I have never owned a SLR before.Please tell me what this lens would be used for vs the pentax DA 35mm f2.4 - would u rec 1 over the other or both? My main goals will be to shoot family photos (3 kids) and my kids sporting events (indoor and outdoor). - Thanks in advance! I have never owned a SLR before.Please tell me what this lens would be used for vs the pentax DA 35mm f2.4 - would u rec 1 over the other or both? My main goals will be to shoot family photos (3... » Read More I have never owned a SLR before.Please tell me what this lens would be used for vs the pentax DA 35mm f2.4 - would u rec 1 over the other or both? My main goals will be to shoot family photos (3 kids) and my kids sporting events (indoor and outdoor). - Thanks in advance! « Show Less
1000371
I have the DA 35/2.4. It is an amazing piece of glass for its price point. The 50/1.8 will give you tighter shots (better for portraits) with a better depth of field at f/1.8 (greater separation of your subject from the surrounding environment) and it will perform much better in low light situations thanks to the large aperture, leading to fewer noisy/blurry images.
1000372
I never used the DA 35mm, f2.4 so I cannot make comparison between the two. I bought myself a DA 50mm f1.8 three month ago for shooting my girlfriend. At the beginning you will find it hard to focus on your target. However, when you get familiar with this len, you can shoot very beautiful picture. My girlfriend love the pictures I took for her. Since it has a relatively large aperture, a slightly move of your camera or your target after focusing will get you unfocused picture. It does not matter if you have a good control on this lens.
827152
I don't have the 35mm 2.4 but I do have the 35mm 2.8 macro which I like very much (though the price difference is considerable). The 50mm is an excellent lens and is one of the first ones I grab when I go shooting. I will say though neither the 50mm or 35mm are good for sporting events of any kind. You really can't get the distance shots with either so you might want to reconsider using them for those purposes. The 50mm and 35mm are good for family photos, street photography and candid portraits. I hope that helps.
720891
I have a Pentax d100. The standard lens will only take 52mm so I use 2 step up rings, one to 55 and then one to 58. I purposely bought 58mm so I could use it on all my lens. It works great on all lens.
2122556
hi. Do you plan to shoot more weddings or landscapes...? i think it could be the answer of your question. I think about buying this lens too. i am a wedding photographer, and wedding conditions are always dark light situations. So i need the 2.8 aperture. If you are more a nature photographer, so the 2.8 is not so needed. During wedding the IS can't help too much, because the people that you take are dancing, the low speed will be impossible to use, even with IS on. I hope it will hlep you.
1078335
The 50mm 1.4 is great for indoor low-light portraiture, unless you are shooting groups of people -- you may not have enough space to step back. Lately I've been using the 85mm 1.8 more. The extra length does a better job of blurring the background at shorter distances, which helps isolate the subject further. Indoors it's great for tight crops of faces and outdoors I mostly use it for candid shots while street walking. One thing to keep in mind though, the longer focal range requires you to shoot at a relatively faster shutter speed, which makes it tougher to hand hold in dim light. I've considered upgrading to the 85mm 1.4, although that opens up a whole new can of worms... long story short, most feel the 1.8 is better bang for the buck, while the rest are convinced that the 1.4 is legendary. (For what it's worth, I'm using these lenses on a D90, APS-C)
1672482
Hi Eric,Thanks for your reply. I've already went ahead and bought the D3100 (got advice from some other people somewhere else on the internets ;)I received it yesterday and it does seem to be a very solid camera with lots of features that have me overwhelmed to say the least since I am a beginner in the world of photography.I do have one question: why is it that everyone recommends those lenses? How vastly different are they from the lens the comes with the camera? For example, what would a 35mm 1.8g do differently or better than the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens?~ Dan Hi Eric,Thanks for your reply. I've already went ahead and bought the D3100 (got advice from some other people somewhere else on the internets ;)I received it yesterday and it does seem to be a very solid camera with lots of features that have me overwhelmed to say the least since I am a beginner in the world of photography.I do have one question: why is it that everyone recommends those lenses? How vastly different are they from the lens the comes with the camera? For example, what would a 35mm 1.8g do differently or better than the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6... » Read More Hi Eric,Thanks for your reply. I've already went ahead and bought the D3100 (got advice from some other people somewhere else on the internets ;)I received it yesterday and it does seem to be a very solid camera with lots of features that have me overwhelmed to say the least since I am a beginner in the world of photography.I do have one question: why is it that everyone recommends those lenses? How vastly different are they from the lens the comes with the camera? For example, what would a 35mm 1.8g do differently or better than the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens?~ Dan « Show Less
853453
If you shoot sports or any other fast moving objects (such as small children), get the 7D. 8fps (7D) can really get you the shots that 5 fps (T4i) might miss. Don't expect big differences in image quality (dynamic range, etc), they are very close. I have a 40D (2007 vintage) myself, and rented a 7D last weekend to see how it performs. With the same 70-300L lens, there really wasn't much difference in image quality. T4i with it's tilting touch screen could be very useful. I have no comments on its focusing accuracy or speed though.
855771
The lens you have would be perfect for the family portrait. I use my 35mm for most of my work.
269557
Wow -- you are looking at two completely different focal ranges -- what do you plan to shoot?..If you want distance shots (i.e. nature, landscapes, walk-around shots in the city, being able to zoom in on, well, basically anything, then you really DO need a longer focal range lens like the 55-200 in addition to your kit lens. If you plan on shooting things in "normal mode" -- i.e. the 35mm lens will replicate pretty much exactly what the human eye is looking at, then it is far faster than your kit lens, and it's a great walk-around lens. But if you are a first time dSLR buyer, you have to think about what you are going to shoot. If you are coming from the world of point-and-shoots that start at a standard 3-5X zoom, you will right off the bat see that the 18-55 kit lens is very limiting in zoom. Your typical point and shoot goes from 28 - 210 or so. There is software available that lets you see what focal range you shoot most of your photos in - just google for that. It basically looks at your photo folders and determines what the focal ranges of your photos are. I find that I take about 40 percent of my photos at 35mm and below -- and about 40% of my photos at 200 or above....and the rest sort of scattered. I would not be able to survive with only a kit lens and a 35mm lens (which is the same as a normal 50mm lens on a DX camera like the D5000)...With that setup, you would have a range of 27-80 with duplication of the 35mm smack dab in the middle). That is about 1/3 the normal zoom range of a point and shoot. My take -- get the D5000 with the standard kit lens, and add the 55-200 option. Down the road, you will know if you need a 35mm lens as well. The only reason you would need it with that setup is if you find yourself taking a lot of low-light photos where you need a faster lens (the 1.8)...otherwise you might not need it for your purposes at all.
39229
If your are deciding between a 35mm and this lens.. I would ask.. What do you plan to shoot? If you need a wide lens for landscapes I suggest the 18 - 50... If you are looking for a portrait or low fstop fixed lense for close ups I say go with the 1.8 35mm. If your asking Nikon versus sigma.. I would say you get what you pay for. As far as the sigma performance... I use the lense quite often. I shoot in low light bars and venues and the lens is covered in beer..The lens is great for low light shooting at 18mm. I usually switch to a 50mm if I need a closer shot.
241544
I have the 85 f1.8D and 35 f2D and they are fantastic. The two lenses you mention should be even better. The 35 is such a versatile focal length, I have been using as my all purpose lens.
358177
completely different lenses, especially for full frame. Why do you have a 50 f/1.8 on a 6D? that's almost a toy lens on a near professional camera. Although I don't have a full frame camera, if I did, I'd get the 24-70 L Zoom. If price is the issue, get the 24 2.8 IS for outdoor, landscape work and a 50 mm 1.4 for indoors, portraits, everyday use. Another nice lens is the 35 mm f/2 IS. bit wider, very sharp, with IS.
2024381
I don't have both for a one on one comparison of the image quality, but the 35mm f2.8 macro generally has slightly better ratings. Check out the reviews on the Pentax Forums web site. The main reason I purchased it was for the macro capability. It also has metal vs plastic housing which may or may not be an issue depending on how you use it.
286640
Donie, No one responded because this forum is for the G2, which is a somewhat specialized model. If you look on the camera and lenses you have for the brand name, like Pentax, Canon, Nikon, Minolta, etc., then post your question on the "digital slr" forum, you will get the responses that are relevant. Responses on this forum won't do you much good. Good Luck.
1272575
I have both the Tamron 17-50 and the 28-75 as well as the Tamron 28-300 that I shoot with the Nikon D200. I can't say if I prefer the 17-50 over 28-75 but I love both of them and find I use them both depending on what I'm shooting. If I could afford only 1 lens it would probably be the 28-75 for my type of shooting. If you;'e shooting large groups of people or need the wider angle then I'm sure 17-50 may serve you better.
501123
Congrats on the nice lens! I have the 17-85. It's better than my 18-55, but I would love to get the 17-55 someday. Heck, I'd like to get a lot of different lenses someday! But being completely new to dslr, I think what I have now will suffice until I get going.
101690
I don't have enough information yet....what other lenses do you own, and what camera would you be shooting with? Are you the main photographer? Are you bringing lights or at least a high(er) powered flash unit?This is a great lens for macro use, but with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 this cannot be considered a fast lens at all. While a 50mm lens is fantastic for shooting in a more photojournalistic style, you will probably want something a little longer for portraits (especially if you're using a full-frame digital or film camera). Please respond with what camera(s) you'll be using and what other lenses you own and I'll give you more detail I don't have enough information yet....what other lenses do you own, and what camera would you be shooting with? Are you the main photographer? Are you bringing lights or at least a high(er) powered flash unit?This is a great lens for macro use, but with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 this cannot be considered a fast lens at all. While a 50mm lens is fantastic for shooting in a more photojournalistic style, you will probably want something a little longer for portraits (especially if you're using a full-frame digital or film camera). Please respond with what camera(s)... » Read More I don't have enough information yet....what other lenses do you own, and what camera would you be shooting with? Are you the main photographer? Are you bringing lights or at least a high(er) powered flash unit?This is a great lens for macro use, but with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 this cannot be considered a fast lens at all. While a 50mm lens is fantastic for shooting in a more photojournalistic style, you will probably want something a little longer for portraits (especially if you're using a full-frame digital or film camera). Please respond with what camera(s) you'll be using and what other lenses you own and I'll give you more detail « Show Less
1260789
By far the best overall performing lens is the Pentax DA 18-250mm F3.5-5.6. This lens is a miracle performer from wide to zoom. Hunting around you can get this lens for under $400. I would highly recommend having more then one lens so you can shoot in a greater variety of settings. I currently have 3 lenses but my 18-250mm spends the bulk of its time on my K20D.