Lens advice for K-1

Hi All

Having recently purchased a K-1, I'm looking to round out my landscape kit, particularly the wide end. I'm generally looking for something that will be filter friendly, not too heavy and produce nice sun stars (which to me means similar to voigtlanders and Loxias). The 15-30 is out due to weight mainly and filter issues.

I would also like something to have a play around in the Astro field.

My research so far suggests the FA 20-35 F4 and Rokinon/Samyang 14 2.8 are what I'm looking at but I'm also looking for other suggestions. What do you have in a general walk around landscape bag?

My kit so far :
FA 31, FA 43 and FA77
DFA 28-105
DFA 100 macro
DFA 200 (doesn't get much use as I don't like the weight with the rest of the kit and didn't balance well on my K-5 on a tripod. I'm wondering what to do with it. Think a tripod collar would help with balance, not tried it on K-1 yet - maybe when the 70-200 F4 is released that will be a purchase)
Sigma 28 1.8 DX EG (wonderful rendering but heavy - only take it out to specifically use it)

As much as I like my primes, I get annoyed with constant lens swapping (there's psychology in play here, sometimes a more zen like approach to maybe just taking a lens and finding subjects for it rather than taking everything so as "not to miss something"

Thanks for reading my waffle

John

The pentax 15-30mm is a savage lens, id buy it again if i could afford it. Weight be damned
There is a sigma 15-30mm
Irix 15mm
Samyang 20mm (some sample shots in my threads, ) haven't tried out starbursts yet.
Fa 20mm

What dfa 200 mm have you got ? Da *200mm ?

I like your thinking around not bringing everything, I need to practice that one too.

I agree about the quality of the Pentax 15-30mm but as with all very wide lenses you need the 150mm square filters which are expensive and take up a lot of room. To be honest I rarely use it wide open so I could get away with the 24-70mm f2.8 most times, and have the 100mm square filters instead. For astro though it probably has the edge.

Thanks Both

15-30 is just too big and as Rob said, it requires expensive 150mm square filters. Don't think the Samyang 20 or Irix 15 will give me the sun stars (but will have a look). Will also have a look at the FA 20.

@ Derek - Yes, I meant the DA* 200 2.8

The 20-35 FA is a very good lens and also very compact and lightweight. I tried the 15-30 very briefly. It is big, heavy and focusses the wrong way. If I need wider than the 20-35, I use the Laowa 12mm or the Pentax 15/3.5A

I have the 15-30. And it has drawbacks for all the reasons you mention. But having said that its still the best offering there is. Everything else will be a compromise....!

As an alternative idea. I have seen some great landscapes recently using the K1 in crop mode and the old Sigma 10-20mm.. Also makes a good astro lens.. Though I appreciate this may not be the avenue you want to go down..

No, everything else might be a compromise for you but that is not empirical. Different lenses have different characters and so suit different purposes and different users. For me the 15-30 is a compromise that I was not prepared to accept.

Hi John... am lucky to have the DFA 15-30 and, like Rob, Stub and Derek above am a massive fan of it... I use it whenever I can...

When I’m travelling light (for work, usually) though, I use the fa 20mm... love it... brilliant lens for its size... not much of a starburst though (similar in my opinion to what you might get from a Sigma 10-20 on apsc)...

The Irix 15mm (either version) does have a pretty decent starburst... in my experience you need to stop down to f16ish to get it... excellent lens too...

Haven’t had the pleasure of the FA 20-35, but as Kim says, have only ever heard good things about it...

Hope that helps...

Best

Thanks all for the comments and advice. Really don't want to go do the 15-30 route as optically excellent as it is, so will continue investigating.

Have you looked at the Sigma DG 17-35 f2.8- f4?