That should be the best buy in "longish" Pentax glass. That's what I get for using make-believe words;-). Paul On Jan 23, 2011, at 7:21 PM, Paul Stenquist wrote:
> 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 <[email protected]> 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 >> [email protected] >> 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 > [email protected] > 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 [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
