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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-20-2014, 07:27 AM
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All K-mount work fine. adapted lenses aren't as convenient but there are plenty of guys using M42 lenses on modern bodies - the dual-wheel bodies are well suited for full manual use. You will have to be adept at searching when looking at Craigslist, unless it says Pentax people might not know what the lens is for, and probably won't know how to figure it out. If it says Asahi or Takumar that's simple enough, but when looking at say Vivitar etc. it's a lot trickier. It just takes time, though, and maybe you buy a collection and have to resell most of it - or just skip it.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-20-2014, 05:34 AM
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Craigslist (and other places) can be good sources for old lenses, too. Of course you might need to buy an older body and some now worthless accessories to get those lenses... But if you're generous you can donate the film bodies and old kit lenses etc. to local high schools which still teach photography.
Not everyone knows what they have in vintage gear, which can be good or bad - you'll need to be careful.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-18-2014, 12:39 PM
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If it were me, and I knew a lot of the shots I'd be taking are indoors and close, I'd look at the DA21mm - a lens I have, which is super, and small. Also the "plastic" DA35mm f2.4 is a strong contender. I still would not rule out the 16-45, as it's a very wide lens at 16mm, and inexpensive.
When you move into long zooms, as mentioned above, you're going to have a lot of compromises to consider. That's what research is for, and don't blame a lens if it cannot do everything extremely well. The 55-300 is good for what it is, but it's not as fast as Tamron's 70-200 for instance. Of course, it's less costly...
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-18-2014, 05:22 AM
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A good inexpensive zoom for indoors is the DA 16-45. That's a great range for indoors. Is it as good as one of the 17-50 options? I don't know, I haven't used those but they're supposed to be good. Modern sensors have plenty of light gathering for f4 to be usable. That said, wider options are always useful.
As for a prime, I'd look at the 35mm to 20mm range - good for indoors and there are some great options in that range.
The 18-135 is nice for a walkaround, and its motor is really nice. I have that and the DA 55-300 WR now, which hasn't been used in the rain but it certainly will be used in the snow this winter - I was reluctant to take the older version out on some days, but the WR gives me a measure of confidence.
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