not dabbled in macro at all)
Aso considering the Pentax 24-70 2.8

I like candids, street photography, and after recently have a baby, portraits of my little lady bug

I noticed that holiday pricing ends tonight on these lenses so I need fast Help. Ive been mulling for days!!

[dbs]

Hi Fender Girl

happy new year

gift card mmm

What you like to shoot......77

How about the.... 15 ?

We love spending other peoples money...

Dave

[pepperberry farm]

sounds like you have the beginnings of a plan, but if you're interested in one of the FA-Limiteds, are you considering eventually moving to a FF camera body or staying with APS-C?

if not moving to FF, you may want to consider one of the DA-Limiteds...

[mee]

DA 35 f/2.4
DA 35 f/2.8 macro
Sigma 30mm f/1.4


on crop that would be my recommendation. 35mm on crop is equivalent to ~50mm on full frame (in terms of angle of view).


That should net you mid body portraits and both are light weight.

DFA 24-70 f/2.8 is a bigger full frame lens totally different from anything you've encountered thus far (in your lens lineup). Actually on crop it would give you some nice focal lengths for portraity stuff and would give you a nice entry into full frame if you should ever decide to go that route with Pentax.

Though personally I'd probably opt for a 30 or 35mm prime for crop. But this is a very personal decision -- what focal lengths you like really do seriously matter in your lens selection.


I'd slap that 18-55mm on your camera and go through the focal lengths to find the one(s) you value the most, then go from there.

[Sluggo]

Since you mention the Amigos, yes I'm sure you would enjoy the FA77; on the other hand, your current collection doesn't have any primes on the wide side, and you might find the FA31 immensely satisfying. (Probably at this point the FA43 is a bit too close to your ample supply of fifties to make a big impact on your life.) The 31 is too bulky for inconspicuous street shooting but makes a sweet length on APS-c that's good for shooting babies and pets, as well as all sorts of artsy stuff.

The DA21 is another possibility for a sharp but very compact wide walkabout lens, and leaves you a little money left over ....

[Ash]

Congrats on the generous gift card.
And welcome here.
It is always fun to get new gear, but you want it to suit your needs well.
If you've thought having the versatility of a zoom lens is the way to go, certainly consider the Tamron 28-75, which is great as an all-rounder with good image quality.
It's well within the gift card budget, and you can get another lens to complement it if you want to do macro stuff (but if you aren't interested in that kind of photography, a 100 macro might be a waste). There is an X-factor to the 77, but it would be the only lens you get with the gift card, then there would be no all-purpose zoom.

All the best in the decision making

[aslyfox]

you might want to look at this discussion of the " limiteds "

the limiteds do they live up to the reputation and why - Page 16 - PentaxForums.com

you might want to check what B H is selling in its used department to stretch your $$$

Used Lenses & Lens Accessories | B&H Photo Video

or not

Remember that the 100mm F2.8 macro series have the same optical set up but there are some differences in the newest WR version, if you can find older versions:

The optical design is the tried-and-proven formula of the previous generation D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro lens, which in turn had inherited the optical design from the well-respected FA 100mm F2.8 and F 100mm F2.8 macro lenses introduced in 1991 and 1987, respectively. None of these earlier lenses had rounded aperture blades.

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/pentax-d-fa-100mm-f28-wr-macro/specific...#ixzz5bJCOFQXP

[Oktyabr]

The 100 WR Macro is one of the sharpest lenses I've ever used and built like a tank. IF you were interested in macro, seriously interested, it would be my first pick without a doubt.

[aslyfox]

The 100 WR Macro is one of the sharpest lenses I've ever used and built like a tank. IF you were interested in macro, seriously interested, it would be my first pick without a doubt.

I agree

I like my SMC D FA 100mm F2.8 macro very much and it is a very sharp lens as well as capable of 1:1 macro if necessary

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DFA-100mm-F2.8-Macro-Lens.html

now whether you can find one used at B H that would be the question

[tvdtvdtvd]

I think you're on the right path. The FA77 is a phenomenal lens. It is one of my most used lenses and I doubt you would be disappointed.
Great portrait lens. Its only caveat is that it has a bit of reach on APS-C, which can be good or bad depending on how and where you're
using it.

You also definitely have a glaring lack of macro, so the DFA100 Macro would also be a fine choice. Not as versatile as the FA77, but
indespensible if you want to shoot macro. Personally, I find macro lenses a bit addictive and currently have macros in 35, 40, 50, 70,
90 & 100mm.

I'd recommend the FA77. It's a bigger bite and that gift card makes it much easier to attain. There are a plethora of good macro lenses
that can be had for $100-$200; much easier to attain at a later date on a modest budget.

[WPRESTO]

You might also consider a 16~85mm, a really outstanding zoom, better than anything you have, with a wider range that would give you significantly more at the WA end and cover the useful focal lengths for portraiture.

[FenderGirl]

Thank you all for your responses!!

Looking over my pictures from the past and the ones that I saw fit to print out and hang on the wall, they all are of one subject matter (person, horse, squirrel, cow, guitars, food, etc) filling the frame with bokeh in background. I have maybe 4 landscape type pictures (on my walls). So wow, yeah, I have not really wandered into the wider angles. I think I just like the photojournalistic type of photography. I live Steve Mccurry, Dorothea Lange and the like style of photos.Lee Jeffries is inspiring too.... I like people and animals and moody scenes (like abandoned houses and old rusty cars). I want that "wow" factor in my pictures. I get that "wow, you took that" comment all the time, but this is from people that know nothing about photography so of course they are going to be impressed and they are all pictures with my kit lenses.

---------- Post added 12-31-18 at 07:30 PM ----------

Also, full frame is a consideration, but not in the immediate future.

[WPRESTO]

So long as you use APS-C, I would still recommend the Pentax 16~85mm. Excellent range of focal lengths for many, many photo situations, and about as good a zoom for IQ as there is in K-mount. 27 reviewers rate it 9.11 out of ten (see reviews). The only Pentax zooms I see that are rated higher are the 10~20mm (9.22) but that would not be suitable for portraiture nor as versatile for candid street photography, and the 17~70mm f2.8 (9.58), which also is less versatile and much more expensive. I'm not considering the big zooms, 70~200mm, 60~250mm and 150~450mm, none of which is really suited to the type of photography you are doing and foresee doing. If you are seriously thinking of going to full frame, it's a whole different story.

[dbs]

Thank you all for your responses!!

Looking over my pictures from the past and the ones that I saw fit to print out and hang on the wall, they all are of one subject matter (person, horse, squirrel, cow, guitars, food, etc) filling the frame with bokeh in background. I have maybe 4 landscape type pictures (on my walls). So wow, yeah, I have not really wandered into the wider angles. I think I just like the photojournalistic type of photography. I live Steve Mccurry, Dorothea Lange and the like style of photos.Lee Jeffries is inspiring too.... I like people and animals and moody scenes (like abandoned houses and old rusty cars). I want that "wow" factor in my pictures. I get that "wow, you took that" comment all the time, but this is from people that know nothing about photography so of course they are going to be impressed and they are all pictures with my kit lenses.

---------- Post added 12-31-18 at 07:30 PM ----------

Also, full frame is a consideration, but not in the immediate future.

Hi Fender Girl

You must have the "eye"
Do you want a ltd prime or prime in general ?
Your likes suggest more than one..and with the ltd's one is never enough....sorry
So which one first ?
A gift card sure can help

Dave

[C_Jones]

If you are doing what you mentioned in subjects and using the K-5, I would recommend the Pentax 16-85. It is a high definition lens which is water resistant, and the images it provides are excellent. I have one myself on my Pentax K-3 II, and it is spectacular. The 16-85 would give you more width (16) and more length (85 telephoto) than the 18-55 that you now have. It also has a direct current motor and is very quiet.

If you feel that you may want to opt for the full frame type camera body at a later time, and would like to stock up on a wide angle FF zoom lens to use with your aps-c body until you get a full frame, then I would recommend the Pentax 24-70.

Good luck with your decision. Happy Holidays!!