You know I can't help reading all these posts and shake my head. I know we need something to talk about here and this is as good a topic as any but I fear that some new photographer is going to read this discussion and think that if they don't have a ltd lens, a prime lens of every focal length, FA* lenses ... they can never hope to get good pictures. At the risk of ticking off many on this list, let me say this (especially to new list members) These are all my opinion--- not bothering with any facts.
1) All Pentax lenses are very good. Most are great. Some are excellent. 2) You, I and 90 per cent of the people on this list could not tell the difference between a picture taken with the worst Pentax lens and the best when viewing a 4X6 inch print. That figure goes to 95 percent if the picture is viewed on the Web and 100 per cent if proper technique is not used. 3) Generally speaking, many high-quality third party lenses are as good and sometimes better than Pentax lenses. 4) People who own a particular lens will rarely speak poorly about it. The amount of praise is directly related to how much they paid for it. 5) The best lenses in the world are no better than the worst lenses in the world without the proper technique. 6) People who talk ad-nauseum about lenses (And we all fall into this at times) are more likely to be collectors rather than shooters. 7) It is better to be a shooter than a collector. 8) Most people on this list (myself included) tend to be collectors as much as shooters. 9) The best lenses are the ones you use. 10) A good tripod and ball head can turn a $150 lens into a $1,000 lens . 11) If you don't want to use a tripod, don't waste your money on very expensive lenses. 12) If you are just starting out and are shooting for the fun of it, spend your money on film not gadgets and lenses. There's lots of time to become a collector. Vic
