[audiobomber]

I'm going to Palm Desert California for a week and to the coast for a weekend (LA, Marina Del Ray, Newport Beach). I'll be bringing all my lenses and two cameras. I want to hike in the desert and mountains, as well as the urban jungle. I'll carry both the K-x and K20D, with one lens each as a default. When I have time and want to do something special, I'll change a lens. So what would be your default for daylight excursions? Weight is not a concern, I'll be packing everything in my miraculous little Pentax sling bag.

Here's the gear:

K20D, K-x
DA 10-17mm fisheye
DA 16-45mm
DA 18-250mm
Image A 28mm 2.8
FA 35mm 2.0
FA 50mm 1.4
DA 55-300mm
D FA 100mm 2.8 Macro

There are a lot of different configurations you can come up with for this, and I've tried many of them, but only with a K20D and K100DS, not with a K-x. The strengths of the K100 and K-x are quite different, so that will have an impact on which camera gets which lens. What would your preferences be for the two main lenses? Don't worry, I don't intend to bore myself silly by confining myself to two lenses. I'm not carrying all this for nothing

[LeDave]

16-45 and 100 Macro would be the ones I would use most of the time. K20D with the 100 Macro while the K-x has the 16-45

[kevinschoenmakers]

That, of course, depends entirely on what you want to photograph. If you want to try and get wildlife shots, go with your DA55-300; macro, DFA100; landscapes, DA10-17. In addition to that I'd stick your DA16-45 on the other camera.

[J.Scott]

Moved to SLR lens discussion.

[Pentaxor]

I'd suggest a 3 lens setup. 16-45 on the K20D and 55-300 on the k-x. tag along the FA50/1.4 when the need for it should arise.

[audiobomber]

16-45 and 100 Macro would be the ones I would use most of the time. K20D with the 100 Macro while the K-x has the 16-45

I've never tried that combo. I like to shoot wildlife, so the 100mm would be too short for nature walks but could be interesting in a city. The K-x distortion correction is a neat feature for architecture. The 100mm would be good for telephoto architecture and covert people photography (I'm a bit nervous of shooting strangers).

[audiobomber]

That, of course, depends entirely on what you want to photograph. If you want to try and get wildlife shots, go with your DA55-300; macro, DFA100; landscapes, DA10-17. In addition to that I'd stick your DA16-45 on the other camera.

So your plan would be to always have the 16-45 loaded. I can see that, a wide to mild tele covers a lot of needs, but for nature walks I will need the 55-300 mounted all the time. Wildlife won't wait for lens changes. On nature walks, I normally shoot landscapes and wildlife, so from what you said and what I need, that would mean 55-300 and 10-17mm. For city, 16-45 and...?

[audiobomber]

Moved to SLR lens discussion.

Thanks Jeff. The activity level has jumped.

Hey, we should plan a trip for spring, after I get back from California and get bored with the thousand photos I'm going to take.

[pxpaulx]

In the country: 16-45 (k-x), 55-300 (k20)
In the city (day): 16-45 (k-x), 100mm macro (k20)
In the city (night): 35mm (k-x), 16-45mm (k20)

I like the 16-45/100 combo for the city during the day, then switching it around at night to take advantage of low light capabilities of the K-x. For shooting wildlife and the outdoors nothing beats the 16-45/55-300 combo (unless you get new lenses!).

[audiobomber]

I'd suggest a 3 lens setup. 16-45 on the K20D and 55-300 on the k-x. tag along the FA50/1.4 when the need for it should arise.

I'll have two kits with me. At any given time I will either be carrying:

- K-x/18-250mm/FA 35mm/Raynox 150 in a small shoulder bag, or
- everything (two cameras, four zooms, four primes, tripod) in a Pentax sling bag

Your 16-45 and 55-300 suggestion is certainly one I've used and provides maximum coverage, but 300mm may be overkill in a city. For nature walks I need the 55-300, and I can make a case for either the 16-45 or 10-17mm on the other camera.

[Just1MoreDave]

I find that no matter how I plan it, the plan doesn't survive contact with the real world.

My suggestion is the DA 18-250 on one camera, as sort of a P&S and focal length identifier for the other camera. The second camera might start with a lens that sounds like a good idea for the setting you're in, like DA 10-17 in the city, DA 55-300 in the wilderness. Then just leave on whatever you've use last.

[audiobomber]

I find that no matter how I plan it, the plan doesn't survive contact with the real world.

Amen to that!

My suggestion is the DA 18-250 on one camera, as sort of a P&S and focal length identifier for the other camera. The second camera might start with a lens that sounds like a good idea for the setting you're in, like DA 10-17 in the city, DA 55-300 in the wilderness. Then just leave on whatever you've use last.

I didn't take to this idea when I read it, but this is exactly what I ended up doing. I mounted the 18-250 on the K-x and used the K20D with the more specialized lenses. This minimized the number of lens changes and left me prepared for most anything. If I were forced to stick with two cameras two lenses, it would have been 16-45 on the k-x and 55-300 on the K20D.

Here are a couple of samples from my trip:

K20D, 16-45mm



K-x, 18-250mm

[Mike.P®]

18-250mm on the K-x
Fisheye on the K20D

[Just1MoreDave]

My suggestion is the DA 18-250 on one camera, as sort of a P&S and focal length identifier for the other camera. The second camera might start with a lens that sounds like a good idea for the setting you're in, like DA 10-17 in the city, DA 55-300 in the wilderness. Then just leave on whatever you've use last.

I didn't take to this idea when I read it, but this is exactly what I ended up doing...

I won!

I don't blame you for not immediately recognizing my geniusness.

[Lowell Goudge]

I'm going to Palm Desert California fweek and to the coast for a weekend (LA, Marina Del Ray, Newport Beach). I'll be bringing all my lenses and two cameras. I want to hike in the desert and mountains, as well as the urban jungle. I'll carry both the K-x and K20D, with one lens each as a default. When I have time and want to do something special, I'll change a lens. So what would be your default for daylight excursions? Weight is not a concern, I'll be packing everything in my miraculous little Pentax sling bag.

Here's the gear:

K20D, K-x
DA 10-17mm fisheye
DA 16-45mm
DA 18-250mm
Image A 28mm 2.8
FA 35mm 2.0
FA 50mm 1.4
DA 55-300mm
D FA 100mm 2.8 Macro

There are a lot of different configurations you can come up with for this, and I've tried many of them, but only with a K20D and K100DS, not with a K-x. The strengths of the K100 and K-x are quite different, so that will have an impact on which camera gets which lens. What would your preferences be for the two main lenses? Don't worry, I don't intend to bore myself silly by confining myself to two lenses. I'm not carrying all this for nothing

My first reaction is leave the 18-250 home, as well as the 28mm F2.8

In cities I would take the 10-17 and the 16-45 on the two bodies,

out hiking I would use the 55-300 and the 100 macro

at night I would have the 35F2 and 50F1.4 on one body and probably the fisheye on the other.

I think there are no single answers for this , it is situatiional