Must have Pentax lenses

Okay, we are all Pentaxians, and love the system. But, which lenses would you consider as must haves for any Pentaxian? Obviously cost would be taken into account, but if a lens that is widely available but expensive is a "must have", then include it. We shall exclude rare or very difficult to get hold of lenses, as only a small number of people have them and won't part with them (I am thinking of the FA*85mm F1.4 as a start)

For me, it would be the following:-

DA*50-135mm F2.8. The most expensive, but it is a stunner! Plust you can get them new.
55mm F1.8 - A must! does not matter which version (any Tak, or the K-55), any pentaxian has to have one to realise the sheer delight of a small well made sharp prime.
35mm F3.5 - A takumar, which proves fast does not mean perfect! This IS perfect.
50mm F1.7 - Sweeter than the F1.4 and cheaper too. Welcome to the world of the "nifty"
28mm F2.8 - again any flavour. I have the SMC-F one. ugly but sharp and stunning!
135mm F3.5 - I don't have one, but anyone who does say it is the sweetest 135mm Pentax made, either M42 or K-mount.
DA-40mm F2.8 Limited - Cheapest Limited and a proper Pancake. Sharp as anything and intro to the world of Limiteds. So small that it is a talking point too.

Your turn.

FA* 31mm - can't be a serious Pentaxian without this one.

i have a 135 f3.5 and cannot fault it a great lens
also very impressed with my A 135 f2.8

My 2p worth:

DA15 limited - Always in my camera bag. Small, light, portable and has the elusive 'pixie dust'
DA10-17 - I didn't think I'd like a fish-eye, but in many ways I prefer the rendering to rectilinear ultra-wides.
M85/2 - Great for people shots, small, comparatively light and with really nice IQ.
K135/2.5 - Had mine stolen recently, but a gem. Beautifully built, a pleasure to use and really good image quality. I'm be looking for another one.

Going slighty off-piste:

Tamron Adaptall SP 90mm/2.5 macro - Pretty good as both a macro and a portrait lens.
Helios 44 - Good IQ and very different rendering, plus serves as a reminder how beautifully engineered Pentax lenses of the same era are.
Tamron 17-50 - Excellent and a worthy upgrade from the kit lens; If I had to have just one lens, this would probably be it (for entirely practical reasons, though - it's technically very good but lacks the character and soul of the limiteds or older Pentax lenses...)

DA35 Limited. Sure, it's slower and more expensive than the DA-L 35, but having a normalish FOV and essentially no minimum focus distance means its value as a walkaround should not be underestimated.

OK here goes ....

A 50/1.2 @ f/1.2 -- Can't be beaten for character and depth.

DA 10-17 -- Wide angle perspective LSD. love it. great for panos too

DA* 50-135 -- covers the boring focal length ranges in the most superb of quality and at 2.8

It's not a Pentax, but it's K-mount and it definitely counts




I'd also throw the 18-55 WR into the mix, simply because it's the most widely available, most versatile, most bulletproof go-anywhere lens available for the system.

According to the AP Test Report the 43mm LTD was the
best standard lens ever made, although I prefer to use
the A Series 50mm f/1.7 which handles just about any
job I throw at it superbly. I rarely use my 43mm.

Lately I've been going back to the A Series 50mm f/2.8
Macro because of it's very clear image at f/2.8....
not really any need to stop it down and the
fact that it focuses accurately like a micrometer at close
distances of around 1M.

-

For my area of ​​interest (street, sports-action portrait) and my way of taking pictures (90% snapshot) would like to have two top of the lensA*50-135mm F2.8 and smc FA 31 mm f/1,8 AL Limited !
So far unrealized dreams! Compensation "I find" the Sigma.:

Velimir

My "Keepers" list:

The FA*85 f1.4 is probably the last lens I would part with, the F*300 f4.5 is my favourite telephoto, the F100 f2.8 macro has recently become my favoured macro (even over the DA100 WR), I always keep an F50 f1.7, and at the wide end I don't have a "special" lens (i've just sold my DA Ltd 21 f3.2 - which I think I may soon regret).

But ask me again next week and it could be different - "The Joy of Pentax"

M85/2 - tiny, sharp, lovely bokeh. Beautiful blur when shot wide open.
K135/2.5 - a bit bigger but also sharp with lovely bokeh.
DA35/2.4 - sharp, super smooth bokeh, classy IQ for a bargain price.

I'm with Unlocker - it's the FA*85 that's the must have....

As it's been disqualified I will go for the DA*16-50 and DA*60-250 - since they've come back from JPS with new SDM motors the cameras deliver better quality than my D3 and Nikkors.

Sorry - I managed to miss the "disqualified" bit

Must-haves depend on what you like to photograph. I like portraits and travel more than anything.

I would regard the DA 35 ltd as the over-all best-performing lens. It produces really beautiful shots with a clarity that nothing else I've tried comes close to.

Beyond that, I'd say the venerable M 50mm f/1.7 is a must-have as it's so common, cheap and produces excellent results.

I wouldn't part with my DA 35 Ltd, it's just so useful.
The M 50mm 1.7 has a special place in heart too.