On Tue, 30 Jan 2001, Ted Bradshaw wrote:
> However, I would ask your collective Worships which of the M42 SMC
> Takumars you would particularly recommend that I buy next. (I am
> thinking in terms of those lenses that you see as offering the very
> best optical performance.)
Ha ha ha... what a foolish question. The only correct answer is "all of
them"; the proper question would have been, "What order should I buy them
in?" If you've shot with the 50/1.4 already, then you should have a sense
of which focal range you find yourself missing most often: wide angle or
telephoto. If you find that the 50 ins't quite wide enough, I would
recommend the 35mm f2 or the 24mm f2.8. There is a 28/3.5, but it's not
as fast as the 35/2 or as wonderfully wide as the 24/2.8. There is a
35/3.5, but since there's also an f2 version you don't want the f3.5 one,
right? You know you deserve better than that. And Oregon Bill can just
shut up about his 20mm Tak right now, cuz I don't have one of those
yet. <g>
If you like telephotos, the ultimate portrait lens would be one of the
85mm Tak's. I'm keeping an eye out for the SMCT 85/1.8, but I believe
Bill has the Super-Tak 85/1.9 and likes it just fine. Beyond that there's
the very, very, very, very RARE and MINTY 200mm f4. I can't say enough
nice things about it because I'll shortly have one or two to get rid
of. :) And there's some fun ones inbetween, like the 120/2.8, the 100mm
macro, and the 105/2.8. Try to stay away from the 135/3.5, not because
it's a bad lens, which it ain't, but because it's so bloody
ubiquitous. Everybody and their dog has one. Probably even Bill C.
The important thing is to have fun, and buy them all. Let us know how it
turns out. Because you *know* that your kit won't be complete until
you've done justice to the wonderful lens line-up that Pentax was so kind
as to bring out. How can you slight them by not availing yourself of as
many of their lenses as possible? They were nice enough to make them
available to you in the first place, and it's really quite rude to refuse
them.
chris "buy them all and you'll never worry about missing another focal
length" brogden
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