Originally posted by Brandonsarkis first off, let me say "howdy" from Texas- 2nd post here, first in here (K5).
now...
I've always liked Pentax cameras back from my film days (M42 Spotmatic) and up into my digital days (k10d, (samsung) gx10, k20d and recently a Q!)
a few years back i switched to m4/3 as i had branched into 4/3 with an Oly e-330. I really wanted a k7, but couldnt justify the (re)purchase of a whole new system.
so here i am, contemplating selling or trading all my m4/3 gear to fund another Pentax foray. I really want a K-5 IIs and some quality glass. Should i wait for the next iteration? The rumored FF Pentax? Im out of the loop of the Pentax Nation, so some advice is in order.
1. do i wait?
2. II or IIs? price difference is irrelevant
3. i prefer a FAST 50- my fave lens is my 25/1.4- whats comparable these days?
4. lens recommendations in the range of 28/50/75 please!
5. is there a preferred battery grip?
thanks in advance for all of the help...now im off to the buy/sell forum to put all my stuff up!
1 - even though I had a k5 (I still have it) I chose to get the k5iis - I needed the focusing system that's rated down to -3EV for some social things I do where light is usually lacking. The prices of the k5ii(s) have fallen quite a bit lately so there's some savings to get it now. If a new body is released, no question it will have some improvements (what that will be of course is debatable and unknown), but if you're happy with the current package, the sooner you make the switch, the more images you'll be able to use the new gear with.
2- I chose to get the AA-less model because the extra sharpness sounded appealing and it has not disappointed - it's considerably sharper with less PP time to get the result. Also less noise since I don't have to add sharpness to high iso images...
3 - the primes listed are all good choices. Another to consider is the DA21 f3.2 - it's a small package that's great for street shots or inside work where the rooms are a bit tight. It's not terribly fast, but the high iso capability of the k5 family is really good.
Of course there are zooms also to choose from. I've been using the DA*16-50 f2.8 lately and I am continually impressed with it's sharpness and build quality. This lens is weather sealed and is known to take a fair amount of abuse. There were a lot of motor failures early on (it seems to have diminished the last few years) so it's not risk free... Another fast zoom that's highly regarded is the Tamron 17-50 f2.8. A lot less $$ but not weather sealed and uses screw drive which can be an annoyance for some (not me).
The new Sigma 18-35 f1.8 is getting a lot of people in a tizzy and the reviews that are out are fanning the flames.
4- if you want primes, the DA15 f4, DA21 f3.2, DA35 f2.8 macro, FA31 1.8, FA43 1.9, FA50 1.4, F50 1.7, DA* 55 1.4, FA77 1.8, FDA 100 2.8 WR are amongst my favorite AF lenses. If you are ok w/ manual focus, there are quite a few gems out there like the k50 1.2, cosina 55 1.2, voightlander 58 1.4, rokinon 14 2.8, rokinon 85 1.4 etc etc
if you want zooms, the DA* 16-50 and DA* 50-135 or Sigma 50-150 hsm are my favorites. I also like the Tamron 28-75 2.8. If you want longer, the DA* 60-250 is awesome and the Sigma 70-200 and Tamron 70-200 are highly regarded too. And don't forget about the superwides - the Sigma 8-16 is awesome as is the Pentax 12-24 which can take filters unlike the 8-16. Another good one is the Sigma 10-20 non fixed aperture model. If you want more, make sure your chiropractor says your back can handle it
Personally I travel w/ a combo of zooms and primes - my vacation kit is the Sig 8-16, pent 16-50, da55-300, and a macro prime and a fast prime. Sometimes more or less depending on where I'm going... I also bring a Pentax Q for extreme telephoto (5.5 crop factor) or when I want a super small kit that doesn't need to do mid/high iso.
5 - the pentax grip will maintain WR and the switchgear is of higher quality.
Good luck!