I have all the cameras and lenses I need for my work. I do need to send one of my flashes in for repair. I'd like an 8-foot softbox for my studio, but I don't really need it at the moment. Of course, I'd like an FA 600/4 and gimbal head for my occasional bird shoots, but that would be just a big expensive toy, so it isn't going to happen. Generally I'm covered quite well with the DA* zooms, a half dozen primes and my K-5 and K-7. Paul
On Jan 22, 2011, at 7:33 PM, Larry Colen wrote: > With the exception of Godfrey, who sounds like he has achieved gear nirvana > and sounds like he has all the gear he needs for the photos he takes, I think > that most of us often run up against the limitations of what our skill can do > with the gear that we have. And if we're honest with ourselves, skill is > usually the limiting factor, sometimes it's the gear, and sometimes a certain > piece of kit can compensate for our own personal limitations. For example, > last night I was pushing the envelope of what I could do with the K-x > photographing backlit musicians in an otherwise nearly dark room. I was > sorely missing the improved sensor, focus assist light, and focus indicators > of the K-r. > > I expect that most of us have gear wishlists that would make Bill Gates > credit cards cringe in terror, we also probably have "short lists" of gear > that we are planning on buying in the near future. Generally gear that fills > particular needs, and which would make a noticeable difference in photos that > we regularly shoot, or which would allow us to get photos that we simply > can't get with the gear we have. > > What items are on your short list, and why? > > At the top of my shortlist is the K-5. I often find myself in situations > where even 2/3 stop of performance makes a big difference in the photos that > I can take. Likewise, there are times when improved autofocus would also > help. It would also be a lot more convenient for me to have all the features > that I need for different scenarios, in the same camera, rather than being > split between two cameras. My K-x could go back to wearing the DA40 and > living in my fannypack as my "pocket camera", and the K-5 could be my primary > camera, and stay in my big bag, rather than aways carrying both in the big > bag. > > I've found that when shooting action, where people are moving around, a zoom > lens can make a huge difference. When I'm photographing aikido, I find that > I need wider lenses when people are defending themselves against multiple > attackers, and the action covers a large portion of the mat, and moves around > a lot. But when only two people are practicing, and they aren't moving > around a lot, my 50mm isn't quite long enough. I suspect that a 28-105/2.8 > would pretty much cover what I need, but since I don't know of one of those > the 28-75/2.8 is probably the closest to what I need. Alternatively, if I > were shooting with two cameras, I could get the 50-135 on one body, and the > 16-50 on another. I think that the 50-135 would do also do well with the > band photography I've been doing, considering how often I'm using my 77 or > 135 for closeups. > > The runner ups for my short list are: > > DA35 macro : I love my DA40 for its size and sharpness, but when I carry it > as a walk around lens, especially on hikes in the woods, I often find myself > wishing it were a bit wider, and focused a bit closer. > > Samyang 85/1.4 : I'm still hurting over the A* 85/1.4 that the guys wife > sold at work while I was waiting for him to get home from running his > errands. I keep needing that little bit extra shutter speed. I'd love a > modern f/1.4 lens in the 75-90mm range, but I doubt that I'd be able to > afford it before sensors got so fast that I no longer needed that speed. > > Sigma 30/1.4 : My FA31/1.8 may be a better lens, but again, I often find > myself wishing I had that extra 2/3 of a stop of speed, so that I could bump > my shutter speed up from 1/10 to 1/15 second. > > Something wider than 16mm. > > -- > Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est > > > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
