Tom said: >I'm coming to the conclusion that I can't find a really good reason to >buy an 'APS' sized lens, especially if one already has some regular 35mm >lenses that work perfectly fine on the *ist D.
The main reason for 'APS' sized lenses is to make ultra-ultra-wides and ultra-wide zooms that are not obscenely big, expensive, or awful. Pentax doesn't make a 35mm-format 14mm lens, so you HAVE to get the DA, or a third party lens. This is a bit odd, since almost EVERYBODY else makes a 35mm-format 14mm lens. Increasingly, another reason is to make lenses for DSLRs smaller and cheaper. A third viable reason for 'APS' format lenses is that the front element can be smaller, which is a real advantage in some ways. >If Pentax were to release a FF >digital body that is affordable (or becomes affordable), then a >wide-angle APS prime would only be of real value on the body with an APS sized >sensor. Don't hold your breath. It will probably happen sooner or later, but by then the current generation will be totally obsolete. The bottom of the FF market right now is about $4500, with the next jump up at $8000. Most people simply don't need FF sensors. >It seems to me that digital bodies and lenses would quickly become >disposable (throwaway/almost never used). I'd rather buy a 35mm lens >than >invest in the smaller format lenses. Most DSLRs are owned by certain types of professionals (high volume, high speed) and in those fields cameras, especially digital cameras, ARE considered expendable. It's cheaper to use up a DSLR in three years and buy a newer model than it is to pay film costs for three years. That's the main reason many genres of pro photography have gone digital. >In a couple of years I bet the *istD will be the equivalent of the Pentax >110 SLR. Lots of people say that the current 6MP SLRs have sufficient quality to do pro work. If that's true, they'll always be good enough even if state-of-the-art is a lot better. 110 was always acknowleged to be a tradeoff in quality for size and ease-of-use. You rarely saw "serious" photographers with 110 cameras. DJE
