The best buy in lonishg Pentax glass is probably the A400/5.6. They sometimes go for just a couple hundred. The M and K versions won't focus close enough for bird or small animal photography unless used with a short extension tube. Paul On Jan 23, 2011, at 6:36 PM, frank theriault wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 7:33 PM, Larry Colen <l...@red4est.com> 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. > > A prime longer than 200mm (for my nature photography). Don't care if > it's manual focus or not. Doesn't have to be that fast. Sharp would > be good. > > The 21mm pancake limited for street shooting. > > The Fuji X100 (again, for street shooting - I think this would be the > perfect digital street camera for me) > > The Leica M9 with a 35 or 40mm prime. Will never be able to afford, > but I can dream, can't I? > > cheers, > frank > > -- > "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson > > -- > 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.
