What are good starter lens to have

[Ahren]

As some of you might know. I just bought my first dslr - KX. Currently only have kit lens 18-55mm.

Thus seeking advise on what will be a good additional starter lens (if there is such a term) to purchase for general usage. The key word is affordablility. Please do not "poisoned" me. :angel:

Kindly advise also where will be a good place to get it. If possible

Thanks much for any advise,

 

[elavan]

Basically the DA zooms you see on Pentax product page are just about those you are looking for, otherwise for maximal affordability, you can always get a good legacy glass (they still produce competitive IQ for their age) at about $200SGD & manual focus :bsmilie:

 

[jjynwa]

For general use, maybe you can consider getting a tele zoom lens? DA 55-300 or the DA 50-200. Together with your kit lens, you're good to go!

 

[airconvent]

As some of you might know. I just bought my first dslr - KX. Currently only have kit lens 18-55mm.

Thus seeking advise on what will be a good additional starter lens (if there is such a term) to purchase for general usage. The key word is affordablility. Please do not "poisoned" me. :angel:

Kindly advise also where will be a good place to get it. If possible

Thanks much for any advise,

If you want something better than the 18-55mm, then the Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 would be a good choice. Its heavy but produces very pleasing results. Primes are the way to go but of late I find them cumbersome when I need both wide and tele frequently as I kept on changing lenses.

 

[eselite]

Hey Ahren, the smc takumar 50mm f1.4 is my walkaround lens! haha. I suggest you use your 18-55m lens for 3 months and see what it can do for you. I always see beautiful shots taken with a kit lens too.

 

[Gengh]

I suppose you do not quite know for sure what kind of photography you're more keen to pursue, since you're just starting out. You could consider getting something in the tele range, like DA50-200, DA55-300, or Tamron/Sigma 70-300, and together with the kit lens, that should give you enough of a starting point to find out what you like. If you still have spare cash, a fast prime like 50mm f1.4 will definitely be useful, can see if shooting with primes suite you, and also if you like using fast lenses.

Once you know what is important to you, you can choose your own poison from the DA*, Limiteds, etc. :devil:

 

[elavan]

Hey Ahren, the smc takumar 50mm f1.4 is my walkaround lens! haha. I suggest you use your 18-55m lens for 3 months and see what it can do for you. I always see beautiful shots taken with a kit lens too.

yeah TS, try some vintage glass, they are cheap, fun and good :bsmilie:

 

[airconvent]

frankly speaking, the kits lens on the kx looks a little cheap compared with the 18-55 II lens found in the K200D but that is to be expected in view that it is an entry level low cost (but high performance!) camera.

I thought I will never use it at all but yesterday, I did take it out for the evening with the family inspite of it being a slow lens. Had to get used to the bulk again after being so pampered by the small pancakes. The output was pretty decent nonetheless so unless I find a good walkabout zoom, maybe I will stick with the kit lens for a while in situations where the pancakes will not be as efficient.

 

[le petit prince]

frankly speaking, the kits lens on the kx looks a little cheap compared with the 18-55 II lens found in the K200D but that is to be expected in view that it is an entry level low cost (but high performance!) camera.

I thought I will never use it at all but yesterday, I did take it out for the evening with the family inspite of it being a slow lens. Had to get used to the bulk again after being so pampered by the small pancakes. The output was pretty decent nonetheless so unless I find a good walkabout zoom, maybe I will stick with the kit lens for a while in situations where the pancakes will not be as efficient.

If one is happy with a normal to mid-tele lens, consider the gem of a Pentax F35-70 f3.5 - 4.5. About as expensive as the kit 18-55, or even less so, which means it's very cheap.

I'm not a zoom user, I thought, but now I am, at least part of the time. Only because of this lens. A step up from the kit in terms of speed and optical quality, but it loses the wide. Also has a useful pseudo-macro mode.. which works well.

And what clinches it for me is its compactness, about the size of a FA50. Amazed.

Have it for last 2 days, and very happy with it. A nice complement to my 21-43-70, for events and other fast-paced shots.

 

[fengwei]

If you've no experience w/ using SLR camera before, go and get a manual 50mm lens. Even a cheap 50/2 full manual lens can make much better photos than your kit lens, and a manual lens will force you to learn and improve on photography 'cause you can't use your Kx as a point and shoot camera w/ a manual lens mounted . This is my suggestion for newbie dSLR camera users.

 

[alanswan]

I'll say 18-55 is a good starter.
Use it for some time first to find your style.
If you find it too short for many of your shots, then you should get a longer zoom, like DA55-300 or DA50-200 that JJ mentioned.
If you find it not wide enough, the consider a wide zoom, like Sigma10-20 or DA12-24.
If you find yourself frequently shooting ard the same focal length or macro, then you will want to consider a macro lens or a prime lens with good IQ.
In any case, easier to decide once you have narrowed down to a specific class of lens.
Otherwise, the alternative is what you told use you didn't want: POISON!!! BUY BUY BUY!!!!!

 

[creampuff]

Keep that kit lens!!!
Why?
Because it's the cheapest lens that covers the wideangle angle of view.

Use that kit lens thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly) for about a month or so to discover what it is capable off and what its limitations are. During that period of intense usage, hopefully you'll find out more about exploiting angle of view, composition, aperture control, depth of field, shooting close-ups, etc. Hopefully you'll get a better idea of what you need to shoot the subjects you like. Only then go out and buy your next lens. A good photographer will be able to get nice images no matter what lens is on the camera.

 

[pinholecam]

Agree with Alanswan and Creampuff. Explore the focal lengths provided in the kit lens first. Is a kit lens for a reason (ie. a versatile very usable range of focal length for a person starting out).

Later on, review you pictures and see what focal length you shot most of your shots at. Also think about what focal length you missed. Then you should be well set to get the next lens.

 

[flowerpot]

FA24, FA31, FA43, FA77, FA*85, A*135, FA*200, A*200, F*300 are all good starter lens

they are the basic lens to have... :bsmilie:

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

don't buy lousy lenses just because they are cheap, eventually you will outgrow the lens and then you will find it hard to sell it off to upgrade. spend a bit more money but if you ever tire of the lens or need cash you can liquidate quickly and painlessly.

go for the best there is and don't look back. :devil::devil::devil:

 

[maverickh]

This is the quality the kit lens is capable of producing. Try it out for several months and as you progress over the coming months and gradually get poisoned by LBA then you will know what lens to buy :bsmilie:

 

[fengwei]

There is only one good starter lens, it's an FA* 85-300/1.4-4.5:

All the rest are just okay, but can't say they are good ...

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

There is only one good starter lens, it's an FA* 85-300/1.4-4.5:

All the rest are just okay, but can't say they are good ...

faints :faint:

 

[pinholecam]

There is only one good starter lens, it's an FA* 85-300/1.4-4.5:

All the rest are just okay, but can't say they are good ...

Yeah! Few ppl know the secret, but you can actually join the 3 FA* and it becomes a particle beam cannon!

 

[krishna91]

i can give you one answer - understand the perspective of your 18-55mm and then find out its shortcomings(For your preferred genre of photography). Then you will know what to buy for sure.