[mikemike]

I have 2 (citi and amex) rewards credit cards that I am going to stop using in favor of a better card that puts money straight into my bank account instead of waiting and redeeming. I have about $750 worth of rewards on each one and am considering turning them into camera gear which for my own purposes I will consider "free" . Citi can be used at J&R and amex can be used at amazon or I could use those points for 2 airplane tickets almost anywhere in the US (although we my wife doesn't have time off from work until next spring and the vacation of course entails spending more money).

My current kit is k-x, DAL 18-55, and Sigma 50 mm/1.4.

I am interested in a faster wide angle b/c video shot indoors with the DAL wide open is too grainy and the sigma is too zoomed in but not too grainy at f/2.8. I was looking at the DA* 16-50 but it seems like it is a dodgy part. I don't have a telephoto zoom but haven't really missed it, although if I used the amex to take a vacation it would come in handy. I haven't needed to use the flash because the k-x with a fast lens doesn't really seem to care about poor lighting but I think it might be useful to have a flash to practice with and for the AF assist light.

What does pentax forum think?

I am between (DA* 50-135 and a vacation) or (DA* 16-50, DA 55-300, and a flash)

Below are the items under consideration, I did a price comparison at adorama and BH too.

Code:

Item         	Amazon	J&R	Adorama	BH	
DA* 50-135	990	800	800	820	Overpriced at amazon
DA* 16-50	750	745	744	750	Is this a dodgy lens?
DA 55-300	350	350	363	350	Is a WR version coming soon
Metz 48     	225	n/a	225	225	
Sigma 530 DG 	220	n/a	220	220	
Metz 36     	110	n/a	110	110	
Metz 58     	405	n/a	405	405	
Pentax 360 Flash	275	250	250	225	
FA 31        	n/a	1300	965	n/a	Overpriced

[Eagle_Friends]

looks like you need more reach in your gear

so i would suggest the DA 50-135 and the DA 55-300. Throw in a flash if you have the money

if you think you're more of a prime lens kinda guy, get the DA 40, DA 100mm macro WR, and DA 15.

[SpecialK]

Option 2 makes sense, with a faster and slightly wider lens, and a telephoto. The 55-300 is great for the price. None of the other choices address your original post of wanting a faster wider lens than the kit.

[blackcloudbrew]

You might give the DA 15 limited a look or the DA 21 limited as well.

If you get a flash get one that the head swivels. This is the only drawback to the Pentax 360 flash. It's good but I now have a Promaster 7500 flash with a swiveling head and it's great.

[NaClH2O]

I aggree with Eagle Friends about the 55-300, but I'd get a Tamron 28-75 F2.8 and the
Sigma 530 flash. If you are anything like me you will find the Tamron 28-75 on your camera 80% of the time. If you like to shoot wide, I can highly recommend the Pentax DA 12-24.

[mikemike]

looks like you need more reach in your gear

so i would suggest the DA 50-135 and the DA 55-300. Throw in a flash if you have the money

if you think you're more of a prime lens kinda guy, get the DA 40, DA 100mm macro WR, and DA 15.

I don't think I will need telephoto until we go on vacation sometime next year or for a graduation in December. I won't need it for sports or anything like that until a couple years down the road. I am mostly baby chasing at this point, and I do prefer primes for photos but I think zoom is clutch when it comes to video.

I aggree with Eagle Friends about the 55-300, but I'd get a Tamron 28-75 F2.8 and the
Sigma 530 flash. If you are anything like me you will find the Tamron 28-75 on your camera 80% of the time. If you like to shoot wide, I can highly recommend the Pentax DA 12-24.

For photos I use the 50 almost exclusively. I used to use the 50 for videos too but now she is starting to walk and in the nursery I can't even get her whole body into the frame (16:9) even if I am jammed up in a corner and she is in the middle of the room. Switching to the kit lens it was better video and it is nice to be able to zoom in and out without moving, although it isn't too bad because I have bolted a mini-tripod onto a skateboard to use as a prime zoom while shooting video. I will have to check out how useful it would be to be able to go down to 28 I think that it might be enough because one of my options/hopes was to be able to get an FA 31, but it is overpriced at JR (if it was under $1000 I would chip in the difference). The tamron is 460 at amazon and that would be an alternative to the DA* 16-50.

[Marc Sabatella]

The 18-55 can do f/3.5 at 18mm. You're not going to find a lens that wide that is more than half a stop faster. That's not going to make a significant difference.

[Rondec]

I use my DA *16-50 a lot for video and it works great. The extra two mm on the wide end are nice over the kit lens too for indoor shooting. Sounds to me like that, combined with an external flash would probably work best for you. If you have concerns about the SDM, then consider a Tamron 17-50 f2.8. Not quite as wide, but sharp throughout and has good recommendations. Using longer lenses for video is frustrating, because you really tend to get a lot of camera shake.

[MPrince]

You might want to consider the Sigma 17-70 HSM.