Go to Italy with K5 or FZ30

Tony3d · 10-26-2011, 08:13 AM

Hi All, I love my new K5! I'm planning a trip to Italy in November, and I'm struggling with which camera I should bring. If I bring my K5 I will need to buy a walk around lens. I was thinking of the Pentax 18-135. That will set me back another $429.00. Now I was looking at some the past photo's I shot with my Lumix FZ30 recently, and I'm really considering taking this camera instead. It has a fantastic Leica lens. 12-1 zoom! The camera takes very decent shots in my hands, weights less than my K5, handles highlights, and shadows very well for a point, and shoot, and there would never be a need to change lenses. I'm bringing a tripod anyway, so low light really won't be an issue. I am also a bit worried about traveling with my K5. If anything happened to it, it would totally ruin my trip! Really want your take on this. I have attached some sample I took with my Lumix FZ30.

Last edited by Tony3d; 09-03-2015 at 06:18 PM.

imtheguy · 10-26-2011, 08:56 AM

I too have an FZ30 with miles on it and would never hesitate to take it for daylight shooting. But only if ISO100 was usable. It suffers at ISO200 and above so in spite of the low replacement cost it would be my last choice for night shots. Way better bridge cameras out there now for low light.

scarboro1 · 10-26-2011, 09:13 AM

I was in Italy this past August and found that I used my 17-50 Tamron most of the time. Great low light performance in places such as churches and museums, wide enough to capture landscapes and architecture. I brought my DA70 which saw very limited use and did not miss packing the DA 55-300 at all. I brought a P&S as well for nights out to dinner, the beach, etc. when I didn't feel like carrying the real gear. You may regret not taking the K5 when you get there, especially if this is your first time there.

RonHendriks1966 · 10-26-2011, 09:17 AM

I went to Paris a few weeks ago with K-5 and DA 40mm/f2.8 and that was fine for me.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/162001-travel-paris.html

eddie1960 · 10-26-2011, 09:24 AM

I've spent a lot of time in various places in europe, I usually have 2 cameras and a multitude of primes with me
Rome I shot on medium format for the most part
In barcelona most recently my kit was DA14, M28 3.5, M50 1.7, M100 2.8, m200 4.0 and 18-55 wr in case it was particularly brutal rain. I had My K7, K10 and a KM film body. I brought the K10 and left it in the Apartment the whole trip it was only there as a back up as barcelona is notorious for pickpockets and bag thieves. To be honest it's not an issue. as long as you are aware of your surroundings i wouldn't worry too much about theft (don't use a big bag that screams expensive camera for instance - I retrofitted a cheap canvas messenger bag with inserts from my crumpler that i transport the items there in. it held all the lenses and 1 body or 2 bodies and leave out the zoom and the 200)
what you will need most is the wide end and a low light lens. longer lenses are limited use in the narrow streets of Europe. I don't know what lenses you have but if i was trying to limit a kit i would go with a wide zoom (like the Tamron mentioned) and a fast 50 for interiors in churches/galleries/museums. I wouldn't bother with the 18-135 myself
Personally i'm a prime guy and all those primes weigh about the same as my Sigma 24-70 2.8 and grip needed to counterbalance it, but give me better performance and longer reach when needed
70% of the time though i shoot the 14 and the 28.

from the 100 trying to isolate from the throngs of people

pxpaulx · 10-26-2011, 09:44 AM

Take the K-5 and you won't need to bother with the tripod, which I could only imagine would have been an enormous burden if I had brought mine on our trip to Italy last year. My advice would be to pick up a wider lens, a used 16-45mm (less than $250) would be a great place to start, or the suggested tamron 17-50mm mentioned above. I took my 15mm Limited and shot 80% of my photos with it (check out my gallery link if you want to see some examples, including night time scenes, easy enough with the K-5 and no tripod!). Although I don't think you'd need telephoto much or at all on your trip, perhaps getting the 50-200mm WR lens would be a good pair with the 16-45mm, to give you something to use in case of inclement weather. Finally, the FZ30 has very poor wide angle, which you'll be in serious need of with the vast amount of beautiful architecture in small spaces.

Finally, if ever there was a reason to get the right lenses for a big trip, going to Italy would be it!

eddie1960 · 10-26-2011, 09:59 AM

Originally posted by pxpaulx

Finally, if ever there was a reason to get the right lenses for a big trip, going to Italy would be it!

this is the correct answer

pick up a 16-50 then the WR is covered as well 2.8

if you are worried about some reach for architectural detail pick up a decent 100 or 135 2.8 manual focus for cheap

Igor123 · 10-26-2011, 11:47 AM

I was there a month ago and used the trip as an excuse to get the K5 and DA12-24 =) and I don't regret a penny paid or gram carried!

Every little church is amazing, like a museum in themselves, and there are LOTS of them, not to mention canals and buildings in Venice, palaces and museums in Florence or BC ruins in Rome. Indoors you'll need some WA to get the feeling of the church/museum/other cool place you're visiting and it can be really dark sometimes, so the ISO of the K5 is the only real option. A DA14 may buy you a stop or two compared to some WA primes but the DOF may not be enough sometimes so a bit smaller aperture and higher ISO. Teles can be useful if you want to capture details of sculptures, ceilings etc, but I rarely used them. I had the K 200 F/2,5 but only used it a couple of times (from the top of St. Peters cathedral and the Doumo), and for indoors details a 50mm will usually be tele enough and give you a few extra stops when focus isolating subjects.

I vote K5 + WA, skip the tripod (you'll walk until your legs hurt because of all there is to see) and have a great trip!

GeneV · 10-26-2011, 12:05 PM

That German town looks familiar. Where is that? (Nice shot, BTW)

I'd still go with the K5. It is compact and so versatile in low light.

SpecialK · 10-26-2011, 12:06 PM

Originally posted by Igor123

I was there a month ago and used the trip as an excuse to get the K5 and DA12-24 =) and I don't regret a penny paid or gram carried!

This is what I would suggest. The 12-24 is excellent for cramped towns. A P&S just isn't wide enough.

If it rains, use a baggie and rubber bands for WR.

eddie1960 · 10-26-2011, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by SpecialK

This is what I would suggest. The 12-24 is excellent for cramped towns. A P&S just isn't wide enough.

If it rains, use a baggie and rubber bands for WR.

or get the new Sigma 12-24 which is WR but costs about $1200

an3ony · 10-26-2011, 12:25 PM

Home Owner's insurance will cover if lost or stolen, bring the K5.

GeneV · 10-26-2011, 02:08 PM

A more compact option would be a DA15. I traveled Spain a while back with the K-x (about the same size as the K5, but lighter) and mostly used the compact DA lenses. I was very pleased with the results. Everyone's preferences are different, but I seldom needed anything wider, and the compact size was much appreciated. If I were doing it again, I'd go with the K-5 plus the same DA limiteds. (15/21/40/70) I also had an old XA pocket film camera, which I used and enjoyed a lot.

Tony3d · 10-26-2011, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by GeneV

That German town looks familiar. Where is that? (Nice shot, BTW)

I'd still go with the K5. It is compact and so versatile in low light.

That was shot in Rothenburg Germany.

Tony3d · 10-26-2011, 02:23 PM

Well, I just called my home owners insurance co., and my entire setup is covered under my home owners insurance, so I guess I will bring my K5 after all. I really would like to just bring just one lens as there will be many times changing lenses just won't be practical. I like the convience of the 18-135.

10-26-2011, 08:13 AM	#1
Tony3d Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Orlando Florida Posts: 487	Go to Italy with K5 or FZ30 Hi All, I love my new K5! I'm planning a trip to Italy in November, and I'm struggling with which camera I should bring. If I bring my K5 I will need to buy a walk around lens. I was thinking of the Pentax 18-135. That will set me back another $429.00. Now I was looking at some the past photo's I shot with my Lumix FZ30 recently, and I'm really considering taking this camera instead. It has a fantastic Leica lens. 12-1 zoom! The camera takes very decent shots in my hands, weights less than my K5, handles highlights, and shadows very well for a point, and shoot, and there would never be a need to change lenses. I'm bringing a tripod anyway, so low light really won't be an issue. I am also a bit worried about traveling with my K5. If anything happened to it, it would totally ruin my trip! Really want your take on this. I have attached some sample I took with my Lumix FZ30. Last edited by Tony3d; 09-03-2015 at 06:18 PM.

10-26-2011, 11:47 AM	#8
Igor123 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 183	Take the K5! I was there a month ago and used the trip as an excuse to get the K5 and DA12-24 =) and I don't regret a penny paid or gram carried! Every little church is amazing, like a museum in themselves, and there are LOTS of them, not to mention canals and buildings in Venice, palaces and museums in Florence or BC ruins in Rome. Indoors you'll need some WA to get the feeling of the church/museum/other cool place you're visiting and it can be really dark sometimes, so the ISO of the K5 is the only real option. A DA14 may buy you a stop or two compared to some WA primes but the DOF may not be enough sometimes so a bit smaller aperture and higher ISO. Teles can be useful if you want to capture details of sculptures, ceilings etc, but I rarely used them. I had the K 200 F/2,5 but only used it a couple of times (from the top of St. Peters cathedral and the Doumo), and for indoors details a 50mm will usually be tele enough and give you a few extra stops when focus isolating subjects. I vote K5 + WA, skip the tripod (you'll walk until your legs hurt because of all there is to see) and have a great trip!

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10-26-2011, 08:56 AM	#2
imtheguy Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,950	I too have an FZ30 with miles on it and would never hesitate to take it for daylight shooting. But only if ISO100 was usable. It suffers at ISO200 and above so in spite of the low replacement cost it would be my last choice for night shots. Way better bridge cameras out there now for low light.

10-26-2011, 09:13 AM	#3
scarboro1 Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto Posts: 111	I was in Italy this past August and found that I used my 17-50 Tamron most of the time. Great low light performance in places such as churches and museums, wide enough to capture landscapes and architecture. I brought my DA70 which saw very limited use and did not miss packing the DA 55-300 at all. I brought a P&S as well for nights out to dinner, the beach, etc. when I didn't feel like carrying the real gear. You may regret not taking the K5 when you get there, especially if this is your first time there.

10-26-2011, 09:17 AM	#4
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	I went to Paris a few weeks ago with K-5 and DA 40mm/f2.8 and that was fine for me. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/162001-travel-paris.html

10-26-2011, 09:24 AM	#5
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	I've spent a lot of time in various places in europe, I usually have 2 cameras and a multitude of primes with me Rome I shot on medium format for the most part In barcelona most recently my kit was DA14, M28 3.5, M50 1.7, M100 2.8, m200 4.0 and 18-55 wr in case it was particularly brutal rain. I had My K7, K10 and a KM film body. I brought the K10 and left it in the Apartment the whole trip it was only there as a back up as barcelona is notorious for pickpockets and bag thieves. To be honest it's not an issue. as long as you are aware of your surroundings i wouldn't worry too much about theft (don't use a big bag that screams expensive camera for instance - I retrofitted a cheap canvas messenger bag with inserts from my crumpler that i transport the items there in. it held all the lenses and 1 body or 2 bodies and leave out the zoom and the 200) what you will need most is the wide end and a low light lens. longer lenses are limited use in the narrow streets of Europe. I don't know what lenses you have but if i was trying to limit a kit i would go with a wide zoom (like the Tamron mentioned) and a fast 50 for interiors in churches/galleries/museums. I wouldn't bother with the 18-135 myself Personally i'm a prime guy and all those primes weigh about the same as my Sigma 24-70 2.8 and grip needed to counterbalance it, but give me better performance and longer reach when needed 70% of the time though i shoot the 14 and the 28. from the 100 trying to isolate from the throngs of people

10-26-2011, 09:44 AM	#6
pxpaulx Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 2,867	Take the K-5 and you won't need to bother with the tripod, which I could only imagine would have been an enormous burden if I had brought mine on our trip to Italy last year. My advice would be to pick up a wider lens, a used 16-45mm (less than $250) would be a great place to start, or the suggested tamron 17-50mm mentioned above. I took my 15mm Limited and shot 80% of my photos with it (check out my gallery link if you want to see some examples, including night time scenes, easy enough with the K-5 and no tripod!). Although I don't think you'd need telephoto much or at all on your trip, perhaps getting the 50-200mm WR lens would be a good pair with the 16-45mm, to give you something to use in case of inclement weather. Finally, the FZ30 has very poor wide angle, which you'll be in serious need of with the vast amount of beautiful architecture in small spaces. Finally, if ever there was a reason to get the right lenses for a big trip, going to Italy would be it!

10-26-2011, 09:59 AM	#7
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by pxpaulx Finally, if ever there was a reason to get the right lenses for a big trip, going to Italy would be it! this is the correct answer pick up a 16-50 then the WR is covered as well 2.8 if you are worried about some reach for architectural detail pick up a decent 100 or 135 2.8 manual focus for cheap

10-26-2011, 12:05 PM	#9
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	That German town looks familiar. Where is that? (Nice shot, BTW) I'd still go with the K5. It is compact and so versatile in low light.

10-26-2011, 12:06 PM	#10
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	Originally posted by Igor123 I was there a month ago and used the trip as an excuse to get the K5 and DA12-24 =) and I don't regret a penny paid or gram carried! This is what I would suggest. The 12-24 is excellent for cramped towns. A P&S just isn't wide enough. If it rains, use a baggie and rubber bands for WR.

10-26-2011, 12:11 PM	#11
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by SpecialK This is what I would suggest. The 12-24 is excellent for cramped towns. A P&S just isn't wide enough. If it rains, use a baggie and rubber bands for WR. or get the new Sigma 12-24 which is WR but costs about $1200

10-26-2011, 12:25 PM	#12
an3ony Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Saugus, MA Posts: 49	Home Owner's insurance will cover if lost or stolen, bring the K5.

10-26-2011, 02:08 PM	#13
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	A more compact option would be a DA15. I traveled Spain a while back with the K-x (about the same size as the K5, but lighter) and mostly used the compact DA lenses. I was very pleased with the results. Everyone's preferences are different, but I seldom needed anything wider, and the compact size was much appreciated. If I were doing it again, I'd go with the K-5 plus the same DA limiteds. (15/21/40/70) I also had an old XA pocket film camera, which I used and enjoyed a lot.

10-26-2011, 02:19 PM	#14
Tony3d Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Orlando Florida Posts: 487 Original Poster	Originally posted by GeneV That German town looks familiar. Where is that? (Nice shot, BTW) I'd still go with the K5. It is compact and so versatile in low light. That was shot in Rothenburg Germany.

10-26-2011, 02:23 PM	#15
Tony3d Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Orlando Florida Posts: 487 Original Poster	Well, I just called my home owners insurance co., and my entire setup is covered under my home owners insurance, so I guess I will bring my K5 after all. I really would like to just bring just one lens as there will be many times changing lenses just won't be practical. I like the convience of the 18-135.