[jddwoods]

You got a lot of good recommendations from those of us who responded to you. First and most important is realize you have a lot of great photo opportunities where you live. I am in Delaware but just 30 miles outside of Philadelphia and 12 miles from the farmlands in south east PA. There are great photo opportunities that all you need to do is to get out and see them. You have the Laurel highlands in western PA, and Pittsburgh if it is nearby. I could go on and on, not to mention again rolling hills and farms make great photo opportunities.
Second is you need to decide on K-1 or one of the APS C alternatives. I went for APS C and have K-5 and K-3 bodies but over the years also have several FF primes that work perfectly on the APS C bodies and are all ready, if I ever decide to go FF. I am hesitant on that since I am into bird and wildlife photography and for this use, APS C has a definite advantage. Good luck, go over both the user and in-depth lens and camera reviews on this forum. The one thing to be aware of is what others refer to as LBA or lens buying addiction. You could be significantly impacted by this if you get one of the limited primes.

[mbukal]

me missing something widely

[dexter6662]

Many lenses are available for Pentax cameras K mount, so even in old ones there can be great deals.

I probably also will purchase a Tammy 28-75 2.8 but for the moment I prefer shooting only with 50 1.7

[AstroDave]

I used to be a Pennsylvanian, too (grew up in Huntingdon - home of scenic photo-op Raystown Dam).

Went to school in Pittsburgh. Lots of photo options there: bridges, rivers, ball park, the incline, Pitt, Carnegie-Mellon, Schenley Park/Phipps Conservatory (FLOWERS!!) Carnegie Museum (one of the world's best collections of dinosaur bones!)

Go north to Lake Erie and Presque Isle, Pymatuning Lake, Kinzua Dam & reservoir

Go to Altoona: world-famous Horseshoe Curve

Lots of things to photograph in western Pa. besides trees!!

[normhead]

I used to be a Pennsylvanian, too (grew up in Huntingdon - home of scenic photo-op Raystown Dam).

Went to school in Pittsburgh. Lots of photo options there: bridges, rivers, ball park, the incline, Pitt, Carnegie-Mellon, Schenley Park/Phipps Conservatory (FLOWERS!!) Carnegie Museum (one of the world's best collections of dinosaur bones!)

Go north to Lake Erie and Presque Isle, Pymatuning Lake, Kinzua Dam & reservoir

Go to Altoona: world-famous Horseshoe Curve

Lots of things to photograph in western Pa. besides trees!!

That's the thing. Learn close to home. Start travelling when you get good.

[Des]

I'm going to go against the grain. On a restricted budget, you will be better off in APS-C. If you have $2,400, a K-1 and 28-105 is fine, but I'd still rather have 2,400 in APS-C gear. Even better is $1k in gear, and spend the other $1400 on a photo-centric trip. If your budget it approaching $5k, the K1 makes tons of sense. Maybe upgrade your lens kit first, then upgrade to the K1? Yes, Full Frame offers some advantages. Some disadvantages too.

The K-1 is a great camera. But so is the KP with indistinguishable image quality for most photos. IMO K-1 has the edge for wide angle while KP for telephoto, but both can do a bit of everything. You can build a system around the KP for less money than a K-1.

Are you sure you "need" a K-1? I second the previous emotion about how a crop setup might make more sense.

What I might also suggest is a used K3-II. The resolution is plenty for good sized prints and the shutters are rated for 200K. Save the difference for travel money.

And, yes, it's perfectly understandable and "valid", so to speak: if you want FF, you want FF. But I bet the posters quoted above were just wondering if it would be the most prudent course for really advancing your photography.

Another alternative would be to pick up a KP or K-70 and invest in premium APS-C lenses.

The IQ of the K-1 is awesome, but the weight and relative and cost of lenses inflexibility means there is also a price to pay.

you need to decide on K-1 or one of the APS C alternatives. I went for APS C and have K-5 and K-3 bodies but over the years also have several FF primes that work perfectly on the APS C bodies and are all ready, if I ever decide to go FF. I am hesitant on that since I am into bird and wildlife photography and for this use, APS C has a definite advantage.

me missing something widely

See the theme here? The budget just runs to a K-1 and DFA 28-105. A K-1 is around $1900. DFA 28-105 around $500. So what could you get in APS-C for that $2400? Plenty. Some combination like this:
- Used K-3ii plus spare battery and SD cards (or spend more on a K-P and compromise on the lenses)
- DA 16-85 (or a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 if speed matters more than range or WR)
- Reasonable flash (second hand Pentax 360 is quite affordable, otherwise a Godox or something like that)
- Decent tripod and head
- DA 55-300 PLM (or one of the screw-driven 55-300 WR as a bargain buy)
- At least one DA Limited prime (15, 21 or 70 would complement your 35mm primes, which presumably include a 50), or maybe a macro in the 90-105 range, or one of the ultrawide zooms (e.g. Sigma 10-20, Pentax DA 12-24).

A lot more bang for buck with APS-C. And really the images you could get should be sufficient for most amateurs.

[normhead]

See the theme here? The budget just runs to a K-1 and DFA 28-105. A K-1 is around $1900. DFA 28-105 around $500. So what could you get in APS-C for that $2400? Plenty. Some combination like this:
- Used K-3ii plus spare battery and SD cards (or spend more on a K-P and compromise on the lenses)
- DA 16-85 (or a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 if speed matters more than range or WR)
- Reasonable flash (second hand Pentax 360 is quite affordable, otherwise a Godox or something like that)
- Decent tripod and head
- DA 55-300 PLM (or one of the screw-driven 55-300 WR as a bargain buy)
- At least one DA Limited prime (15, 21 or 70 would complement your 35mm primes, which presumably include a 50), or maybe a macro in the 90-105 range, or one of the ultrawide zooms (e.g. Sigma 10-20, Pentax DA 12-24).

A lot more bang for buck with APS-C. And really the images you could get should be sufficient for most amateurs.

And lot easier to carry as well.

[Des]

And lot easier to carry as well.

Yes, and not just the camera. For example, there doesn't seem to be a FF option to match the DA 15 (pocketable affordable high quality wide prime). And if you compare the DA 12-24 to the DFA 15-30, the latter is twice the weight and twice the price. (Sure it's WR and f2.8, and gives a wider FOV, but if you want any real counterpart for the DA 12-24 you might be limited to lenses no longer in production, like the Sigma 12-24, and even that is bigger and heavier.)

[pres589]

Did we ever hear what the OP wants to actually take pictures of?

[Des]

Did we ever hear what the OP wants to actually take pictures of?

Answered in post #4:

Type of photos, probably mostly landscape, and maybe some wildlife later on when I can afford a quality FF zoom, and when the opportunity presents itself.

[pres589]

Okay, maybe I'm not quite focused enough for this right now. I like my DA 15 a lot. I could see using it on a K-1 in square crop mode.

[dexter6662]

Okay, maybe I'm not quite focused enough for this right now. I like my DA 15 a lot. I could see using it on a K-1 in square crop mode.

15 DA 4 will let you black circle corners, why not taking a Samyang 14 2.8,or an Irix 15 2.4?

[pres589]

15 DA 4 will let you black circle corners, why not taking a Samyang 14 2.8,or an Irix 15 2.4?

In square crop mode, a DA 15 will still have noticeable vignetting? I don't believe that to be the case but I don't have a K-1 so I cannot verify this myself.

[dexter6662]

In square crop mode, a DA 15 will still have noticeable vignetting? I don't believe that to be the case but I don't have a K-1 so I cannot verify this myself.

I don't see the interest of crop mode on a K1, I haven't tried 15 2.8 DA on K1 so I prefer not saying anything.

[Des]

I don't see the interest of crop mode on a K1

Well it means you can use it like an oversized K-5iis (16mp), with your crop lenses. But not a reason to choose it over a 24mp APS-C camera if weight and cost matter, and crop lenses can meet your needs.

It's good that there are FF options like the Irix 15 and Samyang 14 in K-mount, but you have to laugh at the blurb for the Irix:
"Our Firefly lens offers the same optical performance and high quality mechanism as our Blackstone, but its ultra lightweight construction makes it the perfect choice for hikers, travellers, or anyone who simply likes to pack light.The ergonomic, anti-slip, rubber coated focus ring makes for a practical, user-friendly lens. This lightweight option is ideal for on the go photography, without any compromise on optical quality."
Lightweight for FF f2.4, sure. But if 581g is "ultra lightweight", what adjective is left for the DA 15 Ltd at 190g? If you carried a K-1 and three or four "ultra lightweight" 500-600g lenses, your mate with the K-P and a bag of DA Ltds would be pulling ahead of you on the hike.