New Walkabout lens recommendation

Hi All,

First post here,so go easy.
Have the Samsung GX10 with the 18-55 and 50-200 kit lenses.
I wanted a faster/better lens than the 18-55 kit lens.
I find this lens a bit soft.
Reviews of the Pentax 16-50 DA* have been mixed,but I have seen a positive review of the Tamron 17-50/2.8 which is now out in Pentax mount.
Any owners of the new Tamron out there?
I think there is also a similar sized Sigma lens.
So am looking recommendations for a fast, walkabout lens.

Davy.

The SMC Pentax-DA 16-45mm f4 is superb and not too expensive.

I agree with John, I have the DA*16-50 and it is a very good lens but little difference from what i can see too the 16-45.
So for the money you can't go past the 16-45

Hi,

Thanks for the speedy replies.
I do some shooting indoors and that is the reason I wanted something
a bit faster. In fact I have a family wedding to do in a couple of months and I'm not sure if I can take flash photos at the ceremony.
I also have a Pentax 35/F2 and 50/1.4 and Sigma 70/2.8 makro (all very good),but a bit of a pain to swap in and out in the heat of battle.

Davy

Got to be the 16/45..................

A fast 35 / 50 / 70 makes a good group of lenses, with your zoom for the telephoto end. I have never done a wedding but have been a semi-involuntary guest at several. And what I remember is that there is an awful lot of waiting around. Tons of time in which to swap one fast lens for another. It's not like a horse race or something.

I would echo the previous replies and say the 16-45mm f/4 is a good choice at one stop slower than a 2.8. This would work for cutting the cake, getting group shots at the reception, etc. Any time you need something wide and sharp to the edges, with good colour rendition but still flexible in FOV. Maybe you'd be surprised how often 16mm comes in very handy, to capture an entire party around a table for example. 35mm is not going to do that. I imagine you could use a diffused flash in these instances so the speed will not be an issue.

For the church ceremony perhaps a tripod is your friend? You need to scope out the terrain ahead of time, ask permission etc. If you get no special privileges I'd be surprised... the bride usually has a lot of pull in situations that involve her image being fixed for all time in a photo album! If you cannot use a tripod or flash sneak a monopod, or brace against a pew... you should be able to arrange a good spot.

If you absolutely needed a faster lens and want to spend the same money, then the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro gets the best reviews, but I have not used it.

Also consider buying a second body so you can have two lenses mounted and ready to go at all times. Besides, it's insurance for when the first camera gets dumped into the punch bowl.

16-45 + monopod=
good+steady....
can't go too far wrong...
also don't shoot a wedding with only one body....
rent/buy/borrow a second and slap your fast prime on it.

I also agree (as a DA* 16-50 owner) that the 16-45 is an absolute bargain at its current price.

I haven't used a 16-45, but I would just mention that in low light (a church interior), a DA* 16-50 with its SDM focussing and wider aperture should focus a lot faster than the 16-45.

And to be honest, f4 is not what I call fast, for a wide-normal lens.

Furthermore, the 16-50 may have had mixed reviews, but I think that is because one or two people have had problems that have been magnified by the internet effect. Similar to the theory that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon can cause a typhoon in Sumatra, one or two gear problems can be given disproportionate coverage.

An instance was the (slightly) leaning horizon that half a dozen people around the world claimed to see on their K10Ds. From the noise they generated, you'd have thought that one K10D in two was completely unuseable.

So I wouldn't rule out the 16-50. If it's not massively better optically than the 16-45, that is only because the 16-45 is itself extremely good.
But the 16-50 has other advantages, and is a natural pair for the SDM bodies. Mine never leaves the camera. I have a second body for when I want to swap lenses.

G

Not fast, true, but more than adequate to shoot weddings with.

A good point.

I had missed the reply from the OP about a family wedding.

Sorry. I have edited my post a couple of times.

G

Adequate, perhaps, but a stop faster, particularly if flash is not permitted, is worth having.

G

I'll shut up after this.

If you can afford the 16-50, that's the one to go for (IMHO). If you can't, the 16-45, as JR says, is superb, and excellent value.

G

Agree with George
16-45 = superb quality & value for money. f/4 is pretty good, especially when you assign ISO to one of the wheels on the K10D/GX10

But the 16-50 will give a tad more at f/2.8 (with reduced DoF of course )
Matt