Lense for Pentax K100.........

[npmommie]

I got a Pentax K100 last year, I only use it on occasion, and I am still only using it with the lense that it came with.

is there a type of lense that is good for multi use, like taking portraits, action shots and low light situations?
I am a very very very beginner with the dslr, I can probably count the number of times on one hand that I have even used this camera.
I am still a bit intimidated with it all

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Hey there. I use a different brand of dSLR but will try to help speaking in general terms. You are wise to hang out here if you want to learn more about using your camera. (And there are some very knowledgeable Pentax people here as well.)

Low light and/or movement require a "fast" lens. Fast lenses are those that have wide apertures (low f numbers), such as f/1.8 or f/2.8, etc. Most kit lenses only go to f/3.5-4.6 (zoomed) or so, so those might not work great in low light. Fast lenses can be expensive but are worth having as part of a versatile set up that will ultimately help you get the kinds of shots you're after (ie really good ones, lol). They come in different focal lengths so it's good to figure out your style of shooting. (From what I've seen, most people starting off with a dSLR get the kits but realize they need a fast lens or two after using the camera for a while and becoming frustrated their shots are still blurry.) Many people pick up a 50mm f/1.8 to start. This should be a good portrait lens and I believe it's usually reasonably priced.

As for a "multi-use" lens, some refer to that as a "walkaround lens" and it covers a wide variety of focal lengths, for instance 18-180mm. Most will tell you that these types of lenses aren't as good quality as lenses that only cover smaller ranges of focal lengths, but some feel it's worth it for the convenience. For a while I used an 18-180 and truthfully, I didn't see a difference in quality and for me, it was better to use that than to keep switching back and forth between the 14-54 and the 50-150, which I didn't really enjoy doing. (I've since pretty much abandoned it - well, actually, gave it to my son for his beginning set up - after buying some fast lenses which are the only lenses I use now.) But again, if you rely only on this type of lens, you might have difficulty getting low light or action shots.

A couple of suggestions. You mentioned you don't use the camera much. Use it more. The only way to get better is to practice and see what works and what doesn't. Don't just give up on it. If you haven't read Understanding Exposure yet, pick up a copy and read it. It will help you understand the Exposure Triangle (ISO, aperture and shutter speed) which will be the first step toward all of this making sense.

I'm sure others will chime in, but let us know if you have more questions.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I got a Pentax K100 last year, I only use it on occasion, and I am still only using it with the lense that it came with.

is there a type of lense that is good for multi use, like taking portraits, action shots and low light situations?
I am a very very very beginner with the dslr, I can probably count the number of times on one hand that I have even used this camera.
I am still a bit intimidated with it all

I am assuming that when you say "the lens that came with it", you are referring to an 18-55mm lens. Since my return to the SLR ranks, Pentax has made four 18-55 lenses, DA AL, DA AL II, DA-L and the DA AL WR. If you have the 18-55, which one do you have? There is a variety of lenses depending on the type of photography you do. This sometimes is a moving target because as you use your equipment you become more knowledgable and start pushing the outside of the envelope. That is why many of us end up with a variety of lenses. Since you are a beginner, the first thing I would recommend is do some reading about photography. Many here recommend "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. You should be able to find it at your local library or online for about $15. Its a good beginner read with big print and lots of pictures! Also read you manual so you are familar with the camera, buttons and functions. As stated earlier, lens purchase is a subjective thing based on what you want to photograph. Pentax has just introduced an 18-135 3.5-5.6 lens that is getting favorable reviews with the range for a good walkaround lens. If at some point you want to shoot lowlight action shots then you will have to spend more to go to the faster lenses mentioned by Pea-n-me. There is a wide variety of lenses, both Pentax and third party (Sigma, Tamron), available for the Pentax line.

 

[npmommie]

Thank you both very much, this is very very helpful! I just requested the Bryan Peterson book from the library
that will help!

yes the lense that came with the camera is the 18-55 ( I had to go look!)

I should use it more. I guess because I don't understand it much, I have just been using it on auto when I do use it.
now that my dd is competing in gymnastics it would be nice to bring it to meets to get some good action shots.
so I think I will be taking it out and practicing

 

[npmommie]

Hey there. I use a different brand of dSLR but will try to help speaking in general terms. You are wise to hang out here if you want to learn more about using your camera. (And there are some very knowledgeable Pentax people here as well.)

Low light and/or movement require a "fast" lens. Fast lenses are those that have wide apertures (low f numbers), such as f/1.8 or f/2.8, etc. Most kit lenses only go to f/3.5-4.6 (zoomed) or so, so those might not work great in low light. Fast lenses can be expensive but are worth having as part of a versatile set up that will ultimately help you get the kinds of shots you're after (ie really good ones, lol). They come in different focal lengths so it's good to figure out your style of shooting. (From what I've seen, most people starting off with a dSLR get the kits but realize they need a fast lens or two after using the camera for a while and becoming frustrated their shots are still blurry.) Many people pick up a 50mm f/1.8 to start. This should be a good portrait lens and I believe it's usually reasonably priced.

As for a "multi-use" lens, some refer to that as a "walkaround lens" and it covers a wide variety of focal lengths, for instance 18-180mm. Most will tell you that these types of lenses aren't as good quality as lenses that only cover smaller ranges of focal lengths, but some feel it's worth it for the convenience. For a while I used an 18-180 and truthfully, I didn't see a difference in quality and for me, it was better to use that than to keep switching back and forth between the 14-54 and the 50-150, which I didn't really enjoy doing. (I've since pretty much abandoned it - well, actually, gave it to my son for his beginning set up - after buying some fast lenses which are the only lenses I use now.) But again, if you rely only on this type of lens, you might have difficulty getting low light or action shots.

A couple of suggestions. You mentioned you don't use the camera much. Use it more. The only way to get better is to practice and see what works and what doesn't. Don't just give up on it. If you haven't read Understanding Exposure yet, pick up a copy and read it. It will help you understand the Exposure Triangle (ISO, aperture and shutter speed) which will be the first step toward all of this making sense.

I'm sure others will chime in, but let us know if you have more questions.

so do you use a fast lense for your everyday walk around lense?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

so do you use a fast lense for your everyday walk around lense?

Yes. After some trial and error, I decided that would work best for me. The three lenses I keep in my bag currently are a 25mm f/1.8, an 18-54 f/2.8 and a 50-200 f/2.8. I probably use them all equally.

Good news for you is that there are many options for you to aquire other lenses that will work well for you using a Pentax. I can't speak to those options but there are many others here who can.

We've got to get you off Auto, though.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

so do you use a fast lense for your everyday walk around lense?

Like Pea-n-me I also use a fast lens for my walkaround. Its a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8, followed by the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 and the Sigma 100-300mm f4. Those are my three main lenses. When I need to go wider then I will use one of my two 18-55's (AL & AL II). When using the 18-55 for low light action shots I usually have to use an external shoe mounted flash. I also have an older manual 50mm 1.4 lens that I use infrequently. Because I have two camera bodies, the DW will use one, I do have some overlap in lenses because I maintain two separate bags/kits. I keep the 50-200mm f4-5.6 in her bag because she likes to go lightweight. There are some other lenses that I have my eye on when the funds become available.

 

[Groucho]

The problem is that a fast lens is going to be a decent investment in cost for you. The Pentax 50mm F1.4 used to be a relative bargain at $200 but now costs much closer to $400. You're not likely to find a 16/17/18-50mm for much less than $400-500. That's a fairly significant outlay if you're only even bothered picking up the camera a small handful of times.

You called the camera a K100; I assume that you mean a K100D. If that is the case, I would probably lean towards recommending an upgrade to a Pentax K-x or maybe even a K-r (which is new and replaces the K-x); that will be 1-2 stops "faster" than the K100D due to cleaner high ISO performance (important for low light and for action photos, which require a fast shutter speed) plus it has dramatically faster autofocus.

I just sold my K100D locally for $250; if you sold yours for a similar amount and bought a K-x, I think you'd get better results than you would by buying a fast lens for your current camera.

If you don't want to go that way, your best bet may be the just-released Pentax 35mm F2.4 lens, which can be had pretty cheap - just over $200, I think.