[madbrain]

Interesting. I find Panasonic menus to be very easy to follow. They are similar to Pentax in my experience but I don’t have the gx85. I also turn off touch screens a lot, and I’m an old school center point focus and recompose guy. I can’t get used to other options - I keep trying but so far the old ways are still with me.

I find changing the focus point on the Pentax quite easy, though I admit to using spot focus & recompose sometimes to. It's not easy when photographing moving pets/kids, though. But way easier to do on the Pentax than the Lumix.

Gotcha. Honestly a toss up. The gx85 w/12-35 is quite unobtrusive and easier to use without getting much attention but taking two sets of gear seems like asking for pain. Two chargers extra batteries for both etc. I lean towards no superzoom and no m43 unless for a backup in case of an issue with the main camera. However a backup Pentax apsc body seems like a better choice if you still have one.

I don't have another Pentax APS-C body. My mother does, though, a K-50. My sister's bf has a K-5 IIs also.

I have decided to take the GX85 with me. Hope I don't regret it. It's not going to be fun measuring the weight and volume of my luggage and carry on this weekend. Camera gear and Li-on batteries can't be checked in. The AA batteries can, though.

If I do end up taking a superzoom, I'll probably take the Sigma 18-300 APS-C rather than the older Tamron 28-300 A061 that is full-frame. The former is better optically even though it's only APS-C. It's also 28-450mm equivalent, so more reach. I have had a lot of decent shots with the Tamron, but none I would call truly excellent.

---------- Post added 06-03-21 at 09:19 PM ----------

One of the posters made a comment about his wife fussing at him about taking all of "that gear" with them on vacation. Good point.

My wife, on the other hand, makes comments when there is a particularly good photo opportunity and I'm caught "fiddling" with my gear. You know, trying to mount my flash and figure out what lens to use. By the time I get all of my gear out, the photo opportunity is over. Then, I get more comments regarding "why do you have all of the photography gear" if you can't take a simple picture? Another good point. So, this is why I'm now going to keep a dedicated lens on my K-70 that can capture those low light shots of the grandkids immediately. I've found that life happens fast and if you can't capture it, your missing out.

Point in fact. The other day, my granddaughter was on our living room rug and our dog had snuggled up to her. She was dozing off and the dog laid his paw over her. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen. I immediately went for my camera gear and figured I'd need my flash. Well, after I rummaged around and got all of my gear sorted out, the moment was over. I missed it. This is what caused me to start doing things differently. I now keep my camera out on the kitchen table. Battery charged, etc. So, when the grandkids come over and a moment happens, I won't miss out. I think this is why cell phone photography is getting so popular. This was another comment my wife made about my K-70 and all of my gear. "You could have taken that picture with your cell phone. Why do you need all of that photography gear?" Yet another good point on her part.

So, I'm doing things differently now. I love DSLR cameras and the Pentax K-70. It just fits in my hands perfectly. But I'm also reevaluated keeping a huge bag of camera gear in my closet that is not very accessible when "the moment" is right in front of me.

This has been a good thread for me. I've learned a lot. Most importantly, keep your gear handy, ready to shoot and with a lens that will capture low light and everyday photos.

Lumberjack93

Yes, it's a good point. I live in a huge multi-level, 4600 sq ft. My camera gear is stored downstairs. I tend to live more upstairs. We don't have kids, but we have pets. There is also wildlife outside frequently enough. The moments are not easily captured with the high-end camera gear. My smartphone is almost always in my pocket, except when it's charging. So that's what I reach for in those moments. The pictures are not the greatest despite the 108MP on the Note 20 Ultra. Much better than nothing, though. I have not made many large prints from smartphone. Only one so far in 13 years of owning smartphones. That was a pic from the Note 20 Ultra.

One thing the Note 20 ultra can do that my DSLR and MILC can't is focus and shoot in the complete dark. It has radar for focusing in the dark. I wouldn't make a print at high ISO. But it's amazing that the pic can be taken at all ...

If your DSLR is within a few seconds walk, and not closer to one minute, as mine usually is, I wouldn't worry about flash. The K-70 is a high ISO camera. You can shoot without flash at high ISO. It has a built-in flash, also, unlike my K-1 II that requires one to be mounted on top. Even the small TT350P flash doubles the height of the camera, and that means it doesn't fit on my shelves with it installed. And if you don't want to worry about changing the lens, use a zoom with enough reach, like a Pentax 18-135, or Sigma 18-300 if you can find one. My Lumix GX85 also has a built-in flash. I think there is something to be said for a small camera body. The big DSLR body isn't always the best option.

Mirrorless cameras tend to be smaller bodies, but the advantage is negated with the biggest sensor, ie. the full-frame mirrorless. You'll have big and heavy lenses to mount there too. You win a bit of volume with the reduced flange distance. But you also lose the optical viewfinder. So I don't know how much sense it makes. The smaller sensor mirrorless cameras make more sense, IMO. I was checking specs on my GX85 + 12-35 lens and it's about the same volume as my first compact, an Olympus C3030Z that was 3MP, only 3x optical zoom and wrote to unreliable SmartMedia. It used 4AAs and was not light either. It didn't have an optical viewfinder. The GX85 has about 8 times the sensor size of that compact in the same volume. And the K-1 II has 4x the sensor size of the GX85. I guess I really need to learn to properly use the GX85. I don't have many good pictures from that Olympus compact. 3MP is not enough for a 13x19 print, even if the photo is good. At least 6MP is needed, 10+MP is better. On the other hand, I have taken many pics with the GX85 that could warrant printing at that size. Just nowhere near as many as with any of my Pentax bodies (K200D, K-30, and now K-1 II).

[jgnfld]

Re. " 'You could have taken that picture with your cell phone. Why do you need all of that photography gear?' Yet another good point on her part."

I disagree. Case in point is a couple of days ago when I went out to my boat to continue outfitting it for the summer season. Since I wasn't sailing, I left my KP at home. Then, of course, THIS is what I see in front of my boat...



...and even with a great cell camera (Huawei P30) it's just not what I'd get with that nasty better gear!

Cell photos are great recorders of events (the part your wife is totally correct about) but in my hands, at least, they really aren't anywhere near as good at taking communicative photos. And this second notion is by far the more impt part of photography to my mind, anyway.

[madbrain]

I disagree. Case in point is a couple of days ago when I went out to my boat to continue outfitting it for the summer season. Since I wasn't sailing, I left my KP at home. Then, of course, THIS is what I see in front of my boat...



...and even with a great cell camera (Huawei P30) it's just not what I'd get with that nasty better gear!

Cell photos are great recorders of events (the part your wife is totally correct about) but in my hands, at least, they really aren't anywhere near as good at taking communicative photos. And this second notion is by far the more impt part of photography to my mind, anyway.

Well, you got a shot that's clean, shows no evidence of shake, nice colors, and shows your entire subject.
It doesn't fill the frame, but I'm guessing the 40MP on that P30 allows for some at least some cropping. Sure, it's not as good as if you had used a DSLR with a nice telephoto lens. You could have played with the depth of field more and have a nice booth that's missing here.
But under the circumstances you really can't complain.

[jgnfld]

Well, you got a shot that's clean, shows no evidence of shake, nice colors, and shows your entire subject.
It doesn't fill the frame, but I'm guessing the 40MP on that P30 allows for some at least some cropping. Sure, it's not as good as if you had used a DSLR with a nice telephoto lens. You could have played with the depth of field more and have a nice booth that's missing here.
But under the circumstances you really can't complain.

Telephoto!...I was about 10' away if that! (The floating dock is only about 5' wide!)

Compare to this K-70/plm seal at about 20' or so...



Back to the thread I find my cell great for recording events to trigger memories--very much including night events. I find it not so hot for for an artistic/emotional experience. (Caveat again: In my hands, anyway.)

---

Last edited by jgnfld; 06-05-2021 at 04:40 AM.

[richard0170]

One of the posters made a comment about his wife fussing at him about taking all of "that gear" with them on vacation. Good point.

My wife, on the other hand, makes comments when there is a particularly good photo opportunity and I'm caught "fiddling" with my gear. You know, trying to mount my flash and figure out what lens to use. By the time I get all of my gear out, the photo opportunity is over. Then, I get more comments regarding "why do you have all of the photography gear" if you can't take a simple picture? Another good point. So, this is why I'm now going to keep a dedicated lens on my K-70 that can capture those low light shots of the grandkids immediately. I've found that life happens fast and if you can't capture it, your missing out.

Point in fact. The other day, my granddaughter was on our living room rug and our dog had snuggled up to her. She was dozing off and the dog laid his paw over her. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen. I immediately went for my camera gear and figured I'd need my flash. Well, after I rummaged around and got all of my gear sorted out, the moment was over. I missed it. This is what caused me to start doing things differently. I now keep my camera out on the kitchen table. Battery charged, etc. So, when the grandkids come over and a moment happens, I won't miss out. I think this is why cell phone photography is getting so popular. This was another comment my wife made about my K-70 and all of my gear. "You could have taken that picture with your cell phone. Why do you need all of that photography gear?" Yet another good point on her part.

So, I'm doing things differently now. I love DSLR cameras and the Pentax K-70. It just fits in my hands perfectly. But I'm also reevaluated keeping a huge bag of camera gear in my closet that is not very accessible when "the moment" is right in front of me.

This has been a good thread for me. I've learned a lot. Most importantly, keep your gear handy, ready to shoot and with a lens that will capture low light and everyday photos.

Lumberjack93

I am sure a lot of us experience similar issues with our spouses! They just don't seem to understand. This is one area where for me at least film still wins over digital. My primary camera whenever I go on a trip is always one of my film SLRs or Olympus 35 RC loaded with XP2 Plus and just one lens,usually either a 40mm or 55mm. I keep a Fuji XF10 in my pocket just in case! Sure I miss a few photo opportunities, but marital harmony survives. If I were to stick to just digital I would take my KP and a 28mm or 35mm lens, or my Fuji XE3 and 27mm along with the XF10. TBH though, by limiting my gear I also get a higher percentage of keepers.

[Wasp]

My Samsung NX1 with Samsung 16-50mm f/2-2.8 serves me well in low light. The Pentaxian equivalent would be the KP with HD 16-50mm f/2.8, I guess. Not particularly light or cheap but the extra stop or two you gain is worth it.

[pres589]

Not seeing how a 15-30 f2.8 lens is more like a 16-50 f2-2.8 than Pentax's own 16-50 f2.8.


A 16-50 f2 to 2.8 APS-C lens with optical image stabilization would be very nice to have in the Pentax ecosystem. An OIS implementation meant to work as a compliment to in-body image stabilization, and the camera has recent Pentax high-ISO IQ? Yes, please!

[gatorguy]

Does it need to be Pentax? How about theSigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM?

A very underappreciated lens IMO. I've used mine for street, travel and portraits and all with great results.

[Wasp]

When it gets really dark, f/1.4 can't be beaten is good to have. Taken with a Pentax K-x and SMC Pentax M 50mm f/1.4, wide open at ISO 6 400 and 1/60 second. An 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 kit lens is four stops slower, meaning ISO 100 000 would have been needed. The K-x maxes out at 12 800.

[TwoUptons]

I'm visiting family actually, and my husband isn't going on this trip. I go to Paris every few years and I was overdue. I should have latitude to shoot pics as I wish. I definitely don't need fast lenses with the high ISO camera I have - K-1 II. But then again, the only fast lenses I own are very light primes - Pentax DA35, DA40, DA50, FA50. Taking them really doesn't make much difference in the bag. All of them together weigh less than one zoom.

The heavy lenses are the zooms - Pentax D FA 28-105, Sigma 18-300, Sigma 10-20, Tamron 28-300, and Sigma 70-300 . There is also the 800mm t-mount mirror lens.
I know I'm not taking the mirror lens, though. Did that once, to Vietnam. Wasn't worth the weight.

Pretty sure I'm taking at least the Sigma 10-20 and Pentax D FA 28-105 . Not really sure about either of the two superzooms. My Sigma 70-300 is a great and sharp lens, but big and heavy.

Still undecided about taking my m43 camera - the Lumix GX85. The ergonomics truly suck compared to the Pentax. The EVF is much less usable now that I started wearing glasses. And the programs really do very odd things that surprise me each time, and not in a good way. Main thing good about it is that it's small, but so is my smartphone.

Last time I was in Paris I took my 24-35.
It was almost wide enough to stand on the curb of the Arc du Triomphe and get the whole thing without being killed by cars.
Next time I’m taking the 20-35 Tokina

But that and the 28-105 would be enough for me I think.

For the OP on APS-C, I really like the 20-40 Limited as an “on all the time” zoom for my KP.
The flash on the K70 will fill in nicely when the light is really low, and the zoom range is handy around the house. Also, unlike some zooms, it doesn’t shadow the flash.

-Eric

[richard0170]

To get back to the original question posed by the OP, I would suggest that the best option is not a lens at all but camera. Fuji XF10, Nikon A or Ricoh GR. Any of which provide a moderately fast, moderately wide prime which have the added bonus of being pocketable.

[Waffles]

Obviously not in the focal length range the OP was debating but my walk around lens 98% of the time is the 43 Ltd. Whenever I'm walking through a small town, a city or a hike through the woods it's essentially all I need, day or night.

[Kjbecker79]

I would think tha 21 would work well, if you would decide to go zoom the DA20-40 Ltd zoom is outstanding.

Concur with these recommendations.