On Tue, 25 Mar 2003 02:42:15 GMT, "jriegle" <jriegle@att.net> wrote:

>If you were limited to only use three primes, what would they be? I'm

>considering lightening my kit to travel by bike or not be drug down after a

>day of toting camera equipment. I'm looking at the following used (for K

>mount):

>

>Pentax SMC 28mm. Probably f/2.8. Small, light sharp(?) cheap. Had a Vivitar

>19mm f/3.8, but it lacked wide aperture performance. It was fun for many

>shots (especially tight interiors, but other than that, it was too wide for

>much use).

I like wides, so...;-) BTW, wides can be hand-held

at MUCH slower than usual speeds, so can be used

at smaller stops, where they perform better...

>Pentax-M SMC 50mm f/1.7: Have this one! Sharp, contrast, small, light and

>did I say sharp?

>

>Pentax-M SMC 135mm f3.5. Said to be sharp, Only 1/2 stop slower than the

>more common f/2.8 I should not miss much but is small, light and has 49mm

>filter size to match others.

It is about 2/3rds stop slower (which is almost a

stop...;-). Pentax also had a good 85mm and 100mm,

as I recall - faster than the 135, but still small...

>Someone may say I can cover that with a 28-135 lens, but not at the speed

>and sharpness. I've tried the zooms and the contrast, edge sharpness,

>distortion and light fall off just don't cut it for enlargements. The

>problem I see it the big hole between 50 and 135mm.

But for the linear distortion and corner performance

near 28mm at wider stops, a 28-135mm f4-4.5 (almost

constant-aperture!) Tamron SP I have has performed

about as well as good non zooms (and since I now need

AF [DARN!!!], this excellent lens is available and

is adaptable to most MF bodies, and some AF bodies

[MF-only, though...] - see:

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/fs.htm).

If I had to choose 2-3 lenses for ???, these

combinations are/were favorites, depending on what

I'm shooting, and conditions:

- 20mm f2.8, 35mm f2, 85mm f1.8 (plus 1.4X)

- 16mm fisheye, 28mm f4 PC, 85mm f1.8 (plus 1.4X)

- 20mm f2.8, 35mm f2.8 PC, 50-135mm f3.5

- 20mm/24mm/28mm f2.8 or 28mm f4 PC and 75-150 f3.5

(plus 1.4X)

- 20mm f2.8, 35mm f2.8 PC, 135mm f2.8 (plus 1.4X or

2X)

- 20mm/24mm/28mm f2.8 or 28mm f4 PC and 75-150mm f3.5

(plus 1.4X or 2X)