[rogerstg]

I just ordered a Pentax K-70, and now want to choose a lens.
. . . would like to find a lens better suited to my use.

Most of my pictures will be taken in Michigan while hiking / hunting. They will be nature based, animals, birds, cool scenery, etc. . . .
I'd like a general zoom lens that I can keep on the camera most of the time.

. . .I'm really looking for a decent lens that can me the only lens I carry for most of my hikes. Generally speaking it will be for small birds / animals in the 30' - 300' range with some landscape tossed in.

One lens for animals to landscape, relatively lightweight and somewhat compact? IMO, the lens that fits that bill is the 55-300 PLM. Normhead has already shown what it can do for wildlife with some spectacular examples. For it's capability for landscape, I urge you to look at northcoastgreg's stunning photos in the DA 55-300 PLM . . . forum: here

[mikesbike]

You might consider changing your order. I wonder wherefrom your order is placed. Here in the US at least, the K-70 is offered in a pre-packaged deal with the DA 18-135mm DC WR lens with a great savings on the lens. An outstanding deal for what you get. With this lens, compared with others you have been considering, you would have a WR design to complement the WR design of your camera body. If you do not have a WR lens on it, there will not be WR for the body either. It has to be as a complete system. As you must know, here in Michigan one never knows when the weather might change.

One thing to be aware of, with Canon or Nikon, to get a body having a WR design, you'd be shopping in the $1,000+ range, and likewise for a WR lens!

The DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 DC WR is not a fast, f/2.8 constant-aperture capable lens, which has that advantage for low light use, but it can maintain f/3.5-4.5 up to 70mm, which is about one stop off such a lens. Not bad considering the higher ISO with low noise cabability of the K-70. Then you could sell off your DA 18-55 kit lens as it is nowhere near as good as the DA 18-135mm, which is still compact. Its AF is also far better. That money could go towards a low light specialty prime lens, like the DA 35mm f/2.4, or a DA 50mm f/1.8 (also excellent for portraiture). Keep your two telephoto zoom lenses for now, but eventually plan on replacing the FAJ lens with the DA 55-300mm PLM model, which is also compact, has WR, and has spectacularly fast AF. Then you'd really be set.

[Lucky Dog]

You might consider changing your order. I wonder wherefrom your order is placed. Here in the US at least, the K-70 is offered in a pre-packaged deal with the DA 18-135mm DC WR lens with a great savings on the lens. An outstanding deal for what you get. With this lens, compared with others you have been considering, you would have a WR design to complement the WR design of your camera body. If you do not have a WR lens on it, there will not be WR for the body either. It has to be as a complete system. As you must know, here in Michigan one never knows when the weather might change.

Thanks. This is exactly what I did. Canceled the body only and reordered with the 18-135 lens package. With the plans of adding another lens in the near future. Having a complete WP setup makes a lot of sense for what I'll be doing with it.

[ramseybuckeye]

Thanks. This is exactly what I did. Canceled the body only and reordered with the 18-135 lens package. With the plans of adding another lens in the near future. Having a complete WP setup makes a lot of sense for what I'll be doing with it.

Good idea, you get the lens much cheaper that way. But it's not WP, it's WR for Weather Resistant. You can play in the rain and snow, but with care, and dry it off afterwards, and make sure it's dry before removing the lens.

[Bertrand3000]

I think you have made the right choice. Congratulations for your new purchase.

[normhead]

Now the fun begins.

I have say, when I bought my first copy of this lens approx. 10 years ago, I had no idea I'd still be using it, but it's stood the test of time.

[Apet-Sure]

I'm looking forward to seeing some of your images taken with this combo. Have fun!

[mikesbike]

Good move! Just don't have your mode dial set to "Auto" (it might come packed this way) as then the camera will select a number of parameters, some of which are not displayed, so you don't know what it is doing. And this disables most controls and adjustments, including the amazingly fast and convenient exclusive Pentax Hyper System. Instead, if you wish fully-automatic exposure setting of both aperture and shutter speed, choose the P (Program) mode instead. If you like to shoot highest quality JPEGs right out of the camera, the K-70 will bring excellent results, just be sure to set up Fine Sharpening in the Custom Image menus, especially in the most often-used "Bright" category. You can access via the info button. Any questions you may have, don't hesitate to let us know.

[RICHARD L.]

Personally, I use the P (Program) mode only with flash. For landscapes, I use Av (Aperture priority) and an aperture between f/8 and f/16 depending on the scene. As soon as you receive your new machine, test your lens with a fixed scene, on a tripod, at various focal lengths (ex. 18 mm, 35 mm, 70 mm and 135 mm) and all apertures to determine the optimum opening of the lens beforehand. Knowing is empowering.


Regards

[Lucky Dog]

I'd like to thank everyone for the input and comments. You all have really helped, and made me think about things that I would not have thought about.

My camera arrived the other day, Pentax K-70 with the 18-135 lens package. I had originally ordered the body only. But after reading many of the comments here, switched it to include the lens. I am glad that I did..

My first impression is that I have a steep learning curve. I'll admit that in the past I was an "Auto" guy. I really want to get away from that and use the camera to its full capabilities.

So thanks again, and watch for me to ask more "dumb" questions in the future. LOL

Lucky Dog

[UncleVanya]

I'd like to thank everyone for the input and comments. You all have really helped, and made me think about things that I would not have thought about.

My camera arrived the other day, Pentax K-70 with the 18-135 lens package. I had originally ordered the body only. But after reading many of the comments here, switched it to include the lens. I am glad that I did..

My first impression is that I have a steep learning curve. I'll admit that in the past I was an "Auto" guy. I really want to get away from that and use the camera to its full capabilities.

So thanks again, and watch for me to ask more "dumb" questions in the future. LOL

Lucky Dog

I bought a k-50 years ago with the 18-135. The k-50 has been sold off but the 18-135 is still here. You made a good choice.

[Bertrand3000]

I'd like to thank everyone for the input and comments. You all have really helped, and made me think about things that I would not have thought about.

My camera arrived the other day, Pentax K-70 with the 18-135 lens package. I had originally ordered the body only. But after reading many of the comments here, switched it to include the lens. I am glad that I did..

My first impression is that I have a steep learning curve. I'll admit that in the past I was an "Auto" guy. I really want to get away from that and use the camera to its full capabilities.

So thanks again, and watch for me to ask more "dumb" questions in the future. LOL

Lucky Dog

Your K-70 is an excellent body, and your 18-135 will probably last a lifetime. Well done.

[normhead]

My first impression is that I have a steep learning curve. I'll admit that in the past I was an "Auto" guy. I really want to get away from that and use the camera to its full capabilities.

Put the new camera in AV. For the most part I pretty much leave it there, changing only ISO when the shutter speed becomes to slow, and aperture. But even with the aperture I usually use ƒ5.6 or ƒ8. You do have to watch your shutter speed.... but it's not that much different from "auto".

[jgnfld]

Put the new camera in AV. For the most part I pretty much leave it there, changing only ISO when the shutter speed becomes to slow, and aperture. But even with the aperture I usually use ƒ5.6 or ƒ8. You do have to watch your shutter speed.... but it's not that much different from "auto".

Re. "Put the new camera in AV."

Good advice.

That said, I've come to using P mode these days after doing exactly that for years. The reason is that in P mode, operating the aperture dial (rear) operates just like Av. No diffs that I can see at least. However should you want to change speed for some reason (like birds I can see will taking off the water in seconds as I get closer with my boat) you just use the shutter speed dial (front) and the camera operates in Tv mode. While I routinely use both together, I'm not entirely sure if it's exactly the same as TAv mode, but for my purposes it acts very identically to TAv.

Our typical targets and environmental circumstances are the similar in many ways (though you have a some warmer and drier climate, probably...I used to live in Duluth as a kid/college undergrad and spent much time up in the BWCA and Quetico). Any thots?

I had seconds to set up this pic at 1/3200sec, for example...



Don't know why the exif reports "Manual". [added later: Perhaps the dial moved off AE an so I was actually in Hyper M] which I very rarely intentionally do except in very special circumstances.