Which lens for K10D?

So, I have finally convinced my parents to get me a K10D as a combined

Christmas/Graduation gift. I'm getting the body and kit lens, and would like to

get one other lens for now. Eventually I will add some more (probably older

manual focus ones to save money), but right now I can only afford one. I'm

between the 40mm/2.8 Limited and 50mm/1.4 lenses. Which one would you recommend?

Some of the photos I am planning on taking soon after I get the camera are in a

low-light situation (inside a church), so I am thinking that the 50mm one would

probably be better. I have heard that it has some problems focusing with the

K10D? If anyone has insight into that it would be helpful.

 

Also, this is probably a dumb question, but will older Pentax lenses that have

-FA in the name autofocus with the K10D?

 

Thanks.

If you're shooting in a low-light situation, a prime lens makes sense, as they usually have wider aperture.

 

However, I'd think twice about getting a lens just for one event. Unless you'll be shooting lots of stuff in churches, and moreover like that idea, then by all means go for it.

 

My own taste would run towards a wider lens in view of the architectural drama available in a church. A 50mm would give you a portrait - think of someone's head filling the frame, or several people in the frame but you're standing 15-20 feet away to get the photo. A 21 limited or 35mm f2 would be my choice.

 

And keep in mind, even though you've got the wide aperture you don't have to use it. Specifically, the background will be completely gone if you focus on a close subject with a background somewhat far away and the lens wide open. Close it down, lengthen the depth of field, and let some of the church's details stand out.

 

 

I memorize "FA" as meaning focus + aperture, meaning automatic both. So the answer to your last question is yes.

Good luck finding any cheap FA lenses on eBay... :-s

 

I thought the same as you when I bought my K10D, but unless you go for the old M42-mount lenses, you won't find any "great deals" on Pentax lenses in the used market. Don't forget there are plenty of 3rd party brands making great lenses for Pentax; most of the time you can get a better new 3rd party lens than a used FA equivalent.

If I only had 2 lenses, they would be the DA* zooms. That is probably out of your budget, so

to complement the 18-55mm kit lens, I'd do the 50-200mm.

 

Buy higher end glass after learning which focal range gets used the most.

No deals on FA lenses, not the good ones.

 

If you only had two Pentax lenses I'd agree with Matthew. Get the 2 DA* zooms, both are very nice (although at this time I only own 1).

 

Otherwise, as has been repeated almost weekly on this forum.

 

Your best bang for buck lenses are the 50mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0.

What Matthew and Justin are adressing is the 50-200mm to extend your telephoto range. That is a valid and pretty standard consideration.

 

But I also agree with Stephen- having a good prime lens, not just zoom, is an invaluable learning tool for photography, and the kind of uses you will put it to is a main concern. Some of the older excellent FA lenses designed for full-frame film bodies may not be available in the future- maybe the near future. If you are in the U.S. some of these are available with mail-in rebate at a very good discount at reliable stores like B&H, 17th Street, or Adorama of New York.

 

Newer DA lenses like the 40mm Limited or 50-200mm will be available for a long time. The 50-200mm is inexpensive enough to be within your grasp in the future. Now is gift time, and an opportunity to reach out and get something special. Older FA's like the 43mm Limited, 50mm, and 35mm may be phased out soon. The very nice 35mm is neither tele/portrait nor wide angle, but a general view. Although a fine lens, what Stephen says about the 50mm view being more towards portrait and moderate telephoto is true. A very unique, very versatile lens, and a favorite of mine is the 43mm Limited. About the same view and versatility as the 40mm but having a stop wider aperture, for greater shutter speed and depth of field control. It can be used very well for portrait, but also having enough width as a short telephoto to accomodate more in the frame for couples or small group shots, as well as scenery- and its f/1.9 aperture allows superior low light capability when needed. The Limiteds are fine-crafted lenses, while extraordinarily compact. Jewels in the Pentax line. No other companies make such lenses. My favorite carrying about combo is the FA 43 and DA 21mm.

 

There is good rationale for any of these decisions, so in weighing what is now available, your decision will be an informed one. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Mike

I was distracted while responding the first time, so I'm finishing my thoughts now.

 

My FAVORITE lens of all time is an old Tak-A 70-200 f/4. I haven't been able to replace it

with an AF lens because I can't buy anything as fast for less than a grand, but shooting at

200 is something I can't live without.

 

The 35mm f/2 IS discontinued and has been for a while, and it IS a great lens. If you are

going to get a prime, it is the one to get. B&H is the only major store I know of with a

back stock. There is supposed to be a replacement coming, but don't expect it to be soon

or cheap. Get it while you can.

 

I own the 50mm f1.4 too and it is a nice lens. For general shooting, however, I find the

35mm much more useful.

 

I think most of the problems people have with focusing the 50mm is the paper thin DoF

towards wide open.

Congrats on graduation and Congrats on having great parents!

 

I strongly reccommend the DA 16-45mm since the 16-50 came out your folks can find a bargain on ebay for this amazing lens. I am not a great photographer but that lens and camera combo makes me look good!<div></div>

Gosh, A part of me is thinking K100D super and with the money saved by a really good lens...For dark conditions and being that a prime is unpracticle in a church, as is flash how about a 28-75 F/2.8 TAMRON...works well in those conditions and you can crank the iso

I'd agree with all the comments above on the 50 and 35mm. If the choice is limited to those only then the 35mm f2 makes the most sense. I own both and they are both excellent lenses.

 

I would have to agree that the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 Di is worth serious consideration. Wider than the 35mm and is one of the better zooms on the market today for Pentax. It will give you the best of both worlds for the shooting you indicated. Wide enough for some architecture shooting and a nice length for portrait shooting. Plus almost as fast as the primes with prime like image quality.

Matthew, if your lens is:

 

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/_non-SMC/tak-A_70-200f4.html

 

and you like it, then, try to find on eBay the Pentax SMC A 70-210/4:

 

http://kmp.bdimitrov.de/lenses/zooms/long/A70-210f4.html

 

and will fall in complete love :) You can find it quite easy, under $100, people today is more atracted for the AF 5.6 version.

 

I own one, very fine, but low usage, only when desperately need 200/4, and for macro, else the DA 50-200 fill all the other cases, and is AF and 1/3 of weight.

 

Opticaly they are on par at f/8-f/11.

Given the release of the 18-250mm lens is imminent and according to pentax at less than $500, I would give some serious thought to getting this as just the one lens. Instead of the two.

 

http://www.pentaximaging.com/products/product_details/camera_lens--smc_P-DA_18-250mm_F3.5-6.3_ED_AL%28IF%29/reqID--10270902/subsection--Digital_35mm_zoom

That 18-250 is a dog in my opinion - I've looked at many sample photos and honestly, I have yet to see a sharp image. If you're the type of person that prefers convienence over quality, then by all means, buy it..

 

My budget lens suggestion: DA 16-45 f4 and the DA 50-200 f4-5.6

@Renato - for about 12 years now I've been wondering why Pentax never made an AF version with these optics. My intern likes it so much, I bought him one for x-mas off ebay. I've been temped to buy slower AF zooms in that range, but I've been afraid I would be disappointed with IQ and functionality. I've thought about that SMC version, but running up to 210mm, I didn't know how that would change the macro end (which is what Joel...er my intern likes about it best).

 

The craziest thing about this lens is that I bought it NEW at Service Merchandise for about $100. The only lens that I have ever considered to be an AF upgrade was the FA* 80-200 which sold for about $2400 at the time. That's quite a price gap. At least now Sigma has an 80-200 f2.8 for just under a grand, but with the crop factor, I'm leaning toward the longer DA*...

 

@Dan - I guess my bottom line is if you get the 18-55mm and a short prime, keep an eye on eBay for one of these slide barrel f/4 zooms. Even if you get a non-SMC, they are a lot of fun for the money.

Nikon users too are crazy about the lack of a modern 70-200/4, like that manufactured between '86-88, and then discontinued.

For what it's worth, if I recall correctly, most of the 70-80 to 300-320 f/4.5-5.6 zooms are f/4.5 until ~200mm. Only 1/3 stop slower, probably lighter, probably better quality at 200mm, and offer autofocus. My $0.02.

 

Hopefully the long-awaited DA* 60-250 f/4 will fill this void though personally I haven't decided whether it will be worth the cost or bulk/weight for me.

I would recommend bypassing the 18-55mm kit lens and get a 16-45mm f4 instead and combine that with a 50mm f1.4 or f1.7 or as everyone recommends also the 35mm f2.0.

I love the DA 40mm Limited, which was for months my only lens (and is still what's on my camera 90% of the time). At 60mm efl, it functions as a slightly narrow normal lens -- allowing you to both take pictures that get a lot of the scene and to move closer to pick out details.

 

It's a pity it's not faster than f/2.8, but it *is* quite sharp and usable wide open.

 

The 35mm f/2 also looks like a nice lens too -- I certainly wouldn't pass it up if someone gave it to me.

Dan: To answer your last question, these lens series will autofocus on a K-10D: F, FA, D-FA, FA-J, DA. K, M, and A will not.

I have a K10 and have not noticed any huge issues in low light focusing. This is a great camera and I have got many, many great shots from it using the kit lens! There are a ton of tweaks within this camera and the ISO is very clean up to 400 ISO so you should not have any issues. Be sure to turn off the image stabilization if you use a tripod or your shots will not come out very good. I have a Promaster 24 t0 200 mm lens as a walk around that seems OK so far. I have some photos from both lens in low light and good light if you want see examples. I will post them at your request if it will help your decision.

Well, B&H has a kit package deal posted for the K10D with 18-55mm zoom, at $750 and a $100 mail-in rebate. That is a lot for $650, and the kit lens being hard to pass up for $50! Maybe warehouses are starting to clear stock for the upcoming K200D in a few months.

 

The 16-50mm is a better, faster, larger, heavier zoom, as is the Sigma 17-70mm. The Tamron 28-75mm is even faster, and a professional style lens- in a whole other catigory, but really has little in the way of wide angle.

 

The kit lens quality really is pretty good, especially in mid apertures. It is also small, light, yet of good build quality. One can hardly go wrong for $50, and use the savings to also get a top-quality forever prime lens.

 

In terms of view angle and versatile use, I enjoy a similar experience with my 43mm f/1.9 Limited as Matthew Miller reports with his 40mm f/2.8 Limited. It is also extremely compact, and the metal lenshood can be detached and a standard 49mm lens cap obtained for use instead when maximum compact carrying is an issue. If one does not have a standard 49mm Pentax cap to use, a generic cap costs just a few dollars. In that case, a protective filter may also be a good idea. I would employ a HOYA multi-coated (HMC) SKYLIGHT filter- about $20. That is one lens I take extra good care of!

 

It is hard to beat a deal like that on a professional camera. The K100D Super is less than professional model, yet a very nice camera with advanced pro features, though in menues rather than having a pro control layout. But it is a fine compact model, and produces very fine out-of-camera jpeg images. With its features and compact convenience, it can also serve as a backup alternative to a larger pro model later.

 

The K10D is a professional heavy-duty build camera, and is all about faster shooting rate in RAW capture, to be converted later in other programs.

BTW, according to a thread here by Renato of 12-1-07, "Super K10 offer", even a better deal is offered on the K10D kit package at Beach Camera. I have dealt with Beach without problems. However, they do not offer good deals much in the way of lenses. So 17th Street(17photo), B&H (bhphoto) etc. are still the best way to go for lenses, although ordering from 2 different sources will entail additional S&H cost. But the savings may more than make that up. But if calling 17th or B&H and just mentioning the deal at Beach, they might match it!

I agree with Justin, perhaps from a different perspective. Purchasing high quality primes from the 35mm era will be a nice investment when (if??) Pentax relase a full frame sensor. I hope it is inevitable! Camera companies will always find new ways to sepaarte us from our hard earned, and it is my opinion that the next logical step is a full frame DSLR.

 

You will by then hopefully have a nice suite of primes that will cover the APS and 35mm sensors. I can't belive how cheap the FA 50/1.4 primes are going for on eBay, regardles of the sensor size, they are a bargain. Just my two cents worth.

I can honestly say the DA 16-45 is a major step-up. I've bought all of my new equipment from BuyDig / Beach Camera without issues and received all rebates within 4-5 weeks (even with the new processor Pentax is using).

 

The DA 50-200 makes a nice, compact companion, but is not nearly as good of a buy that it used to be, so I can't recommend it anymore for $200 after rebate. There are other options in the zoom range that start for not much more than some people feel strongly about.

 

But in the end, the DA 50-200 is nice and I don't have trouble getting into American football stadiums with it (unlike other people with Canon, Nikon and Sony lenses, even the ones that are just as slow).

I would say there had better be some increase in quality over the kit lens with the 16-45 f/4, since it costs $410 vs the $50 kit deal. It is also a little faster and wider. That does not mean the kit lens is crap, and very good results cannot be had with it, especially when there is enough light available for using mid apertures.

 

But if the choice were between just having a zoom and having the kit zoom plus a fine prime lens, I would say go for the prime. Especially since some of the most desirable primes may be phased out.