[stl09]

Hi,

I have a K200D which I love already only after a few short weeks.
I purchased the kit lens 18-55 at the same time.

I even signed up with a local professional photographer for classes on digital photography.

I have since purchased FA50 f1.4 for portrait shots

I also have the DA 18-250 which I'm finding that I'm leaving on the camera most of the time.

My most recent is the FA 80-320, which was too good of a deal to pass up. I plan to use for a upcoming trip this summer.

I'm not looking to have an arsenal of lenses but I think that I need some type of wide angle for landscapes. I've been tossed between the Pentax DA 12-24 or the Sigma 10-20mm. But I see pros and cons for both?

Or do you think that I should lean more towards a prime wide angle.

There are just so many lenses available. I've been watching the marketplace and I see people buy lenses and then they find out its not what they thought and they turn around and sell them.

By the way the trip this summer is to the Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Someplace that I have wanted to see for a long time and I want to get as many great photos as I can.

I apologize up front if my questions are too broad but I am new and I'm trying to learn and make the right choices to start with. I researched for quite awhile before choosing the Pentax especially since I had always been a diehard Canon person, but when you put the two cameras side by side you just felt like you were getting a lot more camera for your dollar. I have no regrets with my choice of camera.

Thanks and I look forward to your responses.

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Last edited by stl09; 04-28-2009 at 12:23 PM.

You already have three lenses in your arsenal capable of landscapes, 18-55, 18-250 and 50. There's quite a bit of duplication of FL there.
The 12-24 and the 10-20 are both very good lenses. I have the 10-20 and I find it very capable. I also haven't found the f/5.6 aperture at the long end to be a handicap compared to the constant f/4 of the 12-24.
You probably want to make sure you are going to get the use out of it if you do go for a Prime as obviously they come at a premium price. An alternative would be to look around for a used 28mm and adaptor. The 28s appear in the marketplace here quite regularly.

[kevinschoenmakers]

First off, 18mm is already sufficient for landscape photos, I would say.

But moving on, I've recently (in fact, it arrived by mail today) bought a DA 12-24mm, and I've also looked at the 10-20mm from Sigma. Basically it comes down to this: the Pentax lens is a bit better, and a bit more expensive (according to tests). Regarding 10-20 vs 12-24, I've read comments saying the latter is more useful, but 10 is wider than 12, and you've already got 2 lenses covering the 18+ focal range.

Hope that helps.

[stl09]

Thanks for the suggestions it does help...
Your right the 18 is sufficient but was hoping for a bit wider angle.
I didn't plan to duplicate the 18 length so quickly but the 18-250 lens kinda fell into my lap at a price I could not ignore. I will probably end up getting rid of the kit lens since the other one is on the camera 90% of the time.
If you don't mind me asking what did you get the 12-24 for? I keep going back and forth, one side says go for the better lens the pentax but then I don't want to have yet another 18 length makes me think that I should go with the sigma 10-20. If you have a chance let me know what you think of your new lens at various lengths. I would be curious to hear what you have to say...
Thanks again.

If you get the 10-20, you still have 18mm FL.

[stl09]

You mention the 28mm with an adapter.

I'm assuming that this is not the correct mount which is why an adaptor is needed.

Should I also assume that this lens is a manual focus, which is fine. Just trying to be sure I'm looking at the right thing.

I know that I have quite a bit of 18 overlap and I will most likely get rid of the kit lens since I find that I'm using the 18-250 most of the time.

I know either way I go on I'm duplicating the 18 length yet again

Thanks again for your suggestions.

[Just1MoreDave]

Hi,

I have a K200D which I love already only after a few short weeks.
I purchased the kit lens 18-55 at the same time.

I have since purchased FA50 f1.4 for portrait shots

I also have the DA 18-250 which I'm finding that I'm leaving on the camera most of the time.

My most recent is the FA 80-320, which was too good of a deal to pass up. I plan to use for a upcoming trip this summer.

I'm not looking to have an arsenal of lenses but I think that I need some type of wide angle for landscapes. I've been tossed between the Pentax DA 12-24 or the Sigma 10-20mm. But I see pros and cons for both?

You can find many discussions about this choice back in the Lens section, and as you say, pros and cons for both. Just from reading these discussions, it's clear these lenses both have fans, and it's tough to make a completely wrong choice. I have seen a lot of sample images from both and it helped make my choice. I decided that 10mm was too wide for me and the Pentax range was a better fit. But I am not rushing out to buy one just yet either; Sigma may have a new lens soon and there's some other new competition to completely ruin my logic.

Or do you think that I should lean more towards a prime wide angle.

The new Pentax DA 15mm f4 is an interesting choice. The image quality appears to be pretty close between the DA 12-24 and the DA 15, and price is close too, so the choice is more about size, flexibility, and usage. It's too bad the DA 15 is not $400.

There are just so many lenses available. I've been watching the marketplace and I see people buy lenses and then they find out its not what they thought and they turn around and sell them.

It's not that easy to evaluate how a lens will work for you, even with a mountain of technical data, until you use it. So this is a perfectly valid approach. I think of myself as a logical person and I know a lot of technical data about comparable lenses, but sometimes it comes down to liking one and not the other, for no quantifiable reason. I know if I like it I'll use it, which is a really good reason to own it. I bet if I had the DA 15/4 in my hand, I would really like the engraved markings and the integral hood, and I would think of the DA 12-24 as "just a zoom".

A wide-angle option for your trip will be useful, so my advice is to flip a coin and pick one. But if you are overwhelmed by lens choices, stop there and use the lenses you have for a while. More practice will make your future choices clearer.

[Marc Sabatella]

There's actually plenty of K-mount 28's available for cheap; no adapter should be needed unless you happen to get a just fabulous deal on an M42 or Adaptall or other mount that does require one. But with the M28/2.8 selling for $50-ish, it's hard to imagine one of the others coming in so much much cheaper than it would be worth the bother.

Unless maybe he meant an attachment to the front of the lens to make a wider angle? These seldom if ever do very well in IQ, but just to see if you like the idea of a wide angle prime, it could be worth considering. I've thought abut that myself, actually.

You mention the 28mm with an adapter.

I'm assuming that this is not the correct mount which is why an adaptor is needed.

Should I also assume that this lens is a manual focus, which is fine. Just trying to be sure I'm looking at the right thing.

I know that I have quite a bit of 18 overlap and I will most likely get rid of the kit lens since I find that I'm using the 18-250 most of the time.

I know either way I go on I'm duplicating the 18 length yet again

Thanks again for your suggestions.

It's still a Pentax (although there are many third part lenses that are good quality), I was referring to the old M42 screwmount and yes they would be MF. You can buy a genuine adaptor direct from Pentax or from places like B&H Photo. Have a look through the Lens Review database on this forum. As Marc has said above, there are also older K mounts available.

BTW, it's usually a good idea to use the 'Quote' function when responding to someone to avoid confusion as to who you are answering when you have had more than one response. Just click on the Quote button in the bottom RH corner of the post you want to respond to and a post panel will appear with that posters comments in quotes. You can type your response either above or below it.
You can also respond to several in one post. Click the Multiquote button (next to the Quote button), you will see the - change to a + next to the word 'Multiquote'. You can do this for up to five quotes I believe. When you are ready to reply, hit a Post Reply button and a panel will appear containing all those quotes.

Unless maybe he meant an attachment to the front of the lens to make a wider angle? These seldom if ever do very in IQ, but just to see if you like the idea of a wide angle prime, it could be worth considering. I've thought abut that myself, actually.

Marc, I would never recommend a front end adapter unless I didn't like that person.