andy_coach

<p>The 77mm is a very nice lens and I enjoyed the speed and IQ when I had it. Somehow I could not get used to the way it handled physically, the pull-out hood especially used to drive me crazy. The physical form and handling of the gear are very important to me, the lens has to feel "right" in use.</p>

<p>Glad you have joined the club ;)<br />In the unforgettable words of Wayne "She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine" ;);)</p>

<p>Yep, it's the legendary <strong><a href="http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-FA-Star-85mm-F1.4-Lens.html">SMC Pentax-FA* 85mm F1.4 [iF]</a> <br /></strong><br>

<img src="http://bserver.img.photosharp.com.tw/Image/News/200907/2009070715555013_600x560.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="560" /><br /><br /></p>

<p>Very informative and enjoyable website. Of course now I want the OTUS 85mm ;) </p>

<p>All else being equal, 85/1.4 will generate stronger blur than a 50/1.4, right?</p>

<p>Wow, nice portraits. What scares me is how easy it is to get used to the idea of spending $1000+ on a lens just for fun :) That's what happens to me once I start looking at nice piece of gear. I need help...</p>

<p>Oh how I wish I could swing by a real store like B&H or Adorama.. In AZ we have two rather small stores, with very bad Pentax aversion.</p>

<p>Holy cow, the bokeh from the Rokinon is beautiful. I will have to borrow one and test it out. I've tried MF at a basketball game on my 50/1.2 but it was rather futile during action. I am researching lens rentals but so far not one shop is offering the Sigma 85/1.4 in K mount.</p>

<p>Wouter, Hector, and Jochen thanks a bunch for your thoughtful advice, I appreciate it. I think I might skip the Nikon 85/1.8D despite its good price and go straight for the Pentax or Sigma 85/1.4, they are rated almost identically by <a href="http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/sigma-85mm-f14-hsm/review.html?src=lrdb">this review</a> and users tend to rave about their bokeh, which appears to be on par or even smoother than with the Nikkor 85/1.4D. My K-3 focuses most of my lenses quickly and accurately, so I can't wait to see how it does with the 85/1.4 :)<br /><br /></p>

<p>I've been having dreams about a fast 85mm lens. Not entirely sure why. I have that length covered with other fairly fast (2.4 and 2.8) lenses. I don't really need it, other than maybe for occasional indoor basketball game. I want to see what (fast) 85mm it all about. The Pentax 85/1.4 is expensive, so is the Sigma version. I've used the 77/1.8 and liked the IQ but the handling of the lens left me cold, so I sold it.<br>

Since there are no inexpensive Pentax options for a fast, AF 85mm and I happen to still have a Nikon D90 sitting on the shelf, I thought maybe I could try the 85/1.8D to get the taste. Has anyone here tried that combo? Is it fast to auto-focus? Or, is the Pentax 85/1.4 so great that I should just go for it w/out any Nikon detours?<br>

Andy</p>

<p>Can't fit that in a pocket :)</p>

<p>The finder looks like this:<br>

<img src="http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/pentax-q/127969d1336876156-new-pentax-red-dot-finder-q-da-300-img-im2p8695pentaxqda300reddotscope.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="680" /><br>

source: <a href="http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-q/185934-new-pentax-red-dot-finder-q-da-300-img.html">LINK</a></p>

<p>With the 01+VF, 02, and 06 lenses my Q kit is almost complete. The IQ to weight ratio is fantastic and the Q has quickly become my daily carry-everywhere camera. Following some of the more experienced wildlife shooters on the other Pentax forum, I have just completed my Q-birding-kit, which consists of an LCD VF, a Q2PK adapter, a RedDot finder, and a 200+300mm lens kit. The effective reach of the kit is simply awesome. If you can stand using a VF-free camera, the Q will not disappoint. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Not a bad idea.. I checked the prices at LensRentals, not bad at all, and their policies are very common sense. Thanks for the tip.</p>

<p>Yury - #1 grabs me, great colors and the captured moment<br />Matt - the 2nd photo, wow, surreal and beautiful, I like how the captured motion is counterbalanced by the rocks<br />Robert - my goodness, what colors! <br />Anirban - birds on a tree, it has something ..<br />Dave - mockingbird, very captivating pose<br />Patrick - horse on an Amish farm, it reminds me of a painting, like it a lot<br />Frank - I want that walrus! :)</p>

<p>Thanks everyone for your input, it's been an education thread for me, very appreciated. I've decided to wait until the next time I get the impression that my Pentax kit is lacking in some respect before letting my appetite for a new Nikon overtake me. The other thing that's helping me put the breaks on may sound trivial but I just can't get over the so-so grip design on the D600, compared to the K-5 grip, which I find just about perfect. Still, I have my dream D600 kit almost fully dream up. </p>

<p>ahem...<br>

<img src="http://olivebranchdaycare.net/images/index.1.gif" alt="" width="360" height="308" /></p>

<p>:)</p>

<p>Here is pic of the D600 with the 24-85mm posted on the Photokina report at dpreview. I am having a hard time keeping my wits about me looking at such a handsome kit.. I might need an antidote or at least a distraction :))<br /> <img src="http://4.static.img-dpreview.com/files/articles/0836837653/P9180065.JPG?v=1584" alt="" width="1600" height="1200" /></p>

<p>Ian, thank you for your post. I must confess that the conversion math gave me a small headache :) but I get the idea. I think that with a FF body I might for once stop thinking about crop factors and such and just plain enjoy shooting :). </p>

<p>Michael, I mostly share my photos online but have recently (2-3 years ago) found interest in mounting prints up to 24”x30”. I’ve also discovered that my friends and family really enjoy photo books (e.g. via a service like Blurb), which I find rather fulfilling to create as the process forces me to tell a story with pictures. I try to replace the larger prints every few months with something new. I use mostly Lightroom for post processing, am about 50% on the learning curve there. I am hoping that by acquiring more capable (presumably) hardware, I might also end up needing less gear overall to accomplish what I want. </p>

<p>Peter, thank you for your in-depth reply, I really appreciate it. I guess I should have elaborated more on what I most enjoy shooting, which is low light with decently fast glass (e.g. Canons 50/1.2 and 50/0.95 on my rangefinder bodies or the lovely Pentax 50/1.2 on my LX). I love to play with shallow DOF and extremely low light to get just the right effect. At the same time, being a dad of an athletic 9 year old, obviously a few telephotos are a must (and AF speed is super important, that's one reason I started looking at Nikons). I also enjoy shooting urban and rural landscapes, events and gatherings, street life, and of course travel photos. Sometimes I get asked to shoot portraits by friends which is a LOT of fun. Just started getting into macro photography and can't believe I waited this long. I do it all for fun, of course and consider a day when I don't take a few pics a bit incomplete. So I guess my point should be, will the D600 (with any lens) enhance my enjoyment of photography thanks to its FF-dependent features or will it make no difference at all or worse, will it make taking pictures more burdensome. I am not too worried about the cost, since this is a hobby and I can but the stuff I want at my leisure. I sure hope all of this makes sense :). My Pentax digital bodies are K-5, K-20, and the venerable K-10. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>I don't know why you'd want to go FF to take pictures of the kids at sporting events or pretty much anything else unless it's work photography.<br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, I never said this was going to be a totally rational decision :).<br>

But, would you care to elaborate on the statement above?</p>

<blockquote>

<p>P.S. 'Among us' = Pentax users only? In that case, sorry, I don't have any Pentax gear... ! ;-)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You are forgiven :) (and thank you for the reply. </p>

<p>That spurred me to compare them side by side at dpreview and the similarities are remarkable;, more than I expected..</p>

 

<p>The D600 has caught my eye and I can barely sleep pondering the possibilities. I’ve been a pretty happy Pentax owner for years and have a decent stash of glass from 12 to 400mm but the D600’s size and full frame sensor are calling out to me.<br>

So my question is, I’d like to start light to see how I like it, for that purpose, would the 24-85mm VR lens be sufficient to test it out? My main concerns aside from IQ are focusing speed, kit weight, handling comfort and handling speed. I sometimes use the D90 (35/1.8, 50/1.8, 18-105, and 55-200) for my kid’s sports events but I am guessing the D90 handles quite differently from the D600. <br>

Would appreciate your opinions on this burning question..</p>