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Your lens matters because it’s the first filter between your subject and your camera sensor or film. This can drastically affect what your camera “sees”.
What’s In A Lens?
This can be a lengthy discussion and the technical information really isn’t that important for this opinion piece.
I recently had cataract surgery and that involved replacing the lens in one eye. Before the surgery, I couldn’t see anything other than a blur out of my left eye. I had to totally rely on my right eye to see. After the surgery, I noticed everything through my left eye was crystal clear and only then noticed everything out of my right eye had a yellowish tinge. The vision is different out of each eye but working together, I have near perfect vision. Except of course, the yellow tinge that is now noticeable because of the right eye.
Now, if colour is most important, I cover my right eye so the only filter is the lens in my left eye which is now a little far sighted but I can trust that lens to give me the best colour representation. If something is closer to me and clarity is more important, I cover my left eye and allow for the fact what I see is a little yellow because of that lens.
ProMaster (80-210)
OK, I wouldn’t rush out to buy this lens. It’s definitely not as sharp as Pentax glass or Sigma. That being said, it has fair colour rendition and not bad resolution. This lens just requires more work in post processing. If you’re on a budget, this lens can have a place in your bag. This is good for a little more reach without giving up too much quality. Ironically, my Pentax K-1ii identifies this as the Tamron AF 80-210mm. I would bet specs would be similar for both.
Sigma DG 70-300mm Macro
My experience with Sigma lenses is they are not all created equal. There are a few versions of this lens. For example, the HSM model has built in electronic focus rather than using the Pentax camera screw drive. That would make the lens faster and much more silent.
This version is screw drive but I can still count on good clarity, decent focus and very natural colour representation. There is less post processing with this lens than the above mentioned Pro-Master.
HD Pentax-D FA 28-105mm
First, let me admit to a very strong bias toward Pentax glass. I can always count on clarity and amazing colours. Photos taken with this lens tend to have more vibrant colours and are very crisp. Especially when used on my full frame Pentax K-1ii. Although the reach isn’t as good as the two lenses above, the quality will allow you to crop what you need and still retain quality. The photo above and to the left was taken with the HD Pentax-D FA 28-105mm and then heavily cropped. Click this link to see the full image.
Yes. The Lens Matters!
All of this to say, the lens you choose matters. When deciding your photography budget, think about whether you are after the best quality photos or having an arsenal to experiment with different shooting styles or being specifically more artistic. For example, there are lesser Pentax lenses than others but in some cases, I prefer those because they have amazing lens flair. Yes, I have been known to do that on purpose!
If the goal is to achieve the technically best shot that will enlarge well, buy the better lenses. If it’s about your artistic endeavors, you may actually save on individual lenses to have a larger number to choose from for different effects. Join some Facebook groups or other forums and see what others have done. Listen to their opinions and then make your best decision. Remember, Ebay is your friend!
Make it a great day,
Barry
P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for Pentax cameras, multitudes of lenses and time to enjoy them!
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