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Your walk around lens?

StarScr33m
Posted 06/03/2012 - 20:59 Link
I would like to know what your walk around lens is and why you prefer it over others. Mine is the Pentax 18-55mm DAL at the moment as that's what came with my camera. I've been looking at the Pentax smc DA 18-135mm to have as my walk around lens in the future mainly because of it's range. Anyone have this lens, what do you think of it, hows the quality etc...?
_________________________
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
Transit
Posted 06/03/2012 - 21:28 Link
I load up the DA21 if I'm going out
Mainly because it is so small and image quality so good. Has good close focusing.

Pete
K-1 K-01 Q-7
some len

Close to the Edge
Down by the River
Edited by Transit: 06/03/2012 - 21:30
johnriley
Posted 06/03/2012 - 21:57 Link
I don't believe in a "walk around lens", basically because images are made by the photographer. The number of times you will have the camera ready and something incredible will happen in front of you will be very, very small. In a lifetime it will be so rare as to be almost non-existent.

Opportunities are made.

Having said that, when taking a variety of images the 18-135mm will be my lens of choice. For small flowers and other close details, the 100mm macro lens. For birds and wildlife something longer such as the 55-300mm. For portraits probably the 18-135mm again, but the 70mm f2.4 or 77mm f1.8 lenses could be very nice. For very, very close macro shots sometimes the W90 compact has its advantages.
Best regards, John
kingfisher
Posted 06/03/2012 - 22:06 Link
SMC 20/4.....definitely, but then I'm looking at K24/2.8 which might be even better
vrapan
Posted 06/03/2012 - 23:03 Link
I really enjoyed the flexibility of the 16-50 during my short break in Dorset. Till now I was using the trio of primes when I just was going out. The 16-50 did not disappoint if anything I loved it, focused really quickly - much more quickly that the 50-135 is - and the quality is great.

Still had my 70mm with me but didn't use it.
fritzthedog
Posted 06/03/2012 - 23:16 Link
Every lens I own is potentially my walk-about lens. To me - it depends on where I am going to be walking about. If I am going to be in a built up area with only one lens - I would probably use the DA 17-70. Wide enough for architecture - long enough for street candids.

If however I am out in the country or on the coast - it would be the Sigma 10-20 as landscapes will be my most likely subject. Or if I am likely to encounter wildlife - the DA 55-300.

If by "walk-about" you really mean a lens that will cover most eventualities - then yes the 18-135 would be a good choice or even the 18-250 if you really want to cover all eventualities with one lens. Of course there will always be a trade off.

In reality - it is rare that I only go out with one lens - and generally when I do - it is to force myself to work hard at one lens to master it or to challenge myself - for instance - I will occasionally use my FA 50 1.4 as a "walk-about" as it is not a length I often use and it forces me to think if I want to produce anything worth keeping.

Carl
No matter how many lenses I have owned - I have always needed just one more
Frogfish
Posted 07/03/2012 - 04:51 Link
My first real 'walkabout' kit was the Tamron 17-50 and Pentax 55-300 - that'll cover 99% of all eventualities.

Nowadays it's the 15 Ltd / 43 Ltd and 77 Ltd. However if you forced me to take only ONE lens then it'd be the Sigma 30/1.4.
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
Jimd
Posted 07/03/2012 - 07:33 Link
Whichever one is on the camera when I'm walking around
Mannesty
Posted 07/03/2012 - 08:19 Link
If I'm walking around a city or town, 12-24 or 16-50.
Walking in the woods, 60-250, 300, 150-500, 180 macro, or 100 macro.
When I go out not knowing where I'll be walking, I take them all, and more.

There's no 'one size fits all' lens for me, but the 18-250mm would cover most of my needs except for tight city landscape shots, if I had one.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
davem
Posted 07/03/2012 - 08:48 Link
Mannesty wrote:
If I'm walking around a city or town, 12-24 or 16-50.
Walking in the woods, 60-250, 300, 150-500, 180 macro, or 100 macro.
When I go out not knowing where I'll be walking, I take them all, and more.

There's no 'one size fits all' lens for me, but the 18-250mm would cover most of my needs except for tight city landscape shots, if I had one.

You also need a porter to carry the bags with the lenses
jeeess1967
Posted 07/03/2012 - 09:34 Link
Hi,

My walk around lens is Sigma 28-300 on my K-7. It covers a great range and good for all kinds of shots. Image quality-wise and for decent range, I prefer my Pentax 28-105 which is real sharp and gives great colours. This I have on my k-10d.

Regards,

Jeeess
K-5, K-7 and K10D, Pentax 18-135 WR,18-55 WR,Pentax 28-105,Sigma 28-300, Sigma 28-80 (Macro) and Pentax 50-200 WR.
wvbarnes
Posted 07/03/2012 - 09:43 Link
I have a camera designed for interchangable lenses so my lenses nearly always travel with camera.

Just waiting for delivery of a macro lens. Now where will that fit in my Lowepro bag? What a wonderful compact system compared to full frame Canikon friends camera bags!!!

I do find myself using my 55-300 DA more and more.

Th only reason I don't have a set of prime lenses is I can't yet afford them!
milamber
Posted 07/03/2012 - 09:54 Link
If I'm trying to be creative then I'd take a few manual lenses/tubes with me.

If I'm on holiday/travelling then it's the Pentax 18-250mm no question. It didn't leave the camera once in three weeks in Asia last year. I still think it's Pentax's best value lens, though others would disagree I'm sure (mostly people who haven't used one though)
Edited by milamber: 07/03/2012 - 09:55
gartmore
Posted 07/03/2012 - 09:55 Link
40mm DA LTD for me
Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
davidtrout
Posted 07/03/2012 - 10:06 Link
Two walk round lenses for me, the DA*16-50 and the DA*50-135mm, but usually not both at the same time if I'm wandering a city centre. One day I choose one, another time the other depending where I'm going and what type of photography I'm looking for that day. If I'm spending all day at an event like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival or the Whitby Goths then I will have both lenses with me.
David

PG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

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