[BBear]

Hello guys,


I am shopping for either a K200D kit or K10D kit, havent yet decided on the body. But one thing is defined: I will be getting the kit lens.


Now, as I was shopping around, I realized that diff vendors offer different lenses... And I also read that a certain Pentax Kit Lens is very popular and highly recommended among users.


Which Kit Lens should I be looking for? Any specs?


Thanks in advance,


BB

[séamuis]

there is technically only one 'kit' lens the smcP DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL well there is the new version II (I think comes with the K20/K200) which is supposed to be much improved though the original is in no way a slouch. some vendors offer kits with both the 18-55 and the 50-200 but the standard is the 18-55 and I'm pretty sure the lens you are referring to as being highly recommended as a starter lens is the 18-55.

[ftpaddict]

Go for the 16-45 if you've got some spare cash lying around. Or better yet... wait for the 17-70 to come out.

[BBear]

there is technically only one 'kit' lens the smcP DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL well there is the new version II (I think comes with the K20/K200) which is supposed to be much improved though the original is in no way a slouch. some vendors offer kits with both the 18-55 and the 50-200 but the standard is the 18-55 and I'm pretty sure the lens you are referring to as being highly recommended as a starter lens is the 18-55.

Thanks for the clarification. Maybe what I saw for sale then was just the body-only matched to some 3rd-party lenses. (i guess thats a no-no).

But I definitely came across some "kits" with lenses other than the "original" 18-55 kit lens.


now coming back to the real kit, is there available a K10D with the new 18-55 II lenses? how can one tell if they are buying the version II or not?


TIA!

[BBear]

Go for the 16-45 if you've got some spare cash lying around. Or better yet... wait for the 17-70 to come out.

I appreciate any recommendations regarding lenses.

also, keep in mind that I am a newbie, so if you could please be more detailed about the suggested 16-45 i'd appreciate: exact model number/listing, f/? and cost US$.


My original plan was to purchase the kit lens 18-55 together with a 50mm fast lens. No manufacturer preference for the prime 50mm. Any recommendation?


By the way, can someone link me to a page that explains the Pentax nomenclature for their lenses? smcP? DA? FA?


Thanks all!

[séamuis]

no I don't think you will find the k10 with the 18-55 II. to get that you will have to purchase a k200/k20 or purchase it separately. when it comes to the 50mm thats all up to what you are willing to spend and whether or not you want/need auto focus. until I know that I cant really recommend one in particular but I will say that pentax is highly prized for its prime lenses particularly 50mm so any pentax version is well worth choosing. keep in mind that a 50mm lens is going to give you the field of view of I think a 75mm? lens because pentax currently has no 50mm DA prime lens and all the 50mm primes were designed for 35mm film not the APS-C sensor in all pentax DSLR's

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/23436-pentax-lenses-type.html

The Pentax Camera Lens Compatibility Chart

Welcome to Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page

[BBear]

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/23436-pentax-lenses-type.html

Welcome to Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page

Wow.. the second link is incredible! Geeez... it lists lenses older than me!

Regarding the 50mm prime lens, budget is a concern and I dont mind manual focus.

I came across this lens in another post: M50 1.4

I think this is the one: M 50/1.4


If so, I guess i'd have to score one in ebay

[séamuis]

Wow.. the second link is incredible! Geeez... it lists lenses older than me!

and all useable (with some limitaions) on any Pentax SLR/DSLR

Regarding the 50mm prime lens, budget is a concern and I dont mind manual focus.

well the 1.4 is going to be a bit more expensive than the 1.7, and yea ebay will be your best bet all I can say is be diligent about your purchase. make sure it has both caps, and it is in good condition ie: oil free, snappy aperture blades, no scratches, swirl/cleaning marks on front or rear glass elements, no dents and dings, things like that.

well If you don't mind manual focus and manual metering then the M series cant be beat. I own a 50mm 1.7 myself, though it sits on my K1000 most of the time. if you don't mind manual focus but would like auto aperture capability then go with the A series (my personal favourite as you can tell by my signature) I use A series because I mostly use Av mode on my camera. the early A series is just as good build quality wise as the M series, all metal. if you would like to read reviews and get a good idea on specific lenses then you can check out the lens review database.

Pentax Lens Review Database - Main Index

and welcome to the forums by the way.

[k100d]

I have an M 50 1.4 and wow!
the build quality is phenomenal and smaller than the K series of lenses i believe. if you get a mint condition item, you can really appreciate the craftsmanship. the focus ring is smooth with good resistance (but not as slick as a Takumar). in terms of image quality, i'm not an expert but everybody seems to like it a lot, although i heard the 1.7 is sharper. but just the experience of using the lens will make you like it a lot more.

[BBear]

Mate,


Thanks a TON for the links and feedbacks. I'll be busy for another few days digesting all the info you provided me.

[rfortson]

Not sure what your future lens path will be, but you might want to consider the camera with either the Pentax or Tamron 18-250 lens (basically the same lens). It's a very convenient lens, and is actually faster (wider aperture) over the same range as the 18-55 kit lens. Image quality is very nice as well.

Of course, you'll pay for that convenience. The 18-250 goes for about $450, while the 18-55 goes for around $75, so it probably doesn't make economic sense. But we're talking about photography, not logic.

[séamuis]

Mate,


Thanks a TON for the links and feedbacks. I'll be busy for another few days digesting all the info you provided me.

no problem at all. I'm always happy to introduce someone to the wonderful world of Pentax.

[rparmar]

also, keep in mind that I am a newbie, so if you could please be more detailed about the suggested 16-45 i'd appreciate: exact model number/listing, f/? and cost US$.

You're looking at the Pentax SMC-DA 16-45mm f/4 ED AL, though providing prices is useless as they are all over the map depending on where you want to shop. They come up used here on the forum regularly, so you might want to keep a look out. Definitely under $400 though.

Photozone does excellent tests that in my limited experience actually mean something. Here's the link for this zoom. I bought it as a replacement for the kit lens since 2mm on the wide end means more to me than 10mm in the mid-telephoto range. Also the constant f/4 aperture means that setting exposures is easy even if I reframe. And the lens is unusually consistent in sharpness out to the edges for one this inexpensive. Also good contrast and colour rendition. I'd say it's best for architecture, cityscapes and landscapes. Of course it is not as fast as other options, but its lots cheaper.

My original plan was to purchase the kit lens 18-55 together with a 50mm fast lens. No manufacturer preference for the prime 50mm. Any recommendation?

The kit lens is good value for money, since it is not usually much more expensive than buying the body alone. But if you know immediately you won't need it I guess you can save the cash.

If you want the 50mm focal length you may as well get the Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 for a couple hundred bucks. It's reputedly an amazing lens and you will soon discover all the great things you can do with glass this fast.

Me, I got the FA 43mm f/1.9 limited instead. It's smaller and lighter though twice as costly. But there is nothing like the limited lenses for sheer joy of use. And I find 50mm an awkward length on a crop sensor, since it is equivalent to 75mm. I either want more reach (so I got a 100mm, equivalent to 150mm) or a wider view. I would have been even happier with the 31mm limited in terms of focal length, but could not afford it and don't really like the physical size.

[Big Dave]

Bear,
Rather then pay upto $150 for the kit lens with the camera, why not buy a good used one off this site in the Market place forum. I did and it is like new for $55 shipped. Later If you don't like it you can easily sell it for what you payed for it. This lens will give you some idea of what focal lenghts you need. If you don't shoot a lot of senery or groups etc. the kit will be just fine for the wide stuff. Tele-photo lenses from 75 to 200 are dirt cheap in manual focus versions.

Dave

[rparmar]

Regarding the 50mm prime lens, budget is a concern and I dont mind manual focus.

But are you sure you want to give up auto-focus completely? In many cases it is extremely handy to be able to snap onto a moving person (for example) with a good degree of accuracy.

Also, please consider whether you want to do stop-down metering. Although I have two manual focus lenses I will not bother myself with non-"A" lenses since manually determining aperture is just one thing life is too short for! (IMO of course.)