[koekie]

Thanks everyone for the input and ideas. I appreciate it!

I am still not totally convinced, but I think I might go for the K-70 + Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 + Pentax 55-300mm PLM + one or two primes. The suggestion to go for the Sigma 17-70mm 2.8-4 is a good one, but perhaps it makes more sense to have the 17-50 with the fixed 2.8 aperture. For daytime landscapes a focal length of up to 50mm is fine anyway, and a fixed 2.8 aperture means it can also be quite good for a lot of low light stuff. And if i need more zoom, well, then the 55-300mm PLM picks up right where the Sigma stops...

I think there are a lot of contradictions in your requirements, Koekie, like low light performance and going to m43. :-D

Not necessarily You can still shoot pretty good low light shots with a good m43 camera and a fast lens. It's just not as good as an APS-C sensor, and certainly not as good as the K-70 which apparently is very good at high ISO's considering digital noise. This is one of the reasons why I am looking at Pentax...

Another option to consider is the DA Limited 20-40 f2.8-4. It is "silent", rationally fast, reasonably small, and has good image quality.

Great suggestion. Indeed relatively quiet, good quality and still sort of prime-ish. However, I think it would be a lot more attractive if it would have a fixed 2.8 aperture. Also, the price is a bit high, considering alternatives.

Get the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 along with the K-70, IMO. The latter actually exhibits noticeably less noise at higher ISOs than the K-S2 or K-3 even, so you should be good to go by pushing the ISO when needed.

As for silent primes, there aren't that many around sadly. The Sigma 30mm might be the best option, if you can get your hands on a good copy.

Yes the Sigma 17-70mm seems a very good purchase. Probably a better option than the Pentax 16-85mm I was thinking of first. The Sigma 30mm is interesting too, but how do I know if it's a good copy knowing that I m very inexperienced?

i just can't see the "quiet" in all caps being a total killer for choosing the da limited set. screwdrive isn't like an airhorn, i think you just hear it that way

for all low light stuff, all walkabout stuff, for all landscape stuff, architecture stuff, portrait stuff, pretty well most things besides sports and wildlife....

you won't find a more compact more broad reaching and most of all affordable setup than this from anyone...

Indeed a very practical and compact, such a 5 lens case. That way you cover a lot of focal lengths. However, these da limited lenses are not very fast, especially the 15 and 21 mm. Besides, this would involve switching from lenses just a bit too often.

Welcome! We can be a bit of a rowdy bunch, but I think I can find you something that will make you happy.

3) I really recommend you check out the Vixen Polarie tracker. Don't bother with the accessories, just the tracker, a tripod and a second ballhead will do wonders for your astrophotography. There are plenty of lenses in this range... perhaps the Samyang 14mm [$329]? Manual focusing is the rule for astrophotography anyway.

4) I actually like the 50-135mm or the 100mm Macro for this purpose, but most birders prefer a longer zoom. How about the 55-300 PLM [$400]?

Yup, the 55-300 PLM is high on my list actually. The hands-on review wasn't too positive when a fast moving dog was running towards and away from the camera, but basically this lens should be good enough for my needs.

I read about the Vixen Polarie tracker. Mostly positive reviews, althouth quite some owners do complain about a too tight fit at the battery holder which could break at some point. But anyway, it's twice the price of the Pentax O-GPS1 GPS Unit and I think I will already be quite satisfied with the 'tracking' results of the GPS unit.

Hard decision, I doubt there is a perfect solution, whatever you choose may take a little compromise to make work.

Yup, I might have made it sound like I won't accept any compromise. But obviously, I am well aware that every camera choice brings compromises with it.

Going M43 means a bonus for size, compactness, handling, lens choice and features like the 4K video mode on Panasonics, but M43 automatically means a somewhat lesser IQ, especially at low light...Going Pentax means great value, ibis, weathersealing, rugged body, great IQ, great low light capacity, but perhaps less compelling lens choices, not the best AF and poor video performance.

Going the K-1 route means a lot of excellence, but at the cost of size, weight and a much thinner wallet There is hardly a perfect choice...

[UncleVanya]

Does anyone have an aperture vs focal length chart for the Sigma 17-70? I'm curious if @ 50mm it is really that much slower than the f2.8 17-50. The only thread about this I can find related to the older f2.8-f4.5 version.

[koekie]

Does anyone have an aperture vs focal length chart for the Sigma 17-70? I'm curious if @ 50mm it is really that much slower than the f2.8 17-50. The only thread about this I can find related to the older f2.8-f4.5 version.

According to an Image Resource review:

17mm: f/2.8
23mm: f/3.2
28-48mm: f/3.5
49-70mm: f/4.0

Basically this means that the Sigma 17-70 at 48mm is 'only' two-thirds of a stop slower than the 17-50 at the same focal length (f/3.5 vs f/2.8).

You raised an interesting point here. This comparison kinda makes you think twice about picking the 17-50 over the 17-70 solely based on the aperture. Perhaps the convenience of a longer focal length is worth more than two-thirds of a stop of more light coming in. This probably holds true especially in low light situations while using the K-70, which apperently has an excellent signal-noise ratio at higher ISO's right?

[lithedreamer]

Great suggestion. Indeed relatively quiet, good quality and still sort of prime-ish. However, I think it would be a lot more attractive if it would have a fixed 2.8 aperture. Also, the price is a bit high, considering alternatives.

Just for reference, the weight of the Tamron you're considering is about twice that of the Limited zoom. It's all a compromise.

[MarkyMark68]

Anyone know how well the new HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE works with the K-S2?

[Adam]

Yes the Sigma 17-70mm seems a very good purchase. Probably a better option than the Pentax 16-85mm I was thinking of first. The Sigma 30mm is interesting too, but how do I know if it's a good copy knowing that I m very inexperienced?

It might sound funny, but it's a good copy if it can take sharp pictures in AF mode. Some of them simply can't focus correctly no matter what you do.

[Adam]

Anyone know how well the new HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE works with the K-S2?

We'll have a full review of it soon. First impressions here:

Hands-On with the Pentax DA 55-300mm PLM WR RE - Hands-On Tests | PentaxForums.com

Adam
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[koekie]

It might sound funny, but it's a good copy if it can take sharp pictures in AF mode. Some of them simply can't focus correctly no matter what you do.

Alright. But if it's a bad copy, then I suppose I can easily send it back for repairs/new one under the warranty? In other words: it's worth the 'risk'?

[pathdoc]

you won't find a more compact more broad reaching and most of all affordable setup than this from anyone...

Nice. Where did you get the case? I have the contents, and this is one of the best ways I can think of to carry them around.

[theskonesdad]

Limited lense case. https://www.amazon.com/Pentax-Limited-Lens-Case-Black/dp/B008AXOBAO/ref=sr_1...+limited+case:)

[UncleVanya]

Limited lense case. Amazon.com : Pentax DA Limited Lens Case 2 (Black) : Camera Lens Cases : Camera & Photo)

Fun case. That's the first time I have seen it available new in a long time. That's the 5 lens version, I have the 3 lens version. The case has semi-rigid sides and soft dividers. Very smart option for carrying the DA primes or even a bunch of M43 lenses...

---------- Post added 10-27-16 at 02:56 PM ----------

Here is a review of the 3 lens version:
Pentax DA Limited Lens Case Review - photo.net

---------- Post added 10-27-16 at 02:57 PM ----------

B&H appears to carry this again so remember to buy from them via the site links to help Adam!

[Adam]

Alright. But if it's a bad copy, then I suppose I can easily send it back for repairs/new one under the warranty? In other words: it's worth the 'risk'?

Yes, that would be covered under warranty. You may also have to submit your camera to get the calibration carried out if one is needed.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

OK...you consider screw drive too noicy. You consider buying manual focus.

I'm not against manual focus...have some myself. But you do know you can turn of the autofocus, right?
So you can buy for example the DA50/1.8 (which is extremely much lens for the money) and focus manually when you want to be in stealth mode.

What's more...no I don't think the DA18-135 is enough for birds, except ostriches, turkeys etc. Any version of the DA55-300 will get you much closer to that. That is a very good lens for a consumer zoom in that range. Then you are likely to find out that 300mm isn't enough for a lot of birding either.

[koekie]

OK...you consider screw drive too noicy. You consider buying manual focus.

I'm not against manual focus...have some myself. But you do know you can turn of the autofocus, right?
So you can buy for example the DA50/1.8 (which is extremely much lens for the money) and focus manually when you want to be in stealth mode.

What's more...no I don't think the DA18-135 is enough for birds, except ostriches, turkeys etc. Any version of the DA55-300 will get you much closer to that. That is a very good lens for a consumer zoom in that range. Then you are likely to find out that 300mm isn't enough for a lot of birding either.

Haha ye you are right. Today I tested the 55-300 PLM and I thought 300mm would give me more reach than it actually did. Still, 300mm + cropping should do the trick for any distant wildlife/objects. Seemed like a pretty impressive lens, except for situations where a fast running dog is quickly moving towards you. Had to chance to test that in practice, and seems in line with the results you read in the official hands-on article of the 55-300 PLM: kinda blurry dogs pics....But I am quite sure this can be improved since I am totally new.

Actually I already tried both plastic fantastic lenses and I cant say the screw drive really bothers me. I guess I was thinking too negatively about it before.

Yes, that would be covered under warranty. You may also have to submit your camera to get the calibration carried out if one is needed.

Good to know, thanks.

[redcat]

To avoid LBA, invest in the best lens and then concentrate on the shooting
I used to try many lens from sigma, tamron, m42 and then back to the Pentax Limited, don't have the urge to buy any lens since.

My dream team : DA 15mm f4 (landscape, ultra wide angle), FA 31mm f1.8 (wide, normal), FA 77mm f1.8 (short tele, portrait) <= with these 3 you are good to go and your bag will be pretty light. It's a one time investment and will serve you for decades.