[GateCityRadio]

I don't own the 55, but the 50-135 and the 77 and the 70 are all quite sweet for portrait work. For that matter so is the DA* 200 but the working distance gets long.

Could the love of the 77 on film have been related to format? Have you tried it on the K-1?

I haven't tried it on the K1, but when I had my Sony A7 I used the FA77 on it some and loved it. Its def the format. The DA70 for the price is pretty amazing, hell most of the limiteds are pretty nice...I even used the DA40 for portraits from time to time in a pinch.

I'm also toying with portraiture, currently using the *55 and Bower 85 for it. I JUST ordered the DA*50-135 early yesterday morning after some research. Your glowing endorsement has me looking forward to it even more.

Oh man, its one of my favorite lenses of all time for sure. Its a great portrait lens. I ended up selling the DA55 not too long after because I used the 50-135 more.

Yeah, a real favourite of mine.

It has such beautiful rendering I've thought many times over the years, 'Maybe its sister, the 16-50, is just as good, and I ought to get it, too', but people don't seem to think that's the case.

I had the 16-50...honestly wasn't all that impressed with it. If I needed wider than the 50-135 could provide I used the sig art 35.

---------- Post added 02-11-2017 at 03:39 PM ----------

I also have my DA*50-135 for sale as I no longer have a digital pentax body (shameless plug...lol)

[Rupert]

I also have my DA*50-135 for sale as I no longer have a digital pentax body (shameless plug...lol)

I sold mine after the 3rd SDM repair...but even then it was a wonderful lens. One of the best I have ever owned. When I had my little downtown studio it was my most used lens......so handy for framing without having to move with my feet! Even if it was just MF I would recommend it for the fine quality it produces.




Someone will be lucky to get your 50-135!

Regards!

[Rondec]

You do nice work.

I guess the question in my mind is whether you want to move up from a crop camera and if what you think your limitations are with your current gear. Doing a lot of portrait work can definitely lead one to want narrow depth of field and certainly a K-1 combined with, say, a 70-200 f2.8/FA 77 limited would be a sweet combo from that standpoint. I think the 645z, while nice, would be overkill for what you are doing.

As others have said, the biggest reason to go with a different brand is if you do a lot of studio work or multiple flash set ups. I don't really see that on your page. My wife does shoot in a home studio some with a K-1, but she uses it in manual mode with Cactus triggers. Seems to be OK, but I think Nikon and Canon are a lot better from that standpoint.

Good luck!

[normhead]

Hello!
I am a portrait photographer & currently shoot with a Pentax K-3 II; I started with a Pentax K-r a few years back & have a handful of lenses I use regularly (50mm f/1.8, 28-75mm f/2.8 most frequently). I am at a crossroads now with my camera/lenses & would love some feedback! I am debating on just adding to my lens collection by adding an 85mm & 70-200mm, then more in the future; moving up to the Pentax 645z, or switching to Canon or Nikon, if they have better portrait cameras - I don't plan to do anything in the immediate future, just something I will save to buy. I am looking for the best in portrait cameras with incredibly sharp output & great colors. I am including my website if it helps to get a better idea of what I shoot (www.andryakayphotography.com).

Thank you so much for your feedback!
-Andi

Given your style of photography, a K-1 would give you more control over depth of field. Our resident portrait guy LeRolls has recently switched from the K-3 and 77mm Ltd. to a K-1 and FA 85, but you'd have to read through his posts.
Post your K-1 pictures! - Page 480 - PentaxForums.com

Another forum super star has just started using his K-1 with a 77 ltd.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/190-pentax-k-1/314413-post-your-k-1-pict...ml#post3911652

---

Last edited by normhead; 02-11-2017 at 07:37 PM.

[UncleVanya]

The short of the Lerolls info is he finds the FA* 85 much easier to get the results he wants. Less post processing and great results as I recall from our discussions.