|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-04-2012, 02:01 PM
|
| |
Unless you find one for particularly cheap, or you particularly enjoy manual focusing, I'd probably skip it. The DA 40/2.8 XS is a modern AF lens, even tinier, and can be had cheap. Otherwise the DA 40/2.8 Limited is even better and also the cheapest Limited lens.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-27-2012, 10:23 AM
|
| |
The Sigma 24/2.8 Super Wide II is a good choice although rather rare to find in AF for Pentax mount. Most of them I've seen out there are KA-mount.
The FA 28/2.8 is supposed to be a bit better than the F but both are good.
For the 50s, the 1.7 and 1.8 are a tad sharper at wider apertures than the 1.4. The 1.4 gets a bad reputation because it really needs a hood. With the hood, it's vastly improved. The 1.4 has the smoothest bokeh, followed by the 1.8 then 1.7 (which I think is a little busy). The 1.8 has the least CA/PF thanks to its newer coatings. Also just FYI the 1.8 has a 7-bladed aperture not 9, but the blades are rounded.
For the 70-100 range if you want something cheaper than the Limited options, you could look at the Tamron 90/2.8 macro. There's also a somewhat-rare AF version of the older 90/2.5 macro which is much more common as an MF adaptall lens. They're not true portrait lenses, but they have an AF range limiter that helps speed up the AF by locking out the macro range of the focus throw.
Personally I think having a 24, 28, 40 and 50 might be bunching up a bit. That's a lot of lenses covering a pretty narrow range. Not that you have to do it my way but I've got a Tamron 17-50/2.8, FA 35/2 and FA 50/1.4. The Tamron covers the wide end of things and the primes give me faster options at those FLs.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-21-2012, 07:40 AM
|
| |
You've got most of the focal length range covered so now you can look at improving IQ at typically-used focal lengths. I'd suggest something like a "normal" prime, or walkaround zoom. Some ideas...
Primes
F or FA 28/2.8
FA 35/2
DA 35/2.4
The F & FA 28s are different optically but both have good reputations. I have experience with both the FA 35/2 and DA 35/2.4. They're very similar optically & have similar levels of sharpness. Both are very good lenses. The DA does a better job controlling purple fringing but you really have to try hard to provoke the FA into PF. The FA has nicer build quality and obviously the faster aperture. I stuck with the FA. Still need to sell my DA actually...
For zooms, you could look at something that gives you a faster max aperture and/or better IQ. I'd look at...
DA 16-45/4
DA 17-70/4
Tamron 17-50/2.8
Tamron 28-75/2.8
Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.5 (the older, non-HSM or OS version)
Sigma 18-50/2.8 (there were two versions of this, the Macro one is newer/better)
One caveat on the Tamron 17-50. I have one and I really like it...on my K-r which has AF fine adjustment. I used to have a K-x and since my copy of the 17-50 required some dialing in of AF fine adjust, it never really gave good results on the K-x.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-25-2012, 08:16 AM
|
| |
Think of yourself looking forward, with a circle drawn on the ground around you. If you were to draw an angle from yourself at the center of the circle, to the edge of the circle, to represent how much of the overall circle is in the picture, that's angle of view. For a wide angle lens, you've got more in the picture, and as you zoom in the angle of view gets smaller.
Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens, and the size of the sensor or film. On APS-C cameras, 24mm is the beginning of wide angle lenses.
So what I meant by 18-24mm range being "regular" wide angle is that the 18-24mm portion of your 18-55 lens is the part that's got a relatively wide angle of view. If you find yourself wanting something wider than 18mm, then you'd be getting into "super wide" territory.
Since you've got that 18-55 lens, the easiest thing to do to start with is go take pictures of landscapes at 18mm. If you find that you're not getting enough of the whole scene into the frame, that's when you would want to look at wider lens.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-05-2012, 05:30 PM
|
| |
The F and FA are identical optically. The main mechanical difference is the FA has a focus clamp which you can use to tighten up the manual focus feel. Don't want to use it when doing AF.
The D FA has its own optical formula (I think?), which is still 8 elements in 7 groups, and 8 aperture blades, like the others. So if it is in fact different optically, its not all that different. It also has a focus clamp. It's a good bit smaller than the F & FA, and takes 49mm filters which are more common across the Pentax lineup (F & FA take 52mm).
|
