Help choosing lense!

Hi,

I've been shooting with my trusty Pentax MZ-6/ZXL but I am finding that my wide angle 35-80MM FA (http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/z...-80f4-5.6.html) zoom cannot provide me with the consistant results I need. In particular, high levels of softness are obvious at 80mm, and a flat field of focus is quite hard to get. Barrel distortion is also a problem, especially as I wish to shoot a lot of architecture and landscapes.

I've got a budget of approximately £150 ($280), and I'll need a wide angle zoom lense that I can get reasonable 16-12inch enlargements (better then my current lense). I can live with a smaller widest apperture (F4.0-5.6) and would sacrifice faster f-stops for sharper images.

I've looked at the Tamron 28-105mm f4-5.6, and the Sigma 28-105mm f3.8-5.6 UC-III .

I can't seem to find anything that points to either one being better then the other. Nor can I determine whether they will be worthy enough over my 35-80mm to go out and by. Genuine Pentax gear seems harder to come by. I guess they're busy developing compact digital cameras rather then developing traditional film technology.

Thank you.

Well, I know it's hard deciding for someone elses equiptment, but I've chosen to go along with Pentaxs offering.

The Pentax FA 28-105mm F3.2-4.5 AL (IF). Im sure everyone will agree that it was a good choice? ;)

T.

Have you checked for reviews here? I don't know much about Pentax, but over the years they've been known for making great lenses. In that focal length range, I'm using a Tokina 28-80 f2.8 ATX PRO and it's really a great lens. Not sure if it's made in a Pentax mount, though.

Have you considered a wide angle prime such as a 20mm or 24mm? Or even a fisheye type lens for those landscapes? A 35mm to 28mm is not going to give you much noticeable difference. A lens that has a 90deg field of view or larger is subconciously what photographers seemingly want for these subjects at first glance. Be prepared to increase your budget! Save some pennies!

For an overall improvement in quality, a prime W.A. with multiple Aspherical elements may be your best choice. There are also tilt/shifts perspective lens in the old venerable M42 mount that pop up every so often that with a bit of cleaning are great units for the cost.

The other alternative for this is to create panoramic composites digitally from the best quality lens you can find.


Any zoom lens is going to display some optic problems at both ends of the range.

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Originally Posted by another view

Have you checked for reviews here? I don't know much about Pentax, but over the years they've been known for making great lenses. In that focal length range, I'm using a Tokina 28-80 f2.8 ATX PRO and it's really a great lens. Not sure if it's made in a Pentax mount, though.

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Yup, http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...5_3128crx.aspx. Six reviews, all five out of five. Then again, I'd be wise to have some suspicion of the reviews on this site. Nothing is stopping Mr.(camera maker here) from posting spam bashes at (camera maker here)'s gear. Or praising their own. :D

The Tokina 28-70 F2.8's is on offer online to U.K for aprox $400, and the 28-80mm variant for $600 (ouch). I'd be somewhat suspicious of the sharpness and distortions of a F2.8 lense going cheaply, but at $600 I'll be made out of some serious pro glass. Primes at those F-stops may be a safer bet?

As you've probably seen, Tokina has a lot of similar lenses - mine is the most expensive of the group (but bought at a great price used). It's an excellent lens, really. I had another less-expensive but highly-praised lens, and it's clearly superior. It's pretty impressive even wide open, but nothing's perfect. With DSLR's, I prefer zooms because more lens changes = more chances of dust. I have a couple of fast primes and use them often, but they're f1.4 and zooms just don't do that.

As far as a zoom at f2.8 vs. a prime at f2.8, I'd say that as long as it's a good zoom (assuming it probably would be if it is an f2.8 lens) then there probably isn't that much difference between the two. Cheap zoom vs. cheap prime? Prime, hands down.