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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-25-2014, 02:56 PM
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Thanks for the replies all! I have to say that I believe I would take advantage of the range of the 10-20 but feel the kit lens is showing it's limits and need to replace it first. I'm really leaning towards that "contemporary" 17-70... I do believe that the 15mm ltd. might be my holy grail lens but I need to have more confidence in my general use lens first. As I spend a lot of time at the wide end of things sharpness @ the 17mm range is top priority.
On a side note I did pick up a 55mm f1.8 Super Tak and the Bower adapter. The adapter "munged" the hell out of the threads of the Super Tak and I frigged up the auto/man clutch pin getting it off my K5... I am keeping my eyes peeled for a K mount 28, 35 or 50 but those don't fit my wide angle needs on the K5.
In a former life I shot Rollei 35 gear and had "PHENOMINAL" glass. I am being kind of critical here. I do pre-press work for the day job and convert so many soft images I am placing a premium on sharpness for my personal work.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-25-2014, 07:01 AM
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I have a limited budget of $500 for a new lens. I really would like improve over the sharpness and gain some range on the wide angle side of things over the kit 18-55 WR that came with my K5. The two lenses on my short list are the Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 and the 17-70 f2.8-4 "Contemporary".
I could live with the limited wide angle gains of the 17-70 if this lens were sharper at 17mm than the 10-20mm. I'd love a super-wide but my real concern is sharpness.
The only other lens I currently use are a SMC-F 35-70 that I really really like.
I could use the super-wide but also really need to have a better lens in that normal zoom range. How does the sharpness of the 10-20 compare to the 17-7- specifically at 17mm?
You can view my portfolio at:
David Hill | 500px
I appreciate any insight into these two lenses you can give.
Thanks, Dave
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
03-30-2014, 10:58 AM
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Sunrise in Freeport, Maine.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
10-17-2013, 04:25 AM
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I'm going to have my dealer submit this under warrantee. At least he will bring in another lens and I can have my pick of the two. I am hoping to stick with weather sealed lenses for this camera and may be investigating other brands if this is the quality level I should expect.
I must say... I just returned from four days of shooting on Mount Desert Island (Acadia & Bar Harbor) and points Downeast. After downloading these to my Mac I am pretty satisfied with the sharpness of the images. See this pic I put up on 500px last night...
500px / Shores of Long Pond by David Hill
Best, Dave
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
10-10-2013, 05:24 AM
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After extensive homework I recently purchased a new K-5 with the DA 18-55 WR kit lens. I am a lifelong Minolta and Sony user and had a sizable investment in flash (minolta proprietary mount!) and lenses. I worked for Konica/Minolta for over 20 years. Ultimately it was Sony's poor low light performance that made me leave the platform. I could have gone the Canon or Nikon route but in the end decided on the K5 (the original K5) based on the consistently high reviews, low light performance & IQ, weather sealing and fierce use loyalty! I lurked here for several months before making my purchase and this crowd sure loves it's Pentax cameras!
So far I am ecstatic about my purchase. The photos I am making are satisfying and their quality is super. I do have a slight concern about the kit lens and have posted an inquiry concerning that in the troubleshooting forum.
I am looking forward to many years of use with this camera.. My wife and I will take a photo-safari to the wilds of DownEast Maine soon and I can't wait to see the photos, video and timelapse images I bring home.
Best, Dave
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
10-10-2013, 05:09 AM
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Greetings,
I recently purchased my first new Pentax, a K5 with the DA 18-55 WR kit lens. This is the first non Minolta/Sony camera I have ever bought and I left behind a bunch of minolta and sony lenses. I feel like I did my homework on this purchase and could have gone several routes after deciding to leave the Sony platform. Ultimately I decided on the K-5 based on reviews, low light IQ, weather sealing and the fierce user loyalty.
The lens I received as part of the K-5 kit displays some looseness in the barrel portion that extends when zoomed. This looseness is more than any of my minolta maxxum, tamron or sony lenses. The sharpness of images is acceptable but the lens rattles a bit (a small bit!) and I just expect it to be a bit tighter for a weather sealed unit. Is this normal for this lens? If the end of the barrel is gripped at the filter ring it might display 1-2mm of play to either side.
If this is normal for this lens I can get over the rattle as the images rock! But I would want to get a replacement while the camera is under warranty if others with experience this lens felt it was not normal.
I appreciate your comments.
Best, Dave
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