If you could do it all over again... AND, your Dream Setup...


Status
Not open for further replies.

reyreina

New Member
Dec 26, 2008
433
0
0
35
Singapore, Boon Lay
I remembered reading similar thread from another forum, didn't bookmark it and now i can't find it anymore. Sigh.

For myself, i just can't stop thinking about collect all the big momma aperture lenses. But reality hit me when i realised it is just impossible to get the autofocus copies of those with the amount of monies i have in my piggybank. However, the dream of owning a pristine copy of the legendary Pentax-A 50mm f1.2 never dies.. I also had the fetish for fisheye lens, but due to my creativity or stupidity, i would almost always use it for portrait purposes of my significant other half's face, then it became impractical after she sees the image captured on the lcd. Occasionally, i do feel all i want(am i normal?) is an all-in-one zoom lens that has big aperture, wide open sharpness, yet compact. Last but not least, with all the poisonous camera p*** posted here, i'm sure the ultimate dream of most peeps is to own what else but all the DA & FA ltds!

Thus, for those interested, thread title says it all, if you could do it all over again, i.e. you managed to sell all your lenses at cost, which 4 lenses would you have gotten?, the selective choice of 4 lenses seems reasonable since many of you may have owned all the lenses you wanted, but we want to see which lens is the favourite, most versatile, most preferred, and differentiated with those that are regret purchases or expensive yet least used.
 

Last edited:
If i could do it all over,
Sigma 10-20mm f4
Tamron 28-75mm f2.8
K 50mm f1.2
DA 55-300 f4-5.8

As you can see, i'm quite a dork who is unwilling to spend. This is also my bang-for-buck setup, a good balance between value and performance

My dream setup,
Sigma 10-20mm f4
DA* 16-50 f2.8
DA* 50-135 f2.8
A* 135mm f1.8

Even if i am rich, i still want a mix between manual focus and auto focus lenses, and i am always game to give up the 50 1.2 for the 135 1.8 :bsmilie:
 

sigma 10-20
tamron 17-50
pentax 50mm f/1.4 (just for cats)
any good telephoto zoom up to 300mm, but to be honest, i'm fine with the tamron 70-300

dream?
just replace tamron 17-50 with the pentax da* 16-50
 

Speaking of DREAM setup, it'll probably be a set-up you'll never quite have, lenses that you probably can't own. Well for me, it'll be:
1. FA*200mm f4 macro. :devil: (or at least voitglander 125mm f2.5 macro)
2. FA*85mm f1.4 (just for portraits)
3. FA*600mm f4 or compromise with a FA*300mm f2.8
4. Lastly, A50 f1.2 (silver).

Ah, seems like it's just a bunch of discontinued lenses again. FA*'s are ever so popular. But as a newbie, I used to hate their design and finishing. kk, I am just dream-talking...

If I were to pick only 4 lenses, they will be, in terms of use and practicality:
1. DA15mm
2. DA35mm
3. FA77mm
4. any 300mm. Can be F*, FA or DA though I would like the first choice. ;p

But I'll lose my fisheye ability. Else these 4 lenses should cover enough ground for me. :D
 

With Pentax, I already actually have all that I really, practically want and then some; ;)
With CanikonSon, I'd probably only have 1 body + 2-3lenses :D


Ok.. maybe a few more.. :think:

DA15
FA*80-200/2.8
A*300/2.8
A*135/1.8

somehow, I've never learned to love any ltds


Greed is insatiable....
 

With my Canon, I can't really get to my dream setup as the cost will just kill my piggy bank, and then my wife will kill me, suicidal for me and my piggy no good :D :D

However, Pentax give me that second chance to fullfil my dream setup and also revived the Pentaxian inside of me (very first SLR - Pentax ME Super) ;)
Body K-7
DA* 16-50mm F2.8
DA* 50-135mm F2.8
DA* 200mm F2.8
Carl Zeiss ZK 25mm F2.8

Of course I got distracted and added a few more lenses and a K-x body along the way. :D :D
 

Only 4 lenses? Not quite enough leh... one wide/normal, one tele, one macro and one fast prime seems like bare minimum and already take up all the slots! But I'll play by the rules...

DA*16-50mm
DA*50-135mm
DFA100mm macro WR
FA31mm limited

No UWA and long tele... :cry:
 

Last edited:
Only 4 lenses? Not quite enough leh... one wide/normal, one tele, one macro and one fast prime seems like bare minimum and already take up all the slots! But I'll play by the rules...

DA*16-50mm
DA*50-135mm
DFA100mm macro WR
DA31mm limited

No UWA and long tele... :cry:

Hey, where can we get a DA31mm limited? I want! :cool:
 

If it's based on the currently available lenses, that'll be
DA 12 - 24
FA 31 Ltd (Silver)
DA 50 -200 WR
DFA 100 WR

And I think I am not far off ... ;-)

But that means no place for 1 of the best FA Ltd - 77 (Silver), and all the DA limiteds, and the F*300.
 

Last edited:
For now my dream lenses will be...

The three princess..FA* 31/43/77 ( Silver )
Last three...New WR DA 100mm marco / DA 200mm & 300mm.
 

I have already "do it all over again" :bsmilie:

I sold my DA21, DA35 and DA70 setup a few months ago and bought the samsung 12-24 and tamron 28-75. Now i'm only short of getting the tamron 70-200...

I suddenly notice that the only pentax item i have in my dry cabinet is the k20d. :sweat:
 

Changed the first post slightly to make the subject more focuses; removed the dream setup element as it doesn't really serve much purpose. So, even if you had owned all the lenses you wanted, if given a chance to sell all your lenses at no loss, which 4 lenses only will you choose? This is may show the true "people's lens", the most versatile, and differentiated with those that are regret purchases or expensive yet least used.


Fengwei: i need your help in changing the threat title!
 

Last edited:
Here's what I have right now. I'm quite happy with my lens line-up, which serves my purpose well, though the 17-50/2.8 is on extended T-loan to my brother and I'm trying to plug the gap with the 35/2. I tried to get away from Tamron, but I think I'll always be a Tamron person!

Samsung 12-24/4
Samsung 35/2
Tamron 17-50/2.8 (on loan)
Tamron 70-200/2.8
Tamron 70-300/4-5.6 (on loan)
Tamron 90/2.8

I think my dream four at the moment would be the following. I'm trying to stay far away from the Pentax DA and FA Limited self-inflicted poison, and convince myself that what I have is good enough!

Samsung 12-24/4: Ultra-wide ultra-fun at 12mm, group photos and streets at 24mm. Can even be used on film at 18mm onwards.

Tamron 17-50/2.8: Not as much character as the FA31, FA43, FA50, etc, but a workhorse that easily gets the job done. My brother is enjoying this lens at the moment I think!

Tamron 70-200/2.8: My fav:lovegrin:rite lens at the moment. I love the isolation it gives for people shots and the low-light reach for sports, stage and events. I haven't used it for close-up shots but I hear it performs well there too. It also gives me a pro photographer ego boost, although I really should be focusing on improving my pictures instead! I see some here (felix, liveevil) are eyeing this lens, I say go for it!!

Pentax DFA 100 WR: My Tamron 90 does fine for portraits and macros but the Limited-esque look of this lens, WR sealing and rounded aperture blades make it a winner in my books.
 

Changed the first post slightly to make the subject more focuses; removed the dream setup element as it doesn't really serve much purpose. So, even if you had owned all the lenses you wanted, if given a chance to sell all your lenses at no loss, which 4 lenses only will you choose? This is may show the true "people's lens", the most versatile, and differentiated with those that are regret purchases or expensive yet least used.


Fengwei: i need your help in changing the threat title!

But frankly, the good and relatively cheap lenses from Pentax has allowed many here (you ppl know who you are!) to already have their dream setup. Maybe even a few times over in fact. My humble setups...

Set1 (M42 setup)
----
Soligor 17/4
Takumar 35/3.5
Takumar 55/1.8
Takumar 135/3.5


Set2 (K mount Manual lenses)
------
K24/2.8
M50/1.7
M85/2
K135/2.5

etc

I would be happy if I only had any 1 set. So I am many times happier that I stuck to Pentax and I have so many lenses to mix and match. Set1 and 2 costs what? Probably the cost of one 24-70/2.8 from Canon?
 

Last edited:
Dream setup is something you can't have but dream about. So if possible, I'd like to have:

K-2 (full frame Pentax dSLR)
DFA*10-24/2.8WR
DFA*24-70/2.8WR
DFA*70-200/2.8WR
DFA*200/4WR macro
 

But frankly, the good and relatively cheap lenses from Pentax has allowed many here (you ppl know who you are!) to already have their dream setup. Maybe even a few times over in fact. My humble setups...

Set1 (M42 setup)
----
Soligor 17/4
Takumar 35/3.5
Takumar 55/1.8
Takumar 135/3.5


Set2 (K mount Manual lenses)
------
K24/2.8
M50/1.7
M85/2
K135/2.5

etc

I would be happy if I only had any 1 set. So I am many times happier that I stuck to Pentax and I have so many lenses to mix and match. Set1 and 2 costs what? Probably the cost of one 24-70/2.8 from Canon?


:thumbsup: In fact i would prefer MF to AF if not for the many occasions my own family members want to snap the shot instead, then i will have to unmount the MF primes.. and mount on the kit 18-55..

I will die for...
85/1.8
135/1.8

With these lenses, i'll never get headaches again over shooting under available light in concerts. Throw in k7 or k-x's iso 3200 into the equation, pp with noiseninja and WOOHOO!
 

:thumbsup: In fact i would prefer MF to AF if not for the many occasions my own family members want to snap the shot instead, then i will have to unmount the MF primes.. and mount on the kit 18-55..

I will die for...
85/1.8
135/1.8

With these lenses, i'll never get headaches again over shooting under available light in concerts. Throw in k7 or k-x's iso 3200 into the equation, pp with noiseninja and WOOHOO!

85/1.8 is really to die for, but with that price in the current market, might as well go for 2nd hand 77ltd:devil:
 

:thumbsup: In fact i would prefer MF to AF if not for the many occasions my own family members want to snap the shot instead, then i will have to unmount the MF primes.. and mount on the kit 18-55..

You could prefocus for them. Usually for my AF lenses, I would switch to MF mode so that the person using the camera will not adjust the focus when half pressed. I just ask them snap can already. ha.
 

Hmm..maybe i am not as greedy as you guys..;p I am pretty satisfied with my current setup and just a slight change and it will be my dream setup liao and most importantly I dun need to spend so much!:bsmilie:

Current
1) DAL 18-55mm
2) DA70mm F2.4
3) FA35mm F2.0
4) DA10-17mm

If I have more money, it will be:

Dream
1) Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 (I love this lens since my Nikon days)
2) FA35mm F2.0 (will keep this)
3) DA70mm F2.4 (will keep this)
4) Sigma 10-20mm or DA10-17mm (very hard to decide which one I want)
 

Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.