I didn't want to answer this for a while but wanted to think about it.
So my short list is really very short.
1.) 17-77mm I'm really hoping that Pentax comes out with a mark II
version of the current DA lens, that has real weather sealing and a
somewhat longer throw for better manual focusing, (since I still shoot
with the *ist-Ds at times). The ongoing controversy over early SDM
lenses has me a bit spooked as well. However it would enable me to stop
carrying the 20-35mm and 28-200 as my two zoom kit, and start carrying
the much superior F 70-210mm
2.) FA 77mm Ltd. It would relagate the M 85mm to backup, when I'm
carrying my three lens prime kit.
3.) DA 10-17mm Fisheye, I really want a true fisheye lens for my digital
bodies, that's actually relatively sharp.
Other than that not much. Sure the K-5 would be nice, but unless I get
a paying gig that requires something it does, it's not in the budget.
Same goes for the fact that I'd like something in the ultra wide range,
for use with my digital bodies, which none of my current lenses, even
approaches.
645D? Don't be ridiculous. If I had expected Pentax to actually release
it, I'd have stocked up on some 645 lenses when they were still
available at bargain basement prices. Not to mention that to justify
the actual cost of the camera body, I'd have to shoot a lot more 120
film and have a need for billboard sized prints.
On 1/22/2011 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 [email protected] sent from i4est
--
Where's the Kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering Kaboom!
--Marvin the Martian.
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