[clackers]

Okay, another question: what about a tripod? Is it necessary at this stage and if so, which one? Any other essential accessories?

Also about holding off buying the K-1 - I'm flying to the States for a visit in late March and want to order the camera then. If Pentax does a new release of the K-1... and if it's in early March... when can I expect a drop in prices?

Thanks again for your invaluable help. One thing that has me swaying toward the Pentax is this forum. There seems to be so much advice, even for people of my level.

A tripod isn't needed for street photography, Alice, but it's handy for landscapes, still life and formal portraits and essential for long exposures like night photography.

I wouldn't expect much discounting. The 'new' model is pretty much the same camera with the KP's image processor added in. If you don't mind secondhand, a good deal might be had buying from a fellow member here in the Marketplace.

[Alex645]

Okay, another question: what about a tripod? Is it necessary at this stage and if so, which one? Any other essential accessories?
If Pentax does a new release of the K-1... and if it's in early March... when can I expect a drop in prices?

BHphotovideo (in NYC) has over 606 different tripod/head combinations, so the ideal is that you could get hands on to have a sense of whatʻs too big, too small, etc. Like cameras and lenses, one common ʻmistakeʻ is most people buy a cheap tripod, and then either hates it and never uses tripods again, or ends up buying two or three tripods until they finally find one they are happy with.

Although you may not use a tripod often, when you really need one, you want one that will work well.

Donʻt even think about anything plastic. Metal (aluminum) is usually the best prices, but carbon fiber is lighter, more durable, wonʻt bend out of shape, transmits vibrations less, but will be more expensive. For landscapes and night photography, Iʻd recommend a ball head, but get one that is rated to hold many times the actual weight of your camera and lens. They will be more stable and are less likely to slip when locked down for a long exposure.

The leg locks are often the first thing to break. Iʻve had problems with either the knob style or flip locks breaking. The twist type leg locks are light and have been the most reliable for me.

Prices for the K-1 have already started to drop, but I wouldnʻt expect them to go down any more than another couple hundred at best on any unsold K-1 when the next model becomes available. If youʻre willing to wait until November, you might find a deal but lost months of photography to save less than 10-15%?

[ChristianRock]

In my previous suggestion I assumed you had $3500 to spend on lenses... but if that amount includes the camera I'd get the K-1 kit with the 24-70mm f2.8 that BHPhoto has for $2,993.00 and the DFA 100mm f2.8 Macro for $446.95. The 100 can double as a portrait lens and it will do a pretty good job, and you can always get the FA 77 f1.8 later... and the 24-70 can be used for your landscape needs, as 24mm is a good focal length for that purpose. You can go wider later... if you want to.

[Alice]

Yes, I actually only have $3500 for the camera plus lenses. Thanks, @ChristianRock, that's a good suggestion. I've been going back and forth between the 24-70 and the 28-105.

[clickclick]

I like the idea of the bundle with the 24-70 and the DFA100 too. I'd say that generally when I want more than the 70, I'm probably wanting all of the 100 and not something in between. The DFA 100 macro is not a particularly large or heavy lens, so it's not much more to carry/squeeze into the bag. It's very sharp, and a macro is nice to have.

[monochrome]

FYI this K-1 + 28-105 Kit is FOR SALE in the Marketplace for $1,800 - 9000 clicks.

[makmak]

There is also a DFA 24-70mm f2.8 lens - but in your case I think I would get the DFA 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 lens (still an excellent all-purpose lens, albeit slower in aperture - and that makes it much lighter to just carry around with you) and then add the DFA 15-30mm f/2.8 for your landscape needs that aren't covered with the 28-105. I would then add the excellent FA* 77mm f1.8 for portraits (some call it the best lens in the entire Pentax universe) and the DFA 100mm f/2.8 Macro.

I think all of your needs would be very well met and these are all great lenses. And the whole lot of 4 lenses would cost you right now $3,037.80 at BH Photo. You could also pay a bit less if you get the DFA 28-105 as a kit lens with your K-1, and if you end up buying something used.

Regarding whether it's too much camera - if you have the budget and the passion, why not?

Oh and welcome to the forums

I have +40 years experience in Pentax and experience in Canon, Nikon, motion picture, etc.
You will be satisfied with a Pentax K-1, and you will find many compatible lenses
for a reasonable price.

[motorhead9999]

Hi,

I'm an amateur photographer, new on the forum, who's been using an entry level DSLR for the past two years (Canon Rebel t5) and is interested in making the jump to full frame. I'm interested mostly in landscapes, macro, and portraits, although as a hobbyist I'd still like to take occasional action shots and street photos. Video doesn't interest me.

After doing a lot of research, I'm definitely leaning toward getting the K-1... but still looking at the Nikon D750 and the Canon 6D Mark ii. The features that attract me to the K-1 are the weather sealing (I love taking shots in the rain), the image quality, the in-body stabilization, and the buttons on the frame which seem to make the camera easier to use rather than hunting in menus. I'd like to try some night shooting as well (events/street scenes, not stars).

I don't have any lenses yet - for any system - and can spend about $3000 - 3500. With the Pentax I'm thinking of going with the 24-120 kit lens, the 100 mm for macro and possibly the 43 mm f1.9 for portraits.

Questions:
1. Is the K-1 too much camera for me? I'm still figuring out some of the basics like managing ISO and shutter speed. I'm very willing to learn and if I'm going to learn, I'd like a decent system. The quality of my Canon has been really frustrating to me (I know, I know, blame the photographer, not the camera...).

2. For those with some experience with the Canon D6Mii or the Nikon D750, would you recommend them over the K-1?

3. Are my lens choices appropriate for someone at my level?

I keep coming back to the K-1 and really appreciate how passionate some of the reviews are. Thanks in advance.

I somewhat recently switched to Pentax from Canon, and just wrote a post on my experience. Might give you some thoughts.

My Canon to Pentax experience: Why I love Pentax, but might still leave. - PentaxForums.com

No, I don't think the K1 is too much camera for you, especially given the difference in body costs. I don't know much about the D750, but I would suggest strongly reconsidering the 6Dmk2. I've heard numerous reviews complain about the sub par performance of the images in the mk2 version compared to the original.

In terms of lenses, I'd highly recommend going with the Pentax 24-70 f/2.8 to start with. Its a great fast lens with a lot of use. It's become my go to lens at the moment. It's pricey, but it's great quality.

[samski_1]

Hi Alice,
Camera
I have owned older full frame cameras made by Nikon (D600) and Canon (6D) in the past, and now have the K-1. My first DSLR was an APS-C Pentax K-7 and I really loved the photos that the camera and lenses produced but wanted to move to full frame a few years ago before Pentax offered anything. I have no complaints against the Nikon or Canon except that they were big and bulky which is the case with most full frame DSLRs when compared to APS-C options. I believe the K-1 may be slightly smaller than the current full frame offerings by Canon and Nikon but stand to be corrected.
I really didn’t like the physical size of the D600 and 6D so went to MFT for a couple of years but eventually got sick of the limitations (mainly the lack of options for wide angle and low depth of field photography) and decided to give FF another try. Once I started looking and found that Pentax had a version on the market I jumped on it for all the reasons previously mentioned - weather sealing, in camera stabilisation, the legacy lenses, and because I loved the K-7. The fact that the autofocus system is not as advanced as other systems is not such an issue for me as I rarely shoot moving objects and use predominantly manual focus lenses. I’ve only had the K-1 for a couple of months but it feels better in the hand to me than the other FF cameras I had and I’m loving the pictures produced.

Lenses
I bought the 28-105mm zoom as I wanted a weather sealed general purpose autofocus zoom for wet hiking trips, chasing the kids around etc and have been really impressed with the results. I also have a few older Pentax and Leica manual focus prime lenses which I really enjoyed using on the K-7 and love on the K-1. I would recommend purchasing the zoom you decide on first and using it for a while to determine which focal lengths you use most then making a decision regarding prime lenses based on this info. Pentax have some excellent manual and autofocus legacy lenses but not a large range of current production full frame lenses, quality older lenses can be found at a fraction of the cost of modern equivalents.

Tripod
I went for years without using one but bought one a couple of years ago for use with long exposures. A good rock in the landscape is equally as effective but somewhat more cumbersome to carry around!

Last piece of advice from experience - choose your camera wisely with the idea of holding it for a considerable period as the resale price plummets as fast as that of a new car heading off the showroom floor.

Good luck!!!

[robgski]

I think the K-1 paired with the FA-77mm is an unbeatable combination, especially for portraits, but on a FF camera the 77mm field of view is also good for street photos, city scapes, and other uses.
If you want to save some money on lenses, look at the used lenses for sale here. I have never been disappointed purchasing equipment offered here on PF.

Read the manual, the K-1 has atremendous amount of features.

You don't need to spend alot of money on a good tripod, but buy a sturdy one that meets your style of shooting. My 30 year old All metal Slik is not the lightest or most compact, but it still does the job.

[Alex645]

the Nikon or Canon except that they were big and bulky which is the case with most full frame DSLRs when compared to APS-C options. I believe the K-1 may be slightly smaller than the current full frame offerings by Canon and Nikon but stand to be corrected.

Current full frame DSLRs from lightest to heaviest. Quite a range with the K1 heavier than all but the Canikon flagship models which are nearly double the weight of the lightest options. However, the weight of the lens and how it balances with the camera is going to have a bigger effect in terms of total weight and ergonomics.

In terms of size, the K-1 is similar to the entry-level FF models and somewhat smaller than the Canikon prosumer and pro models.

Canon 6D II: 685g. 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.9" (13" total)
Nikon Df: 708g. 5.6 x 4.3 x 2.6" (12.5")
Nikon D750: 750g. 5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1" (13")
Nikon D610: 757g. 5.6 x 4.4 x 3.2" (13.2")
Canon 6D: 770g. 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.8" (12.9")
Canon 5D IV: 800g. 5.9 x 4.6 x 3.0" (13.5")
Sony a99 II: 849g. 5.6 x 4.1 x 3.0" (12.7")
Canon 5D III: 857g. 6.0 x 4.6 x 3.0" (13.6")
Nikon D810: 880g. 5.7 x 4.8 x 3.2" (13.7")
Nikon D850: 915g 5.7 x 4.9 x 3.1" (13,7")
Pentax K-1: 924g. 5.4 x 4.3 x 3.4" (13.1")
Nikon D5: 1415g. 6.3 x 6.2 x 3.6" (16.1")
Canon 1DX II: 1530g 6.2 x 6.6 x 3.3" (16.1")

Comparing the 24-70mm f/2.8 from lightest to heaviest:

Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8ED SDM: 787g. ($1100 usd)
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM: 805g. ($1750 usd)
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED: 900g. ($1800 usd)
Sony Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II: 974g. ($2100 usd)
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art: 1020g. ($1300 usd)

In general, Pentax wins in price at many levels. Many bemoan of the lack of third party lenses, but in most cases those lenses are heavier, not WR, and often not AF. Ultimately, everyone has their own priorities: price, features, quality, ergonomics, or someone elseʻs recommendation or perceived approval.