Which of these lenses would you choose? One more lens just right for you

Digital interchangeable lens choices are not limited to the almighty and easy-to-use standard kit lens. There are many other distinctive lenses that can expand your enjoyment of photography! Among those lenses, we would especially like to recommend the following four PENTAX interchangeable lenses. We hope you will put their capabilities to good use in a diverse range of situations. (Standard kit lens = The lens which can be purchased as a set with the camera body)

Which of these lenses would you choose? One more lens just right for you

Situation 01

Landscapes

If you want to shoot landscapes that are more uninhibited and dynamic, we recommend the DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF].
You can create more fun and interesting image transformations by placing objects with volume at the edge of the image.

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm
F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

Including the beautifully clear sky, the photographer shot this landscape with the tree as its center point. The building is distorted, but that distortion is a distinguishing characteristic of this lens. If you move some distance away from the subject, the distortion decreases, thereby strengthening an impression of expansiveness.

Standard zoom kit lens

Standard zoom kit lens

Moving back from the position where the fisheye photograph was taken, when shooting this image the photographer tried for a similar composition. The presence of the tree is there, but the expansiveness of the image is quite different. If the key quality you are looking for is expansiveness, you should try this fisheye lens.

Situation 02

Portraits

If you want to take dynamic portraits, we recommend the DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF].
Shooting with a background containing many straight lines will increase the distortion, creating a fun image with an unusual feel.

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm
F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

This image was taken in an interior terrace from an angle that creates a sense of expansiveness and depth. Compared to the image of the kit standard zoom lens, the depth of the background is emphasized. Almost as if she were trying to avoid getting lost in the expansiveness of the image, the model made a dramatic gesture.

Standard zoom kit lens

Standard zoom kit lens

To give a feeling of depth, the photographer squatted down slightly to take this picture. Viewed alone, the photograph is beautifully composed, but its impact feels weak compared to the fisheye image. Changing lenses is one option for giving variety to your photographs.

Situation 03

Flowers

If you want to give greater emphasis to the form of the flower, we recommend the DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF].
Shooting the flower from different angles produces various types of deformation so you can create a high-impact image.

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm
F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

When shooting a round flower, one effect of this lens is to strengthen the flower’s presence by increasing the distortion. This is especially effective with flowers, such as the sunflower, which feature a high degree of roundness. The expansiveness of the background approaches that of an insect eye view. Try imagining yourself as an insect while searching for an angle to take the shot.

Standard zoom kit lens

Standard zoom kit lens

If the objective is to beautifully portray the flower, this lens is the better choice. However, although this image has beauty, it is lacking in the kind of surprise that has an impact on the viewer. Try changing lenses to break out of the syndrome where your landscapes all look like something the viewer has seen before.

Situation 04

Animals

We recommend the fisheye lens for comical shots such as the so-called “big nose” photographs.
By changing the subject distance while shooting, you can capture many fun expressions.

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm
F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

When the photographer approached the cat lounging on the playset, the cat also became interested and moved closer. If you look through the finder, you will be approaching the cat along with the camera, and this may cause wariness. So we recommend that you use the live view mode and move just the camera closer.

Standard zoom kit lens

Standard zoom kit lens

The kit standard zoom lens is just fine for taking conventionally beautiful photographs. However, there are times when just taking beautiful photographs feels somehow inadequate. Using a lens with which extreme changes are possible will bring a refreshing change of pace so it may also present opportunities for discovering new ways of looking at things.

A lens capable of expansiveness and deformation

A lens capable of expansiveness and deformation

Fisheye lens

smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm
F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

Fisheye lens smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF]

This lens offers an extremely wide angle of view, from the ultra-wide to fisheye range. The expansiveness of the angle of view goes way beyond that of the angle of view of human vision. Looking through the lens, you will find an expansiveness far removed from reality. The characteristic deformation of the lens gets even stronger as you approach the subject. Once you get used to the angle of view, you can avoid a monotonous reliance on extreme effects and further expand the appeal of the lens by making a conscious effort to move back and shoot the subject from an intermediate distance.

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