Missing a lens?

eyetrip · 25 Mar 2013 at 15:30

The idea of spending yet more money on lenses pains me, but I know I am missing two - very wide and long zoom.

Currently have for my NX1000, the kit 20-50mm, 30mm pancake, 60mm macro, and the 18-200mm zoom.

I do feel like I need both wider and longer.

On the wider end, I guess I may be ok with the 18mm on the zoom lens. Would love the 12-24mm, but not at current price just shy of £500. Though there is a Samyang 14m manual lens which I think I can get for around £300 (though I guess I could throw the 8mm in that boat too, but think its a little too wide for my uses).

On the tele end, the 200mm may be a bit restrictive when it comes to getting some birds on hols. Have been looking at getting 2nd hand pentax fit 135mm f3.5 prime with 2x converter and adapter for about £75. I know it only gets me about another 33% zoom capability, but the optical quality should out-do my zoom, and it's still quite small and light.

I have considered both the pentax 75-150mm and the 200mm prime (again using the 2x converter), but they are a bit bulkier, slightly slower, and will be a nightmare without ois - where even the 135 is going to be pushing it without ois once the converter on

Is it really worth spending the mula going wider or longer on either of these options?

eyetrip · 25 Mar 2013 at 16:29

Thanks for the info DP

I do accept that I will lose ALL auto functionality. It will be a complete manual process which will be difficult, but a last resort for those far off things. And probably something I would only consider if I do end up getting the NX300 in time (for focus peaking).

Didn't realise it was going to limit me quite so severely using an f3.5 lens on a 2x converter.

Also just took it for granted a teleconverter would just work with all mathing mounts...

The 200mm was not a DA, and is F4, so even worse than the 135mm in that regard. I guess the 135 was tempting because it was small and light, and I was hoping to get away with not lugging anything too large around.

My 18-200mm is a good video lens (as it was designed for), and pretty decent overall, but quality falls off towards the 200mm end, and 200mm is also just a bit shorter than I'd like. 300mm would be ideal, but Samsung just don't have it yet.

I will look around for other options. But I am getting the impression from what you say, that I'd need a fast prime around 200mm which is going to be neither cheap nor small, and a 1.4x converter...

May just need to bite the bullet and live with my current zoom for this holiday

eyetrip · 25 Mar 2013 at 19:03

ManCuBuS said:
Do Pentax lenses fit the NX then or do you have to have an adaptor?

Needs an adapter

eyetrip · 26 Mar 2013 at 07:15

I think about the best combination I can find is canon fit vivitar 70-150mm f3.8 with matching 2x converter (nothing like a 1.5 converter there that I can find).

Not sure what mounts besides pentax pk and canon fd offer full manual control lenses.

Perhaps it's just not worth the bother if you reckon I am going to struggle with ligh DP?

ManCuBuS said:
Ah ok, I presume its manual focus only then?

Yeah, don't think there are any adapters for any auto lenses yet.

eyetrip · 26 Mar 2013 at 14:56

Yeah, perhaps I could have chosen differently in first place, but I'm not selling up now

I was put off the m43 by smaller sensor and possible low light noise. I found that on holidays in Mexico, many of my photos were rubbish as a result of too slow shutter as result of trying to keep iso down in anything but direct sunshine - perhaps very much my fault, but one of reasons I had for going larger sensor.

But I wanted something relatively compact still, hence going the Samsung route. Perhap could have gone Sony NEX, but I didn't...

I could get probably any canon (or even nikon) lens, I think, as I am sure there are adapters out there for most mounts. the only down side of the more modern (and typically smaller) lenses is I will have no manual aperture control, and aperture will always be at it's smallest.

Maybe I can live with that.

Or maybe I just need to live with my current limitations and not spend more?

eyetrip · 26 Mar 2013 at 16:38

Think I described something incorrectly - if I get auto lens, it will be stuck wide open I believe (smallest f number) rather than closed.

The problem I have is, I only really want the zoom capabilities when on holiday, which in itself rules out SLR's for me, as close as I was to getting one recently, purely due to bulk.

When I'm back home, the stuff I currently have is more than sufficient, and I have no need for anything longer.

The great thing about these mirrorless systems is they can be as big or small as I want really. Slap on the 30mm pancake (and to lesser extent the 20-50 kit lens) and it's pretty much a carry with me at all times camera.

I'll have a look for non-g lenses tonight. But I am kinda resigning self to just living with what I have on the zoom side of things.