[audiobomber]

Here's my kit so far:

K100D Super
DA 18-55mm
DA 18-250mm
FA 50mm 1.4
DA 55-300mm
Tamron 70-300mm Di (for macro)
Raynox 250 diopter
UV filter for each lens
Sigma 530 Super flash
Tripod (basic, needs upgrade)
Battery grip
1G SD and 4G SDHC cards
3 kit bags, various sizes
Photoshop Elements, Pentax Photo Lab, Picasa

My question is, what would you do next? I assume most people would add a lens or two, so I posted in the Lens discussion, but if at this stage you would upgrade the camera or add something I don't have, or if something I have needs a massive upgrade to suit your style, tell us about it. OTOH maybe this kit would meet your needs and you'd do nothing. Maybe you don't like so much gear and would sell some off. Maybe you'd sell it all.

Please note that I am not asking what I should do next. I'm asking what you would do next. It doesn't matter what focal lengths I like to shoot in, or what my budget is. I just want to know what you would do to make this kit work for you.

[bikee4]

I'd get rid of the 18-250 and the Tamron zoom and get a DA* 50-135 Then upgrade to the K20 then start accumulating limited primes...but that's just me

p.s. get a Voigtlander Macro APO-Lanthar 125mm f2.5 for macro work (for sure!)

[Chriffer]

I'd add something either wide or odd. Sigma 10-20, the Pentax 10-17 fisheye, maybe something faster in the telephoto range. That just seems like a lot of lenses that do very similar things. I'd also make sure I had some low drain AA's as well as one more cheap memory card when I saw one for $15 or something. Also some kind of $5 remote, you never know when one would be handy and they take up no space.

[bwield]

I would sell off the Kit lens, and DA 18-250 and the Tamron 70-300mm...
I would put the money towards a good Macro lens (maybe sigma 70mm ex macro) and than get either a Wide angle zoom (16-50mm) or the 21mm limited

[Wheatfield]

Upgrade the tripod, you already know you need to. A decent tripod will improve your photography, a bad one will make you wish you had taken up a different hobby.

[kjask]

I would go shooting..

[Wheatfield]

I would go shooting..

Very good advice.

Here's my kit so far:

K100D Super
DA 18-55mm - Sell it
DA 18-250mm - Sell it
FA 50mm 1.4
DA 55-300mm
Tamron 70-300mm Di (for macro) - Sell it
Raynox 250 diopter
UV filter for each lens - Sell the ones not needed anymore after you sell the coresponding lenses
Sigma 530 Super flash
Tripod (basic, needs upgrade)
Battery grip
1G SD and 4G SDHC cards
3 kit bags, various sizes
Photoshop Elements, Pentax Photo Lab, Picasa

Sell whatever accesories are redundant or not needed anymore

My question is, what would you do next? I assume most people would add a lens or two, so I posted in the Lens discussion, but if at this stage you would upgrade the camera or add something I don't have, or if something I have needs a massive upgrade to suit your style, tell us about it. OTOH maybe this kit would meet your needs and you'd do nothing. Maybe you don't like so much gear and would sell some off. Maybe you'd sell it all.

Please note that I am not asking what I should do next. I'm asking what you would do next. It doesn't matter what focal lengths I like to shoot in, or what my budget is. I just want to know what you would do to make this kit work for you.

Now after I would get rid of those above (IMO average glass and quite overlaping) depending on my needs and/or budget if I were you I do the following:

Plan A) Replace in terms of FL and special functions (macro) what I sold with better quality glass on the budget:

- DA 16-45 or DA 17-70;
- Tamron 90/2.8 Macro or DA 35 Macro

whatever suits you best.

I'll end up with 2 zooms from 16 or 17 to 300 maybe with a 10 mm gap in between and 2 primes (FA 50 and a macro one).

Plan B) If cost is no object and you plan to upgrade soon the camera to a 14.6 Mp sensor:

- DA* 16-50 + 50-135;
- one of the following Macro lenses depending on your style: VL 125/2.5; DFA 100/2.8 Macro; Tamron 90/2,8;
- one or more (or all ) Limiteds for quality and more important size when travelling light especially if you plan to keep K100DS as a back up body;
- one or both DA* 200, 300 for tele range.

I'll end up with some of the best lenses the Pentax system can offer at this moment.

My 2 cents,
Radu

[jsherman999]

.


Not kidding here - sell everything, and buy a K20D + DA* 16-50 + DA* 50-135.

Your image quality will take a leap into the next level, and you won't miss any of the other stuff, most of which is redundant for you now anyway.

This is a minimalistic approach, but you'll thank yourself many times over for getting this new "minimalist pro" kit.


Then, later on, you can slowly expand by buying inexpensive M, K & Super Taks - and then you'll really start to have fun!
.

[Venturi]

Here's my kit so far:

K100D Super
DA 18-55mm
DA 18-250mm
FA 50mm 1.4
DA 55-300mm
Tamron 70-300mm Di (for macro)
Raynox 250 diopter
UV filter for each lens
Sigma 530 Super flash
Tripod (basic, needs upgrade)
Battery grip
1G SD and 4G SDHC cards
3 kit bags, various sizes
Photoshop Elements, Pentax Photo Lab, Picasa

Well you have already been told to go shooting and that's the best advice so far.

But, given the LBA evidently has set in here is what I personally would do assuming cashflow isn't really a problem...

Keep the K100, grip, flash, cards, bags (never too many of those) and software. Keep the 18-250 and FA50. Keep the 55-300 if you use it a lot, otherwise sell it. Put the UV filters away somewhere at least for now.
Sell everything else.
Now, in no particular order buy:
+ K10D/K200D or go all the way and get the K20D.
+ Whichever you like best of the Pentax/Tamron/Sigma 16/17-50mm 2.8. I went with the Tamron because I'm not fond of how Sigmas feel and the Pentax is/was $300 more.
+ DA* 50-135mm F2.8. This is the next lens I will buy.
+ Whichever you like best of Pentax 100mm, Tamron 90mm or Sigma 105mm macros. I have the Tamron and absolutely love it.
+ DA* 300mm F4 if you really shoot that range often. I want it, just don't know if I really need it yet.

And now you know my lens roadmap as well.

[Serpiente]

sell:

DA 18-250mm
Tamron 70-300mm Di

buy

Sigma 105mm Macro lense (if you want real macro)

and maybe a circulair pola filter on your widest lense.. for the nice effect in landscapes and sunny weather

[audiobomber]

Lots of interesting responses so far, thank you. I'm not going to say what I intend to do, because that's really not what I was getting at. As I said at the start, I want to see what you would do if you owned this kit. How would you need to customize it to suit you? I find ithe responses fascinating.

[ryan s]

I would go shooting..

Very good advice.

Indeed, I would do the same.

That's why I hate these kind of threads...even though the poster has a pretty comprehensive kit already, the need to buy buy buy has set in.

Our advice will be heard, but not taken to heart :ugh: So we have another pointless thread...

[audiobomber]

Our advice will be heard, but not taken to heart :ugh: So we have another pointless thread...

So it's pointless because your advice may not be taken? A lot of people responded tp this thread. Clearly I can't do what everyone thinks is best. All I wanted to know is what people would do if they had my kit. I find it interesting to hear the different approaches to the hobby. If talking about gear is pointless to you, then maybe you shouldn't follow this forum.

As others have mentioned, you got lots of overlap that I dont really understand the need for. But we all buy lenses in the order we buy them... (I have a lot of overlappin' myself.

But what I would want to know before tossin' in my 2 cents is.....

What do you like to shoot... With all those lenses it seems like you have got to have a pretty good idea of that!

For me, I snap faces... so I want a fast zoom that can allow me to zoom in lots of defferent conditions and lengths... So for me my next lens is a DA 50-135 2.8 or one of the 70-200 3rd party 2.8-- to go along with my Tamron 28-75... I do not shoot wide and I need the constant aperture!

If you dont have kids or are not a face shooter then those might not be the ticket for you...

You know if you concentrate a lot of your shots on the wide end or on the tele.

Tell me that, and what you like to shoot and I will give the the perfect answer HAHA... and my bucket full of steel and glass proves otherwise.


But the "go shoot the camera" is probably the best advice... You got a lot of decent glass and should be able to get some very satisfying and borderline amazing shots.... The limit to what we can do with the cameras more often than not is us!