Recommendations on lenses please

Hi everyone, This is my first post on the forum. I've been reading with interest some of the postings and would appreciate your opinions please.

I have just purchased a Pentax K100D (just lovely to use) and currently have the following kit which probably needs some rationalisation:

Pentax SMC 1:1.7 50mm (just got it on eBay),
Sigma 18-125mm 1:3.5-5.6 DC Zoom (came bundled with an earlier camera),
Sigma 28-105mm 1:4-5.6 UC Zoom (had it for some years),
Pentax Super A 35mm film camera (also have had it for some years),.

I am rather impressed with the Pentax 1.7 50mm images and it has me wondering if I would be better off selling the Sigma's and replacing them with say a Pentax DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6AL (or if I work harder even a Pentax DA 16-45 F4ED AL which appears to get a big thumbs up on this forum) and a DA 50-200 F4-5.6ED.

Maybe I should sell the Super A along with the Sigma 28-105 on eBay.

While the Sigma 18-125 is a nice wide range, am I reading correctly that such a wide range means compromise in image quality?

Many thanks

First, welcome to the forum and I'm glad you've already found it interesting and helpful.

Wide range zooms do mean compromises in design. You don't get something for nothing in lens design, any more than in anything else.

If I had bought the K100D, for the small additional cost I would have had the 18-55mm Pentax lens as well.

However, as an additional buy I don't think that's good value. So I would suggest the 16-45mm and 50-200 Pentax lenses would be the way to go now.

In terms of ergonomics, quality and convenience I would thoroughly recommend the Pentax lenses, and that is all that I buy.

Hope that helps!

Hi Barry,

and welcome to the forum. The great thing about digital is that you can take 1000 photos an hour and it's free. I've never used the sigma lens, but put it on the camera and just shoot a load of pictures. You'll see if you're getting good images or not.

There's also varying ideas on the 18-55. Personally I like it a lot, and so do some others.. others think it's frankly rubbish.. The close focussing ability is one of it's greatest strengths. I beleive the 16-45 doesn't focus as closely, but I've not seen a bad word about it. I seem to remember someone here getting an 18-55 off of ebay for around £30 recently, so if you get it there and don't like it, you'll more than likely get your money back. I could only find a couple on there just now, and they're brand new from the States for £50 odd (plus the same again for postage ) so I'd say keep an eye on ebay for one over here and try it. As I say, I love mine, but some don't..

As far as rationalising your kit????? If you fancy staying around this forum which I hope you do of course, then I hope you have an understanding partner/bank manager.

I have around 10 or 11 lenses myself, probably one of the lowest counts here.. and then you have tubes, filters, tele converters, bags etc.

Only joking, but it's easy to become addicted.

Above all, take lots of pictures and then share them here. That's the joy of digital.

Cheers

Liam

Thanks for the welcome and fast feedback on my questions Liam and John. I'm out in Australia at present and got the K100D with a Sigma lens here. There was no choice regarding the lens whatsoever but the price was too good to pass up at A$899 (that's about £360).

I'll take plenty of photos and get to know the camera. I guess I should get the Pentax 50-200 first up and take it from there.

Many thanks

Cheers

Hello Barry,

What you may also like to look at are wider lenses such as the sigma
10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM or Pentax smc DA 12-24mm for lanscapes and interiors, as with the cropping effect of the aps-c sensor you lose field of view when using lenses designed for 35mm film.

Thanks Tim,

That Sigma is an award winner and the Pentax looks good too. I should take my camera to a atore and see if I can try them out.

Cheers

Hi Barry,

I like the 18-55 a lot but I dont have experience of the 16-45, I've narrowed down my day to day kit ot the 18-55, the 50-200 and the 50 f1.7 which seems to cover most eventualities but I really would like a fast wide prime too.

Ken

I find the 16-45 an excellent lens which coverms many situations, and I often travel with just it an a 70-300mm Sigma. If i wasn't saving for the K10D I'd consider the 10-17.

Just to clarify the point, the 18-55 is a very respectable lens when stopped down, but is a little soft wide open. This might be a good thing for some subjects, such as portraiture.

The 16-45 is a very superior high class lens that is worth its higher price.

Hi there, I had an hour or so to wait for a colleague in Melbourne today so went looking at the camera stores. While checking out the local prices of the ultra wide angle lenses I noticed a near new Pentax FA-J 75-300 AL telephoto in the second hand section so got that. I've only taken a few shots with it so far. Seems it must be a bit too long for handheld use, even with the K100D anti-shake on. With a tripod it is fine.

Still thinking about the wide angle options but thanks for all the suggestions.

I tried every setting I could think of with the Pentax 75-300 but was so disappointed with the images that I took it back this morning. I've used telephotos before and don't believe it was my technique. Instead I went for a new Pentax DA 16-45 and will get a 50-200 in due course I think.

hope you didn't try using shake reduction and a tripod at the same time....

[quote="Don"]hope you didn't try using shake reduction and a tripod at the same time....[/quote]No Don, I made sure that was off when I tried it with the tripod. Using a tripod I got better images but even they were disappointing. It could just be that particular lens was faulty but I think it is just a cheaply made lens, which is not what I expected from Pentax and I hope they don't have any other lenses like that one.

Not like the 16-45 which I have started using with great enjoyment. The crispness of the images is quite noticable and the close up (macro?) function is rather impressive. Obviously as more expensive lens and wide angle rather than telephoto but the build quality is evident. I can't wait to get the 50-200 if it is of the same standard. What John Riley said earlier is spot on.

Thanks again everyone for your comments and suggestions. Apart from the educational little hiccup along the way with the 75-300 I am pleased to have the 16-45 and look forward to the 50-200 in due course. That just leaves the range beyond 200 to consider. The Pentax lense roadmap has a 200 to 300 area but it is a bit empty at the moment.

Cheers

The SMC-FA 80-320 is a fine lens, IMO. I used to have a Sigma 70-300 which just gave "neurgh" (for want of a real word!) images The 80-320 has very good contrast and colour.
Occassionally the images need a little bit more contrast added, but that's easily fixed in PS. I snapped up a mint one at Jessops for £90.
I've even used it with the Pentax 1.7x AF convertor - one shot that I entered into a local competition was a runner up

Hope that helps!
Matt

Thanks Matt, I just took a look at some samples taken with that lens on Photosig and they look rather good. May have to add that one to the wish list. Am I correct in thinking that a 35mm film format of 80-320 converts in digital to 128 - 512? Can you use this lens hand held?