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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 07-11-2010, 01:55 AM  
Good lens for Kids + Travel
Posted By edice
Replies: 10
Views: 2,545
Wow! Great feedback, thanks everyone!

I looked through all the options and opinions, and I like the sound of two choices:

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, for the wide-angle and low-light across the whole range.

or

Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, for the extra zoom at the end (although I lose some low-light).

I've checked the exim tags from my Panasonic, and determined that when it tells me "0.4m zoom" on the screen, it is approx equivalent to 70mm on my Pentax - thanks for that post, very informative.

I'll try and figure out if I really want that extra 20mm zoom, otherwise I guess the Tamron is the winner!

Now the next challenge... where to buy it from. Only B+H and Adorama list the Tammy with Pentax mount, I think. I'm in Perth, Australia and have sent emails to Vanbar, DigitalCameraWarehouse, CameraHouse and DigiDirect. Otherwise I could order from USA and get it posted over for cheaper, but I hope to get a good price from the local guys.

I have CRKennedy nearby, but it seems they don't sell to the public.

Is it preferable to buy from Australian suppliers for warranty claims etc? Or doesn't it matter much?
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 07-10-2010, 12:04 AM  
Good lens for Kids + Travel
Posted By edice
Replies: 10
Views: 2,545
Thanks for the replies, this is really helping me.

Side note:
I was just comparing my P&S Panasonic Lumix DMC FX38 (4-22mm, f/2.8-5.9) and noticed that its as wide as my kit lens at 18mm, but can zoom in about twice as far. How does that work? Can the lens length only be compared with cameras of the same sensor size?

Back on topic,
I'm thinking about the photos that I'd love to take and can't, and I'd have to say those are low light, and/or wide-angle such as family gatherings and landscapes. My previous "wife in front of nice church/mountain/city" photos are often just of a tiny part of the city - the finished photo doesn't give you a sense of scale.

is the extra 1 mm going to make 17mm much wider than 18mm? It doesn't sound like much!

So, I like the idea of the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, I agree that it would service most of my needs, and I don't see any other lens that give that sort of range and speed, especially at the wide end of the scale.

I looked through the photos found here:
17-50mm: Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II LD Asp IF Lens Sample Photos and Specifications
28-75mm: Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD (IF) Lens Sample Photos and Specifications

And I've only seen a couple of churches - in the 17-50 section. The photos I could see myself taking in the 28-75mm section were all 35mm or 50mm, I didn't see many photos using the extra zoom.
But thats hard to tell, is there somewhere I can use to look at (eg) "all photos taken with focal length 70-75mm" ?

So far the 17-50mm looks like the one!

thanks,
Paul
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 07-09-2010, 09:32 AM  
Good lens for Kids + Travel
Posted By edice
Replies: 10
Views: 2,545
Hi,

I have a K100D, the 18-50mm kit lens and a fast Pentax 50mm 1.4 lens.

Now I'm going on a 2 week Italian holiday and am looking for a lens that will work well with landscapes, churches, streets, people, me in front of interesting statues, AND also be useful once I get home to my 2-year-old kid.

I find that I'm unable to take any sort of landscape shot, so wide would be good. I don't really feel the need to take a lot of detail-shots, so a strong zoom isn't a big priority although it would be nice from time to time.

As I already have an 18-50mm lens, I'm not excited about getting another lens in the same field... although I am well aware of the limitations of my kit lens in indoor situations (ie near-hopeless without flash). So if its going to cover the same focal length, its going to need to be faster.

Budget is enough for 1 decent lens of "reasonable price", so less than or around the US$500 rather than US$1000. Cheap is good, but I want a lens I will use and enjoy, not something to regret. I'm not a pro, so a really good lens might be wasted on me.

I've crawled through this forum and a few others, and am thinking along these lines:

DA 21mm f3.2 limited
This seems to be touted as the "unobtrusive tourist lens", with good field of view and good speed, and excellent weight.
But, won't my 18-50mm do the same job "acceptably" ? At 18mm the kit lens is f3.5...

DA 12-24 f4
Nice and wide, and apparently as good as the 21mm. Pricey, and is it fast enough for indoor shots at Christmas?

Pentax 18-250mm (3.5-6.5)
Great all-round lens, but its as slow as my current kit lens, so no benefit at the wide end.

Pentax/Bower 14mm F2.8
A bit too wide? I see a Bower on B+H.

Tamron 17-50 f2.8
I read mixed reviews about the Tamrons, but most of the negatives seem to be about the bokeh. If I want that, I can use my 50mm f1.4... so would these be suitable for me?

Tamron 10-24 f3.5-4.5
Cheaper than the Pentax, AND wider. Why not this lens?

other lenses?

i'm swimming in options but I'm not sure what would be appropriate... please help!

thanks
Paul
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