What single lens can do it all? is it possible?

JamesD · 10-25-2007, 06:49 PM

That's what I like to hear, Stewart. Looking forward to purchasing the Pentax version when it arrives.

SpecialK · 10-25-2007, 07:17 PM

If there was one lens that could do it all, there would be only...one lens.

If there were two lenses that could do it all, there would be only...two lenses.

I have 5 lenses, and could be tempted into another if anyone knows where I could get a Sigma 600mm f8 mirror.

rvannatta · 10-25-2007, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by JamesD

I always learn so much from your posts, Will. Thanks for taking the time and expending the energy in providing such complete answers to our questions. Much appreciated.

there are no 'right answers'. I must have 10 or 15 lenses around the house maybe more. I'm never quite satisfied. You can easily spend all the money you have. The kit lens you have
covers the wide to normal range fairly well. the direct upgrade to the kit lens you have is the 16-50 SDM lens. I've got one. it's faster (F2/8) It costs 9 times more, but doesn't take 9 times better photos and is too big for the pop flash.

An alternative is to acquire a prime in the 20-30mm focal length area. this would give you a wide fast lens---particularly useful for groups of people indoors, but I would say that the First
'next lens' for someone with a kit lens is something longer. A small cheap solution
is the pentax DA50-200. small, lightweight and affordable. MOre expensive alternatives are on th Pentax roadmap. --- The retro solution is to go to EBAY and grab one of the obsolete 80-200 zooms that are fairly common there, though my favorite is an 80-320 that seems fairly common and usually goes for less than $200. For smaller cameras its a bit bulky and heavy, but I like it's balance on the K10.

Of course sports photography is all about action shots at some distance and you never have a lens that is too fast or too expensive to help with that, but cranking up the ISO speed helps a lot. Pentax has some as yet unrelased long fast lenses that will probably take a wheelbarrow load of cash to buy that will help. IF a flash is allowed, it does great things for 'stopping the action'. YOu can take flash photos as an amazing distance with a good sized flash and a high ISO.

JamesD · 10-26-2007, 07:33 AM

Hi again

I appreciate what you're saying. In my case, I just don't have the LBA (thank heavens!). It could be that I'm not as "into" photography as some others here. I love making images, mind you, but I have a limit to how much of my time is devoted to it. It's not an all-consuming passion. Just too many other wonderful things to compete for my time and energy (and money!).

We travel quite a bit. This will be our third trip over to Hawaii. Then hopefully we're going to consider Russia. I was there for a month in 1990 and never quite got it out of my system. I've yet to persuade my wife that it is "a good thing" but we shall see. My point is that I don't want to have a bag full of lenses. I'm getting to old to lug all that stuff around. Besides, when I was much younger and much more "into" equipment that photography, I found that I rarely used all the lenses I had acquired. I grew tired of changing lenses in the field and finally recognized that it would be better to just leave most of them at home. That's when I decided to divest myself of all that equipment and start over. After selling off my last camera, a Nikon, I immediately bought a smaller 35mm... the Pentax IQ Zoom and was content with that one small camera for several years. I actually felt liberated. Our first digital was a Kodak DX6490 and we then upgraded to the 7590 and made some fantastic images with these. Now we've made the plunge back into slr land... but I've no intentions of going back to where I was years ago.

So for me... a one lens fits all is just what the doctor ordered for the foreseeable future. I'm not ruling out acquiring another lens but I can guarantee that I will not go beyond that for the reasons stated above.

Hey... it works for me but I'm not recommending it as a pattern for anyone else.

All the best to you.

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10-25-2007, 06:49 PM	#16
JamesD Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 536	That's what I like to hear, Stewart. Looking forward to purchasing the Pentax version when it arrives.

10-25-2007, 07:17 PM	#17
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	If there was one lens that could do it all, there would be only...one lens. If there were two lenses that could do it all, there would be only...two lenses. I have 5 lenses, and could be tempted into another if anyone knows where I could get a Sigma 600mm f8 mirror.

10-25-2007, 09:50 PM	#18
rvannatta Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Apiary, Oregon Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,181	Originally posted by JamesD I always learn so much from your posts, Will. Thanks for taking the time and expending the energy in providing such complete answers to our questions. Much appreciated. there are no 'right answers'. I must have 10 or 15 lenses around the house maybe more. I'm never quite satisfied. You can easily spend all the money you have. The kit lens you have covers the wide to normal range fairly well. the direct upgrade to the kit lens you have is the 16-50 SDM lens. I've got one. it's faster (F2/8) It costs 9 times more, but doesn't take 9 times better photos and is too big for the pop flash. An alternative is to acquire a prime in the 20-30mm focal length area. this would give you a wide fast lens---particularly useful for groups of people indoors, but I would say that the First 'next lens' for someone with a kit lens is something longer. A small cheap solution is the pentax DA50-200. small, lightweight and affordable. MOre expensive alternatives are on th Pentax roadmap. --- The retro solution is to go to EBAY and grab one of the obsolete 80-200 zooms that are fairly common there, though my favorite is an 80-320 that seems fairly common and usually goes for less than $200. For smaller cameras its a bit bulky and heavy, but I like it's balance on the K10. Of course sports photography is all about action shots at some distance and you never have a lens that is too fast or too expensive to help with that, but cranking up the ISO speed helps a lot. Pentax has some as yet unrelased long fast lenses that will probably take a wheelbarrow load of cash to buy that will help. IF a flash is allowed, it does great things for 'stopping the action'. YOu can take flash photos as an amazing distance with a good sized flash and a high ISO.

10-26-2007, 07:33 AM	#19
JamesD Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 536	Hi again I appreciate what you're saying. In my case, I just don't have the LBA (thank heavens!). It could be that I'm not as "into" photography as some others here. I love making images, mind you, but I have a limit to how much of my time is devoted to it. It's not an all-consuming passion. Just too many other wonderful things to compete for my time and energy (and money!). We travel quite a bit. This will be our third trip over to Hawaii. Then hopefully we're going to consider Russia. I was there for a month in 1990 and never quite got it out of my system. I've yet to persuade my wife that it is "a good thing" but we shall see. My point is that I don't want to have a bag full of lenses. I'm getting to old to lug all that stuff around. Besides, when I was much younger and much more "into" equipment that photography, I found that I rarely used all the lenses I had acquired. I grew tired of changing lenses in the field and finally recognized that it would be better to just leave most of them at home. That's when I decided to divest myself of all that equipment and start over. After selling off my last camera, a Nikon, I immediately bought a smaller 35mm... the Pentax IQ Zoom and was content with that one small camera for several years. I actually felt liberated. Our first digital was a Kodak DX6490 and we then upgraded to the 7590 and made some fantastic images with these. Now we've made the plunge back into slr land... but I've no intentions of going back to where I was years ago. So for me... a one lens fits all is just what the doctor ordered for the foreseeable future. I'm not ruling out acquiring another lens but I can guarantee that I will not go beyond that for the reasons stated above. Hey... it works for me but I'm not recommending it as a pattern for anyone else. All the best to you.