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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-13-2019, 06:11 PM
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Thanks again everyone for their valuable comments - special shout to Des.
Just received my lens, will be trying it over the weekend. Hoping it’s not a bad copy.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-04-2019, 10:57 AM
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Thanks a lot guys, super helpful comments
I decided to go for the 18-135. I also happened to get my hand on one to take some trial shots. I am no expert, but there is a difference in image quality compared to my primes - which is not a surprise.
But I need a workhorse lens which has a decent focal length range. Purely for practical reasons I can’t always shoot with a prime. Weight and size of lens is a big criteria for me, 18-135 is quite a bit lighter and smaller - a perfect travel lens. Price is also a factor, I got a ‘like new’ 18-135 on amazon for $169. The biggest complaint seems to be softness around corners, which I don’t mind as lot of my shots are portraits. For landscape maybe I will invest in a ultra wide prime - but that decision is at least 6-9 months out. As a beginner, I think I have enough lenses in my kit.
Pictures from Des also helped me make up my mind - wonderful shots. A stupid question - are those shots postprocessed or straight out of camera. How do we evaluate when someone uploads sample shots on this forum, if they are post processed then it could be that lens is crappy but editing skills of the photographer are awesome.
One final question - what is a good working range (FL and apperature) of 18-135. Some of you did comment on the FL range, but I am wondering if there is a sweet spot for apperature also.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-01-2019, 03:13 PM
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New to photography. Got a KS2 six months ago. I played with the kit lens for four months and then got a couple of prime lenses - 35 and 50 mm. Now that probably wasn’t a smart move as the advice usually for the beginners is to stick to the kit lens till their skills outgrow the lens. I, however, couldn’t go back to the kit lens after using the primes. The IQ is just so much better, even as a beginner I notice the difference without pixel peeping. Having been using only prime lenses for the past two months, I am however running into the limitations of the primes – mainly the flexibility of focal length. So now considering getting a zoom lens. Two contenders are 18-135 and 16-85 lenses.
I have read most of the threads on this topic and the consensus seems to be that 16-85 has better IQ. However, is the difference significant enough? As a beginner will I even notice the difference without pixel peeping. A used 18-135 is one third the price of a 16-85 – so there is a significant premium to pay.
I am still discovering the style of my photography, so not sure if I would prefer the extra zoom of 18-135 or additional width of 16-85. In fact, this is also a motivation for me to get a good zoom lens. If I keep shooting at 35 mm, I would never discover how shooting at wide focal length is like.
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