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K-5 and the lenses I need/want- finally figured this out...

raist3d

Well-known member
I bought the K-5 as my pro "no excuses" camera for weddings/events and portraits (i.e. paid work). That I can use it for street life is gravy.

I realize now that given the focal length I use on weddings, the zoom I really need is the DA * 50-135 F2.8. And I could probably get by with the also wanted DA * 35mm Limited Macro prime for the occasions I needed to go a bit wider.

I typically lock my shots at 70mm and further ahead for weddings. Having the 16-50 would allow me to get those shots but I think the 50-135 would be in the end more versatile for giving the extreme portrait shot telephoto while forcing me to never worry to watch for the wide angle as it will lock at 75mm (wish it went down to 70, but ok, 5mm more, no biggie).

My experience with my Olympus 14-54 is that I am always watching it's at least at 65mm and that's only for an extreme situation, I regularly lock it at 70mm or more.

So given that I guess this zoom plus the DA 35mm Limited Macro, completes my lens roundup.

- Raist
 

markwon

Member
Raist, the 50-135 is a great lens. I had it for a few weeks then returned it. For my purposes it was too heavy and the AF was not as fast as I hoped, a bit slower than the 16-50. But it should be adequate for weddings though.
 

Rich M

Member
And I could probably get by with the also wanted DA * 35mm Limited Macro prime for the occasions I needed to go a bit wider.

So given that I guess this zoom plus the DA 35mm Limited Macro, completes my lens roundup.

- Raist
Raist.....I am not sure that the 35mm Ltd macro would be a great "normal" wedding lens. I find it clinically sharp and not exciting bokeh. Another to consider might be the FA43.

R
 
I have both the 50-135 and the 16-50, and the former is by far a better lens.
The 16-50 is ok only starting at 5.6, at least this is my sample, may be not a good one.
The 50-135 is usable wide open and is very good just closing down one stop.
The primes are in any case much better, but this is not a surprise, and in the normal-wide range I would reccomend the 31mm FA: superb even at f 1:1.8.
 

raist3d

Well-known member
@ Rich, Ario-

My point is I don't shoot wide for weddings. I don't want to risk having wobbly people on ends and the 35 macro limited is "in case I needed that extra wide in some extraordinary situation." I would not use that as a portrait lens.

The super sharpness is something that can be dealt with in post processing easily. Finally for shooting the shoes, wedding rings, etc. the 35mm DA Limited can certainly do that part.

- Raist

PS: Thanks for the 50-135 comments.
 

DavidL

New member
I just got a second hand 50-135 f2.8 and am really pleased with it. For now, I got hold of a 16-45 f4 for £234 new which is a pretty good lens, not the build of the 50-135 but for the money it's amazing. I only got them today so nit extensively tested but tested enough to be satisfied.
I'm fussy about lenses and have just moved from Nikon where I had the 14-24 f2.8, amazing lens but had no work for it.
I'll upgrade to a fixed wide when I can decide which to get, the 14 f2.8 or 15 f4
Really like the K5 even though it also only arrived to day.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Raist.....I am not sure that the 35mm Ltd macro would be a great "normal" wedding lens. I find it clinically sharp and not exciting bokeh. Another to consider might be the FA43.

R
HI Rich
I'm going to disagree about the bokeh ( always subjective I know ). I find the 35 does well as a standard lens, with fine bokeh, and as Ricardo says - you can deal with too much sharpness easily enough in post (but not so easy to deal with too little).

I've done 4 16-50s, and I'm not going there again, Bah and definitely Humbug. I think the 50-135 and the 35 sounds like a good wedding combination.

Dave - I'd give the 15 a miss - but I'm also suddenly interested in the 14 f2.8, of course, it's a bit bigger, but hardly a monster - I've not seen any reports on it.

all the best


p.s. Quiet isn't it :ROTFL:
 

Paratom

Well-known member
also have good experience with the 50-135 - even though I stop it down for 1/2 - 1 stop if I have enough light for improving sharpness.

This lens and the 35 are the 2 I use most and get most consistent results.
Have to experiment more with my 15,21,70 but have to do some focus adjustments first.

If I stay with Pentax I might add the 18-135.

If I were shooting weddings I would want a faster lens as well - either the 55/1.4 Pentax or maybe better the Sigma 50/1.4 ?
 
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woodyspedden

New member
also have good experience with the 50-135 - even though I stop it down for 1/2 - 1 stop if I have enough light for improving sharpness.

This lens and the 35 are the 2 I use most and get most consistent results.
Have to experiment more with my 15,21,70 but have to do some focus adjustments first.

If I stay with Canon I might add the 18-135.

If I were shooting weddings I would want a faster lens as well - either the 55/1.4 Pentax or maybe better the Sigma 50/1.4 ?
Tom

I bought a 55 SDM and planned to sell it as I thought the need was not there given I also have the 77 and the 200!. So my kit is basically the 15, 31FA, 43FA and 77 FA and the 200SDM for long work. (Don't use it as much as the others but having length is advantageous for certain shoots.)

However now that I have shot for a couple of weeks with the K5 system, I am going to keep the 55 SDM as having the extra isolation from the F1.4 stop is neat for portraits

Woody
 

Paratom

Well-known member
Tom

I bought a 55 SDM and planned to sell it as I thought the need was not there given I also have the 77 and the 200!. So my kit is basically the 15, 31FA, 43FA and 77 FA and the 200SDM for long work. (Don't use it as much as the others but having length is advantageous for certain shoots.)

However now that I have shot for a couple of weeks with the K5 system, I am going to keep the 55 SDM as having the extra isolation from the F1.4 stop is neat for portraits

Woody
Woody,
would be great to see some images from the 55.
I might replace the 70 DA with the 55 to have one fast lens with shallow DOF.
 

woodyspedden

New member
Woody,
would be great to see some images from the 55.
I might replace the 70 DA with the 55 to have one fast lens with shallow DOF.
Hey Tom

I am kind of shut in right now having had back surgery and then emergency back surgery three days later due to a hematoma causing paralysis from the waist down. Doing very much better now but I hope I can get out this weekend to do some shooting. I will certainly include shots from the 55 SDM for you

Woody
 

raist3d

Well-known member
Hey Tom

I am kind of shut in right now having had back surgery and then emergency back surgery three days later due to a hematoma causing paralysis from the waist down. Doing very much better now but I hope I can get out this weekend to do some shooting. I will certainly include shots from the 55 SDM for you

Woody
Ay. Hope you get better. As for lenses I am beginning to wonder if buying the 50-135 makes the DA 70 redundant.

- Raist
 
A

adrian_c

Guest
first post here, not a wedding photographer nor a pro at all, but trying to follow this thread as it seems interesting. Hope Woody gets well soon anyway.
I think if size wasn't an issue I wouldn't have bothered with any of my lenses in the 50-150 range apart from the Komine 55mm macro and just got the 50-135.
Unfortunately it's just too big for me to carry around when backpacking light and fast!
 

Armanius

New member
Hey Tom

I am kind of shut in right now having had back surgery and then emergency back surgery three days later due to a hematoma causing paralysis from the waist down. Doing very much better now but I hope I can get out this weekend to do some shooting. I will certainly include shots from the 55 SDM for you

Woody
Get well soon!
 
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