[VoiceOfReason]

Thanks to everyone for the input. Sounds like it would be safe to just place an order. If I get a big surprise a return will not be a problem.

There was one suggestion for K-5IIs. I thought about it, but with the current kit pricing the K-3 seems the better deal.

Alternatives to the 18 - 135 lens: I have thought about this, and keep coming back back to the 18 -135. The first camera I purchased was a Nikon FG. I remember standing in the store trying to decide on lenses. The choice was between a two lens Sigma kit, and the Nikkor 35 - 105. I decided on the Sigma, and never liked the lenses. The quality was the biggest problem, but I also found the split between the lenses around 65 mm a pain. It seemed I was always needing to swap lenses. Years later I purchased the Nikkor 35 - 105 used, and found it to be a great travel lens. About the same time I was given a Nikkor 50mm 1.4. Theoretically, it was a great lens, but I very rarely bothered to carry it. I inherited a Leica CL and found it to be a nice little camera with its 40 mm lens. I had the 90 mm lens for it, but almost never used it. When the Nikon FG died I moved to digital with the Dimage A3. The 28 - 200 focal range has been good.

If the 18-130 turns out to be like the Sigma lenses I had for my Nikon FG I would be looking for better glass fairly quickly. If it is as good as the Nikkor 35-105 I will find it hard to justify more lenses. The DA 20-40 mm has made me wonder if the extra image quality, and speed, would be worth the tradeoff in focal length.

Thanks for the input.

I am sure you will be happy with it. I have lenses that would definitely be considered much better, but I find this one is awesome for hiking and as a walk around lens.

[normhead]

I regularly haul my gear all over the place, so my advice for back packing would be something like the WG-4 GPS, for a number of reasons, the first being portability and the fact that you can just pull it out of your pocket and snap a few frames without slowing down your travelling companions. Plus I just love pulling up my pictures after the trip and locating them on google earth so I can see where I've been and what I saw there. After a week long trip that can be a real help in identifying which image was taken where. In good light the IQ is excellent, we've sold prints from out older Option W80. I don't own this camera, I still use my 5 year old Optio W90. So I'd have one of those for "everyday" kinds of shots, even if I was taking a DSLR.

For me taking a DSLR back packing is full of bad memories. Having taken my kids up hiking in Little Yoho a number of time, there have been times I was ready to just chuck the SLR off the side of the mountain, on hot sweaty days, climbing 3 or 4000 feet. You're already dying, but because of 3 or four pounds of DSLR you're dying worse. So I'd limit the DSLR stuff to one Pelican case and either my Sigma 18-250 or Pentax 18-135, with maybe the 21 and 40Xs in a small case with an extra battery,

K-3 and DA 18-135 in small case...






I simply won't risk my DSLR in a soft case. IN this case, it's waterproof and shock proof. I can leave the case outside my tent in any weather. It's very rare that on the trail I want the DSLR. But in the morning when you get up and at night before sunset after you've set up camp, is DSLR prime time. Most of the time the DSLR is buried in my pack, except when travelling with other photographers.

On the trail use a waterproof shockproof camera.




It'll do anything in a pinch.


Option W90 slideshow.

[kkoether]

I went from a K200D to my K-3 last summer. All I can say is WOW!!! It wasn't a seamless upgrade but WOW!!! It was worth it. The ability to crop from a 24MP RAW is unreal. I shoot a lot of boat racing which requires a long lens that sometimes isn't long enough. You can crop quite tight and still get a great image.

[emalvick]

I like hiking around with my Pentax DSLRs, and the photos have far outweighed any issues with weight. The Pentax system is fairly comfortable. In most cases, I carry two zoom lenses, one on the camera and one off. Now I have some limiteds, so the next time I might try carrying three of those. The ability to crop will limit the need for zooms and probably result with better images overall and a lighter kit.

I do like the 18-135, and I use it as a bad weather lens. I've also more recently used it for day trips or even a week long trip to New York last spring to just carry one lens. However, it isn't as good as my normal all purpose lens, the Tamron 17-50. That is definitely my favorite zoom lens. Cropping with the K-3 might bring that lens back more into play although again I see myself relying heavily on the 21 mm and 43 mm lenses which are becoming favorites.