|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-13-2018, 02:44 AM
|
| |
The sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 ART is a big lens, it is also rather heavy.
The Pentax lens will be lighter, and cover longer focal lengths: for daylight photography f/1.8 is not particularly useful - stopped down to f/8 both lenses would perform identically across the same FL range. Though at wider apertures, the Sigma ART lens definitely has an advantage.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-11-2018, 12:10 PM
|
| |
I have both. I find it takes more work to get good results with the Sigma than with the Pentax. In low light, though, the Sigma at f/1.8 or 2.0 will get shots you can’t get with any other zoom. Mine got quite a workout in Lewis and Clark Caverns last summer. I think I’ve used it maybe once since then. The 16-85 is my go-to day-to-day lens. If you “feel the need for speed”, get the Sigma. If f/4 is good enough, get the Pentax.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 11:59 AM
|
| |
I have no experience with the Sigma. I can tell you all about the 16-85 though. I bought that lens after a long stint of shooting almost exclusively primes. It was sharp and a very very good lens. I actually carried a camera and a single lens (the 16-85) around the world more than one time. I had that camera knee deep in a rice paddy taking pictures of a local with his water buffalo, to hanging off the side of a sail boat, to driving all over the place in the Kenyan outback chasing down wildabeest in a 4wd.
The only weaknesses I found in my lens/camera combo were
1. It does not have constant aperture, which is something I personally prefer.
2. When it gets to low light shooting (and I mean really low) I bumped my head a few times on the K3/16-85 combo.
Everything else about the lens and camera combo is great. If you are shooting in the daytime you will be hard pressed to find a better more durable zoom lens.
For a dynamic 'running around lens' where those scenes just aren't going to stop while you are getting set up the 16-85 is a very good choice.
That said it just depends on your personal use. This is only able to be defined by you.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 10:35 AM
|
| |
This is an apples to oranges comparison but unless you absolutely need f1.8 I would think the DA 16-85 would be a much better choice. I bought a used 16-85 for the few times (so I thought) when a zoom would be a little more versatile than primes. A year later the 16-85 has turned into, by far, my most used lens. There are very few times when I really felt limited by the f3.5 to f5.6 aperture. In those instance adding the FA 50mm f1.7 in my bag filled that gap perfectly.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 09:34 AM
|
| |
I agree that it´s a hopeless choice.. you need both, maybe ;) . Are you using a battery grip or willing to buy one? I think it´s mandatory with the Sigma.. I don´t have either lens but I´ve tried 18-35 with Canon 70d without one and it was agony. I also have Sigma 50-150/2.8 for crop which is about same size and weight and grip is a must IMO. I´d pick 16-85 most likely.. or Sigma 17-50 (love it).
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 02:09 AM
|
| |
Sorry I've no experience of the Sigma,but I've been very happy with my 16-85.It depends what's more important to you the extra reach at each end of the Pentax or the faster glass of the Sigma.
This may help
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/301618-da-...at-can-do.html
16mm over 18mm is an appreciable difference but if 18mm is wide enough for you,it also might be worth considering the cheaper 18-135 which gives you a bit more reach at the long end although the overall image quality is generally accepted as not being as good.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 02:29 AM
|
| |
The Sigma should be viewed as a prime replacement. The Pentax is a versatile zoom. The sigma's range is limited because it is F1.8 but you will be hard pressed to find brighter primes in that range. If you want a lens you can use in most situations, get the Pentax. If you are interested in low light and creative shooting at wide apertures get the Sigma.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 04:29 AM
|
| |
I will not review all the wide-to-normal zooms I've had on my K3, but after using the 16~85mm for just a short time, my LBA was cured for that type of zoom. Hard to believe there's a better basic zoom available.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 07:46 AM
|
| |
What other lenses do you have, and what subjects do you like to photograph?
*I* would get the 16-85. It's a more versatile zoom range and doesn't weigh much when hiking for landscape photography.
The Sigma 18-35 is not a good lens for *me*. f1.8 is good for the Milky Way, but 18mm isn't quite wide enough for that on APS-C.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 08:30 AM
|
| |
The Sigma seems like a lens you get when you absolutely know you need f/1.8 in a zoom. Otherwise it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense given its history of AF issues and it's weight 800g+.
Personally I would look at a 17-50 f/2.8 zoom first. Then perhaps the brilliant DA 20-40 as a compact normal walk-around zoom with prime-like image quality. If you need more focal range in a walk-around then the 16-85.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 08:51 AM
|
| |
I have the 16-85 and it is an excellent lens. It is weather resistant, which is valuable. It would also give you a wider shooting area, which I think you would realize later how much that can make a difference. It is really a great and dependable performer.
On the other hand if you do not need weather resistance, plan on using wider apertures and do not need the range of the 16-85, the Sigma may be what you would want. For me, I would most likely be using a flash or flashes if I needed light, especially if I needed fill light, or if I had to stop down my aperture to cover a group or something wide/deep, so that is where the 16-85 would be useful.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 08:48 AM
|
| |
Sigma 18-35 would be my recommendation. You can get a lot of cheap glass in the 50-100 range, but the 18-35 at 1.8 is great for low light, astrophotography. The lens is very sharp, great bokeh, can't go wrong with it. If you definitely shoot a lot of landscape or night/street photography, don't even think twice about the sigma. disclaimer, I don't own either of them, sorry!
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 08:48 AM
|
| |
This is a hopeless choice Whatever you get, you won't get some of what the other has to offer. The question sin't really , what do you want, it's what can you live without.
Can you live without ƒ1.8?
Can you live without 35-85 mm in a walk around? I know I couldn't.
DO you do a lot of shooting in the 18-35 range.
Personally, I have 3,000 keeper on my hard drive and 300 of them are taken between 18 and 40mm. That's 10% of my images. Most of them are landscapes taken at ƒ5.6 on or ƒ8 an FF.
I can't make any case for a Sigma 18-35 1.8, forget about one not getting another lens because of it.
So tell us, what is it you think you need this lens for?
It's hard to compare a lens with such limited use with an every day type walk around for many of us. The Sigma 18-35 is so specialized, very few have purchased it. Those are the guys you need to compare notes with.
Looking at my own photos, I don't even understand why anyone would buy such a lens. My FA 50 1.8 is probably my least used lens. Maybe look at your use of 1.8 glass see how much of it is used at ƒ1.8 to see if it's even something you'd use. No one in their right mind is going to recommend you get a specialty lens you probably won't use much over a walk around lens that you are likely to use every time you go out, unless you have specific needs or really want to explore ƒ1.8 shooting, and that's all about you, no one else has valid opinion.
SO my advice would be go with the 16-85 unless you have a specific purpose in mind for the 18-35. Lenses like the 18-35 can give you a unique perspective, but it's only meaningful if it's perspective you enjoy.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 05:33 AM
|
| |
I was making that same decision 2 years ago.
I ended up with 16-85mm because: more reliable autofocus, size and 16 vs 18mm.
If you do hiking and outdoors stuff get 16-85mm if not sigma might be a good choice.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 12:59 AM
|
| |
Hi Deedee. Reading the review above, it looks like unless you absolutely need the f1.8 max aperture, arm/shoulder exercise and the use of Live View rather than the viewfinder, the choice would be the 20-40 Limited! But then I am biased, as you can see in my signature.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 12:35 AM
|
| |
I have never used the 16-85, but it is well-loved by many on the forum. I picked up the 18-35 in good condition second hand for my K3ii. I had to get the sigma USB dock and spend a week tweaking the calibration to make it focus reliably. Now I love it. Fast, sharp, silent autofocus, didn't mind being dropped in the park. Excellent for landscapes (sharp corner to corner) and for shooting indoors with available light. Not so versatile though, often I need more reach. I tend to carry the 70 Limited as well as a 2 lens kit. So if you don't want to switch lenses and you'll be mostly outdoors, or you want it to work straight out of the box, then get the 16-85, if you want to be able to see in the dark and don't mind less reach get the Sigma.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2018, 12:04 AM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-16-2015, 08:48 PM
|
| |
I've never had a problem with Moire - just this past week I was tasked with shooting a group at an award presentation and one of the fellows was wearing a coarse weave dark brown suit (it's winter after all). On reviewing the photos I had a minor heart attack, then found the moire adjustment in LR5. It worked fantastic. I thought I'd share for anyone who experiences the same issue.
|
|
Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-11-2014, 04:50 PM
|
| |
My name is Axel, and I spent two years learning photography by myself with an old superzoom, while saving money for a DSLR. DSLRs are very expensive in Mexico, so I researched an alternative to the usual brands and I found Pentax, which isn’t sold here. After some initial skepticism about the brand (too good to be true), I dug deep and found Pentax to be exactly what I was looking for: quality bodies, a very good APS-C lens range, and the opportunity to use fast film-era lenses. I compared options from many different brands (even mirrorless) and decided to get a K-30 or K-50. After additional months of watching various sites for a decent price, I finally bought a like-new K-50 with lens from a Pentax Forums member who offered it for exactly the amount of money I had painstakingly saved up (job opportunities for a college student in this country are practically nonexistent).
I am extremely happy with my first DSLR but in order to make better photos I knew that I needed to get acquainted with prime lenses in varying focal lengths. The 18-55 lens is very good as kit lenses go, but I have found myself in situations where a shallower depth of field, a bigger aperture, or better optical performance in general would be desired. I’ve tried my best to manage with the limited capabilities of my 18-55, mostly shooting landscapes, street scenes, and more abstractly-themed photography. Prime lenses open up a whole world of opportunities; portraits and low-light are areas where I wish to expand my photography, and the 50mm 1.8 lens would be perfect for that.
I deserve to win because I’ve worked harder than most to learn photography from scratch and to earn, in every sense of the word, my Pentax DSLR.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-15-2014, 01:37 AM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
08-26-2014, 12:17 PM
|
| |
Phenomenal, Larry. Fantastic idea.
I'd like to point out that no bitching should occur with this giveaway. As someone that hosted a lens giveaway here, as well as watching Adam's conducting of the K-3 giveaway that just happened, it blows my mind how in the face of one's generosity and doing something they absolutely didn't need to do, people still found it in them to rudely complain and belittle the host that made the effort to give away such a prize (and cost of it not just in time, but monetarily as well when you factor giving away vs selling).
Again, incredible gesture on crewl1's behalf, and I encourage all the PF "newbies" to really stretch their imaginations and skill sets to compete. Even if you don't win, I bet you'll find yourself a better photographer for it from not only your submission, but those around you (and let's be honest, that's the real, enduring prize) :)
-Heie
|
|
Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
08-26-2014, 12:24 PM
|
| |
Hi Deedee yes I will ship the lens to the winner anywhere in the world.
I went back and looked at your posting history and it does show that you joined in May to perform research, and then first posted about your new K-5ii in August.
As far as I am concerned you are ok to submit an entry.
In most cases I will use the join date as the determining factor but if anyone has a similar situation please ask.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-20-2012, 04:09 PM
|
| |
I own the DA*200 and have owned the Tamron 70-200 and rented the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 II HSM (not the newest version).
Imo the Sigma was a little soft wide open but had the best autofocus. The DA*200 had second best autofocus and at 200 mm was the best all around. The Tamron 70-200 was pretty darn nice in IQ at all focal lengths (better than the Sigma and close to the DA*200), but it had slow AF.
The reason I got rid of the Tamron ultimately was due to the AF and also the size advantage the DA*200 has over the 70-200. It's not like the DA*200 is super light, but it is very noticeably lighter and physically smaller than either of the 70-200 lenses.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
|
|
Forum: General Photography
08-13-2014, 01:37 AM
|
| |
... because I got out of office early and was in a "let's spend some money" shopping mood.
Fortunately, all the bits and pieces that keep popping up in my mind when I visit this forum (645Z, K-3, more lenses, Sony A7...) eventually all had many good reasons not to be bought, so I did not spend any money, but came home excited and eager to play with my K-5IIs and my primes again :cool:
Anyhow, it is always good to handle equipment in real life, and I just wanted to share some of my impressions of this trip.
(all of course personal impressions only, and to be taken with a grain of salt)
First off, the 645Z handles wonderfully! It is really great to see that Pentax can make such a beast of a camera be as easy to handle as a K-5IIs.
Attachment 233313
I found a lot of button placements and features on this camera that I really liked, and the viewfinder is sweet.
On the other hand actually handling it was also enough for me to know I will never go to MF - this is just TOO BIG for my kind of usage!
(yeah, that's my reason - totally not the fact that I could never afford it :lol: don't rub my nose into it...)
Still, a wonderful piece of equipment.
Attachment 233314
First time I actually saw the DA 560 in real life.
That thing is a monster! Even though I do not like the ergonomics of the K-3 all that much, and I have no need for anything longer than my DA55-300, I have to say that this combination was sexy as hell! And it would sure be fun to have that lens for a weekend at the race track...
:cool:
Attachment 233315
A funny thing was this "advertisement" that took me back into the "real world" of consumer perspectives for camera shopping.
Of course, this is a very Japanese attitude, but I think it contrasts nicely to how we fight about pixel peeping and spec comparisons in e.g. this forum...
Cutsy and sweet! *kawaii*
Attachment 233316
Last but not least I tried the A7 once again, because I did not spend a lot of time with it in my earlier visits.
Still could not make it "work"... I just find all the menus, button placements... basically EVERYTHING about this camera awful to use.
Too bad this sensor is not sitting in a nicer camera (made by Pentax :p )
That's it from my side.
Cheers
P.s.: did not know whether to post this here or in the "share photos" part of the forum... @Mods, please move if I made the wrong choice.
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
08-07-2014, 10:09 PM
|
| |
Remember to sacrifice a chicken and cross your heart before doing that upgrade, Casey! :)
|
