[grispie]

For event shots that draw the viewer in, you want to be up and close but still get coverage. Even 18mm can be too long then. Furthermore, extreme wide-angle lenses exaggerate angles and thus add drama to scenes that otherwise would look pretty static / boring.

Arne,
I would definitely take this remark in account.
Not for right now, but keep this in the back of your mind.

But now, i'll shut up.... :-)

[RonHendriks1966]

That would be an option, but the DA HD 20-40mm isn´t available yet. I would have to wait. I´m really bad at waiting.

It should be in shops within the next two weeks.

[Arne Bo]

But now, i'll shut up.... :-)

Please don´t. I´m very thankful for every input, even if i get more confused (or perhaps overwhelmed) by the minute.
I just need to buy some good glas from the get go. This i learned from this whole conversation. If i don´t have a tool for everything tomorrow than i think it´s totally fine. But it would be good to have some options to better learn the camera. Budget again.

[grispie]

I just need to buy some good glas from the get go.

Ok, I'll continue... :-)
Seriously, right now, as you've stated. Just buy the Kit with the 18-135 lens & maybe one prime (my taste: da35 2.4).
If, after a while you don't like these lenses, you can easily sell these without much loss. Hec, i'd be interested in the zoom. But I doubt you won't like them. Having a good WR standard zoom and a quality standard focal is a great place to start. Just look at the pics made with those lenses on the pentaxphotogallery.com...

From there on you will understand what you need.
To be honest, the DA 20-40 that Ron suggest. I agree with him, but not right now. Same for all stellar quality lenses with high prices.
At this moment you shouldn't/can't decide on those. Too much to learn.

Someone advertised for a wideangle for event shootings e.g. Well, those are the kind of tricks you will learn in the next months. And from there you can spend your money wisely & appropriatly. No one else but you can decide what lenses you need right now. You'll have to discover that yourself.

Again, the 18-135 and the DA35 2.4 are easy lenses to sell without much loss... So you can't make a mistake there.
My 2 cents...

[Rondec]

I guess the one other thing I would mention is that it is not a problem to buy used, when it comes to lenses. Often you can get some good deals on them and well cared for glass lasts for a very long time.

[RonHendriks1966]

From there on you will understand what you need.
To be honest, the DA 20-40 that Ron suggest. I agree with him, but not right now. Same for all stellar quality lenses with high prices.
At this moment you shouldn't/can't decide on those. Too much to learn.

My strategy was different. I owned some lenses to find out what suits me and my style off photography. So the answers to that are for everyone very different. They even are for me now compared to 2008. It evolves with the learningcurve in photography over the years.

So what didn't I do:
I see it to some people. They start with the doublekit K-30 (was before K-x or K-r) and then they think, o I can use something better. They find the DA 16-45 and put the 18-55 kit somewhere (it was only 50 bucks). They learn and by the 17-70 wich is beautifull and only lose 50 bucks on the 16-45. Fun for some time, but the 16-50 is better and again they loose 80 bucks. The K-30 becomes a K-5 (second hand) and that makes up for a K-5 IIs (second hand) but they want the K-3. The 50-200mm becomes a sigma 70-200, not the current version, but the HSM II version, wich is fine and they only loose 50 bucks on the zoom. But then they know that the new Sigma is better or even the Tamron and again they upgrade. This is the best way to spill money.

So I started with K20D with DA*16-50 and DA*50-135mm in januari 2009, after a bridgecamera in 2008. That was a nice learningstage, since all items in my camerabag where firstgrade! I only neede to learn to be as good as my equipement.

The camerastory:
I kept the K20D till the K-7 was announced and alomost in shops. I descided that body-upgrade was something just to do. The K-7 was nice and had a limited moviefunction. So I made a plan on how to handle the camerabody's. I descided to upgrade when a new one arrivés and with the K-5 coming I knew I neede two body's, so sold the K-7 and bought two K-5's (one Silver). Keep the Silver and refresh the black K-5 (had 4 off those and then one K-5 II) since I make a lot off images with sports. Took a yellow K-01 (also a keeper) and now a Silver K-3 (also a keeper). So on this strategy I know have 3 body's, but with K20D/K-7/K-5/K-01/K-5II/K-3 I had 11 camerabody's wich didn't cost to much, since I sell good and bought almost all off them with refund-actions from Pentax. But I made a budget for them and the rest.

The lensstory:
My first mistake was go to a store and try the 40mm Ltd. It was very cheap at that time (remember Pentax was a money losing firm in that year). So that lens was better then my 16-50mm and smaller and lightweight. That was the first stage off fasing out the 16-50mm lens and wenn the DA*55mm (portraitlens) came it had to go. I tradet the 16-50mm for the DA14mm and some money, put in some extra money and bought the DA21mm Ltd. I bought a Sigma 170-500mm (old stock new) and sold it without loss to get the FA*85mm (also portrait and sports). I neede a longer lens for an event and bought the DA*60-250mm lens second hand, it was a rush thing, great lens but wanted for indoor sports a faster lens with f2.8 so I sold that lens without any loss after a few months. Then I bought the Pentax DA*200mm, but had a bad luck with that lens, could return it to the shop and instead I took the Sigma 70-200mm, wich made the DA*50-135mm obsolete (to slow in focussing for sports). Then the DA*300mm came. Not complete happy with everything, since the DA14mm was great, but not my lens, so I sold the 14mm and 21mm to fund the FA31mm, wich was a great choice. Toyed around a little and had a DA15mm, DA10-17mm fishey and DA12-24mm, but lost no money on the sales off those secondhand lenses. So that leaves me today with the six lenses 31mm, 40mm, 55mm, 85mm, 70-200mm and 300mm. I'm planning on replacing the 40mm with the 20-40mm. I didn't lose much money on all these lenses and when I use them for another few years, who's complaining.

Make a budget:
I made a budget at some point to keep controll on things. Initial costs are always high, since you have nothing to start on. I made a calculation and budgetted 200 euro a month to cover the expenses. That seems a lot, but in reality it is just enough when you want to have a good set off lenses and camera's (more body's cost more money). In this budget I also cover memorycards (they where expensive a few years ago), software like LightRoom and Elements, a 27 inch monitor with high resolution (2560x1440 pixels) and the needed upgrade for my computer, camerasupport like monopod and tripod, camera mic for video and video ledlight, camerabags and so on and so on.

It just never ends, unless you are smarter then me....

[Snydly]

Part of the reason I went with Pentax originally was this forum. You see already the type of helpful opinion you get here. I just upgraded from the k7 to the k5iis and couldn't be happier. Well, I might have been happier with the k3, but I usually stay a step behind and forage for opinions here over time.

Three things I didn't see much mention of here were the da35 limited which I just picked from BHPhoto for $400.00. It has 1:1 macro capability. I have the 16-50 and love it, but have to honor the review (on this site) and opinions here on the sigma and tamron 17-50's. The second thing is, don't ignore the used lens options, especially on this site. There are very honest decent photographers here that you can get great deals from. And third, software is very important to get more from your photos than you would expect. I use CS5 but many here like Lightroom. I've been thinking of giving that a try myself.

I also have the 50-135 which IMHO a Pentax photographer is bound by honor and probably law to own, and the Tamron 90, all bought used and perfect.

Good luck with everything, and I won't tell you to have fun with your new equipment as that would be unnecessary.

Bill

[bdery]

I see it to some people. They start with the doublekit K-30 (was before K-x or K-r) and then they think, o I can use something better. They find the DA 16-45 and put the 18-55 kit somewhere (it was only 50 bucks). They learn and by the 17-70 wich is beautifull and only lose 50 bucks on the 16-45. Fun for some time, but the 16-50 is better and again they loose 80 bucks. The K-30 becomes a K-5 (second hand) and that makes up for a K-5 IIs (second hand) but they want the K-3. The 50-200mm becomes a sigma 70-200, not the current version, but the HSM II version, wich is fine and they only loose 50 bucks on the zoom. But then they know that the new Sigma is better or even the Tamron and again they upgrade. This is the best way to spill money.

That will happen if you loose money on all those changes. For bodies it's inevitable to loose money, but for lenses if you buy second-hand and take good care of the lenses, you will not loose that kind of money. I have actually (because of prices increases) gained some money while upgrading, from time to time.

[TenZ.NL]

My strategy was different.....[snip] I didn't lose much money on all these lenses and when I use them for another few years, who's complaining.

Make a budget:
I made a budget at some point to keep controll on things. Initial costs are always high, since you have nothing to start on. I made a calculation and budgetted 200 euro a month to cover the expenses. That seems a lot, but in reality it is just enough when you want to have a good set off lenses and camera's (more body's cost more money). In this budget I also cover memorycards (they where expensive a few years ago), software like LightRoom and Elements, a 27 inch monitor with high resolution (2560x1440 pixels) and the needed upgrade for my computer, camerasupport like monopod and tripod, camera mic for video and video ledlight, camerabags and so on and so on.

It just never ends, unless you are smarter then me....

That`s called learningcurve, Ron. In the beginning you never know where you gonna end up with this hobby, so everyone has to walk their own path.
Some girls/guys stick to the same lens for years, others buy shitloads of gear, optics and accessoires whenever they can and some others buy a highend-kit instantly without being bothered by any form of knowledge. Truth is, one`s kit is never perfect, there will be or appear something to be desired. Hobbies allways cost money and frankly, I don`t mind. This is what I work for.

[kcmadr]

Please don´t. I´m very thankful for every input, even if i get more confused (or perhaps overwhelmed) by the minute.
I just need to buy some good glas from the get go. This i learned from this whole conversation. If i don´t have a tool for everything tomorrow than i think it´s totally fine. But it would be good to have some options to better learn the camera. Budget again.

Sir,

Now that you have decided on the kit with 18-135mm lens, I would suggest your next purchases of quality lenses to be one lower focal length with a fast aperture and one higher length also fast aperture. Faster than f2.8 which rules out a zoom lens. Perhaps go immediately for the DA 35mm f2.4 and the DA 50mm f1.8, and after some use you will figure out what your common focal length is and spend more on a Limited like the FA 31mm f1.8, FA 43mm f1.9, FA 77mm f1.8, or DA 70mm f2.4.

[Arne Bo]

OK, i took a look at the galery and the 50-135mm is able to make unbelievable pictures. (if you know what you´re doing.) It is well loved, but said to be slow in the review section.
If i choose this beauty i don´t see a point in getting the 18-135mm kit lens as well for a start. (i might be wrong) But on the other hand i want some wider lens to learn this as well and something fast for museums work. Is the 18-55mm kit lens worth the 50€ to have something to learn with or would you have another suggestion for a wider lens? Perhaps a prime?
The 20-40 limitedI seems to be a very nice lens, but i want to see pictures, reviews and you´re responses for it before buying it blindly.
This is my last request for you´re help. (for now *hehe*) After that i will have to make a decision.

Perhaps one last question, i´m new to this forum so i would like to know where to show my pictures best to get you´re criticism? I don´t want to bombard the wrong section of the forum with my pictures.

Thanks a lot, you all were of great help to me.

[TenZ.NL]

The ultimate balance between IQ, WR and range would be a K-3 coupled with a DA*16-50 and a DA*50-135, topped off with some primes like the DA*300, FA* 600, DA15ltd, FA31ltd and the FA77ltd.
But that maybe stretching the budget too far...

[Rondec]

OK, i took a look at the galery and the 50-135mm is able to make unbelievable pictures. (if you know what you´re doing.) It is well loved, but said to be slow in the review section.
If i choose this beauty i don´t see a point in getting the 18-135mm kit lens as well for a start. (i might be wrong) But on the other hand i want some wider lens to learn this as well and something fast for museums work. Is the 18-55mm kit lens worth the 50€ to have something to learn with or would you have another suggestion for a wider lens? Perhaps a prime?
The 20-40 limitedI seems to be a very nice lens, but i want to see pictures, reviews and you´re responses for it before buying it blindly.
This is my last request for you´re help. (for now *hehe*) After that i will have to make a decision.

Perhaps one last question, i´m new to this forum so i would like to know where to show my pictures best to get you´re criticism? I don´t want to bombard the wrong section of the forum with my pictures.

Thanks a lot, you all were of great help to me.

The 18-55 kit is decent, not great. The big issue is that it is slowish, but it certainly is the cheapest way to get 18mm. The 50-135 is in another category and has great rendering. I just always hesitate to recommend starting off with a DA * zoom from the beginning, until you know for sure that you like to shoot a lot in that range, as it is pretty expensive.

[kcmadr]

Well, if you go for the DA* 50-135mm f2.8, then pair it up with the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8.

That should cover your bases very nicely.

[grispie]

I looked back at the initial post. Your priorities are landscape, nature (while travelling) and museum work.

This is a lot of wideangle stuff with the occasional tele and for both priorities, you probably don't want heavy gear.

Not sure why you'd put your money on a lens as the da 50-135