Wide Angle lens choice?

I'm looking for a wide angle lens for the near future. I've been searching around myself but couldn't find one with the specs that I have in mind.

I'm looking for one which has at least some range e.g. 10-20mm or something similar. It needs to be at least f2.8 continuous, reason behind this is because I was in a restaurant with low light and my 18mm at f3.5 just wasn't good enough and I realised the importance of a lower f stop.

It must be AF as well, thanks in advance for any advice and help.

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Pentax K3
Vivitar 28-200mm f3.5-5.3 A Macro
Tamron 90mm f2.8 SP DI Macro 1:1
Pentax smc DA 55-300mm f4.0-5.8 ED
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC
Pentax 18-135mm WR

I have very good results with my Pentax DA 14. It does open to 2.8, but it is kind of bulky. If the bulkiness isn't a problem for you, then it should do the job for you.

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Yves (another one of those crazy Canucks)

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you won't find an ultra-wide zoom with a max aperture of f/2.8 continuous. It doesn't exist (at least not in Pentax K-mount fit). The closest you are going to get is the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5. If f/2.8 or better is the most important thing for you, you are going to have to settle for a prime, and even then your choice will be extremely limited. There is a Pentax 14mm and a Sigma 15mm which fit the bill, and I think that's about it.

As far as low-light performance goes, have you tried pushing your ISO up a little higher? I believe the K-r performs quite well in this respect. It should certainly be adequate for restaurant lighting.

Look at it this way, the difference between f/3.5 and f/2.8 is only two thirds of a stop. Pushing your ISO two thirds of a stop higher should really not present a huge problem.

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My Flickr • Pentax K-5 • K-5 II • Sigma 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6 DC HSM • Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD ASL • SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 ED [IF] SDM • SMC Pentax-DA 55-300mm F/4-5.8 ED • SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] WR • Vivitar 100mm F/3.5 Macro AF • Metz Mecablitz 58 AF-2

There is also a Samyang 14mm f2.8 which is reportedly excellent. But f4 should be fine, if you bump the ISO up, and that would open up plenty of options.

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[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]

Another approach would be to try different types of noise reduction software. I don't tend to take photos in low light, so my experience doesn't go beyond Silkypix, but others might have some suggestions.

G

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Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.

Although Samyang only make manual focus lenses at this point...

I'd bite the bullet and raise the ISO personally... That or a shiny new flashgun (on a wireless trigger, strategically placed...)

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........................................................................
Digital:
Pentax K5- Vivitar 19mm 3.8; FA35mm f2; D-Xenon 100mm macro f2.8; DA50-200mm WR...
Flash:
Yongnuo YN-560; Vivitar 285HV; Cactus V4 triggers...
Film:
Pentax-MX & M50mm f1.4; Spottie & 55mm f1.8; MG & M40mm 2.8...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveholmesphotos/

If you can put the camera on a table (using the lens you have and use the 2 second delay to lock up the mirror and turn of shake reduction), you should be able to eradicate camera shake which I am guessing is your issue. The K-r isn't that behind the K-5 when it come to low light photography so you should be able to boost the ISO enough so as to give an acceptable image even by hand holding it.

The only lens I can think of that meets the f stop criteria is the 14mm f2.8 already suggested. However it only gives you less than a stop increase in speed (however the extra width it gives could be useful.)

For zooms, an alternative to the Sigma possibilities already suggested is the Pentax 12-24mm but that is f4 or the 10-17 Fish-eye which is f3.5 at the wide end but gives noticable distortion at 10mm (it's designed to!)

If the lighting is seriously poor and you cannot boost it with extra lighting or flash you may need to look at a much faster lens. The widest f1.4 I can think of is the Sigma 31mm or the Pentax 50mm f1.4's. You'd get photos with these certainly but you'd have to be more selective with what you take. I don't think what you really would like exists in Pentax mount. The nearest might be the Tokina AF 11-16mm f2.8 but alas, not in PK. But in reality it offers little more than the Pentax DA 14mm f2.8. Users of the Tokina apparently reckon it almost feels like a fixed lens!

John

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John K

Push the ISO higher Otherwise you are looking for a very expensive solution into a very rare problem

Yes, that just about sums it up in a single sentence!

But if it's a shot that will stand a longer exposure (an empty restaurant!) then just make sure the camera is steady, set the camera to Av, drive mode to 2sec delay, stop down to about f8 and let the camera sort out the shutter speed for you.

John

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John K

I think I may have found a solution which is to get either the Tamron SP 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 Di II or something similar and also a flash. That would solve the lighting issue and also allow me to have a wide angle lens at a higher f stop to get as much focus possible in the shot.

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_________________________
Pentax K3
Vivitar 28-200mm f3.5-5.3 A Macro
Tamron 90mm f2.8 SP DI Macro 1:1
Pentax smc DA 55-300mm f4.0-5.8 ED
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC
Pentax 18-135mm WR

If you are going to do that then any of the UWA will serve the purpose. Check your budget and what is out there, almost all have good reputations and plenty of supporters (Pentax 12-24, Sigma 10-20 (there are two current versions) or the Tamron 10-24).

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http://frogfish.smugmug.com/ Pentax. Pentax DA*300/4, Cosina 55/1.2, Lens Baby Composer Pro & Edge 80, AFA x1.7, Metz 50 af1.
Nikon. D800. D600. Sigma 500/4.5, Nikon 300/2.8 VRII, Sigma 120-300/2.8, Zeiss Distagon ZF2 21/2.8, Zeiss Distagon ZF2 35/2.0, Sigma 50/1.4, Nikkor 85/1.8, Nikon TC20EIII, Nikon TC14EII, Kenko x1.4, Sigma 2.0

I can highly recommend the DA14 as well. Excellent lens.

You don't need 2.8 for low light these days because of good ISO performance. But many forget the shallower DOF available with wider lenses gives pics with depth

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[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283

Just a note that deep DOF (everything in focus) in a dark(ish) environment and (single) flash do not go well together. The problem is that a flash can only properly expose one subject at one distance; bouncing (if you have the option) makes the situation a bit better as it spreads the light a little more over a longer distance.

With AF540 (ISO200, f/6.7, 1/60s); notice that the end of the table is dark



Having a deep DOF will not help as there will be hardly any detail in the subjects further away, so why bother?

Without flash (ISO3200, f/6.7, 1/8s)



Also, pay attention when you buy a flash that you want to use with your UWA at 10mm as not every flash can cover that field of view.

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Pentax K10D + Vivitar 55/2.8 macro + Super Takumar 55/1.8 + SuperMultiCoated Takumar 85/1.8 + SuperMultiCoated Takumar 135/3.5 + SuperMultiCoated Takumar 200/4 + Super Takumar 300/4
Pentax K100D + DA18-55ALII + DA55-300
Pentax K5 + FA31Ltd + M50/1.7 + DFA100WR + M120/2.8 (+ DA18-55WR at occasion)

The natural light... looks more natural!! Surprise surprise!

Lighting a room like that with a single flash is nigh on impossible.

Using flash to evenly light a whole room would be like trying to light a TV production set. Tricky to say the least! It would need several flash guns set to fire as slaves - some to light the background, some to light the tables and each would need to be at the right distance/setting to avoid exposure mismatches. It would be a pretty complicated set up. It could be done with the restaurant owners permission for a formal shoot but not something you'd do casually and you'd have to swot up on flash photography techniques to get it right.

You say your 18mm at f3.5 didn't work. Rather than use flash, try again upping the ISO a bit more and shoot in RAW. I'm sure you'll boost the resulting image enough if need be afterwards. On a K-5 you really can take photos of black cats in coal cellars and the K-r isn't far behind.

Turn the lights down at home and have a practice.

John

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John K

A standard flash will cover up to 18mm, possibly 16mm field of view. To get coveradge wider than that you will need to modify the light.

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Bodies: K5IIs, K7, MZ5n, LX, MV
Lenses: DA*16-50, DA18-55WR, DA18-135, DAL35, M50 F2, A50 f1.4, FA50 f1.4, DA*50-135, DA55-300, Tamron 70-300, DFA 100 WR Macro, M135 f3.5, Sigma 120-400 APO DG HSM, Tokina 500 f8.0
Flash: Metz 58, Metz 48
Accessories: BG4, Pentax right angle finder, Pentax mirror adaptor lens, O-ME53 Viewfinder Loupe
Auto 110 System: Auto 110, Winder, 18mm, 24mm, 50mm, 70mm, 20-40mm, AF100P, 1.7x telecon